Tag Archives: John Means

Baltimore Orioles’ fans shouldn’t feel too badly about the Birds’ steak of 106 consecutive series’ without being swept being snapped in St. Louis. First off the streak speaks for itself, and it was impressive. It was also bound to end at some point. And you’d rather it culminate at the hands of a team like St. Louis as opposed to a division rival.

This was a strange series, and the sum of the parts came together to sweep the O’s away. The entire series had an uneven and inconsistent strike zone, often from inning to inning. (Ironically the only two people ejected were on the St. Louis side.) It was also marred by two rain delays and one suspended game, started last night by Kyle Bradish – and completed this afternoon. Bradish’s line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

Bradish was good overall. And he may (or may not) have pitched deeper into the game if not for it being suspended due to rain. He gave up an RBI-double to Gorman in the second, and the O’s tied it in the fifth on Jorge Mateo’s run-scoring double.

When the game picked back up early this afternoon, Gorman smacked a two-run homer in the last of the sixth. And the St. Louis bullpen kept the Birds off the board the rest of the way. Suspended games are tough, and they can go either way.

The more concerning thing in the immediate interim is John Means, who started the regularly-scheduled game following the completion of the first game. Means threw pretty well overall, but at a diminished velocity. He was lifted with elbow discomfort. Means’ line: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K.

Gunnar Henderson’s RBI-single in the third gave the Birds a 1-0 lead. That combined with Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI-groundout and Anthony Santander’s RBI-single extended the lead to 3-0. Then the rain came – again.

Following an hour long delay, St. Louis appeared to have regrouped. Nootbar’s RBI-single in the fifth cut the lead to 3-1. Donovan’s sixth inning three-run double would give them a 4-3 lead. Tack on a solo homer by Winn in the seventh, and the O’s trailed 5-3.

How quickly things can change. However the O’s tried to rally. They put runners at the corners with nobody out in the ninth, and actually scored a run on Kyle Stowers’ sac fly. However that also went as a double play, as Cedric Mullins was doubled off of first. He got a poor read on the ball, and while the fielder made an exceptionally good play in catching it, Mullins thought it was a hit.

To show they weren’t kidding, St. Louis actually challenged the play, thinking that Austin Hays left third base early. However replays confirmed he was still on the bag when the ball was caught, and the Birds did close to within one run. But that run was meaningless, as they went down to defeat, 5-4.

Again, the sweepless steak was going to end at some point. Look no further than the Baltimore Ravens; did winning however many preseason games in a row win them anything? Or however many consecutive games with 100+ rushing yards – or whatever it was? End of the day, Gunnar Henderson is still the odds-on favorite to win the MVP. The Orioles are still the odds-on favorite to win the AL East, and they’re still a serious World Series contender. If those things come to pass, nobody’s going to care about a sweepless streak.

The O’s now head to Chicago to open up a four-game set with the ChiSox at Guaranteed Rate Field. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Mike Clevinger. Game time is set for just after 7:30 PM.

John Means had somewhat of a rough first inning for the Baltimore Orioles against Seattle last night. Now he quickly righted himself, but if you only watched the first few minutes of the game, you would have been shocked at the final result, and with the fact that Means pitched to a quality start. Means’ line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 4 K.

Garver’s RBI-single in the first gave Seattle a 1-0 lead. In fact, the first pitch of the game went for a double. However that start was in no way any sort of harbinger for the rest of the game, as Means limited the damage.

But that was the main highlight of the game for Seattle. Means buckled down. And Oriole bats buckled in…

…this starting immediately. Gunnar Henderson tied the game at one with a leadoff homer. Later in the inning the O’s had runners at first and second with nobody out, and Ryan Mountcastle hit into a fielder’s choice. Seattle’s Moore committed a throwing error, allowing Ryan O’Hearn to score and putting the Birds in the lead.

Colton Cowser’s almost immediate two-run double burst the game wide open. Down the right field line, it was one of those tight liners that smacked up chalk when it hit. Jordan Westburg would add a sac fly-RBI before the inning ended, and the O’s led 5-1.

And that was just the first inning. Despite an early blip, John Means had the lead. Moore would add a solo homer in the fifth, but other than that he shut Seattle down. That’s what good teams and ace-like pitchers do.

But Oriole bats weren’t leaving the result to chance, despite such a great first inning. Gunnar Henderson’s RBI-triple in the seventh extended the lead to 6-2. Adley Rutschman and Austin Hays (fresh off the IL) added RBI-doubles. Hays would later score on a wild pitch later in the inning.

End of the day, the O’s went home with a 9-2 win. This is kind of a big series because Seattle’s a good team. Who wins the season series between the two could decide postseason positioning. This puts the Orioles off to a good start.

The series continues this afternoon at Camden Yards. The O’s are yet to announce a starter, but whomever he is will be opposed by Seattle’s Luis Castillo. Game time is set for just after 4 PM (weather permitting).

John Means was outstanding in his season debut for the Baltimore Orioles. Putting his 2021 no-hitter in a separate league, this may have been his best start as an Oriole. Again, I say that putting his no-hitter in a league of its own. Means’ line: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K.

To be blunt, Means “mowed “em down” from the very beginning. Cincinnati hitters can up swinging, and Means was blowing the ball by them. And when he thought they were catching up to his stuff? He’d pull a string and throw a changeup in there.

It was a masterful effort, to say the least. Many times a pitcher’s final stat line isn’t always indicative of how he pitched in an outing. This wasn’t one of those games. Means’ stat line tells you EXACTLY how he pitched tonight.

The O’s got solo home runs from Jorge Mateo in the fourth, and Adley Rutschman in the fifth. When your starter is as dominant as John Means was this evening, you can afford to only throw two runs on the board. BUT…things got hairy in the ninth inning.

Craig Kimbrel surrendered a run on an RBI-single by Steer in the last of the ninth. Manager Brandon Hyde took the rare step of then pulling his closer, inserting Yennier Cano to attempt to close out the game. Cano would load the bases, but he did close out the inning and the game, helping to lift the O’s to victory.

Full disclosure, I raised my eyebrows at Kimbrel being yanked. However I think it does show that the Orioles are trying to win and win now. And end of the day, the result of the game says that Hyde was correct to do it.

Here’s an unsung moment in tonight’s game that stood out as well. India got aboard with a single in the last of the sixth. Jordan Westburg made an errant throw, allowing India a chance to go to second. (The play was initially ruled an error but later changed to a base hit.) Jorge Mateo backed up the play, and promptly threw India out at second base.

In what ended up being a one-run game, that’s a play that should stick out. Not only did the Orioles record an out, they did it by erasing a runner that would have been in scoring position. Again, in what ended up being a one-run game, that could have made a big difference.

The series concludes tomorrow at Great American Ballpark. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Cincinnati’s Nick Lodolo. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

The Baltimore Orioles May as well be playing Florida Grapefruit League games this weekend. With John Means on the mound this evening at Camden Yards against Boston, they in essence were playing spring training games. And while Means had a solid outing, the Birds couldn’t pull it out in the end. Means’ line: 6.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 4 K.

I think the takeaway from this game is that Means, who’s all but guaranteed to be on the Orioles’ postseason roster, had a strong outing. He pitched to a quality start. And in a game that’s in essence an extension of games at Ed Smith Stadium, that’s probably the goal.

Means’ only mistake came on a two-run homer by Story in the fifth inning. Other than that, Means was outstanding. Boston would tack on an additional run on a fielder’s choice in the ninth, and left Camden Yards with a 3-0 win.

Remember folks, the rest of the regular season is meaningless. The O’s trotted out their “B lineup” for this game, or perhaps if this were truly spring training, we’d call it their travel lineup. While you want to be crisp and competitive, the results are ill-important.

Prior to the game the Orioles honored Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer, who celebrated 60 years in the Orioles’ organization. Consider that folks, Palmer’s in effect worked for the same company for 60 years. Different capacities as time went on, but the same organization. We could all hope to be as good at our jobs and even have the opportunity to work in the same place for that long, as Jim Palmer.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Kyle Gibson gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Kutter Crawford. Game time is set for 7:15 PM.

John Means came through for the Baltimore Orioles tonight in various ways. First off, he pitched not the eighth inning. With a tired bullpen at the worst possible moment in time, that was EXACTLY what the Orioles needed. That’s an intangible thing when it comes to stats, but needless to say Means showed up for the O’s tonight. Means’ line: 7.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

Anthony Santander smacked an RBI-double in the first inning to give the O’s a 1-0 lead. But this game was all about John Means being a bulldog. And was he ever. He almost single-handedly stabilized a pitching staff that was looking more and more beleaguered.

Needless to say, Means was mowing down Cleveland hitters. It was a stark contrast to what we saw last night. Cleveland and their snap-happy bats were unable to find much daylight in the field. Meanwhile Anthony Santander extended their lead to 2-0 in the sixth with an RBI-single.

And it’s a good thing he did. Means was quietly throwing a no-hitter. I say quietly because the overarching storyline of this game was the stakes it carried – for the O’s. However the no-no came to an end in the seventh when Giminez smacked a solo homer. Not only was it the first (and only) hit Means surrendered, but it cut the lead in half.

But the good news was Means didn’t let it phase him. He knew it was only one run, and given what the Orioles are looking towards after the season, a no-hitter at this stage was all but irrelevant. He was lifted after one out in the eighth, which was finished off by Yennier Cano. Cionel Perez pitched a perfect ninth, and the Orioles took the win, 2-1.

Thus they maintain their 1.5 game lead over Tampa in the AL East. Tampa of course, who won in walk-off fashion earlier in the day. So this was a big win for the Birds, anchored by John Means doing a massive “solid” for the rest of the pitching staff. And narrowing the Magic Number to 5.

The series concludes tomorrow at Progressive Field. Kyle Gibson gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Cleveland’s Triston McKenzie. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

John Means made his triumphant return to the big leagues this evening at Camden Yards for the Baltimore Orioles – against St. Louis. It’s tough to criticize the outing given that he’s coming off of Tommy John’s. End of the day, Means went five innings. It’s a start. Means’ line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 1 K.

It was a shake-‘n-bake sort of start for Means. You can’t talk about it without mentioning the length of time he’s been out rehabbing. And personally, I saw one massive bright spot in Means’ outing: he minimized the damage.

Means gave up a solo homer to Goldschmidt in the first, a sac fly-RBI to Walker in the second, and a solo homer to Palacio in the third. However toss those solo homers out for a moment. Solo home runs are going to happen, and generally they won’t hurt you.

However sandwiched in there is that sac fly-RBI. St. Louis loaded the bases in the second inning. This on two softly hit singles, and a fielder’s choice where the runner was safe at first. And the only run that Means surrendered was that sac fly. He minimized the damage, and got the O’s back in the dugout. That stands out to me about his outing, as did the zero walks.

The O’s attempted to make their move however in the last of the fifth. Anthony Santander’s RBI-single cut the lead to 3-1, and Ryan O’Hearn’s fielder’s choice-RBI cut it to 3-2. However Palacios would add a second solo homer in the seventh, followed by an RBI-single by Nootbaar. And St. Louis took game two of the series, 5-2.

The first part is that Means came back. From Tommy John’s. And again, while he wasn’t perfect and he only pitched the five innings, he did minimize the damage. That’s all meaningful.

The series concludes tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Kyle Gibson gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by St. Louis’ Drew Rom (who was acquired from the Orioles in the Jack Flaherty trade). Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

John Means made his final start of the year for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon in Toronto. We didn’t find out until after the game, but Means was hampered by a cold in today’s game. Many would say that’s an excuse for his performance today. However I would submit that there’s a difference between an excuse and the truth. Means’ line: 3.0 IP, 7 H, 7 R (6 earned), 0 BB, 2 K.

I’ve heard a lot of current and former athletes talk on this topic. Many say common illnesses never bothered them. Former Washington quarterback Sonny Jurgensen once said that he always played better when he was a little bit sick. Because he had to concentrate harder, and that would make a difference.

Others can’t pull that off. It would appear that Means is in that category. And for the record, if I were an athlete I would be in the same boat. I’m the most miserable patient known to man when I’m sick! Brandon Hyde addressed Means’ outing after the game:

He gave us everything he had today, really gave us everything he had this year. And this is a small blip on Meansie’s season. Happy with his year. He’s still early on in his career. Looking forward to the adjustments he’s going to make going into next spring training. Even though he didn’t have a good one today, he had a really nice year.

Quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports

Toronto got on Means and the Orioles from the beginning. Guerrero smacked a two-run homer in the first inning. Hernandez added a solo shot later in the inning. Ryan McKenna would cut the lead to 3-1 in the second with an RBI-groundout.

But that was as close as the O’s would get. Springer’s three-run homer in the second broke the game wide open at 6-1. Toronto would also get homers from Bichette and Jansen. When the smoke cleared, they had defeated the O’s, 10-1.

The series and the season conclude tomorrow at Rogers Centre. Bruce Zimmerman gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Hyun Jin Ryu. Game time is set for just after 3 PM.

The Baltimore Orioles entered tonight’s game almost as the golden boys in a sense. 2-0 appeared to suffie, according to starter John Means. And by that I mean as a final score as an adult. Means’ line: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

Pedro Severino and Ryan Mountcastle both had RBI-singles in the first inning. But that didn’t seem to matter. Surely two runs scored in the first weren’t my going to stand up for the Orioles in the end…right?!

But in the end, they did! Philadelphia never really offered a threat in this game, and the two runs stood up as the game winners. Means also became the first pitcher in over ten years to smack an extra-base hit. It was that kind of night for the O’s.

The series continues tomorrow night at Citizens Bank Park. Starters for both teams are still TBD. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.