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Baltimore Orioles rained out vs. Toronto

The Baltimore Orioles were rained out this evening in what was to be the second of a three-game set at home against division rival Toronto. The game will be made up on Monday, July 29th as part of a traditional doubleheader. The first game will begin at 3 PM.

Tomorrow’s forecast looks foreboding as well. This is a footnote, but if tomorrow’s game is rained out and postponed to a later date (other than Thursday), then technically the Orioles’ streak of not being swept would come to an end. Even though the “series” would have then only been one game, it would still count as a technical “sweep.” That said, both teams are idle on Thursday, so a makeup game could occur that day. Which as I understand it, would actually count as part of the same series. But who really knows what the weather brings?!

Nevertheless the series with Toronto is scheduled to end tomorrow at Camden Yards. Kyle Bradish moves back a day to make the start for the O’s, and Toronto’s starter is still TBD. Game time is set for just after 12:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Adley Rutschman homers twice in extra-inning loss

Corbin Burnes put the Baltimore Orioles in a position to win tonight against Toronto at Camden Yards. I found it interesting that Burnes was lifted when he was, as my personal opinion was he still had something left in the tank. But he pitched six solid innings, again putting the Birds in a spot to win the game. Burnes’ line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K.

This was a game between two solid starters, Burnes, and Toronto’s Berrios. The Orioles struck first against Berrios, as Adley Rutschman smacked a solo homer in the last of the fourth. However Toronto would draw even in the sixth on an RBI-single by Vogelbach.

However Rutschman wasn’t done yet. He ended up turning in the first two-homer game of his career, putting the Orioles back in the lead in the last of the sixth with a second solo home run. Unfortunately however, Rutschman was only a footnote in this game. Varsho’s solo home run in the eighth tied the game at two.

The game went to extra innings, and it was Toronto who struck first. Clement led off the tenth inning with a sacrifice bunt, moving the ghost runner to third base. Varsho would later ground out, scoring the runner and giving Toronto a 3-2 lead. The O’s threatened in the bottom of the inning, but couldn’t put anything across, going down to defeat 3-2.

End of the day, tough game between two tough AL East rivals. However that’s a game that stings the Orioles to lose. You always want to win every game under any circumstance. But especially in the division.

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

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Baltimore Orioles: Six-run sixth sinks the Birds

It was kind of a struggle for Dean Kremer and the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon. Kremer’s stat line looks worse than he pitched. It’s fair to mention that only half of the runs he surrendered were earned runs. Kremer’s line: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 6 R (3 earned), 4 BB, 10 K.

Towards the end of Kremer’s outing manager Brandon Hyde and the training staff came out to check on Kremer, who had a blister on his pitching hand. Kremer stayed in the game, however that’s something to watch as we go on. The hope of course is that it clears before Kremer’s next start. But again, it’s something to watch.

Arizona took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on a sac fly-RBI. One inning later Carroll would reach on a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded, allowing a run to score as Ramon Urias made an errant throw to try and nail a runner at the plate. The Orioles challenged the call, but it was upheld. The throw beat the runner, but it appeared the ruling was that catcher James McCann came off of home plate. Tough call, and a bang-bang play.

Arizona would extend the lead later in the inning to 3-0 on a sac fly-RBI by Marte. But the O’s would attempt to get back into the ballgame. Jordan Westburg’s RBI-double in the last of the fifth cut the Arizona lead to 3-1. However unfortunate as it may have been, that was false hope for the O’s.

McCarthy smacked a two-run homer in the top of the sixth. Marte would follow later in the inning with a two-RBI single, and Grichuk a two-RBI double. When the smoke cleared, Arizona had batted around in the sixth, and the O’s trailed 9-1.

The Birds would get one back in the last of the sixth on Adley Rutschman’s solo homer. The teams would also sit through a brief rain delay in the top of the eighth when the rain got too hard. But in the end, the Birds fell 9-2 on this Mother’s Day. But the O’s did take the series by winning two-of-three.

The Orioles will now stay at home and open up a three-game set with AL East rival Toronto tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Corbin Burnes gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Jose Berrios. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Craig Kimbrel with the win as Westy walks if off

A bit of a shorter outing for John Means this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles. Shorter than anyone would have thought, at least. But perhaps this game was always destined to be decided by the bullpens. That at times seems to be where the game is going. Means’ line: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 3 K.

This game began and ended with Jordan Westburg. His RBI-double in the second inning gave the Birds a 1-0 lead. However one inning later Arizona’s Marte sent a two-run homer around the foul pole in left field. And suddenly the Birds trailed 2-1.

But they didn’t trail for long. In the last of the third Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI-single tied the game at two. However Arizona would put two across in the fifth. That left the Orioles trailing, 4-2. Which at the time seemed like a large lead.

But is two runs a decent lead against this lineup? Not so much, if you think about it. Gunnar Henderson cut the lead to one in the last of the fifth with a solo homer. The crowd had to wait a couple of innings later, but Anthony Santander would eventually tie it with a solo shot of his own in the last of the eighth. And tied it remained through the ninth.

The Birds loaded the bases in the tenth before going down, and Brandon Hyde summoned Craig Kimbrel from the bullpen for the eleventh – yes, in a high leverage situation. Keep in mind that Arizona had a ghost runner, so Kimbrel started out with a ghost runner on second (through no fault of his own). He did hit a batter, but masterfully retired the side after that.

But that also means that the Orioles get a ghost runner. And Jordan Westburg led off the last of the eleventh, and promptly sent a soft liner tightly down the right field line, which bounced fair. That scored the ghost runner, giving the O’s a 5-4 victory. It also clinched a series win.

Odd game in a sense. It was a slow slog to some degree, and under threatening skies at that. Jordan Westburg was outstanding, and the Orioles have to continually be thanking themselves for breaking camp with him on the roster.

However as the season goes on it’ll be interesting to look back on this point in the schedule and whether or not it’ll be a story of this series helping Craig Kimbrel get right. Granted he was the winning pitcher by default. Almost by chance. But he earned the win. Is he “right” now? We’ll find out.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Arizona’s Zac Gallen. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles open home stand with a win

Cole Irvin put the Baltimore Orioles in a spot to win tonight. That’s all you can ask out of a starter. And that’s what the Orioles taxed him with doing tonight in the series opener with Arizona. Irvin’s line: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

In a game that was played in a perpetual misting rain, perhaps it was fitting that new Orioles’ owner David Rubenstein was the guest “Mr. Splash” at this evening’s game. However if the weather is “the great equalizer,” the Orioles proved to be the better team on the field tonight as a whole. This despite the fact that Arizona was a World Series team last year.

Jordan Westburg’s RBI-double in the second inning gave the Birds a 1-0 lead. Cedric Mullins would later add a run with an RBI-groundout. However Arizona would remind the Orioles that they were in the World Series last year, as Marte cut the lead in half with a solo homer in the third.

But the Orioles kept the pressure on. The teams would swap runs in the fifth and sixth, with the Orioles’ coming on an RBI-single by Ryan O’Hearn. Gunnar Henderson would add an RBI-double in the seventh, and the Oriole bullpen would close out a 4-2 victory,

Craig Kimbrel was used out of the bullpen in the seventh, and to his credit he sent down Arizona 1-2-3. That included a loud out on a line drive to Ryan Mountcastle, but he still sent them down 1-2-3. You have to hope that gives him some confidence.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. John Means gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Arizona’s Ryne Nelson, game time is set for just after 4 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Coming home

The Baltimore Orioles return to Oriole Park at Camden Yards this evening as Arizona comes to town for three. Overall, it was a short road trip, but a good one. The Birds went 5-1 in Cincinnati and Washington.

The biggest question for the O’s right now appears to be closer Craig Kimbrel, who’s blown several saves over the past week-and-a-half. Will we see Kimbrel head to the IL with an injury? I suppose it’s possible. Needless to say, he doesn’t look comfortable on the mound when he’s out there.

To be clear, Kimbrel won’t cease to be on the roster. The Orioles won’t DFA him, allowing another team to pick him up on their dime. So that isn’t an option. Trading for another closer also isn’t an option, as nobody’s looking to trade a bona fide closer in May. And on top of that, could you imagine what the Orioles would have to give up to get someone like that? They don’t come free.

Here’s something else to watch; Jorge Mateo appeared to injure himself late in Wednesday’s game in Washington. He stayed in the game, but didn’t appear to be too comfortable. You have to hope he’s rested up on the off day and is ready to play.

The series with Arizona begins tonight at Camden Yards. Cole Irvin gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Arizona’s Brandon Pfaadt. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: It wasn’t enough until it was enough

The Baltimore Orioles learned a valuable lesson tonight, that being it’s never enough in Washington DC. That may or may not be a slight tip of hand towards the political climate. I’ll let you be the judge of that. Kyle Bradish pitched well, and left with the lead. But it wasn’t enough. Bradish’s line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 9 K.

Bradish got himself into a jam or two early. In the first inning he pitched out of it. In the second he got out of it yielding just one run, that being an RBI-single by Lipscomb. Other than that, he “mowed ‘em down.” I actually thought Brandon Hyde should have left him in, but it was only his second start of the season. Let him ease into things.

However as I said, Bradish had the lead when he left the ballgame. Anthony Santander’s solo homer in the fourth tied the game at one. And Gunnar Henderson added one of his own in the sixth, giving the Birds the lead. Did Hyde partially pull Bradish because he was winning? Possible. But unlikely. As I said, it was his second start.

One inning later Colton Cowser’s sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh gave the O’s some padding at 3-1. But make no mistake that Jorge Mateo gets an assist on that run. Jordan Westburg had led off the inning with a double. Mateo bunted him over to third on the first pitch he saw, setting up the sacrifice fly. In the scorebook it goes as an out. But it’s small things like that which win you games. And it’s one of the reasons Jorge Mateo played a huge role in tonight’s game.

The Orioles brought closer Craig Kimbrel in to pitch the ninth. Obviously, we know the struggles of Kimbrel of late. And a serious discussion of what to do with the closer role needs to occur in the Orioles’ clubhouse. But it’s also worth mentioning twilight zone baseball started in that ninth inning across the board.

With two outs Kimbrel gave up a solo homer to Rosario, and down to his final strike Abrams’ RBI-single tied the game at three. Hyde lifted Kimbrel in favor of Clay Akin, who got the Birds out of the inning.

After a scoreless tenth the O’s seemed to strike gold in the eleventh. Ryan Mountcastle smacked a two-run homer, and the Orioles led 5-3. But Washington wasn’t going down. Just when the O’s thought they had enough again, they didn’t.

Vargas’ RBI-double in the last of the eleventh cut the lead to 5-4. And the O’s got lucky; that was a ground rule double, stranding the tying run at third. It could have scored two runs. However Young would follow with a sacrifice fly-RBI, and we played on (tied at five).

But it was Jorge Mateo in the middle of things again to ensure that it was finally enough. With a ghost runner on second, his run-scoring double gave the Orioles a 6-5 lead. Mateo slid into second head first, and the pitcher Weems’ errant throw gave him the chance to get to third.

Mateo however pulled up lame. It was unclear what the issue was, but he stayed in the game and later scored on a wild pitch. And it’s a darned good thing he did, because Washington threatened again in the last of the twelfth. Garcia’s run-scoring double cut the Oriole lead to 7-6. But that’s finally where it ended, and the O’s earned a series split in the Battle of the Beltways.

Needless to say, it was one heck of a game. Both teams are probably thankful for an off day tomorrow, as their respective bullpens are spent. But that’s part of the theater of baseball.

The question for the Orioles is what can they do with Craig Kimbrel. They need a closer one way or the other – and he has Hall of Fane credentials. Is he injured? Or is he just going through ineffectiveness? Is it mental? Those are questions that need to be answered quickly – like during the off day. Jorge Mateo’s health coming out of this game is something to watch also. One way or the other, in the here and now of today Mateo was undoubtedly the player of the game.

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Baltimore Orioles stumble in DC

You can’t blame Baltimore Orioles’ starter Corbin Burnes for tonight’s game. Burnes took the L, but pitched to a quality start. If you don’t put up any runs you can’t win. It’s that simple. Burnes’ lone: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 6 K.

Burnes gave up an RBI-single in the second, giving Washington a 1-0 lead. However Washington starter Williams stymied the Orioles’ high powered offense. Everytime something on base, he would stay there.

RBI-so goes from Rosario and Lipscomb would extend Washington’s lead in the last of the seventh. And their bullpen closed down the Orioles down the stretch. Did they leave their bats in Cincinnati? Tough to say. But whatever they did tonight didn’t work – needless to say.

The O’s did show some fire in the ninth inning, however. Perhaps the wrong kind of fire though. Ryan O’Hearn was rung up on a close pitch in the ninth inning, and was ejected by home plate umpire Alex Tosi. It was all but a moot issue at that point, as was the fact that manager Brandon Hyde was ejected in trying to protect O’Hearn, who gave one heck of a quote after the game (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

I just lost my cool. There were a few strikes called on me that I really didn’t like going back to the first inning, going back to the first pitch, actually. And then I sat in the dugout and watched it happen to our guys all night. (Colton) Cowser had a really bad one 3-2. Multiple. And it’s hard to tell as players because we don’t get the K zone anymore on the iPads, but it got to the point where it was just bad. He was calling balls outside the K zone strikes and I got pissed off and decided to say something about it. First career ejection, I’m not proud of it, but it is what it is.

If you look at it, where the pitches came in, we’ll just take that at-bat for an example, the pitch before it he called a ball was less inside. It was more toward the plate than that one. So when I see where a pitch is and I go, ‘OK, that’s ball there,’ and then he throws one a little bit further inside and he bangs me on that one, that’s pretty irritating.

That’s saying a lot. My personal opinion is that O’Hearn had a point. The strike zone did seem to move around slightly. But you rarely hear players get that candid about umpiring, as the league office is always listening. Don’t be surprised to see O’Hearn get fined for those comments.

The series concludes tomorrow at Nationals Park. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Washington’s Mitchell Parker. Game time is set for 6:45 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Cities and beltways connected

The Baltimore Orioles head down the pike to Nationals Park this evening to open the Battle of the Beltways at Nationals Park. We do this every year, right? The “friendly neighborhood baseball game?” And of course in August, Washington will pay a visit to Oriole Park at Camden Yards for a return engagement.

However this year there’s a twist. Call it a marketing ploy if you will, but it’s caught the gaze of Major League Baseball. Tonight for the first time in history, two teams will wear their City Connect uniforms in the same game – against one another.

Major League Baseball’s been hyping this since late last week on its social media accounts, as have both teams. It was probably a matter of time before two teams decided to do something like this. And in fact, at least one team (Tampa) had announced that they would be wearing their City Connects in road games later this year. The Orioles and Nationals said nevermind that, let’s do it now.

In the Battle of the Beltways, the league found the perfect series by which to do this and market it. Maybe it would have resonated strangely had it been a ‘cross town rivalry’ such as the NY or Chicago teams. And maybe the “connection” between the Florida or Texas teams wouldn’t have been strong enough.

But featuring Baltimore and Washington doing this is the perfect balance. Both cities have unique personalities and unique cultures. Yet there can be no doubt that they’re “connected.” From a baseball standpoint, there’s a portion of fans who regularly attend games in both parks. And many of those people will be on display at Nationals Park tonight and tomorrow, and at Camden Yards in August. (And don’t be shocked if one of those Baltimore games is a dual City Connect game also.)

And both teams have cool and unique features in their City Connect uniforms. The Orioles have the multi-colored design on the inside that represents the different neighborhoods of the city. And Washington has the pinkish “hue” and blossom design, which symbolizes the cherry trees. Yes, which refers back to the namesake of the city, who also happens to be the greatest General in history – and the father of our country at that.

As time goes on we’ll see other dual City Connect games and series’. But never forget who the first one was. The graphic the league released was pretty poignant also, Baltimore row houses on one side of a street, and cherry trees on the other. Again, this is the perfect series to do this. Is it a marketing scheme? Yeah, sort of. Both sides are probably hoping to see shirts and caps. But again someone was always going to do this; may as well be the Battle of the Beltways, as these two cities are most definitely connected.

The series begins tonight at Nationals Park. Corbin Burnes gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Washington’s Trevor Williams. Game time is set for 6:45 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles break out, sweep in the Queen City

The Baltimore Orioles never gave Cincinnati a chance today in a rare late Sunday afternoon matinee. The Birds led before Dean Kremer even took the mound. And for his part, Kremer was outstanding. Kremer’s line: 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

Yes folks you read that correctly; one hit. However Kremer could have allowed more than that and still won. This game was a rout from the beginning.

Again, Kremer had the lead before he even threw a pitch. Anthony Santander’s RBI-single in the first gave the O’s an early 1-0 lead. Santander would score almost immediately when Jordan Westburg ran into the first pitch he saw, and sent a two-run homer over the wall.

With Kremer dealing, Oriole bats took a slight break – for a few innings. But Adley Rutschman picked things back up in the fifth with an RBI-double. Two innings later they opened the game up with Ryan McKenna’s solo homer. Tack on an RBI-single by Adley Rutschman, and the Orioles led 6-0.

And mind you, that would have been enough. But there was still an exclamation point to be put on this game and on this series. Anthony Santander added a ninth inning grand slam, giving the O’s an 11-0 lead. Cincinnati would push a nominal run across in the last of the ninth, but it was a meaningless one. And the Orioles cruised to an 11-1 victory.

For what it’s worth, this was the seventh consecutive game in which Oriole pitching has allowed two runs or less. In some of those games runs were tough to come by, but the Birds still won most of them. That wasn’t the case today.

The O’s will have an off day tomorrow, and Tuesday they open up the Battle of the Beltways at Nationals Park in DC.

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Baltimore Orioles: John Means business in his season debut

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.

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Baltimore Orioles: Cole Irvin spins a gem

It took awhile for Cole Irvin to get things going for the Baltimore Orioles last night. Not that he struggled out of the gate – he absolutely did not. But the teams say through a two hour and forty-one minute rain delay to start the game. But once it started, Oriole pitching didn’t give Cincinnati many opportunities. Irvin’s line: 6.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K.

Rain delays are tough. But as we know from the NFL, weather is the great equalizer. Both teams have to play in the same conditions, in this case, both teams had to sit through the same rain delay. As did the fans who had tickets at the Great American Ballpark.

While these were two young teams that are high-powered, it didn’t include much scoring. In fact, Irvin only qualified for the win because he came out to start the last of the seventh. Because they got the lead in the top half of that inning.

Jorge Mateo singled in the top of the seventh, and promptly stole second base. Don’t shoo that fact away. It seems like a random moment in a game, however Adley Rutschman’s RBI-single scored Mateo, giving the Orioles and Cole Irvin a 1-0 lead.

Mateo’s narrative has always been that he’s fast as lightning. And given the rain delay, that might be an apt reference in more ways than one! But speed can win you games. Swiping that bag was a big moment in the ballgame given that the next guy up doubled him home. With Mateo’s speed there’s a chance he could have scored from first on a double – there’s no doubt. But needless to say, being in scoring position can make a huge difference.

And Rutschman wasn’t on second base for long. Ryan O’Hearn’s subsequent two-run homer extended the lead to 3-0. And that’s all the Orioles would need.

The Birds did bring closer Craig Kimbrel in for the save in the ninth. It was his first appearance since blowing two saves last weekend against Oakland, and coming out of that second game with an apparent back injury. Kimbrel didn’t appear in the New York series, but bounced back last night. He struck out the side to end the game, and the Orioles defeated Cincinnati 3-0.

The series continues this evening at the Great American Ballpark. John Means gets the start for the O’s (his first start of the season after starting out on the IL), and he’ll be opposed by Cincinnati’s Andrew Abbott. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Travelogue

Following yesterday’s 7-2 victory over New York, the Baltimore Orioles hit the road. A short road trip on paper, but an even shorter one in the context of the fact that the two final games of the road trip next week will be in Washington DC for the Battle of the Beltways. Technically a road trip. But…you catch my drift.

Cincinnati and Baltimore have a unique connection. Everyone knows about Baltimore’s iconic B & O Warehouse. Heck, it’s a part of Camden Yards. But did you know that Cincinnati has one also?

The Warehouse is the eastern terminus of the B & O Railroad – Camden Station, that is. However the western terminus is in Cincinnati, and it’s marked by a train warehouse similar in appearance. The two aren’t identical copies, but they’re very similar to the naked eye. Cincinnati’s is called Longworth Hall.

In the present day, Longworth Hall is used as office space. It’s a unique location for a company to house itself, and obviously one steeped in history. So like Baltimore, Cincinnati has used its old train warehouse as a part of its modern city structure.

Obviously Baltimore’s B & O Warehouse is more well-known, mainly because of Major League Baseball. President Lincoln also passed through and spoke at Camden Station on his way to Washington for his inaugural. However even Longsworth Hall in Cincinnati has a slight tie-in to baseball. It’s located on Pete Rose Way!

After Cincinnati, the Birds return to the mid-Atlantic region for the aforementioned series in Washington. Again, technically a road series. But one within the Birds’ home region. And one that’s easily accessible to Orioles’ fans.

The cool thing about the Battle of the Beltways truly is that people show up with fans of the other side. Work colleagues, friend groups, and yes even families split down the middle. Just about everyone in this region has ties to the other side. I can tell you that personally I have lots of cousins and friends who pull for the “Curly W’s.”

And I always throw this piece of it in…my grandfather was a “semi-pro” catcher in the Washington Senators’ system. He actually had a try-out for the big league club, but he opted to be a dentist instead. It worked out. But needless to say, he had to have been a decent ballplayer for that to have been the case.

The line between home white and road grey does get blurred a bit in these games. However one thing I DON’T get is the select few who show up wearing a Nats cap and Orioles shirt – or something along those lines. It‘s fine to support both local teams. But when they play one another you have to pick one!

The series in Cincinnati opens this evening at the Great American Ballpark. Cole Irvin gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene. Game time is set for just after 6:00 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Pitcher’s duel trips up Birds

Baltimore Orioles’ bats didn’t put any runs up behind starter Corbin Burnes. That makes it tough to win. Burnes turned in one of those “in between” sort of starts – this in terms of the quality thereof. But he battled, and the fact is that he pitched well and deep enough to have earned the win. Burnes’ line: 6.0 IP, 4 H. 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

Again, I wouldn’t say Burnes had his top stuff tonight. But he battled. And the fact is that it took a slight bit of a quirk to beat him. Or to put runs up on him at least. You get the idea.

Trevino singled up middle in the top of the fifth. It was ruled a base hit, but Gunnar Henderson had a shot at throwing the runner out at first base. However he slipped on the outfield grass. It happens, folks. However that brought Cabrera to the plate…

…and he smacked a two-run homer. Barely, that is. He in essence curled the ball around the foul pole in right field, and it barely wrapped around fair. The umpires reviewed the play, and it was upheld.

Sometimes that’s how the ball bounces. To be clear, it was a home run – the ball went to the fair side of the pole. But any further to the right and it would have been foul. It was clear, but close.

The is also the first time the O’s have been shut out this season. It counts as one loss, and they still maintain their grasp on first place in the division – by percentage points. New York also used closer Clay Holmes for a five-out save tonight. Does that make him unavailable tomorrow in a save situation? I guess we’ll find out.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. The Orioles are yet to announce a starter, but whomever starts the game will be opposed by New York’s Carlos Rodon. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Dean Kremer deals, Birds defeat New York

Dean Kremer took the ball for the Baltimore Orioles tonight in game two of their series with New York. The Oriole bullpen was battered a bit coming in, and the O’s needed their starters to go fairly deep into these games. And Kremer delivered tonight. Kremer’s line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 4 K.

The O’s got on the board in the second as a result of a New York error. Anthony Santander was running on contact at second when Jordan Westburg grounded into a fielder’s choice to Torres at second. Torres went to try to throw Santander out, and he threw the ball square into Santander’s back. This allowed Ssntander to score, giving the O’s a 1-0 lead. The play was scored as a fielder’s choice and an error with the runners all being safe.

However an inning later Wells’ solo homer for New York tied the game at two. But you can’t waste an outing against anyone like what Dean Kremer was in the midst of turning in. Much less against New York. The O’s would put three runs up in the last of the fourth, starting with an RBI-double by James McCann. Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman would follow with RBI-singles, and the O’s led 4-1.

Soto would smack a homer onto Eutaw St. in the sixth, but that was the extent of the damage. Kremer and the O’s gave up two solo home runs in the game. And in general, that won’t hurt you. And it didn’t hurt the Birds tonight, true to form.

Jacob Webb drew the save, and he was outstanding tonight. He struck out Judge to close the eighth by mixing his pitches in an outstanding manner. And he sent New York down 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth, closing out a 4-2 win for the Orioles.

The Birds can’t lose this series. They can only split it or win it. That’s a good spot in which to be.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Corbin Burnes gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Luis Gil. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Little things win ballgames; Birds steady the ship

With New York coming to town, the Baltimore Orioles needed a good start out of Grayson Rodriguez tonight at Camden Yards. And they got it. Maybe not quite as long as they would have wanted, but Rodriguez was largely effective against a lineup that put up two consecutive games’ worth of 15-run baseball in Milwaukee over the weekend. Rodriguez’s line: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

The O’s took the lead early when Gunnar Henderson smacked a solo homer in the first inning. The Oriole bullpen was also key in this game, with Cionnel Perez pitching in his second game since the first week of the season, and holding New York at bay. Cionnel Perez amongst others, that is.

We also saw how important base running was towards the end of this game. With one out the Birds had runners at first and second. Ryan O’Hearn sent a fly ball to deep center field, resulting in out number two. BUT…Gunnar Henderson tagged up and went to third base.

A moment later he would score when Anthony Santander reached on a fielding error by NY shortstop Volpe. That doubled the Oriole lead, at 2-0. And it gave them an insurance run when they needed one. Danny Coloumbe retired New York in the top of the ninth, but that insurance run certainly helped. And ultimately it helped the Birds to a big win in a big series against a division rival.

Little intangible things in games like that make a huge difference. Henderson saw an opportunity to tag up and go to third, and he took it. And nobody would have blamed him for holding. But while the box score might not necessarily show it, that helped the Orioles win the game. Make no mistake.

This was a big win. And when all’s said and done, it might be a huge one. The story of Orioles vs. NYY in 2024 is still one to be written. This was one game. But after a questionable weekend where seemingly little went correct, it was important for the Birds to win tonight. And they won it with pitching. So make no mistake that it was a big win. And maybe one to which to look back.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Nestor Cortes. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Did Brandon Hyde botch the Craig Kimbrel injury situation?

Tough day for Baltimore Orioles’ pitching, namely Albert Suarez. And while Oriole bats did knock Oakland pitching around a bit, they didn’t put any runs across after the fourth inning. Suarez’s line: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

You have to give Oakland a fair amount of credit. With all of the politics going on with their team and its move, they’re frisky. This when they have every reason not to be. They set the tone early when Brown smacked a solo homer, and the O’s were behind, 1-0.

However the Birds put some runners on base in the immediate aftermath, and they tied the game at one when Cedric Mullins grounded out with a runner on third. However a moment later they took a 2-1 lead on an RBI-double by Colton Cowser.

However Oakland tied it back up on Bleday’s RBI-double in the third. They would almost immediately then take a 4-2 lead on Rooker’s two-RBI single. While all of the runs indubitably count, it’s worth mentioning that several of the hits Suarez surrendered were bloops or softly-hit pop up’s. While he did surrendered runs, he didn’t do it on hard-hit balls.

But…the O’s battled back immediately. Adley Rutschman smacked a solo homer in the last of the third, cutting the lead to 4-3. Ryan Mountcastle would later smack a two-run homer, and suddenly the Birds had the lead back. One inning later Ramon Urias’ first homer of the season extended the lead to 6-4.

Oakland would smack a solo homer off the bat of Nevin in the seventh, giving Craig Kimbrel a one-run lead in the ninth. After he threw five or six balls to start the inning, manager Brandon Hyde and the training staff came out to check on Kimbrel. And the fact is that if you add together Kinbrel’s rough outing Friday combined with this, it added up that maybe he was injured.

But Hyde opted to leave Kimbrel in the game. And he promptly gave up a two-run homer to McCann which gave Oakland a 7-6 lead. At which point Hyde and the training staff came back out, and promptly removed him. A few moments later, Oakland closed out a 7-6 win, taking two-of-three from the Birds at Camden Yards.

As I write this, it’s unclear what the issue with Kimbrel is. However it appears he’s injured. Which poses a bunch of problems to the Orioles following today. However in the interim, should Brandon Hyde have lifted Kimbrel the first time he went out?

The obvious answer is yes. But we don’t know what was said, how Kimbrel was feeling, etc. It’s a tough way to lose to a team the O’s should have beaten, but the more pressing issue is what happens with Craig Kimbrel going forward. The IL is an obvious possibility, which is a problem. But let the record show that Hyde may have made a miscalculation in leaving Craig Kimbrel in the game.

The O’s begin a huge series with the NYY tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by NY’s Clarke Schmidt. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Updated: Craig Kimbrel has upper back soreness according to Brandon Hyde.

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Baltimore Orioles: Big innings, homers, and pitching wins ballgames

Cole Irving got the start for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon following a tough loss to Oakland last night. As a result, the Birds needed a big outing from a starter today. And Cole Irvin delivered it for them. Irvin’s line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K.

It begins and ends with starting pitching. I’ve said that A LOT over the years of penning this column. Both in the context of good performances, as well as lackluster. Today it was in the category of the former. And Irvin’s effort helped get the O’s back on track after Friday.

However Oakland’s starter Sears was decent also. At least he was the first time through the order. As can often happen with good hitters however, he was figured out after that. Anthony Santander and Jordan Westburg smacked RBI-doubles in the last of the fourth, followed by an RBI-single by James McCann. And the Birds were off to the races.

One inning later the O’s broke it wide open. Adley Rutschman and Ryan Mountcastle each sent solo homers over the wall in the fifth. And in the last of the seventh Gunnar Henderson sent a two-run homer onto Eutaw Street. And the Orioles closed out a 7-0 win over Oakland.

We can discuss amongst ourselves what the definition of a “big inning” might be. But the Birds definitely got two “timely innings,” needless to say. That always helps. And combined with quality starting pitching, it’s deadly.

For what it’s worth, the Orioles are also looking to get both Kyle Bradish and John Means back in the very near future. Which helps bolster the rotation. While they didn’t want to have to send down Jackson Holiday, they sent him down to get some additional seasoning. We’ll certainly hear from him again sooner rather than later.

The series with Oakland concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Albert Suarez gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Oakland’s Paul Blackburn. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles hold onto defeat Anaheim, take series

Dean Kremer wanted to pitch into today’s game for longer than he did for the Baltimore Orioles tonight. But sometimes that’s not how things shake down. He was excellent for the O’s this afternoon, as they defeated Anaheim and took the series two games to one. The Orioles also took the season series with Anaheim. Kremer’s line: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 10 K.

The ten strikeouts stick out for sure. Kremer was good today, although he tired abruptly. He took a no-hitter into the sixth inning.

The Birds took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third when Gunnar Henderson smacked a solo homer. Two innings later Adley Rutschman’s RBI-single doubled the lead to 2-0. Jorge Mateo and Gunnar Henderson would add RBI-singles of their own in the sixth (Henderson’s was a two-RBI single), and the Orioles led 5-0.

The O’s would tack on one more later in the inning when Ryan Mountcastle grounded into a double-play with a runner at third, scoring one more run. The O’s appeared to be coasting. But that one run meant the world in the end.

Anaheim chipped away. Trout and Ward smacked homers in the last of the sixth. Ward’s was a two-run shot, and that cut the lead in half at 6-3. Neto would add a solo shot in the eighth, However as we went to the ninth, Anaheim put a runner on third base due to a throwing error. That runner would score on O’Hoppe’s RBI-groundout.

With the lead at one, closer Craig Kimbrel walked a runner with two outs. That runner attempted to steal, however Adley Rutschman threw him out at second base to end the game.

End of the day, it’s a win. And a series win. But you don’t want to do it holding on like that. However again, a win’s a win.

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Baltimore Orioles: The Magic of Disney for Albert Suarez

The Baltimore Orioles opened a series in Los Angeles last night. Technically Anaheim – Disney. You get the idea. The Birds sent Albert Suarez to the mound for what amounts to another spot start, and they got exactly what they needed out of him. Suarez’s line: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K.

For Suarez, it was his first MLB win since June of 2016. This about that; you think a few things have happened since then?! Suarez pitched well for the Birds in his last outing, but didn’t qualify for the win. Manager Brandon Hyde commented after the game:

I thought he made some nice adjustments in the game. Him and [catcher James] McCann started working well together. They started throwing a lot more changeups and cutters. Hitters couldn’t just sit fastball on him. Once again, he gave us a great start.

Quote courtesy of Brent Maguire, MLB.com

Speaking of James McCann, he got the O’s started on the scoreboard in the second inning with a solo homer. Adley Rutschman’s RBI-single an inning later padded the lead. In his next turn at bat, Rutschman tacked on an RBI-double, this in the top of the fifth. Colton Cowser would also homer in the seventh.

And it’s a darned good thing he did. Anaheim mounted a semi-comeback. Adell got them on the board in the last of the seventh with a solo homer. Schanuel’s RBI-single later in the inning cut the lead to 4-2. However the Oriole bullpen was able to button things up, and the Birds went onto a 4-2 victory.

The series continues tonight at Angel Stadium. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Anaheim’s Griffin Canning. Game time is set for just after 9:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Series win in Kansas City

The Baltimore Orioles came into today needing a strong start out of Cole Irvin, following two long outings for the Oriole bullpen. And they got it. Irvin turned in perhaps his best start with the orange and black this afternoon at Kauffman Stadium, his part in defeating Kansas City. Irvin’s line: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K.

Irvin pitched to contact, something we’ve seen a lot out of the Orioles thus far in 2024. Which is only possible if your pitchers are overpowering hitters. And Oriole pitchers are doing just that. But it’s not being done in turn to Oriole hitters. Which again, is a good trend.

The O’s got back-to-back solo homers in the third inning. Colton Cowser went yard, followed by Jordan Westburg. Now again, both of those were solo homers. But they count as runs, and it means the opponent needs to score two (and then three) in order to beat you. They add up.

The Birds struck again in the sixth. Ryan Mountcastle’s RBI-double plated Anthony Santander, and extended the lead to 3-0. The O’s would then proceed to load the bases, and Jordan Westburg drew a walk. And the O’s led , 4-0.

And when you have a lead and get good pitching (starting pitching and relief), you’re good to go. The Orioles shut down Kansas City bats the rest of the way, and coasted to a 5-0 victory. Yes, 5-0; they got a pinch hit infield RBI-single from Ramon Urias in the ninth. And they left Kansas City with a game and a series victory.

One thing of note; Jackson Holliday’s struggles since coming to the big leagues have been well-documented. This at the plate; we did see him make an outstanding play in the field today at second base. However I noticed that he’s getting victimized on the corners of the plate. Anything borderline is being called a ball.

Now it’s fair to question what he’s done to deserve getting borderline pitches. However opposing pitchers are also taking notice, and in short they’re nibbling on the corners. They know that if it’s close, Holliday may well look at it, and they’ll get the call. Just an observation.

The O’s now head to Los Angeles to open a three-game set at Angel Stadium. Al Suarez gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by LA’s Reid Detmers. Game time is set for just after 9:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Tougher than it needed to be, but take the W

The Baltimore Orioles became the first visiting team to win at Kauffman Stadium tonight since Kansas City’s first home series. But despite a huge second inning for Oriole bats, the game was a dog fight at the end, forcing starter Corbin Burnes to sweat things out a bit. Burnes’ line: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

The O’s put seven runs on the board in the second inning. They got things started with an RBI-double by Ramon Urias, and RBI-singles by James McCann, Adley Rutschman, and Ryan Mountcastle. In effect, the O’s piecemealed a big inning together. Fact is you’ll take runs anyway you can get them. Just like you’ll take wins anyway you can get one.

Before the second inning ended, Anthony Santander added an RBI-double, and Jordan Westburg a two-RBI single. The Orioles batted around in that second inning, knocking Kansas City starter Ragans out of the game early. Which bodes well for tomorrow.

However even though the bats came alive and Burnes was coasting, the Orioles mate have thought to tomorrow slightly early. And Kansas City can be deadly when you look past them in the moment. And it started happening in the last of the sixth when Burnes started to tire.

Perez smacked a three-run homer following a double and a walk. That caused Burnes’ exit, however he still left with the lead. The O’s would further extend their lead to 8-3 in the seventh when Austin Hays scored on a Pass Ball at home plate. Then the last of the seventh happened.

One way Kansas City wins games is by wearing you down. They grind and they wear out your pitching, similar to the Tampa Rays. With runners already on base, Yohan Ramirez entered the game, hit a batter, and then allowed a run on a Pass Ball. That cut the lead to 8-4.

Kansas City would then get an RBI-single by Garcia, and a two-RBI single by Perez. This following grueling at-bats that took a lot of energy out of the Birds. One inning later however Anthony Santander would tack on an insurance run with an RBI-double. And luckily, the pitching situation calmed down in the eighth and ninth, giving the O’s a 9-7 victory.

It’s worth mentioning that Anthony Santander had the two biggest plays of the game. The first one was the insurance run late. However he also made a diving catch on a fly ball in the ninth inning that turned a base hit on a bloop into an out. This game shouldn’t have been as close as it is. But Santander wanted it more than Kansas City in a sense. While that goes as a standard fly ball out, make no mistake it was one of the biggest play in the game.

Sometimes you have games like this. It didn’t need to be that tough to win this game (following a seven-run inning). But it was, although the important part is that the Orioles won it. Do you want a hard win that you had to grit out more so than a game you ultimately lost? The answer is an emphatic YES, 100% of the time.

The series concludes tomorrow at Kauffman Stadium. Cole Irvin gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Seth Lugo. Game time is set for just after 2 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Attention to detail

Dean Kremer came within an out of a quality start last night in Kansas City. However he didn’t get get run support until after he left the game, and Kansas City ended up piling on anyways. Kansas City, who’s young and underrated, that is. Kremer’s line: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

The Birds appeared to be getting things churning early. Gunnar Henderson was hit by a pitch and Adley Rutschman followed with a base hit to start the game. They both moved into scoring position on a groundout. However Henderson was picked off third, and Anthony Santander flew out to end the inning.

My personal opinion is that Henderson was safe on the pickoff play. It looked to me like his hand got back into the bag before the tag. But the call was upheld on instant replay. However the bigger issue is getting picked off at all. You can’t let that happen that early in the game. All things being the same, it’s only one run. But if Santander’s fly out is a sac fly instead, you don’t know how the rest of the game unfolds.

Kremer dealt well, that is until the fourth when Pasquantino smacked a solo homer. He also gave up an RBI-single to Melendez in the fourth, and he was responsible for one of the runners on Massey’s two-RBI single in the sixth. Remfroe would add a two-RBI single of his own later in the inning, and the O’s trailed 6-0.

Kansas City took advantage of their opportunities in this game. At least early on, the Orioles didn’t. They posted a big inning, whereas the Orioles worked their way out of one early. Attention to detail wins you ballgames. In fact, it wins you anything in life.

But the O’s didn’t just take the “L.” Adley Rutschman smacked a grand slam in the seventh that put the Orioles right back into the game. But it didn’t last long. Melendez’s three-run homer in the last of that inning gave Kansas City a 9-4 lead, and they coasted to victory on this night.

I go back to the Henderson pickoff. You can’t know when it happens that you’re seeing one of the big inflection points of the ballgame. But you have to treat everything as such. Again, all things being the same that’s only one run. But that’s always a tough sell to make – “all things being the same.” Because all things wouldn’t have been the same. The Orioles would have had the lead.

The series continues this evening at Kauffman Stadium. Corbin Burnes gets the star for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Cole Ragans. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: A small army scoring always bodes well

The Baltimore Orioles sent Grayson Rodriguez to the mound tonight against Minnesota, and he looked better than perhaps he’s looked since last season. Rodriguez stymied Minnesota hitters for most of his outing. Which bodes well going onward. Rodriguez’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 6 K.

The O’s did get some bad news before the game. Tyler Wells went to the IL with elbow inflammation. Wells was scheduled to start tomorrow’s game, but that’s obviously no longer going to be the case.

The Orioles scored in bunches in this game. James McCann’s RBI-single in the second got them on the board. McCann would almost immediately score himself when Gunnar Henderson decided to hit the ball over the fence for a two-run homer.

The onslaught continued an inning later. Colton Cowser grounded out into an RBI, and Jordan Westburg’s two-run homer extended the lead to 6-0. And that’s key right there – it broke the game wide open. You have to put people away when you have the opportunity. The Orioles did it tonight.

But the Orioles weren’t done yet – in the game or in the inning. Gunnar Henderson’s RBI-single gave the Birds a 7-0 lead. Minnesota would get an RBI-triple in the fourth by Buxton, and an RBI-single in the sixth by Kiriloff. This sandwiched around another RBI-single for the O’s, this one by Colton Cowser. They would also get a two-RBI single by Anthony Santander in the last of the sixth, extending the lead to 9-2.

But the O’s weren’t totally done yet. Adley Rutschman walked to lead off the last of the eighth. That brought Ryan O’Hearn to the plate, and his two-run homer (upheld on replay for fan interference) ran the final to 11-2. I would also mention that Minnesota’s Byron Buxton tried to climb the wall in center to stop that homer. Despite the score being out of hand, he was still out there trying. He’s a gamer. He always has been. Minnesota would add an RBI-single in the ninth, and the O’s went home 11-3 winners, taking the series.

Everyone participated in this game. Everyone who played, that is. Every Orioles reached base. Jackson Holliday was the lone Oriole without a hit, but he did draw a walk – the first of his big league career. Many of those base runners came in to score. Which is key – the more runs you score the more they have to score to beat you.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Due to Tyler Wells going to the IL the Orioles have yet to announce a starter, but they’ll be facing Minnesota’s Pablo Lopez. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Cedric Mullins powers a win

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.

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Baltimore Orioles: Jackson Holliday picked a good time to get on the board

The Baltimore Orioles brought the big leagues’ longest streak of not being swept into question today. If they lost to Milwaukee, the streak would be snapped – at 95 straight series’, it’s also the fourth longest in history. Corbin Burnes had a long slog of an outing, which amounted to a slog. Burnes’ line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R (2 earned) 2 BB, 5 K.

Things started inauspiciously. Contreras hit the second pitch of the game out of the ballpark, giving Milwaukee a 1-0 lead. But the O’s came right back. Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI-single in the last of the first tied things at one. One inning later, they had a 2-1 lead on a solo homer by Cedric Mullins.

However Milwaukee hoodwinked their way into tying the score. With two outs in the third and runners at the corners, Frelick attempted a steal of second base. However he had an awful jump, making one wonder if it was a failed hit-and-run attempt. But…with two outs?

While Frelick was caught in a rundown, Perkins crossed home plate, tying the score at two. Did Milwaukee purposely run into ending the inning to allow a run to score? Needless to say, it was a sneaky way of doing things.

But the Birds came back and took the lead on Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI-single in the bottom of the inning. However Corbin Burnes committed a throwing error in the fourth, allowing a run to score which tied the score. Milwaukee would later take the lead in the seventh on a Perkins solo homer.

The Orioles looked defeated. And it wasn’t even due to the sweep streak. If there was ever a time to come back and fight another day, that might have been it. But championship teams can reach back and find a way.

Jordan Westburg led off the seventh with a single. That brought hit the still hitless Jackson Holliday to the plate. In possibly the biggest moment in the game to that point…

…needless to say, Holliday picked a great time for his first big league hit. And great placement – a tight liner down the right field line, allowing Westburg to go first to third. The entire park stood and gave Holliday a standing ovation. Deservedly so, but also due to the moment the Orioles were creating.

That brought Gunnar Henderson to the plate, and his RBI-single tied the game back up at 4. Adley Rutschman would then ground into a double-play, but with a runner on third and nobody out, that also scored a run. It was small and humble, but it gave the Birds a 5-4 lead. And “small and humble” has beaten the O’s all weekend. Turnabout is fair play.

The O’s would net an insurance run on a Colton Cowser solo homer in the eighth. But they went home winners today over Milwaukee, 6-4. Protecting the sweep streak, and extending it to 96 series’.

Heck of a moment for Jackson Holliday to get his first hit. Not only did it happen, but it did so in front of his entire family – including his Dad, former major leaguer Matt Holliday. And it made a huge difference in the flow of play.

The O’s welcome Minnesota into Camden Yards tomorrow night. Cole Irvin gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Louie Varland. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: You can’t let people off the hook

Dean Kremer didn’t look terrible this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles. However similar to Tyler Wells last night, he was getting too much of the strike zone. And that can be just as much an issue as missing. Kremer’s line: 4.0 IP, 10 H, 8 R (6 earned), 1 BB, 3 K.

The Orioles jumped out early in this game against Milwaukee’s DL Hall, himself a former Oriole. Ryan Mtuntcaskte’s solo homer in the first inning gave them a 1-0 lead. Jordan Westburg followed later in the inning with a two-run shot. Milwaukee would get one back in the second on a solo homer by Hoskins, but things were looking up.

Gunnar Henderson’s RBI-single in the last of the second would extend the lead to 4-1. However Milwaukee loaded the bases with two outs in the third on an error and two softly-hit singles. Bauers would ground out to add a run, and Hoskins would tack on another soft RBI-single. A fourth run would score on an Austin Hays error, and same were tied.

The frustration there is that this all came with two outs. You have to put teams away. However the Birds would get the lead back in the bottom of the inning. Adley Rutschman would smack a solo home run, putting the O’s back on top at 5-4.

They would proceed to load the bases, but Milwaukee was allowed to shimmy its way out of the inning. And that’s almost the same issue as above. Whereas the O’s allowed Milwaukee to get back into the game with two outs in the inning, this was loading the bases (with nobody out) and not scoring after that. You have to put people away. The Orioles couldn’t do it in both cases, and paid the price,

An RBI-single by Contreras in the fourth would tie the game. Later in the inning however Bauers would haunt the O’s and smack a three-run homer. For the record, that home run may well have been wind-aided. However again, had the Orioles taken care of their business when they had the opportunity to do so, that wouldn’t have mattered.

And it got worse in the eighth. Frelick’s RBI-single and Adanes’ two-RBI double extended the lead to 11-5. Those last two runs? With two outs.

In fairness, Milwaukee’s offense has been scorching of late. This coming into the series. But if you can’t put people away, games will go south.

One bright spot I suppose, Oriole bats woke up a bit (at least early on) from last night. Five runs on the board is respectable; it’s the 11 runs allowed that’s the problem. Adley Rutschman went 2-for-5 with a homer out of the DH role.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Corbin Burnes gets the start for the Burds, and he’ll be opposed by Milwaukee’s Colin Rea. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM

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Baltimore Orioles fall big to Milwaukee

Just a reminder to Baltimore Orioles fans, the Birds aren’t going to win or be competitive in every game. Over 162, it’s virtually impossible. And we saw tonight what happens when even the best teams have off nights, this behind Tyler Wells – who got the start for the Birds. Wells’ line: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

One thing I’ve noticed about Wells in his first few turns of the rotation this year, if anything he’s getting TOO MUCH of the strike zone. You have to wonder if he isn’t becoming too predictable in a sense. He does settle down, but he’s becoming predictable.

Wells allowed a two-run homer to Sanchez, and an RBI-triple to Ortiz in the second. Hoskins added an RBI-single in the third, and the Birds trailed. However you also have to give credit to Milwaukee hitters in this. Tyler Wells and subsequent Oriole hitters ran into a buzz saw this evening.

One of the few good moments for the O’s was Colton Cowser smacking his third home run in 24 hours, a solo shot in the last of the fourth. Whatever Cowser’s doing, it should be imitated. He’s made his presence felt big time, and it’s made a big difference.

However Milwaukee closed the door early on the Birds. They got two-run homers from Adames and Contreras in the fifth and sixth. Frelick would follow later in that sixth inning with an RBI-single. And Milwaukee would tack an additional run on in the ninth on an RBI-single by Ortiz – a former Oriole. And the O’s fell 11-1 in game one of three.

One thing to watch, the aforementioned home run by Adames in the sixth…the next time Adames came up to bat, the benches cleared. There appeared to be some sort of drama between Adames and Oriole catcher James McCann. There’s some speculation that maybe Adames showed up the Oriole pitching staff on his home run trot – ultimately we don’t know.

Nobody was ejected, but the bullpens did empty. Warnings were issued to both teams. It’ll be interesting to see if this escalates further in either of the next two games.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Milwaukee’s D.L. Hall (himself a former Oriole). Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Colton Cowser meets Fenway as O’s seeep BoSox away

A long time ago, Grayson Rodriguez started for the Baltimore Orioles tonight in the series finale with Boston at Fenway Park. The Birds of course had taken the first two games of the series and were going for the sweep. And what a game it was. Rodriguez’s line: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K.

Rodriguez’s two runs surrendered came in the first inning. Yoshida’s RBI-groundout and Abreu’s RBI-double gave Boston a 2-0 lead. However Colton Cowser’s first big league home run in the fifth (a solo shot) cut the lead in half at 2-1. Incidentally, it cleared the Green Monster at Fenway.

One key to the Orioles’ season thus far has been taking advantage of opponents’ mistakes. And we saw it in a big way tonight. This entire series, really. While Jackson Holliday still hasn’t collected his first big league hit, but he did reach on an error in the eighth inning. The inning eventually ended with Holliday being out as part of a double-play…

…or did it?! The inning appeared to end. But the next thing we knew Anthony Santander was walking to the plate. And a moment later the Orioles led 3-2 after his two-run homer around the Pesky Pole.

So Santander continued the inning and smacked a two-run home run. However Boston brought up Wong (their backup catcher) in the last

In short, Boston employed the “neighborhood play” to get Holliday out at second. In short, the out was never made. And the umpire correctly ruled the runner (Holliday) safe at first.

However, Boston tied the game in the last of the eight with a solo homer by Wong, who came in as a pinch hitter. Wong was also Boston’s backup catcher. And following the starting catcher McGuire being tossed later in the inning, he was pressed into action – with Boston already having a short bench.

Following a scoreless ninth, we went to the tenth. The ghost runner rule returned Jackson Holliday to second base. But he wasn’t there long. Gunnar Henderson led off the inning, and sent a high fly ball over the wall in right field, and gave the O’s a 5-3 lead.

But they weren’t done. Cedric Mullins added an RBI-single, bringing Colton Cowser back to the plate with two runners on. And Cowser responded with his second big league home run, and his second of the game. This one of the three-run variety, and over the Green Monster at that. Boston would put across a nominal run in the bottom of the inning, but the O’s closed out a 9-4 win, and a series sweep at Fenway Park.

Cowser had a solid series overall. Both at the plate and in the field. The Orioles closed out a winning road trip, and a series sweep of a division rival at that. It’s a long season, and it’s still early. But this is the sort of series to which one might point back later on.

The O’s now return home to open a series with the Milwaukee Brewers at Camden Yards. Tyler Wells gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Milwaukee’s Freddy Peralta. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Jordan Westburg celebrates a Birdland “Holliday”

On the night Jackson Holliday made his big league debut for the Baltimore Orioles, starter Cole Irvin had a few struggles at Fenway Park. However he’s not the first pitcher, and he won’t be the last, to have issues there. Boston was pesky at first, but in the end it was the Orioles celebrating a win. Irvin’s line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

Of course as I alluded above, the star of the day was Jackson Holliday. This by default. When the top prospect in baseball makes his debut, it’s a big deal. He made his debut wearing the number 7, which was his Dad, Matt’s, number. Matt Holliday (who was on hand for his son’s debut) of course being a former major leaguer in his own right. 7 was Cal Ripken Sr’s number, and it’s been un-officially retired since 1992. The Ripken family gave their blessing for Jackson Holliday to wear it. Incidentally, Cal Ripken Jr. was Matt Holliday’s favorite player growing up. Just another factoid that ties together these two baseball families – together with the Orioles.

Boston took a 1-0 lead on an RBI-single by O’Neil in the third. It was a bloop single, and it fell in a “Bermuda triangle” near Holliday at second. One inning later Wong added a two-RBI single, and Casas smacked a two-run homer in the fifth.

But remember, the Birds do their best work late. One would think a five-run lead in the sixth would put a team in good shape. Especially at home. But not when they’re playing the Orioles. And not at Fenway Park.

Colton Cowser smacked the Birds right back into the ballgame with a two-RBI single in the sixth. Jackson Holliday might not have gotten his first big league hit, but he did register his first RBI. He grounded into a fielder’s choice later in that sixth inning, netting the O’s an additional run. And bringing them to within 5-3.

But it was the seventh inning where the O’s seized control of the game. They loaded the bases, and Ryan O’Hearn was able to score on a wild pitch. The O’s trailed by a run, with Jordan Westburg coming to the plate. At the time, you thought that a base hit would give the Birds the lead. But Westburg didn’t get a base hit…

…he smacked a three-run homer. And the O’s took a 7-5 lead into the later innings. The bullpen was lights out, especially Craig Kimbrell in the ninth. And the Birds went home winners.

This is a game to which people might point back after the season. The Jackson Holliday debut and Westburg’s heroics – needless to say, it was all a lot. And it came against a division rival at their place. Make no mistake, this was the Orioles putting their mark of dominance on the division for the foreseeable future.

The series concludes tomorrow at Fenway Park. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Garrett Whitlock. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles calling up Jackson Holliday

Baseball’s number one prospect is headed up to the Baltimore Orioles. In the wake of today’s 7-1 win against Boston at Fenway Park, the Birds made a special move. They called up shortstop Jackson Holliday to the big leagues.

It’s unclear when Holliday will joined the team – whether it’s in time for tomorrow night’s game or for Thursday. But we know that he’s coming, as first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan. What’s also unclear is who’s getting sent out, DFA’d, or IL’d. But we’ll know all of those answers in due course.

Many people thought Holliday would crack the roster coming out of spring training after a strong spring. But he didn’t. Nevertheless, he’s now on his way. Presumably, he’ll make his major league debut at one of America’s most historic ballparks.

The aforementioned series will continue tomorrow night at Fenway Park. Cole Irvin gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Kutter Crawford. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Defense gives, and it takes away

Dean Kremer was outstanding this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. Yes it’s only the ninth game. But he pitched deeper than any other starter this year. And he possibly could have pitched deeper. Maybe he should have. Kremer’s line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R (0 earned), 0 BB, 6 K.

The O’s have run into a bit of trouble scoring runs the past couple of games. Let’s just say they’ve been at a premium. Today, they only mustered two. But it was almost enough. And I wouldn’t expect the offensive scuffles to continue indefinitely.

Pittsburgh almost took a lead in the third inning. Cruz hit what appeared to be a two-run homer. However the ball hung up in the air, and it bounced off the top of the wall. Cedric Mullins got to it quickly, and gunned the ball back into the infield to Jorge Mateo. Mateo threw home, and nailed the runner at home plate. The O’s went from presumably trailing by two (when we thought it was a home run), to leading by one, to remaining tied at zero.

One inning later the Orioles took the lead. Ryan Mountcastle’s RBI-double gave them a 1-0 lead, and Mountcastle took third on an error. Anthony Santander’s run-scoring single would score Mountcastle and put the Birds up 2-0.

Again, Dean Kremer was fantastic today. However the Orioles couldn’t muster more than six hits – this after only having four yesterday. You have to be able to tack runs on. And the O’s couldn’t do it today – or yesterday for that matter.

The one mistake Kremer made was a bad throw in the fifth that should have started a double-play. However the throw was catchable, the O’s just couldn’t make the play. That put a runner at third, who scored on Davis’ sacrifice fly. That cut the lead to 2-1.

Keegan Akin pitched a quick eighth inning following Kremer’s departure, and the Birds turned to Yennier Cano in the ninth. Cano of course was the one reliever who wasn’t used yesterday, so he was fresh. That said, he struggled with control. And unfortunately with only a one run lead, the margin for error wasn’t great.

Cano loaded the bases, and Tellez sent a swinging bunt to Ryan Mountcastle at first. Mountcastle fired home and the runner was ruled safe. However to the naked eye even, he was clearly out. And instant replay upheld that point. So instead of a 2-2 tie and the bases loaded with nobody out, the O’s still led 2-1 and one out (bases still loaded).

But Pittsburgh immediately righted things from their perspective. Olivares grounded out to Gunnar Henderson at first, who made an outstanding play just to get to the ball. On top of that he got to second base for the out; which was outstanding. He had plenty of time to throw back to first for the final out, and for a split second the O’s had the win in hand…

…but Henderson’s throw sailed wide of first, scoring two runs and giving Pittsburgh a 3-2 win. It’s the Orioles’ first series loss, dropping two-of-three in Pittsburgh. After an off day tomorrow, they’re onto Boston.

There are a million takes on this game, but first and foremost the defensive angle sticks out at me. The Orioles’ defense flashed brilliance in this game. The Mullins/Mateo put out was amazing. So was Henderson’s play to get to the ball in the end, and tag the bag. But defense can also cost you games, and that’s what ultimately happened.

Again, Oriole bats didn’t give Yennier Cano much leeway today. But he promptly loaded the bases, which can’t happen. End of the day, all of these games count. And they could all mean something in the end. But better to have this happen now as opposed to this week at Fenway, as the Orioles prepare to open division play for the first time this season on Tuesday.

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Baltimore Orioles drop a wild one in Pittsburgh

Tyler Wells took to the bump for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon, and had a start similar to what we saw last weekend against Anaheim. He gave up a few runs early, but held pat and kept his team in the game. In fact, he came to within two outs of a quality start. Wells’ line: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

Wells gave up an RBI-single to Tellez in the second, followed by a two-run homer by Bart. But after that he buckled down and stopped the bleeding. He brought the Birds into the sixth inning, which helped the bullpen. Although…the bullpen got taxed later.

However the O’s did battle back. Austin Hays’ RBI-groundout in the seventh got them on the board. Cedric Mullins’ sac fly-RBI would also cut the Pittsburgh lead to one at 3-2.

The O’s would put two runners in scoring position in the top of the ninth. Pittsburgh played the infield back, which was strange to me. They were willing to sacrifice a run. I get it, especially having the last at-bat, but I found that odd.

And the O’s took advantage. Cedric Mullins hit into a fielder’s choice, rolling the ball over to first. Pittsburgh first baseman Tellez threw home, but Jordan Westburg slid in safely and tied the game. We would go to extra innings, and thanks to the ghost runner rule the Orioles would take a 4-3 lead with a sac fly-RBI by Adley Rutschman.

Brandon Hyde would bring in Mike Bauman to pitch the last of the tenth, who would promptly load the bases. He then walked Olivares, tying the game. Hyde would go to reliever Danny Coulombe, who steadied the ship. He immediately induced two quick outs, and then struck out Bart in dramatic fashion to close the inning.

However this wasn’t to be for the O’s. Cruz came up in the last of the eleventh and smacked a single to right field. The ghost runner scored, ending the game with a 5-4 Pittsburgh win. Tough way to lose, but you can also point at the Birds going 0-for-14 with runners in scoring position. Or only mustering four hits. It all adds up.

In a game that saw multiple web gem-like moments, Danny Coulombe really stuck out at me today. He inherited a bases loaded and nobody out situation, with one run already in. And he pitched out of it. That’s a tough spot to be in, and he pitched the team out of it. Well done.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at PNC Park. Dean Kremer get the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Marco Gonzales. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: A Steel City effort

Grayson Rodriguez and the Baltimore Orioles spoiled Pittsburgh’s Opening Day – or their home opener, at least. In a game played in various spurts of snow flurries, the Birds came out ahead. Rodriguez’s line: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 K.

The O’s took a 1-0 lead on a solo homer by Ryan O’Hearn in the second inning. One inning later they extended it to 2-0 in the same manner – a solo homer. This one off the bat of Gunnar Henderson.

Rodriguez had a key inning in the third. Pittsburgh ran itself out of an out…until they didn’t. A runner was thrown out at third, but the call was overturned on the field. For one reason or the other, the Orioles neglected to challenge the call. That gave Pittsburgh runners at the corner with nobody out. Rodriguez could have come unglued there, but he pitched out of it. And preserved the lead.

Pittsburgh would cut the lead in half in the fifth on a solo homer by Cruz. But the Birds put across some insurance in the seventh. Four hits netted them two additional runs. They came on an RBI-single by Adley Rutschman, and an RBI-double by Anthony Santander.

And it’s a good thing they put those rubs up, because Pittsburgh chased Rodriguez in the bottom of the inning after a solo homer by Triolo. However the Orioles’ pen held strong. And Cedric Mullins’ solo homer in the eighth would give the O’s a 5-2 lead. Which ended up a 5-2 win.

The series continues tomorrow at PNC Park. Tyler Wells gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Bailey Falter. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: A “McCan”-do attitude

The Baltimore Orioles play until the last out – ALWAYS. Granted, that final out came well after it should have. The Orioles and starter Corbin Burnes waited five – yes, count ‘em – FIVE hours through a rain delay before today’s game started. It was supposed to be a day game, and it ended up an early evening affair. Burnes’ line: 5.2 IP, 9 H, 2 R 0 BB, 3 K.

Salvador Perez seemed to make it his mission to torment the Orioles in this game. He smacked an RBI-single in the first, and another one in the third. This before the O’s could do anything. Garcia added a solo homer in the seventh.

Incidentally that first run, credit it to Bobby Witt. He extended a rundown where he was effectively dead on arrival between third and the plate, and allowed a runner to get to third base. It’s pesky things like that which can win you ballgames. And it made a difference today…

…that is, until the eighth inning. Gunnar Henderson got the Orioles on the board in the last of the eighth with a sac fly-RBI. Later in the inning Adley Rutschman would add an RBI-single, but he was thrown out at second base. Nevertheless, the O’s had cut the lead to 3-2.

Then they came to bat in the last of the ninth. With one out the O’s had runners at second and third, and Kansas City opted to intentionally walk Austin Hays to load the bases – Austin Hays, who’s started the season in a bit of a slump. Colton Cowser struck out for the second out, and it briefly appeared that Kansas City had gotten away with the IBB.

But that brought James McCann to the plate. And while he’s only the backup catcher, he delivered. He smacked a two-RBI single, giving the O’s the 4-3 win in walk off manner. Make no mistake, that was a big win.

The Orioles almost couldn’t afford to start the year at .500 against teams who on paper shouldn’t stack up against them. Finding a way to win this game is HUGE in terms of morale. And Lord knows what sort of difference it makes down the stretch. This after a five hour rain delay.

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Baltimore Orioles fall in rain soaked game

You can’t blame the weather if you’re the Baltimore Orioles. In the NFL they say conditions are the great equalizer – and it’s true. Both teams have to play in the conditions. But Kansas City was able to muster something against starter Cole Irvin. Oriole bats could not. Irvin’s line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

Kansas City did most of their dirty work in the second inning. Loftin started things off with an RBI-single. Garcia would follow later in the inning with a two-RBI double, and the Birds trailed, 3-0.

Colton Cowser made his first big impact of the season however with an RBI-single in the last of the third. However Garcia would add an RBI-triple an inning later. This gave Kansas City a 4-1 lead. And that would be the final.

New Oriole Tony Kemp appeared to have at least a double in the last of the eighth with a tight liner down the right field line. But it was ruled a foul ball, and replays were inconclusive. The Orioles challenged, but the call was upheld.

I say replays were inconclusive because of the result of the challenge. It looked to me like the ball hit the line at worst. AT WORST. At best it landed on the fair side of the line. Would that have made a difference? Tough to say.

Odds are it wouldn’t have made that much a difference. The Orioles couldn’t get much going in the rain. It was a slog of a struggle in a sense. But the beauty of baseball is you come back tomorrow and try again.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Corbin Burnes gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Cole Ragan’s. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: An evening in Westburg

Dean Kremer gritted out his first start of the season for the Baltimore Orioles tonight at Camden Yards against Kansas City. He did have some issues locating his pitches, and he fell behind. But he kept the O’s in the game, and managed to out the team in a spot to win. Kremer’s line: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

The Kremer runs surrendered came against big names. Witt smacked a solo homer in the top of the third. Later in the inning Perez smacked a two-run homer, and the O’s trailed 3-0.

But the Orioles battled back. Anthony Santander’s RBI-single in the fourth cut the lead to 3-1. And before you knew it, the game was tied later in the inning. Ryan Mountcastle’s two-run homer gave the Orioles three, tying the game.

The Birds put themselves in a spot to win late. Gunnar Henderson was at third base with two down in the eighth, and Ryan Mountcastle sent a sharp grounder into the hole at short. The ball was bobbled on the throw back to first base, and Mountcastle was safe. As was Henderson at home plate.

The Orioles brought Craig Kimbrel out of the bullpen for the first time to close out the game. Blanco got on base with a softly hit bloop single. He advanced to second and later third (by way of a steal), and with one out he scored on Garcia’s sacrifice fly-RBI. It goes as a blown save by Kimbrel, but not on anything hard hit.

Ultimately however, Kimbrel gets a win. Not a save, but a win. Cedric Mullins got on base with a single in the last of the ninth, and he later scored on Jordan Westburg’s walk off two-run homer.

End of the day, this might be a game we look back on. The Orioles are clearly a better team than Kansas City. Yet Kansas City took them to the brink. So perhaps you look at this game as a tool in overcoming adversity. They got punched in the mouth a bit in a sense. But they landed the final punch. And in the grand scheme of things, that‘s what matters the most.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Cole Irvin gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Alex Marsh. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: First loss and musings about the pitch clock

The Baltimore Orioles were never going to win every game. And today was their first loss, despite a decent effort from starter Tyler Wells. After two big games at the plate, Oriole bats were largely held quiet today. Wells’ line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R (3 earned), 0 BB, 7 K.

After giving up a couple of runs early, Wells kept the O’s in the game. Their bats just couldn’t step up today. And that does happen – you’ll take winning two-of-three over anyone.

Wells gave up a solo homer to Ward in the first inning. As poor as Anaheim looked in this series, Ward was definitely a leader. Neto would add a two-RBI single in the second, and a fourth run would score on a throwing error by James McCann on a pickoff attempt at third base. And the Birds trailed, 4-0.

But the O’s would get on the board in the last of that second inning when Gunnar Henderson would draw a bases loaded walk. However, that was the lone run the O’s would tack on. Both teams’ pitching staffs shut down the other, and Anaheim took the series finale, 4-1.

The O’s did lightly threaten in the last of the seventh. James McCann got aboard with a one out single, followed by new Oriole Tony Kemp who was acquired just before Opening Day. Kemp drew a walk, however the inning ended before the Birds could further threaten.

The story is in HOW Kemp drew the walk. With a three ball count, Anaheim pitcher Detmers was called for a pitch clock violation, resulting in a ball being awarded. And that happened to be ball four.

Manager Ron Washington came out and had a fairly “spirited” conversation with Detmers and the infield. That’s an unforced error that could really cost a team in a game. The Orioles couldn’t take advantage, but that’s beside the point.

Wherever you stand on some of the newer pace of play rules, it would be interesting to see how things would play out if they ever decided a big game. Maybe I’m thinking of a playoff game or a late season game. But you get the point – would the league be okay with a key run scoring and deciding a huge game over something like that?

The O’s will welcome Kansas City in tomorrow for the first of three at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Michael Wacha. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Straight gas

Grayson Rodriguez was outstanding in his 2024 regular season debut for the Baltimore Orioles. He painted the corners and mowed down Anaheim hitters all afternoon. Anaheim hitters who watched and waved aimlessly all game. Rodriguez’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 9 K.

Rodriguez was still going strong after six innings. But you don’t want to push too hard early in the season. Especially in his first start. Keep some gas in the tank.

Luckily for Rodriguez, his effort wasn’t wasted. Oriole bats got out in front of things early on. Gunnar Henderson smacked a solo homer, and Ryan Mountcastle and RBI-double. This in the first inning. And the Birds were off to the races.

Ryan Mountcastle’s next at-bat came in the last of the third. And it ended similarly, with an RBI-double, extending the lead to 3-0. Anaheim would get on the board an inning later with a solo homer by Ward. However you can afford one bad pitch if you’re Grayson Rodriguez. This team epitomizes the concept of TEAM. They picked him up, and moved on.

And move on they did. The O’s put runners at the corners in the sixth, and Austin Hays extended the lead with an RBI-single. He would immediately be plated by an RBI-double by Cedric Mullins, extending the lead to 5-1.

That all occurred before anyone was out in the sixth inning. So did what came next, that being a two-RBI single by Jordan Westburg. That extended the lead to 7-1, blowing the game wide open.

But the Orioles weren’t done. Gunnar Henderson added a two-RBI triple, and the O’s led 9-1. But wait…there’s more. Anthony Santander closed the inning out with a three-run home run. And then…the Birds recorded the first out of the inning.

Good teams have innings like that. And the Orioles are a good team. That goes without saying.

The Orioles would tack on a late run in the eighth, on a sac fly-RBI by Ryan Mountcastle. Anaheim would also put three across in the ninth, and the Orioles took the game 13-4. The lone sour note for the O’s came when reliever Cionel Perez. Had to leave the game in the ninth. He called for the trainer in the ninth and swiftly was pulled by Brandon Hyde. His injury and/or status is unclear.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Tyler Wells gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Anaheim’s Reid Detmers. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Back at it

The Baltimore Orioles will play game two of 162 late this afternoon against Anaheim. It can be a tough thing coming back from an emotional game like what we saw Thursday. There was very much a vibe around the park and the team that things were different. And as I said previously, the city really needed that at that moment. And still.

Luckily, the league gives you a day off after Opening Day. It’s really more of a rain date, but you get the point. After a day like Thursday, it helps the players and coaches resettle themselves. Or re-center, perhaps. Ultimately I think it’s helpful no matter how you spin it. It’s also a longish day with no baseball.

Again, the series with Anaheim continues today at Camden Yards. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Anaheim’s Griggin Canning. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles 2024 season preview

Baltimore Orioles’ Opening Day has arrived. This afternoon we’re going to play one of the most awaited games in the last six months, with the O’s opening the regular season against the Los Angeles Angels. What will the 2024 season be? We’ll find out – starting today.

The Birds of course are the defending AL East Champions. And their goal for 2024 for starters should be to repeat as division champions. Meaning their attitude HAS to be hey last year was last year and it’s over. BUT…if you want to win the AL East this year, you have to come and get that pennant from us.

And that race for the division pennant begins in earnest today. Despite injuries to John Means and Kyle Bradish to start the season, Orioles’ pitching is expected to be strong. Of course anchored by today’s starter, Corbin Burnes. And backed up by the Orioles’ bullpen.

But it’s the skill and heart of Oriole bats that led them last season. And that’s expected to be the case again. Adley Rutschman, Ryan Mountcastle, Cedric Mullins, Anthony Santander and others are all aiming for similar seasons as in 2023. Not to mention 2023 Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson, and the defending AL Manager of the Year, Brandon Hyde.

The Orioles learned to fly high in the sky in 2023. That was a season which is a tough act to follow. However the 2024 Orioles will find themselves up to the task. It’s the same core group, but with more experience under their belt.

So how does this season end? Nobody knows. I predict that the Orioles will repeat as champions of the AL East in 2024. Beyond that? Maybe get yourselves out and get some cold weather gear. October in Baltimore can at times be nippy. Get your popcorn ready.

The season-opening series against Anaheim opens this afternoon at Camden Yards. (Also known as Opening Day.) The aforementioned Corbin Burnes gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Anaheim’s Patrick Sandoval. Game time is set for just after 3 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Best spring in franchise history

Grayson Rodriguez had a great outing this afternoon in Ft. Myers, as the Baltimore Orioles completed the best spring training in franchise history. Perhaps it’s a hollow fact, as wins and losses mean nothing in the spring. But it’s a fact none the less; the Birds finished with 23 wins this Grapefruit League season, the last of which came today. Rodriguez’s line: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

Gunnar Henderson got the Orioles on the board early with a solo homer in the first inning. One inning later Ramon Urias’ sac fly-RBI would extend the lead to 2-0. Minnesota would the the score at two with runs in the fourth and fifth innings, but that was the biggest threat the Orioles saw today.

Ryan O’Hearn would smack an RBI-double in the sixth to give the Birds the lead back at 3-2. Interestingly enough, the O’s started Janes McCann behind the plate today, and he was subbed out halfway through for Adley Rutschman. And it was Rutschman who delivered the big blast.

His three-run homer in the seventh inning blew the game wide open, giving the O’s a 6-3 lead. One inning later Jordan Westburg added a two-RBI single. Minnesota would tack one on in the last of the ninth, but the Orioles closed out an 8-3 win on the final day of Grapefruit League play.

Again, for what it’s worth the O’s had the best spring of their existence. It’s a nice stat, but it’s meaningless. What counts are the next 162 games – and onwards. But needless to say, the Orioles had a successful camp, and are set up nicely for the regular season.

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Baltimore Orioles drop a pitcher’s duel in Ft. Myers

Albert Suarez got the start for the Baltimore Orioles this evening in Ft. Myers, Fl against Boston. Suarez has been one of many strong points for the Birds this spring, and him getting a start this late in the Grapefruit League season makes one wonder if he’s not under serious consideration for a roster spot. More realistically, he’s probably slated for triple-A as roster depth. But I digress. Suarez’s line: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

Boston took a 1-0 lead in the last of the second on an RBI-single by Abreu. However whether or not that run should have scored is another story. Rafaela had smacked a two-out double, sliding into second on a close play. It was a close call for sure, but the call was safe, with no shot at replay in the spring.

MASN analyst Dave Johnson made a really great point. Orioles’ second baseman Kolton Wong appeared to apply the tag, and then feinted like he was going to tag the runner after the fact. The throw beat the runner, who may well have been out. But in feinting like he was going to tag the runner, he inadvertently told the umpire that he hadn’t tagged the runner the first time. Which could have played into the runner being called safe.

It was a bang-bang play either way. However that’s the sort of thing that could cost you a game in the regular season. Honestly, my personal opinion was that the runner was out. But in a regular season game, would there have been enough evidence to overturn the call on the field? Probably not. It’s little things like that which can make a difference.

The Orioles advanced Michael Perez into scoring position in the sixth, and he would score on an errant pickoff attempt. An inning later the Birds would take a short-lived 2-1 lead on an RBI-double by Ryan McKenna. However Boston would put two across in the last of the seventh, giving them a 3-2 win over the O’s this evening.

The Orioles return to Sarasota tomorrow night to take on Pittsburgh at Ed Smith Stadium. Corbin Burnes gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Jared Jones. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: The runs kept on coming in

Dean Kremer had a couple of tough innings in terms of pitch count for the Baltimore Orioles against Philadelphia this evening in Sarasota. This by pitch count standards. While his numbers were good, he didn’t pitch as deep into the game as the O’s probably wanted. Kremer’s line: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K.

However Oriole bats picked up the slack. Anthony Santander gave the O’s a 3-0 lead in the last of the first inning with a three-run homer. Ryan O’Hearn followed with a solo shot, and Jorge Mateo’s RBI-single extended the lead to 5-0. This in the first inning.

And it didn’t end there. Gunnar Henderson smacked a two-run homer in the second, extending the lead to 7-0. And folks, that one was a SHOT. Needless to say, Gunnar’s ready for Opening Day.

Philadelphia would get on the board in the third on an RBI-triple by Marsh. Philadelphia would put three additional runs on the board in the sixth and seventh, cutting the lead to 7-4. Yennier Cano surrendered two of those runs, providing maybe one thing to watch – is the bullpen slightly shaky? Personally I say no. But Cano and others had some issues locating their pitches in those middle innings. Time will tell.

But again, the O’s didn’t let that phase them. Jorge Mateo smacked an RBI-double in the last of the seventh, followed by Colton Cowser pushing a run across on a botched fielder’s choice by Philadelphia. When the smoke cleared, the O’s had run the score to 13-4. This included an RBI-single by Heston Kjerstad in the seventh, along with a two-RBI double by Tyler Nevin.

The fact that the O’s kept tacking runs on is a promising sign. Because come the regular season, the opponents won’t be rotating guys in and out, and focusing more on getting their work in than winning the game. So keep adding on runs come the regular season like they did tonight, and they’ll be in good shape.

The O’s travel to JetBlue Park in Ft. Myers tomorrow night to take on Boston. Albert Suarez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Cooper Criswell. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: All “Rhodes” lead to Opening Day

Tyler Wells took to the mound in the final Sunday afternoon game at Ed Smith Stadium this spring for the Baltimore Orioles, this against Atlanta. The fact that’s even “a thing” might be a bit of a reach, but work with me. Wells looked good today, as we enter the last week of Grapefruit League play. Wells’ line: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 6 K.

Wells gave up a solo homer in the top of the first inning to Austin Riley, which was his only hiccup on the afternoon. But Wells kept Atlanta scoreless for the rest of his outing. They would tack on what they thought was an insurance run in the seventh on Evans’ RBI-single, extending their lead to 2-0.

However last year, this was a team that did its best work after the seventh inning. And today, albeit an exhibition game, proved to be no exception. Reserve outfielder John Rhodes immediately tied the game with a two-run homer in the seventh. One inning later the Birds would bat around, and blow the top off the ballgame. Gunnar Henderson’s eighth inning RBI-double gave the O’s a 3-2 lead.

But in showing something else in common with last year’s team, the 2024 Orioles weren’t going to just assume the lead was safe. Michael Perez would smack a two-RBI double later in the inning to extend the lead to 5-2. But they still didn’t take their foot off the gas.

Rhodes would come up to bat again in that eighth inning, smacking another two-run homer Coby Mayo would add an RBI-double running the final to 9-2. You could argue that things got out of hand in a sense. But good teams win games like that. And the Orioles are going to be a good team.

The Birds are off tomorrow, their final off day of the spring. They’ll head to Dunedin on Tuesday to take on Toronto.

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Baltimore Orioles walk Boston off, Coby Mayo makes the case for inclusion

The Baltimore Orioles sent ace designate Corbin Burnes to the mound this afternoon in Sarasota against Boston. For the most part, the results were positive. The second inning can be classified as this is why we play these spring games; which speaks for itself in that it’s very true. Spring training baseball isn’t supposed to be perfect. Burnes’ line: 5.0 IL, 4 H, 4 R (3 earned), 0 BB, 2 K.

The O’s got off to an early lead. Ramon Urias and Jorge Mateo smacked RBI-singles in the last of the first, and the Birds led 2-0. However Boston would strike right back with solo homers by Dalbec and Abreu in the second, tying the game.

Later in the inning following a single and a force out, Corbin Burnes would commit a throwing error trying to pick the runner off first. This sending the runner to second. Heineman would follow with a run-scoring single, giving Boston a 3-2 lead.

And later in the inning with Heineman at second, Burnes would do the same thing. Heineman would go to third, and later scored on Guthrie’s sacrifice fly. Boston led 4-2 after two as a result.

Two throwing errors isn’t exactly how Burnes wanted his outing to go. But again you have to file that under at least it wasn’t the regular season. Yes, he also threw two home runs. So there’s that as well. But overall he grabbed the bull by the horns today and pitched well.

His final three innings of work were scoreless. And the Birds did register one more run for him in the last of the fifth, when Ramon Urias walked with the bases loaded. However the O’s still trailed Boston, 4-3.

Coby Mayo once again made his case to be on the Opening Day roster this afternoon. He was four-for-four today with a run scored. It seems that whenever he comes up to bat he’s finding a way to put the ball in play and get on base. He’s set on making Brandon Hyde’s, Mike Elias’, and others’ jobs tough – by having a great spring and making a case for his inclusion on the roster.

I say this recognizing that sometimes guys look amazing in spring, and not so much in the regular season. Jake Fox comes to mind from years ago. The difference with Mayo is he’s young. Would he be blinded by the bright lights of the regular season, and the orange carpet of Opening Day? Tough to say. But needless to say he’s making it tough for them to decide to send him to Norfolk in just over a week.

On top of that, Mayo’s final at-bat of the game was a single in the ninth inning. That set things up nicely for the Orioles, who would tie the game on Judge Fabian’s RBI-single. Later in the inning Dylan Beavers would follow suit, winning it 5-4 for the Birds.

The O’s will have a split squad day tomorrow, with the “B squad” going to Lakeland to take on Detroit and the “A squad” staying in Sarasota as Atlanta comes into Ed Smith Stadium. Tyler Wells gets the start for the Orioles, and Atlanta is yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Cole Irvin with a rough outing in Birds’ loss

The Baltimore Orioles had an interesting start to tonight’s game against Atlanta in Sarasota. They jumped out to an early lead for starter Cole Irvin, who promptly gave the lead back over the next couple of innings. Probably shouldn’t have happened, but it did. Irvin’s line: 3.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 4 H, 3 K.

The O’s promptly loaded the bases in the first, and Jordan Westburg grounded into a force out, scoring a run. Heston Kjerstad and James McCann followed with RBI-singles, and Kolton Wong added two-RBI double. The O’s put a five-spot on the board in the first.

You would have thought that would be enough to add to the major league’s best spring record. But it wasn’t. Atlanta started to chip away immediately.

Aegis smacked a two-run homer in the second, followed by a solo shot by Luplow. One inning later they would get to within one at 5-4 on an RBI-single by Kelenic. He would score later in the inning on a two-RBI double by Guillome, and the Birds trailed.

For his part, Cole Irvin took his first bad outing in stride:

Didn’t get the swings that I thought I would but overall the responses that we’re getting from hitters are good. Little by little, chip away and take the good with the bad. I’m definitely not happy results-wise, but it’s spring training. It doesn’t hurt you right now.

Quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports

Pitchers are going to have bad outings. Even the goos ones. As Irvin himself said, you have to take the good with the bad. Good life advice also, and we all know that sports is partly a euphemism for real life.

I’ve said this for years, but pitchers are going to have approximately 30 starts over the course of the season – APPROXIMATELY 30. Ten will generally be really good. Ten will be really bad, and ten will be in the middle. So while this isn’t the regular season, it’s just a bad outing for Irvin. And again as I’ve said many times, those ten “in the middle starts” are where the success or failure of your season will lie.

The O’s would surrender an RBI-single to Conley in the ninth, closing out the scoring. The Birds fall to a mere 15-4 on the spring. So consider that, today was only their fourth loss on the spring.

Tomorrow the O’s head to Bradenton’s Lecom Park to take on Pittsburgh. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Marco Gonzalez. Game time is set for just after 3 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles tie Toronto in a Sarasota homer parade

Corbin Burnes got the ball this afternoon in Sarasota against Toronto, on the day the Baltimore Orioles announced he would be their Opening Day starter. Burnes cruised through two innings, but had some struggles at the end. But so did every other pitcher today. Burnes’ line: 3.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 2 K.

The Orioles got on the board early. Adley Rutschman led off for the Birds in the last of the first with a solo homer. It was merely a harbinger of what was to come. Toronto’s Clement would touch up Burnes in the third with a two-run homer, giving them a 3-1 lead.

But today was all about the long ball. Colton Cowser’s two-run homer in the last of three tied the game at three. But an inning later Toronto struck back, with Serven hitting a two-run shot of his own, followed by James McCann in the last of the fourth bringing the O’s back to within one.

Across the board, the teams hit six home runs this afternoon in Sarasota. They would trade homers in the sixth, with Ramon Urias’ solo shot bringing the Birds back to within one at 6-5. The O’s would tie the game when TT Bowens grounded into a fielder’s choice in the seventh, and the runner from third was safe at home plate.

But that was the end of the scoring. The two sides agreed to end the game after nine innings, and it culminated in a tie. But no less than six homers in the game – which can happen here and there in Florida. The wind has something to do with it, last I checked.

If you think that’s a lot, the O’s and Toronto played split squad games both in Sarasota and Dunedin today. In the Dunedin game, the O’s defeated Toronto 11-6, in a game that featured five homers. Including one by Jackson Holliday.

The Orioles head to Tampa tomorrow to take on New York at Steinbrenner Field. Julio Tehran gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Will Warren. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Coby Mayo’s first spring homer comes in another Birds’ win

The Baltimore Orioles traveled to Atlanta’s spring facility this afternoon and sent starter Dean Kremer to the mound. With them, the Birds brought the league’s best spring record (12-2) – both Grapefruit and Cactus League. What that means is just about nothing. But it shows a level of competition that bodes well for the immediacy of today. Kremer’s line: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 4 K.

Coby Mayo got the start this afternoon at DH for the O’s. Don’t be shocked if Mayo makes the roster outright coming out of camp; either way, he was the DH today. And he got the scoring started with a two-RBI double in the second inning. He would later score on an RBI-single by Kyle Stowers.

Atlanta would net two runs in the third and fourth (one in each inning), cutting the lead to 3-2. But that’s about as close as Atlanta would get against the team with the best spring record in the game. Ramon Urias would smack an RBI-single in the fifth, extending the lead to 5-2. Coby Mayo would come back up and inning later, and delivered his first homer of the spring – a two-run shot.

That home run opened the game up, and the O’s led 6-2. Atlanta would draw slightly closer with a Kilpatrick RBI-single in the seventh. But the Orioles would bat around in the ninth. The ironic thing is they put four runs on the board (batting around), tallying only one hit. That lone hit came on a two-RBI double by John Rhodes. David Banuelos would add a sac fly-RBI, and Daniel Johnson would walk with the bases loaded.

With a 10-3 win, the O’s enhanced MLB’s best spring record to 13-2. But mind you, it’s only that; a spring record. These games don’t count. What counts though is the level of competition, and that’s been outstanding thus far.

The Orioles return home to Sarasota tomorrow as Toronto pays a visit to Ed Smith Stadium. Corbin Burnes gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Devereaux Harrison. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Note: Tomorrow is a split squad day for both the Orioles and Toronto. The Orioles’ “B squad” will travel to TD Ballpark in Dunedin to take on Toronto, with the Orioles throwing Al Suarez against Toronto’s Yusei Kikuchi.

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Baltimore Orioles defeat Detroit in Sarasota

Grayson Rodriguez got the start for the Baltimore Orioles tonight at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota against Detroit. It was the Orioles’ third sellout of the spring, on a night that had a lot of buzz in the park. And the “hometown nine” didn’t disappoint. Rodriguez’s line: 3.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K.

After Heston Kjerstad reached on a fluky-looking double, he was scored in the last of the third on an RBI-double by Gunnar Henderson. He (Henderson) would later score on an RBI-single by Ryan Mountcastle. After three, the O’s led 2-0.

However Detroit battled back. Rogers solo homer in the top of the second cut the lead in half. But Kolten Wong’s RBI-single in the sixth extended the lead to 3-1. The Birds would also net a run that inning on a wild pitch, scoring Michael Perez. Detroit would put two across in the ninth, but the O’s would eventually take the game, 4-3.

Tomorrow the Birds head to CoolToday Park to take on Atlanta. Dean Kremer get the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Atlanta’s Chris Sale. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.