Tag Archives: Cedric Mullins

The accolades keep rolling in for the Baltimore Orioles’ Cedric Mullins. Tonight he was awarded his first ever Silver Slugger award. It couldn’t have gone to a better player, nor a more humble man.

Mullins hit .291 in 2021, with 30 homers and 59 RBI. He also had 175 hits on the year. This as the Orioles’ starting center fielder.

Perhaps the most inspiring part of Mullins’ story is the fact that he was sent back to the minors in 2019. In doing so, Mullins proved not only his talent, but his work ethic. His on-base percentage in 2019 (at the big league level) was .181. In 2021 it was .360. This also after improving to .315 last year (over 60 games). That’s a heck of an improvement.

End of the day, this award is indicative that the Orioles’ rebuild is working. The organization has depth now, and the “young guys in the minors” are starting to become the next generation of great Orioles. Stay tuned, good things are happening!

Alexander Wells put the Baltimore Orioles in a spot to win tonight in his start. Granted he only pitched the minimum five innings to get the win, he still got it. This despite Texas taking the lead early on. Wells’ line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R.

Wells surrendered a two-run homer in the first inning to Lowe. And that was the worst pitch he made. He was outstanding for the rest of his outing.

Richie Martin would ground into a force out with a runner on third in the last of the second, getting the Orioles on the board. Later in the inning Cedric Mullins came to the plate. And Mullins delivered, smacking a three run home run, and giving the Orioles the lead at 4-2. Texas would tack on an additional run, and Ryan McKenna’s eighth inning RBI-single would give the Birds an insurance run. However Texas would put up five in the ninth to go home with an 98-5 victory.

This wasn’t just any game. Cedric Mullins didn’t hit just any old home run to put the O’s in the lead for good. That was Mullins’ 30th homer on the season, inducting him into to 30-30 club.

30 homers and 30 stolen bases – that’s absolutely one of the most incredible offensive single season feat. Furthermore, Mullins is the first Oriole to join this exclusive club. So both the Orioles and Cedric Mullins are now in the famed “30-30 Club!”

Fans should view Mullins’ accomplishment with pride. In an otherwise forgettable season, they had a no-hitter, and someone else break a Ripken record. And now Mullins in the 30-30 club. That’s quite a dear.

The series continues this evening at Oriole Park. Chris Ellis gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Jordan Lyles. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

The Baltimore Orioles utilized a bullpen game model last night in Philadelphia. Connor Greene got the start, but in effect was an opener. It was almost like a spring training game. Greene’s line: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K.

Ironically this was a pitcher’s duel. And all pitchers who rotated in and out for the O’s seemed to hold up their end of the bargain. They Birds took the lead in the fourth on an RBI-single by Ramon Urias.

Two innings later however Philadelphia tied the game up at one on an RBI-double by McCutchen. And regulation ended with the score tied at one. and the O’s got the lead back thanks to the ghost runner on second base rule in extra innings. Austin Hays’ RBI-double in the tenth put the Orioles ahead 2-1.

But both teams get to utilize the ghost runner rule. Philadelphia also put a runner on the old fashioned way in their half of the tenth. That combined with the ghost runner meant that Realmuto’s triple in the last of the tenth scored two runs, winning it 3-2 for Philadelphia.

Backing up a bit, Cedric Mullins hit a foul ball in the top of the third, which was close to a home run down the right field line. Replays seemed to show the ball hitting off the foul pole. Or at worst, showing the ball passing by the foul pole and changing it’a direction and rotation after doing so – indicating contact with the pole. Meaning that it rightfully should be ruled a home run.

The Orioles challenged the play, but the umpire in New York upheld the call on the field. Now I’ll grant you that it was close. And I have no issue with the umpires on the field missing the call, because the contact with the foul pole occurred far away from them. But…to not reverse it on replay?

I suppose I would ask what exactly is clear and convincing evidence? Because it appeared to me that the ball made contact with the foul pole, making it a home run. Is it really worth stopping the game and reviewing something if you’re ultimately going to still blow the call?

And we’ve been left flabbergasted several times this year on replay reviews. and not just the Orioles; we’ve seen this across the league. Incidentally, that home run would have made Mullins a 30-30 man. And all things being the same, the O’s would have won the game 3-1. So getting that call right would have made a HUGE difference.

The series concludes tonight at Citizens Bank Park. Keegan Akin gets the call for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

The Baltimore Orioles needed innings out of starter Jorge Lopez this afternoon. On consecutive days, Tampa had all but forced the Orioles’ newly constructed bullpen to implode on consecutive nights. Luckily the Orioles’ starter was able to go deeper into the game, perhaps sparing the ‘pen a bit. Lopez’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K.

I’m his last two starts we’ve seen Lopez seemingly find his “happy place” in a sense. He’s been able to make it six innings, and he’s been lifted before he could fall apart. And in terms of wins and losses, that’s made a world of difference. Again for the record, that’s Lopez’s second consecutive quality start.

The Orioles never trailed in this game. And early on we got to see a pretty cool moment. Cedric Mullins smacked a solo home run on the first pitch in the last of the first inning. That have the O’s a 1-0 lead, and they never looked back.

But that wasn’t all. That gave Mullins 20 homers on the season. He already has 22 stolen bases, so Mullins officially joins the 20/20 club. Shouldn’t be a shock, for the American League’s starting Center fielder in the All-Star game.

Richie Martin’s RBI-single in the second gave the O’s a 2-0 lead. However that doesn’t happen if Jorge Mateo isn’t hit by a pitch and he doesn’t steal second base. In case you haven’t followed the games or this column thus far this weekend, the guy’s legit fast. The Orioles somehow stumbled into having him on the roster, and for that they’re really lucky.

Austin Hays’ RBI-single later in that second inning scored Martin, and extended the Orioles’ lead to 3-0. However Lowe’s solo homer in the third put a bit of pressure back on the Orioles. And luckily, they answered the call.

Anthony Santander smacked a solo homer of his own in the last of the third. But unfortunately the team last ended up in essence trading homers, as Meadows smacked a solo shot in the fourth. Austin Hays would add an RBI-single in the last of the fourth, giving the Birds a 5-3 lead.

However that was cut to 5-3 in the seventh on Phillips’ RBI-single. And it’s been the eighth inning that’s killed this team this weekend in this series. Whatever Tampa’s needed to win, they’ve gotten in the eighth. And unfortunately for the O’s, today was no exception.

Paul Fry entered to pitch the top of the eighth, and promptly loaded the bases. After he surrendered two runs (including walking one in) to tie the game at five, he gave way to Dillon Tate. And state gave up a grand slam to Phillips, giving Tampa a 9-5 lead. And a 9-6 win (Santander’s RBI-double in the ninth have the Orioles six) sweeping the series.

Both Paul Fry and Dillon Tate have been struggling. Whether that’s confidence or something mechanical is beyond me. I suppose my question would be why did Brandon Hyde have them in the game in those situations?

Specifically, Fry – not that Tate isn’t accountable also, but he inherited the bases loaded, and a confident Tampa team as it was. With two on and nobody out, why would Hyde allow Fry (a southpaw) to pitch to Cruz (a right-handed hitter who hits left-handers very well) in that situation?

The answer is because he had to. You have to pitch to three hitters unless the inning ends. But knowing that Cruz was due up, was a struggling Fry the right guy to insert in that instance? And was a struggling Tate the right guy to bring in behind him?

For the record, Cruz drew a walk. But you get my point. Ultimately Fry and Tate may have been the best poor options. But ultimately no matter how you spin it, all the parts combined cost the Orioles the game.

Spencer Watkins pitched better than the numbers indicate for the Baltimore Orioles against Tampa last night. Keep in mind that he’s a rookie, and was pitching against a buzz saw of a team in Tampa. A team that pulls out any stop necessary to win. Watkins’ line: 6.0 IP, 8 H 5 R (4 earned), 0 BB, 4 K.

Tampa got a solo homer from Diaz and an RBI-groundout from Kiermaier in the second to take a 2-0 lead. The good thing for Watkins in that sequence is that he had loaded the bases at the end. But the RBI-groundout to Kiermaier was the only run he surrendered (with the bases loaded, that is). He limited the damage.

New Oriole Jorge Mateo have the crowd a thrill in the third, however. He comes across as one of the fastest humans alive as it is. And speed’s a huge positive in games. Mateo stole third base, and in the process the throw went into left field, allowing Mateo to score and cutting the Tampa lead to 2-1.

Later in the inning Cedric Mullins smacked a two1run homer, giving the Orioles a 3-2 lead. But that was where the highlights ended for the O’s in the game. Cruz’s two-run homer in the fifth gave Tampa the lead back at 4-3.

Tampa would tack on an additional run in the sixth, and Lowe’s grand slam in the eighth would break the game wide open. The thing with Tampa is they continue taking what you give them, regardless of the situation. They would also score late runs on a walk and on a wild pitch. If you give it to them, they’ll take it. When the smoke cleared the Orioles had fallen 12-3.

Again, they take what you give them. Spencer Watkins addressed Tampa after the game:

They’re pesky, they’re phenomenal hitters up and down the lineup. There’s really not a spot that you can pick out and say, ‘OK, I can take a little bit of a breath here.’ It’s full-go, as any lineup is, but even more so with this lineup how talented they are one through nine.

Quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports

The series concludes today at Camden Yards. Jorge Lopez gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Michael Wacha. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Thomas Eshelman got the start this afternoon in the series finale for the Baltimore Orioles in Anaheim. As had been the case for Oriole starters all year, he was simply a holdover until the next pitcher. Eshelman’s line: 4.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 1 K.

Eshelman loaded the bases in the first inning before recording so much as an out. However to his credit he limited the damage. Walsh’s RBI-double and Gosselin’s RBI-single gave Anaheim a 2-0 lead. Ohtani and Rendon would each homer in the third (solo shots), and Anaheim led 4-0.

The O’s on the flip side, couldn’t seem to muster so much as a base runner. But after Anaheim starter Sandoval left the game, things started to happen. The Birds got on the board in the sixth when Ramon Urias smacked an RBI-double. DJ Stewart would follow with a two-RBI double, cutting the Anaheim lead to 4-3. And putting true Orioles back in the game.

Manager Brandon Hyde had given Cedric Mullins at least the first part of the day off. But he summoned Mullins to pinch hit in the sixth with the Birds trailing by the aforementioned score of 4-3. And Mullins delivered, smacking an RBI-single, tying the game. About as clutch as it gets.

But he wasn’t done yet. Mullins would homer in the top of the ninth with the score still tied at four, giving the O’s the lead at 5-4. Hyde then summoned Cole Sulser for the save, who promptly loaded the bases once again. Lagares’ two-RBI double would eventually win it for Anaheim, sending the O’s home.

It’s worth mentioning that Brandon Hyde pushed all of the right buttons in this game. He got Eshelman out when he needed to, and he inserted Mullins as a pinch hitter at just the right time. And it appeared to work. Until it didn’t.

Unfortunately the Orioles don’t appear to have anyone in the bullpen who’s capable of holding a narrow lead in the ninth. And that isn’t Hyde’s fault. Someone has to pitch there. And it’s not an issue of “stuff.” It’s an issue of confidence. Hyde appeared very frustrated after the game:

Pretty irritated, so it’s tough to process right now. Yeah, we swept Houston, we get left on the field here first night, lose by three the second night and left on the field the third game. Definitely in two of the three games here after we just swept Houston. So it’s frustrating to not win these sort of games. When we have the lead, with our record the way it is, it’s nice to win. And so it’s disappointing giving a game like this away.

Quote courtesy of Steve Melewski, MASNsports

Hyde knew that he did everything correctly. Sulser and others just need to be more fearless out there. One thing in baseball and in life; of you’re afraid, it usually shows.

During the game Cedric Mullins was named as a reserve on the American League All-Star team. As of now, he’s the lone Orioles’ representative. He not only deserves to be there, but he should be starting.

Cedric Mullins of the Baltimore Orioles has been the best outfielder in the American League thus far during the first half of the season. He’s potentially been the best across Major League Baseball. He’s hitting .322 with 14 HR’s, 99 H, and a WAR of 4.0. He’s also made numerous incredible plays in the field, which vouch for his greatness.

Yet the fans didn’t see fit to vote him as a starter on the AL All-Star squad. He’ll be there, don’t worry about that. But he wasn’t voted as a starter. Instead, Teoscar Hernandez, Aaron Judge, and Mike Trout were voted starters.

Judge has been average at best thus far. Hernandez is good – but is he starter good? And Mike Trout is Mike Trout. He speaks for himself, but he’s also been injured for the past month. So should he really be starting?

And a lot of analysts think that’s where Mullins will have his wrong righted. They’ll replace him on the roster with Mullins. But the fact remains that he should have been there to begin with.

Is that the fault of the fans, or is it due to the fact that the Orioles aren’t a contender? Well keep in mind that the Orioles struggled to get players voted onto the team even when they were a contender. They’ve always been a small market team. Casual fans aren’t jumping on their bandwagon. Unfortunately that’s just a fact. So the Trout’s and the Judge’s of the world will always be put forth for the ASG.

Again, Mullins will get his day in the sun. He will be on the team. Hopefully as a starter.

The Birds find themselves out on the West Coast this Fourth of July weekend, and they open up a series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim this evening at Angel Stadium. Keegan Akin gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Los Angeles’ Griffin Canning. Game time is set for just after 9:30 PM.

The Baltimore Orioles could have been forgiven for losing tonight. Bruce Zimmerman was supposed to start but was sent to the IL with Bicep Tendinitis at the last minute. So they called up Thomas Eshelman from triple-A Norfolk to make the start. Eshelman’s line: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

Eshelman obviously didn’t pitch deep enough to qualify for the win. However he gave the Orioles an incredibly solid outing that really set the tone for a win. That isn’t too shabby for a guy who was just up from triple-A earlier today. He acted as a stopper, helping the O’s snap an eight-game losing streak.

While Eshelman probably should have been the story, he wasn’t. On the backdrop of his tee-shirt night, Cedric Mullins continued his amazing first half with a performance worthy of being an All-Star. He led the game off with a solo homer, giving the Birds a 1-0 lead, which would stand until the fifth.

Gurriel’s solo homer in that fifth inning would tie the game. It was the one mistake Eshelman made. Other than that he was stellar. Which given that he had just joined the team today, is outstanding.

But the O’s almost immediately got the lead back. Austin Hays’ RBI-single in the last of the fifth put the Birds back in the lead at 2-1. We also got to see something we hadn’t seen in some time: the Birds adding insurance runs. Freddy Galvis’ RBI-single in the last of the eighth extended the lead to 3-1.

But the O’s weren’t done yet. Maikel Franco also added an RBI-single, making it 4-1. And Mullins came up again with two on. For good measure mind you, he smacked his second ball of the game out of the ballpark. His three-run homer earned him the first Orioles’ curtain call in however long, and earned the Birds a 7-1 win.

Cedric Mullins has been incredibly valuable to the O’s thus far. And yes, he’s worthy of an All-Star game birth. And as a starter at that. Both he and Thomas Eshelman in effect won the game for the O’s tonight, snapping the aforementioned eight-game skid.

The series continues tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Alex Manoah. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

This time around, the Baltimore Orioles weren’t asking tBruce Zimmermann to be a stopper tonight against the New York Mets. In fact, they were asking him to be a “continuer” in a certain sense, as they came in after winning on Sunday. And Zimmmermann did his job, keeping the gravy train running. Zimmerman’s line: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 K.

Zimmermann gave up a first inning two-run homer to Alonso. And that was the nudge the O’s needed, as the rest of the evening was perfumed by orange & black. The Orioles promptly tied the game in the second on Pat Valaika’s two-RBI double. Cedric Mullins would stay hot, with an RBI-double later in the inning which gave the O’s the lead at 3-2.

And the Birds didn’t really look back. Valaika would bet another RBI-double in the third, running the score to 4-2. you really have to tip your cap to Valaika, who’s fresh off the bereavement list. He was hot when he left the team. And he stayed hot tonight now that he’s back. That, along with almost everything else that happened tonight, bodes very well for the Orioles.

The O’s would extend their lead in the fourth with an RBI-single by Trey Mancini. One inning later Maikel Franco would become only the sixth player in the history of Camden Yards to hit a homer into the second deck. The best part from the Orioles’ perspective? It was a homer of the three-run variety. It blew the game wide open, with the Orioles leading 8-2.

Ryan Mountcastle, last week’s AL Player of the Week, would stay hot also, with an RBI-single in the last of the sixth. Anthony Santander would also smack a solo homer in the last of the eighth, which ran the score to 10-2. Alonzo would smack a solo shot for New York in the ninth, rounding out a 10-3 Orioles’ win.

Oriole bats have heated up suddenly as we’ve gotten into June. The weather may play a role, or not. But either way they’re heating up, and that’s a good sign. As is a second consecutive blowout win, along with the fact that they’re adding on insurance runs as needed.

For what it’s worth, this was game number sixty for the Orioles. They stand at 22-38 after tonight’s win. Last year they were 25-35, in a sixty game season. So had they won three games during that 14-game losing streak, they’d be right on par with last season (as it stands now they aren’t far off). I’d say the big league team is slowly improving.

The series concludes tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Matt Harvey gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Tarikuan Walker. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.