Tag Archives: Cedric Mullins

There’ll be no waiting until the finale of this series with Minnesota to see if the Baltimore Orioles will extend their streak of series’ having not been swept. The Birds took care of business early on in this series, the opener of which was started by Cole Irvin – who didn’t stick around as long as he would have wanted, but such can be life. Irvin’s line: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 4 K.

Personally I thought Irvin had something left in the tank. While he didn’t outwardly react, it appeared that when Brandon Hyde went out to get him, he wasn’t necessarily thrilled. However you have to trust that Hyde had reasons for pulling Irvin when he did.

Cedric Mullins dazzled fans before he even stepped to the plate. With the crowd still settling in during the top of the first, Minnesota’s Buxton sent a deep liner to center with two outs. It appeared to be by Mullins, and with a runner on second would have scored a run. But Mullins wasn’t having that. He extended all the way back towards his left, and with his face to the wall made an amazing catch to end the inning.

It goes in the scorebook as a fly ball out. But moments like that are intangible, and you can’t put a value on them. That was one of the best catches I’ve ever seen if I’m being honest. It’s right up there with Jim Edmonds’ catch for the Cardinals years ago.

And the Birds kept the momentum going quickly. Jordan Westburg’s two-RBI double in the bottom of the inning gave the O’s a 2-0 lead. Minnesota would cut that in half with Miranda’s second inning solo homer, but the Birds weren’t about to surrender the lead.

Ryan O’Hearn’s solo homer in the third extended the lead to 3-1, and Mullins’ sacrifice fly-RBI brought it to 4-1. Mullins, for his part, was really the workhorse of the night. Both offensively and defensively.

Minnesota would try to chip away with an RBI-single by Miranda in the fourth, but again it was Mullins who would stem the tide. He smacked deep two-run homer in the fifth which extended the lead to 6-2. One inning later Gunnar Henderson joined the homer parade with a solo shot. Jeffers would add a two-RNI double in the seventh to get Minnesota to within three, but that wasn’t ever going to be enough.

So this marks the 97th consecutive series the Orioles have played without getting swept. The last time that happened was May of 2022 at the hands of the Detroit Tigers. Is it a somewhat pointless streak? Yes. But is it worth mentioning? Absolutely.

It’s also worth mentioning that the O’s didn’t find it necessary to come back in this game. They led from the beginning, and they simply padded the lead. Interesting spot to be in if the rest of the young season is any indication.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Chris Paddack. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

John Means took the ball for the second time this season for the Baltimore Orioles last night. Another shortish outing to be sure, although he was in line for the win when he left. Means’ line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 1 K.

Means’ line run surrendered came on an RBI-double by Tucker in the first inning. But the O’s would tie it in the third. Adley Rutschman’s sac fly-RBI would tie the game. Two innings later Ryan O’Hearn would smack a two-RBI single, which gave the O’s the lead at 3-1.

Means came out to pitch the last of the fifth, and then hit the showers. Even given the Orioles’ push to the postseason (which as we know is now a trip that’s guaranteed), it’s obvious that Brandon Hyde is trying to be careful with Means. Coming off of Tommy John’s surgery is no joke.

However Houston would take the lead back in the sixth. McCormick’s RBI-single would bring them to within 3-2. However Shintaro Fujinami’s two wild pitches would send McCormick to third, and he would later score on Peña’s run-scoring single. Altuve’s two-RBI double would give Houston the lead at 5-3.

But remember, these Birds do their best work late. Adley Rutschman’s RBI-double in the seventh cut the Houston lead to 5-4. Cedric Mullins’ RBI-double would then tie the game at five, with Ryan O’Hearn being thrown out at home plate. But damage done, although Houston would take the lead back with solo homers in the seventh and eighth, going to the ninth inning with a 7-5 lead.

But while Houston’s the defending champion, it’s the Baltimore Orioles who have the best record in the American League in 2023. Both are first place teams and both are quality teams. But the standings say that the O’s are the better team right now and this year. And that became evident very fast.

The Birds opened the ninth with two base hits. That brought Cedric Mullins to the plate, and on a 2-1 pitch he sent a deep shot into right field. And wouldn’t you know it, the ball landed in the right field grandstand, deep in the heart of Texas.

And with that, the best team in the American League defeated the defending champions in game one of a series against a team that they may well see again in the not-so-distant future. Make no mistake, if the Orioles are going to go deep into the postseason, they’ll end up facing Houston at some point. So they should get used to seeing them in the opposing dugout.

The series continues this evening at Minute Maid Park. Kyle Gibson gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Houston’s Hunter Brown. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.

The Baltimore Orioles sent Dean Kremer to the mound this evening to open up a three-game set with St. Louis at Camden Yards. You know that we’re getting to crunch time in the season, because Brandon Hyde lifted a struggling Kremer in favor of the bullpen. He just didn’t have it tonight, and it was took important a game to let it go on. Kremer’s line: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 2 K.

Kremer allowed a run in the first on an RBI-single by Contreras. However in the bottom of the inning Aaron Hicks’ RBI-single would tie the game. That was followed by an RBI-single by Ramon Urias, putting the Orioles ahead, 2-1. However St. Louis would put three across in the third, taking a 4-2 lead.

Adam Frazier got them slightly closer in the fourth with an RBI-single. However the teams in essence swapped RBI-singles in the fourth and fifth, with St. Louis’ coming off the bat of Burelson. However Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI-single in the last of the fifth brought the Birds to within 5-4.

But they weren’t done in that fifth inning. This is a team that’s had the flair for the dramatic all season. And now, on the brink of a playoff birth, we should expect nothing different. As that fifth inning went on, the O’s loaded the bases. And Cedric Mullins was striding to the plate…

…and you know what happened next. The 2023 Orioles…did 2023 Oriole things. Mullins’ sent a grand slam deep into the Baltimore late summer night, giving the Orioles an 8-5 lead, and reminding all in attendance and watching, that the Orioles are never out of a game. I’ll say it again; the Orioles are never out of a game.

One inning later, Gunnar Henderson’s solo homer extended the lead to 9-5. Austin Hays would add a two-RBI single in the last of the eighth, and the O’s closed out an 11-5 victory over St. Louis. It’s also their 86th consecutive series without being swept. And it lowered the magic number to win the division to at least 16, and the magic number to clinch a playoff spot to at least four. (This pending what other teams do tonight.)

To add to the good news, the Orioles will get starter John Means back tomorrow night. This following Tommy John’s surgery last summer. I suppose it’s fair to question whether or not it’s smart to reintroduce Means (who’s now an unknown commodity) to the rotation in the midst of the pennant race. But no time like the present, right?!

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. The aforementioned John Means makes the start for the O’s (his first of the season), and he’ll be opposed by St. Louis’ Adam Wainright. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

In taking the bump at Chase Field for the Baltimore Orioles last night, Peoria, AZ native Kyle Bradish got to pitch a game in the ballpark he grew up visiting. While he didn’t necessarily have his best command, Bradish muscled through and pitched to a quality start. And got the win; which is probably the most important part. Bradish’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 6 K.

Bradish’s two runs surrendered were somewhat fluky. Marte’s RBI-double in the third gave Arizona a 1-0 lead. It was a weird bouncing ball down the first base line, which didn’t go that far. However the field turf slowed it up enough for Marte to get to second. Later in the inning Thomas grounded into a force out with the bases loaded by bouncing a ball high off the field turf, not allowing the O’s to turn two. The Birds trailed 2-0 after three.

But that’s where the fluky ended and power took over. The O’s put two runners on in the fourth, bringing Cedric Mullins to the plate. And Mullins sent a DEEP shot to right field, resulting in a three-run homer. Just like that, the O’s led 3-2.

But they were just getting warmed up. Adam Frazier and James McCann added RBI-doubles, and Adley Rutschman an RBI-single. When the smoke cleared, the Orioles led 6-2.

Big innings are key for championship-caliber teams. If you can put up a crooked number here or there, you’ll never be out of a game. And that’s key as we go towards October.

Adley Rutschman would shoot a solo homer out in the seventh. Arizona’s Moreno would follow suit in the last of the ninth, however too little too late. The O’s took this one 7-3, and with Tampa losing as well narrowed their magic number to win the AL East Pennant to 25.

The series concludes this afternoon at Chase Field. Jack Flaherty gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Arizona’s Zac Gallen. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

Did Kyle Bradish really start this game for the Baltimore Orioles? Of course he did. And he was great for six innings, pitching to a quality start. But while his contribution was massive, it won’t be remembered when all’s said and done and fans think back to this game. Bradish’s line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 7 K.

The O’s were already in business today because Tampa lost to Cleveland. So they had an opportunity to extend their lead in the AL East to three games over Tampa. If they could win.

The Orioles of course got Cedric Mullins back this weekend from the injured list, but he started the game on the bench. The O’s took an early 1-0 lead on Gunnar Henderson’s sac fly in the third. Seattle would tie it on Suarez’s RBI-single later in the inning, and take the lead in the last of the fifth on Rodriguez’s RBI-double.

However Bradish would close his day with the score tied, as Austin Hays would smack an RBI-single in the sixth. And we appeared to be going to extra innings, which we did. Just not for the reasons that we thought.

The O’s had Jorge Mateo on second in the top of the ninth with Adley Rutschman at the plate. And Seattle pitcher Munoz was called for a balk – sending Mateo to third. Seattle manager Scott Servais came out to argue, and was ejected.

Now to be clear, the balk call itself was borderline at best. And it was a tough one to make at that stage of such an important game. But the umpire made it, and it played right into the hands of the Orioles given Mateo’s speed. They put the contact play on, and sure enough Rutschman put a swinging bunt in play in front of the pitcher…

…Seattle tried to nail Mateo at home plate, but he slid head first into home and gave the O’s the lead. The play was reviewed, and upheld. And the Orioles led.

With one out in the last of the ninth, Seattle’s France sent a deep shot to center field. Full disclosure, I thought it was gone off the bat. However I also immediately noticed that Cedric Mullins, who had entered the game as a pinch hitter, seemed to be acting like he had a chance at making the play. And he did have a chance…

…as he got to the wall he leapt, and…brought the ball back in. He caught it on the fly and brought the ball back into the ballpark. He climbed the wall, and appeared to have saved the game. With perhaps the defensive play of the year, league-wide.

I say he appeared to save the game because the next batter, Canzone, did smack a solo homer. Which seemed to let some air out of the sails. However as the game went to extra innings, we were once again reminded that today was Cedric Mullins’ day. And he wasn’t going to be stopped.

Mullins came up in the top of the tenth with the ghost runner at third base. Mullins almost out the O’s ahead with a two-run homer early in the at-bat, but the ball pulled foul. However like the catch, that drive was a harbinger. Because he eventually smashed a long two-run homer, giving the Orioles a 5-3 lead. Which translated into a 5-3 win.

You can almost see video yearbook programs looking back to this game after the season is over – whenever that ends up being, that sequence in the end – the balk and ejection, leading up to the Mullins homer (and everything in between)….that was perhaps as intense a sequence as I’ve ever seen in a sporting event. These two teams played each other TOUGH in both regular season series’ this year. An Orioles vs. Seattle series in October would be one for the ages. But needless to say, the cream also rose to the top when all was said and done.

The O’s now head to San Diego to open up a three-game set at Petro Park. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by San Diego’s Yu Darvish. Game time is set for 9:40 PM.

I suppose the question for the Baltimore Orioles is which win in Toronto this weekend was bigger? Which was the seasons’s “signature win” (to date, at least)? Was it yesterday’s slow slog, or today’s game, started by Dean Kremer? Dean Kremer, who incidentally put the O’s in a spot to win today. Kremer’s line: 5.1 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 K.

Similar to yesterday, today’s game seemed to have a late-season or post-season big game feel to it. The air was thick all day, and neither side was seemingly ready to blink. Toronto took a 1-0 lead in the second with a solo homer by Chapman. But solo homers rarely beat you.

The O’s would tie the score in the third on an RBI-groundout by Adley Rutschman. Anthony Santander would then reach on a fielder’s choice, scoring Cedric Mullins from third. And the Orioles led, 2-1.

A downside to this game (following yesterday’s) for the Orioles was that the bullpen was taxed. They potentially had only three or four relievers available – short of an emergency, that is. In fact, I might even argue that there could have been consideration of using a starter out of the ‘pen had it been necessary. Luckily, that didn’t happen. And the O’s have an off day tomorrow.

One of the fresh relievers was Mychal Givens, who came off the IL before the ballgame. Givens of course was an Oriole for many years, and has now returned after three years away. He showed some rust, however overall it was a good outing – save for letting Toronto tie the score at two on a sac fly-RBI by Chapman in the seventh.

And just like that, we went to extra innings again, tied at two. As the title states, this was a series for the ages. So it was only fitting that the game went to extra innings. Cedric Mullins opened the extra frame(s) with a run-scoring single, and suddenly the Birds had the lead back at 3-2. However Merrifield added a run-scoring single of his own in the bottom of the inning, and we played on.

Those runs of course were courtesy of the ghost runner rule. As was the first run the Orioles scored in the 11th, off a single by Austin Hays. However all things being the same (which is always a tough argument to make), the O’s still would have taken this game. Terrin Vavra went up with two runners in scoring position as a pinch hitter, and smacked a two-RBI single. Cedric Mullins followed with a two-RBI double, and suddenly the Orioles walked out with an 8-3 win.

It goes without saying that this is a huge sweep of a division rival. Not to mention that it happened at their place. However as I said yesterday and I said above, the entire series was played with tension. Toronto’s a team that thrives off of controversy, and they “wanted the Orioles” all weekend.

And the good news for them is that they got them. They got the best that the Orioles could give them. And by series’ end, I think everyone in both organizations, and across baseball, were put on notice as to who the better team is. Let there be no mistake.

I’ll get to Cedric Mullins – but the Baltimore Orioles got another great outing by a starter last night against Pittsburgh at Camden Yards. Kyle Bradish may have turned in his best start of the season. Definitely one of them; he mixed his pitches and mowed down Pittsburgh hitters. Bradish’s line: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 earned), 1 BB, 6 K.

That lone run surrendered was on a botched fielder’s choice by Jorge Mateo in the third inning. The Birds trailed 1-0 in what quickly unfolded as a pitcher’s duel. However the Orioles tied it in the last of the sixth. Ryan Mountcastle led off the inning with a triple, and he later scored on a wild pitch which tied the game.

As I’ve said a lot, get on base. However you can. When you get guys on base and/or into scoring position things can happen. And that modus operandi benefitted the O’s last night.

Pittsburgh took the lead back in the seventh on a solo homer by Joe. But Adley Rutschman’s RBI-double in the bottom of the inning tied it back up at two. But it was the eighth inning when things really got cooking.

Cedric Mullins already had a single, a double, and a triple. He came up in the last of the eighth with the ballgame tied at two and two runners on base. And being the clutch player that he is, he delivered with ice water in his veins.

With the count even up at one, Mullins sent a deep shot towards right field. When it cleared the wall onto the flag court, Mullins had given the Birds a 6-3 lead in a game that was previously close. And previously a pitcher’s duel. And he became the seventh player in franchise history to hit for the cycle.

Pittsburgh would tack an extra run on in the ninth, but the game ended on Mullins’ homer. And as he himself said after the game, things just fell in line:

You obviously know that you’re a single swing away from the cycle, and at the same time you’re trying to do your job. Drive some runs in. Everything fell in line.

Quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports

It’s tough to say which part of that moment was bigger. I always err on the side of the team aspect, and that home run broke the tie. Not only that, but it broke the tie and broke the game wide open. It effectively ended the game.

However Mullins in that same moment became the seventh Oriole in history to complete the cycle in a game. Austin Hays did it last year against Washington. That was the most recent. All in all, it was a key moment and a huge feat all around. And it sent Oriole Park at Camden Yards into a frenzy.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Tyler Wells gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Roansy Contreras. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

The Baltimore Orioles got a rare “clunker” of a start this evening out of a starting pitcher. That being Kyle Bradish. Poor outings are going to happen here and there, especially in division games. The American League East is the best division in baseball (possibly in sports). Bradish’s line: 2.1 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 4 BB, 1 K.

Boston took a 1-0 lead on an RBI-single by Arroyo in the top of the second. By the time the inning ended, they led 3-0. Duran would later smack a grand slam in the third. And the Birds had spotted Boston a 7-0 lead.

The Orioles also lost Austin Hays in this game. He left the game with a bruised right hand. X-Rays were negative for a fracture. He’s listed as day-to-day – for now.

The O’s would get on the board in the last of the fifth on Jorge Mateo’s solo homer. Boston would tack on an additional run in the eighth, but the O’s would get it back in the ninth. Gunnar Henderson smacked a solo homer, to bring the Birds to within 8-2.

The Orioles ended up loading the bases after that home run, due in part to a Boston error. Cedric Mullins strode to the plate with the bags juiced, and snuck one over the scoreboard in right field, cutting the Boston lead to 8-6.

But the O’s couldn’t quite make it all the way back, and they fell by that 8-6 score. Even in snapping a seven-game losing streak, the O’s fought until the end. And that’s a great quality in a team.

Mike Bauman played a huge role in this game for the Orioles, keeping the game at 7-0 after coming in during the third inning. Bauman pitched 2.2 innings, giving up one hit. And again, that was key in saving more bullpen relievers.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Tyler Wells gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Tanner Houck, game time is set for just after 1 PM.

The Baltimore Orioles and starter Grayson Rodriguez had to wait two plus additional hours to get today’s series finale started on the south side of Chicago. And once the game did start following that lengthy rain delay, Orioles fans wished it had been rained out – at first. Rodriguez struggled…but quickly stabilized. Rodriguez’s line: 5.0 IL, 6 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 8 K.

Rodriguez seemed like he wanted to stay in the clubhouse at first. He put two runners on and then gave up a three-run homer to Sheets (a Maryland native) – this before recording an out. He then surrendered a solo homer to Burger, and the O’s trailed, 4-0.

However to his credit, Rodriguez stabilized. That’s also to the credit of Brandon Hyde, who allowed the rookie to stay in the ballgame. The weather was raw, Rodriguez had looked shaky, and he was a rookie. Nobody would have blamed Brandon Hyde for pulling him.

But he stuck with Rodriguez, who slowly transformed before our eyes. He went from a pitcher on the ropes to mowing Chicago hitters down. Again, this in less-than-favorable conditions. Rodriguez ended up being non-decisions on the afternoon, because Oriole bats also seemed to get untracked as we went along.

The Orioles started their rally from behind with a simple sac fly-RBI in the fourth inning by Jorge Mateo. With two on, Cedric Mullins smacked a triple later in the inning, and suddenly we had a game. And the O’s were down one, 4-3.

The O’s would tie the game at four in the sixth when Gunnar Henderson scored on a wild pitch by Chicago’s starter, Cease. And on that note, it was interesting that Cease was still in the game. Chicago’s bullpen was taxed, but personally I felt that they left Cease in the game longer than they should have.

The Birds officially took over the game in the eighth inning. Cedric Mullins’ RBI-single have them a 5-4 lead. Ryan Mountcastle would line into a force out, which scored an additional run. And Anthony Santander closed out the inning with an RBI-single, giving the Orioles a 7-4 lead.

Mullins would tack on an RBI-single in the ninth for good measure, and the O’s took the game, 8-4. And they took two-of -three from Chicago.

It was about as unlikely a win as you’re going to see. After that first inning things looked pretty bleak. But end of the day, it was the Orioles going through the hand shake line in celebration. The road trip in theory continues after an off day tomorrow, as the O’s head to Washington on Tuesday night.