Tag Archives: Cedric Mullins

One might say that starter Jorge Lopez put the Baltimore Orioles in a position to win today in the series finale at Camden Yards. Granted it wouldn’t have taken much today. But he did his job. Lopez’s line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 2 K.

Cedric Mullins had a lengthy at-bat to lead things off. And it culminated in a solo homer to give the Birds a 1-0 lead. Little did anyone know what Mullins had put in motion with that homer.

Both Austin Wynns and Mullins again would add RBI-singles in the second; Wynns’ came with the bases loaded. Later in the inning Trey Mancini would plat two runs on a fielder’s choice and a throwing error on the Cleveland pitcher, and Anthony Santander would add a two-run double. Cleveland trailed 7-0 after the second inning.

But they’d get an RBI-double from Bradley in the third to get on the board. However that didn’t hamper the day the Orioles were having. Ryan Mountcastle and DJ Stewart would add RBI-singles in the last of the third ran the score to 9-1. And both of those were infield singles, where the Orioles hustled and the Cleveland infield couldn’t really get it’s act together.

Before the fourth inning ended the Birds would also get a two-RBI single from Maikel Franco, and an additional RBI-single from Ramon Urias. Not to mention another diving catch by Cedric Mullins in center to save a run on defense. Not that it would have mattered – but playing hard when the stakes are low shows character. Cleveland would get two back in the fifth on a two-run homer by Rosario – which ended Lopez’s day, although he pitched deep enough to get the win.

This isn’t to say that the O’s are turning a corner, but this was the Birds’ second consecutive home series win in as many series’. Needless to say it’s a “step” for a team that started out as poorly at home as the Orioles did.

It also shows how the pendulum can swing in a 162-game baseball season. You go through a 14-game losing streak, and then suddenly you get it together, win a couple of series’, and as was the case today, get a game where everything just kind of falls for you.

There were a lot of hero’s in this game, but none more than Cedric Mullins. For the second consecutive game, he reached base on all but one at-bat (3-for-4 with two walks). Mullins of course also got the rout going with that solo homer in the first in the first inning today.

The O’s would also add five “insurance runs” in the last of the seventh; after loading the bases, they got RBI-singles from Santander, Galvis, Mountcastle, and McKenna. Not to mention an additional solo homer by Ramon Urias. Cleveland would smack a two-run homer in the ninth also, rounding the game out nicely at an 18-5 Orioles’ victory.

The Baltimore Orioles lost their eighth straight game last night in Minnesota. Dean Kremer for the start, and put the Birds in a spot to win. Granted his stay line might not indicate that, but he did. That’s what you ask of a starting pitcher. Kremer’s line: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 5 K.

There was some promise in this game from the Birds’ perspective. In the second inning it appeared they had hit into a double-play with one out, however the Minnesota infield bumbled the ball and everyone was safe. Cedric Mullins proceeded to smack a two-run single giving the O’s a 2-0 lead.

The promising thing wasn’t that they scored or that they had the lead. Throughout the losing streak that hasn’t been an issue. (The issue has been holding the lead.) But what was promising about that was that the O’s held their opponent accountable for their mistake. The inning should have been over. And as opposed to just recording the final two outs in a ho-hum manner, the O’s put two runs across and held Minnesota accountable for their mistake.

However Minnesota came right back in the last of the second. Polanco’s solo homer cut the lead in half, and Refsnyder’s RBI-double tied the game. Minnesota would later load the bases, and take a 4-2 lead by scoring on consecutive wild pitches.

One of those wild pitches was probably blockable by catcher Pedro Severino. But it trickled away. He did make up for that however with an RBI-double in the fourth inning. But Minnesota would put two runs across down the stretch of the game as well, before DJ Stewart smacked a solo homer in the eighth. The O’s would fall 7-4, again with their eighth consecutive loss.

Here’s an interesting point about that; how are the Birds positioning their fielders? I saw Minnesota outfielders making several amazing plays the past two games. Plays they had to work to make, but that they made. Saving balls from falling in by the skin of their teeth.

Other times the O’s were making good contact, but right at fielders. Conversely, it seems that opponents are using the entire field more than anything else. In Washington last weekend there were multiple shots down the lines which sent Oriole corner outfielders scrambling. A trend that has continued into Minnesota.

Are the O’s positioning their outfielders straight-away too often? Because they’re giving up shots down the line, and all but surrendering scoring position for opposing base runners. And there’s something about how opponents can position their fielders AGAINST the Birds which says that they know something about Oriole hitters’ tendencies that the Orioles don’t. That’s concerning.

The series in Minnesota concludes this afternoon at Target Field. Jorge Lopez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Michael Pineda. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

The Baltimore Orioles gave Jorge Lopez a getaway day start in the series finale with New York tonight at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Once again we saw Lopez be fairly solid, save for one pitch, but he didn’t have the staying power that the Orioles would like. Lopez’s line: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

In fairness, the Orioles’ bullpen has consistently been strong. I write a lot about starters not going deep into games, but this particular pitching staff may be designed so as not to have the starter go deep. Or at least to not need them to go deep into a game. However my point would be why wouldn’t you want them to go deep? Nevertheless, the bullpen has been sure. Much more so than the starting rotation.

Trey Mancini put the Birds on the board right off the bat with an RBI-single in the first inning. As I’ve said, when you get guys on base, good things can often happen. O’s end up with an early base runner, and thus an early lead.

But that lead evaporated in the fifth. Lopez loaded the bases, and Odor came up to bat with two outs. His two-RBI single gave New York a 2-1 lead. As this pitching duel ensued, the Orioles needed a spark. They needed someone to kick them back into control of the game. And it ended up being the guy who gave them the lead to begin with – Trey Mancini. His solo homer in the last of the sixth tied the game back up at two, and kickstarted the Birds.

And that kickstart appeared to give them the eventual winning run. Cedric Mullins drew a walk in the eighth inning. He would come around to score and give the Birds a 3-2 lead on Austin Hays‘ RBI-double (Hays would take third on the throw). But that was the only run the Birds could muster in the inning. However it gave them the lead.

However manager Brandon Hyde thought the Orioles should have gotten a fourth run. New York reliever O’Day appeared to balk, which should have scored Hays from third. However the balk wasn’t called, which in a one-run game was a big deal. Hyde argued between innings, but to no avail.

And it was with good reason that Hyde argued. Torres was down to his final strike in the ninth inning, and smacked an RBI-single which tied the game at three. The Orioles were once again frustrated, because the strike zone got really small in the ninth inning. But the game went to extra innings.

And the O’s would eventually benefit from the new rules placing a runner at second base. I’m still not a fan of the rule, but it benefited the O’s today. The runner was bunted over to third, and Cedric Mullins’ sac fly-RBI won it for the O’s. However even that wasn’t without controversy. New York challenged the call, claiming that Mullins left third base early. The review probably lasted for longer than the Orioles would have liked, but the call was upheld and the Birds ended up with a 4-3 win in ten innings.

The Orioles now head out west for a three-game set with the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland Coliseum. John Means gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Oakland’s Mike Fiers. Game time is set for just after 9:30 PM.

Cedric Mullins was the story tonight for the Baltimore Orioles. Had the game gone any other way however it would have been starter Matt Harvey. The goal of a starting pitcher is to put the team in a position to win. Harvey did that, as he pitched to a quality start. Harvey’s line: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 5 K.

Harvey had the lead early after retiring New York in the top of the first. Mullins led the game off with a solo homer in the first inning. Upon further review, the ball made it onto Eutaw Street. Unofficially, that’s the 108th home run ball hit onto Eutaw Street in the history of Camden Yards.

Freddy Galvis’ RBI-double in the second would extend the Birds’ lead to 2-0. However following the inning Galvis would come out of the game with an injury. Later on the Orioles would announce that he had strained some muscles in the groin area.

New York would get on back in the sixth to pull to within 2-1 on Judge’s RBI-double. But if I’ve said it once I’ve said it a million times; if you get guys on base sometimes things happen. The O’s had runners at the corners and one out. Rio Ruiz (the runner at third) was awarded home plate on a ball. The Birds led 3-1.

But they wanted and needed more. Mullins came up to bat again in the seventh, and promptly deposited his second home run of the game into the seats. This one, also a solo shot, gave the O’s a 4-1 lead.

New York would load the bases in the eighth, and Urshela would smack an RBI-single. However Judge tried to take third base, and with two outs was promptly cut down. The umpires ruled that what would have been the second run didn’t score before the out was recorded, prompting New York manager Boone to get ejected from the game.

It also kept the score at 4-2 as opposed to 5-3. And the key to that play was Austin Hays’ throw to third from the outfield. Hays is quickly becoming a stud – both at the plate and on the field.

The series continue last evening at Camden Yards. Bruce Zimmerman gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Corey Kluber. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

It took heroics from Cedric Mullins to win perhaps the worst defended game of all time for the Baltimore Orioles in Bradenton tonight against Pittsburgh. The teams combined for nine errors in the game, many of which led to runs. Which didn’t help Orioles’ starter Dean Kremer. Kremer’s line: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

Anthony Santander‘s RBI-groundout and Ryan Mountcastle‘s RBI-single in the top of the first game the Birds a 2-0 lead. Austin Hays, who’s having a great spring (hitting .387), added an RBI-single in the second, running the score to 3-0.

Later on, in the third, Pedro Severino would run it to 4-0 with an RBI-double, and Yolmer Sanchez’s 5-0 with an RBI-single. The Birds appeared on their way to a big win.

However Pittsburgh chipped away in the last of the third, a sequence that included a Frazier two-run homer which cut the Birds’ lead to 5-3. Trey Mancini‘s solo homer in the fourth padded that lead at 6-3, however that’s when a lot of Oriole errors began. Guys misplaying balls missing cut offs, etc. Letting hitters reach base without nary even trying.

And the thing is that when you have guys on base things start to happen. I’ve covered this before on this column. When traffic starts to get onto the base paths, guys trickle home little by little. Pittsburgh would put five runs on the board in the fifth, allowing them to take an 8-6 lead.

Austin Hays would get a run back, following Pittsburgh enhancing it’s lead, in the top of the sixth. His RBI-double cut the lead to 9-7. But the Orioles took over from there. Mountcastle would smack a two-run homer in the sixth. Then Mullins comes up in the top of the seventh, with the game in the balance…

…and he delivers. A two-run homer gave the O’s an 11-9 lead. But the Orioles’ ‘pen held strong for the rest of the night. And the Birds help firm from there, and make no mistake that with their offensive struggles at times, this was a big spring training win.

The O’s tomorrow head to Tampa to take on the NY Yankees. Matt Harvey gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by NY’s Michael King. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

It didn’t matter who was pitching or what they were throwing for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon. Pittsburgh hitters were putting wood on the ball. John Means had a scoreless first inning before the donnybrook began. Means’ line: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

Means allowed the first run in the second after loading the bases – the run came on a wild pitch. Oliva’s RBI-single and Frazier’s RBI-double later in the inning would run the score to 3-0. And the rout was on.

Pittsburgh opened the last of the third with a two-RBI double by Newman. Evans and Bae would add RBI-singles in the fourth, and Fowler would clear the bases with a double. Before you could blink, the Birds trailed 10-0.

The O’s would get on the board in the top of the fifth. Cedric Mullins‘ RBI-single would cut the Pittsburgh lead to 10-1. Before all was said and done, the Birds had surrendered three more runs. They fell 13-1 on this day.

Games like this happen in baseball, as we know. It was just one of those games where literally everything went the other way. It happens. Eventually the Birds will be on the other end of a game like this.

The Orioles are off tomorrow, one of their two off days this spring. With the exception of a few pitchers who are coming in to throw, the players are expected to to away from Ed Smith Stadium. And I think that’s a good thing.

Baltimore Orioles’ starter Thomas Eshelman didn’t make it out of the third inning this evening in game one of a doubleheader with New York. But keep in mind that he had just pitched in relief on Tuesday, and this game was only seven innings long. Alex Cobb was supposed to get the start, but he was sent to the IL before the game for an unspecified reason. Eshelman’s line: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R (2 earned), 3 BB, 1 K.

Cedric Mullins put the O’s on the board early with a solo homer in the last of the first inning. However one inning later New York had tied the game at one on a Sanchez homer. New York may be in a weakened state with all of their players on the IL, but they’re still the Bronx Bombers.

And in the third inning they loaded the bases due to an error. And before you knew it Gardner smacked a two-run scoring single. Tauchman would later walk with the bases loaded, giving New York a 4-1 lead. Incidentally, only two of those runs were earned.

And I’ve said this a lot this year, but other teams are holding the Orioles accountable. When mistakes are made in games, opposing teams are making them pay. They not only need to minimize the amount of opportunities that opponents can make them pay, but they need to find ways out of jams. So that other teams DON’T hold them accountable.

But the good news is that the Birds battled back. Rio Ruiz smacked a two-run homer in the fourth which cut the lead to 4-3. And one inning later in the fifth Renato Nunez smacked a solo shot, tying the game at four runs a piece.

The game went to extra innings. In reality, the teams played a full game (9 innings). But due to the league’s doubleheader rule where games are seven innings in 2020, it’s considered extras .

Similarly, the O’s had chances in the extra two frames. But they couldn’t push a run across to win the game. And New York toon advantage, pushing two across in the top of the ninth. The Birds would net one in the bottom of the inning, but it wasn’t enough. It was the Orioles’ 19 consecutive loss to New York.

The series continues with game two of this doubleheader this evening from Camden Yards. Jorge Lopez gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Deivi Garcia. The game will begin in approximately 40 minutes.