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Baltimore Orioles: Adley Rutschman continues his hot spring

Baltimore Orioles’ Opening Day starter Trevor Rogers got the start this afternoon against Pittsburgh in Bradenton. It was Rogers’ first start since the team announced that he would be starting on Opening Day at Camden Yards. It would stand to reason that he’ll have at least one more start in the spring before the games count for real. Rogers’ line: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

Rogers did throw a home run on the second pitch of the ballgame. Davis’ solo shot set the tone for the game in a sense. However it was also Davis’ first hit of the spring. Rogers was around the plate the entire game, save for in the second inning when he walked the bases loaded to extend Pittsburgh’s lead to 2-0.

However following a Taylor Ward base hit to lead off the third, Adley Rutschman continued his strong Grapefruit League spring. His two-run homer immediately tied the game at two. The Orioles are going to need Rutschman to return to the levels at which he was playing until the middle of 2024 if they’re going anywhere this year. The way he’s looked in spring training thus far has been encouraging.

The Orioles also held a brief lead in this game. Dylan Beavers smacked a two-run homer, and for a brief moment the Orioles led 4-2. This in the sixth inning. Triolo’s RBI-single in the last of the frame cut the lead to one, but Adley Rutschman came up big again in the seventh with an RBI-single to bring the lead back to two at 5-3.

However Pittsburgh used two later innings homers to claw back. Ozuna’s three-run shot in the seventh gave them a 6-5 lead. Cook would add a two-run homer in the eighth to extend the lead to 8-5. The O’s did threaten in the ninth however. Colton Cowser knocked in an RBI-double, but the Orioles fell on this day in Bradenton, 8-6.

Rogers was solid, and Rutschman stood out. I also found it interesting that Cowser played the entire game. I’m not sure if that was done purposefully from the beginning, but one way or the other he played the entire game. Cowser as you’ll remember was out for much of the year last season, stemming from jamming his finger in Toronto in the fourth game of the year.

The Orioles return to Sarasota tomorrow for their first night game of the spring when New York comes to Ed Smith Stadium. Zach Eflin gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Paul Blackburn. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Too much replay?

Tyler Wells got the start for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon at Ed Smith Stadium against Toronto. Wells was one of several pitchers, only pitching one inning. Basically a get your work in and go home spring outing for Wells, against split-squad Toronto. Wells’ line: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.

The Orioles struggled to get guys on base in this game, which is another issue. Especially given that Toronto was sending their B Team to Sarasota. Toronto’s Sanchez smacked an RBI-single in the third for the game’s lone run, and Toronto defeated the Orioles, 1-0.

That third inning was aided by two Toronto ball/strike replay challenges, and a pass ball, Early on the O’s didn’t challenge too many calls. But like Toronto, they were aggressive with challenges today. And there were several on both sides.

Obviously Toronto wouldn’t have scored that run if not for the challenges. But my question is are both teams and umpires now starting to rely on it too much? I say that because we see more and more challenges in the games.

I suspect that once the regular season begins teams will be a little more hesitant to challenge anything and everything. And to challenge pitches so early in games. And it’s far too simplistic to say the goal is to get the call right, and why not use technology to do it?

Fair enough. But are you comfortable with playoff games being decided with a tap on the helmet? Or heaven-forbid, a World Series?

I recognize the flip-side of that argument; are you okay with a World Series being decided on a bad call? So on that basis I’m not sure there’s a perfect answer. However teams are using the pitch challenge system early and often. We’ll see if that continues into the regular season.

Here’s another point. On a payoff pitch, conventional wisdom says a hitter should be aggressive – especially if the pitch is remotely near the strike zone. Might that change? Maybe it pays to start letting the pitch go, as they can just tap their helmet and potentially get the call overturned.

For the record, overall I like replay. I think it should exist in some form. I just think that by introducing the idea of challenging balls and strikes, we’re allowing the game to be further over-legislated.

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Baltimore Orioles: Shane Baz to the Birds

The Baltimore Orioles made a move to acquire starting pitching today, trading for RHP Shane Baz, formerly of the Tampa Rays. In return, the Orioles sent OF Slater de Brun, C Caden Bodine, RHP Michael Forret and OF Austin Overn back to Tampa. The teams have not confirmed the deal, which also includes a Competitive Balance Round A pick going to Tampa.

Baz, 26, made a career-high 31 starts in 2025. He pitched to a 10-12 record with a 4.87 ERA. He struck out 176 and walked 64. He’s also under team control until 2029.

That last part is probably the key, presumably the reason the price was so high. Controllable pitching is a hot commodity. Many of the big names on the trade market are on the docket BECAUSE they don’t have much team control left on their contracts.

Controllable pitching is key. So is keeping your core. Any discussion of involving the likes of someone such as Jackson Holliday should be a non-starter.

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Baltimore Orioles: Pete Alonso is for the Birds

Don’t say that the Baltimore Orioles weren’t aggressive this offseason. It’s being reported today at the MLB Winter Meetings that the O’s are signing former New York Mets’ first baseman Pete Alonso. The club has not confirmed the signing as of yet, as it’s pending a physical.

Alonso signed a two-year deal with New York last year, which had an opt-out clause. The deal with the Orioles is a reported five years and $155 million, and allegedly has no opt-out clause. Alonso, 31, is excepted to be the Orioles’ starting first baseman on Opening Day.

President of Baseball Operations Mike Elias said he went to the Winter Meetings partially to get a big bat, and he did. Alonso hit .272 last year, with 38 homers. Also 41 doubles. He should plug into the Orioles’ lineup well.

The question now becomes what to do with Ryan Mountcastle, who was recently tendered a contract. It’s entirely possible that he’ll be packaged in a trade for a starting pitcher. Or perhaps Coby Mayo could be that guy. Either way the O’s have a logjam now at first base, despite this being a winning move.

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Baltimore Orioles: Craig Albernaz appears to be it

The Baltimore Orioles appear to be hiring Craig Albernaz as their new manager. You might find yourself asking, “who?” You aren’t alone.

Albernaz, 43, was hired as the Cleveland Guardians’ bench coach for the 2024 season. He was promoted to Associate Manager for this past year. He was also the San Francisco Giants’ Bulloen Coach in 2019, and he’s coached in the Tampa Rays’ organization,

A minor league catcher, Albernaz never made it to the big leagues. He wasn’t on anyone’s short list as a candidate. My personal opinion was that it was going to be former Seattle skipper Scott Servais. But Albernaz did enough to woo Mike Elias to get the job. For what it’s worth, he was also rumored to be a finalist for at least one other job.

He’s another young hire, at 43. Brandon Hyde was 45. He’ll inherit a team that was riddled with injuries in 2025, and couldn’t quite put it together even in the short amount of time they were close to full strength. But he’ll also inherit a roster that has the potential to make a run at a title – IF the likes of Elias and the front office can add perhaps a big name in the field and on the mound. But one way or the other, Craig Albernaz it seems to be.

I wouldn’t expect a formal announcement until after the conclusion of the World Series, but this appears to be the direction in which the Orioles are going.

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Baltimore Orioles: 2025 Season in Review

For the first time in their history, the Baltimore Orioles began the season north of the border in 2025. They played a four-game set in Toronto, splitting the series. But they did it in grandiose fashion, defeating Toronto 12-2 on Opening Day.

However the harbinger for the season dates back to 2024, that being injuries. The Orioles lost Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, and Tyler Wells in 2024, with Bradish and Wells returning at the tail end of 2025. On top of that, they lost Gunnar Henderson in the first week of spring training (through the first week of the regular season), and Colton Cowser over the opening weekend.

As the season was in its infancy, it was evident that something wasn’t clicking. And injuries piled up. Jordan Westburg ended up on the IL over time, as did Ryan Mountcastle. Down the stretch, Adley Rutschman even hit the injured list. And the players who were on the field weren’t producing.

Things came to a head after a blown save in May against Washington at home. GM Mike Elias called a press conference, and announced the next day that he had relieved manager Brandon Hyde of his duties. Tony Mansolino would be the interim manager for the rest of the season.

Things improved under Mansolino, and injured players started to return. However even wins were a struggle. The O’s had to settle for at times winning one of three in a series, with that one being a struggle. And at times it didn’t make sense. The games they would lose were very much against the run of play. But wins are wins, and losses are losses.

The Orioles made a few trades at the deadline, including their lone all-star, Ryan O’Hearn. Sadly, these were necessary moves. You may as well get something for a guy as opposed to getting nothing. The likes of Bradish and Wells would return late in the season, but the O’s also lost the likes of Ryan Mountcastle down the stretch, among others.

Part of the story of this season was that the right hand never seemed to compliment the left hand. In games where they scored runs, the pitching dumped out. And on nights when they pitched well, the bats fell silent. This year will be remembered for the injuries first and foremost. But never being able to put it all together was as much a problem as anything else.

There were some bright spots, however. Trevor Rogers worked his way into being the MVO, leading the pitching staff in a down year. The Orioles also called up Dylan Beavers and Samuel Basallo towards the end of the season. And the boys made an immediate impact. Basallo was also given an eight-year contract, four games into his tenure.

End of the day, they finished with 75 wins. You have to hope that playing this back next year, presumably under different leadership, maybe things are different. In 2025 just about everything went against them – things within their control, and outside of it. Maybe in the future, some of those things break the other way.

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Baltimore Orioles: The End

Some fans are probably happy that the Baltimore Orioles’ season is over. But for the vast majority the end of baseball season is always somewhat sad and reflective. If for no other reason than it means cold temperatures will eventually be setting in. Kyle Bradish got the start this afternoon at Yankee Stadium in the season finale. Bradish’s line: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 8 K.

Bradish surrendered a solo home run to Rice in the first inning, but allowed no further damage. However back-to-back home runs in the fourth gave the Orioles the lead. Jordan Westburg got the party started, and his solo homer was followed by one from Gunnar Henderson.

However the O’s did have a lead in this game. That is until Stanton’s RBI-single in the home half of the frame tied it back up at two. And the game would be knotted at two for almost the rest of the way. However Rice’s solo shot in the eighth ended up putting New York over the top, and they won 3-2 over the O’s to close the season.

The big question in the air for the Orioles now is where do they go from here. One thing we know indubitably for sure; Tony Mansolino has managed his final game as interim manager. He’ll either be offered the full time job, or the Orioles will hire someone else. Either way, today was his last day with that interim tag.

I maintain that if Mike Elias was going to extend Mansolino, he would have already done so. So my prediction is a new guy will man the dugout next year. One way or the other, odds are it won’t be announced during the MLB postseason. Teams tend to lay low during that time.

Make no mistake, the 2026 Orioles are not a tear down and rebuild. This is a team that was done in by injuries before the season even started. I would submit that it started going awry when Grayson Rodriguez, Kyle Bradish, and Tyler Wells went down last season. On top of that, Gunnar Henderson went down in spring training, stunting his early season. Not to mention Colton Cowser, Jordan Westburg, and others.

Point being, this season was doomed in advance. However that also means that IF the O’s don’t suffer that same fate in 2026, things could be different. I maintain that they need an experienced manager who’s been around the block. Someone who isn’t freaked out by analytics, but also one who isn’t bound to them. Someone who manages more by the book as opposed to by the computer.

There’s an entire off season to discuss this. But one way or the other, hope will spring eternal in a few very short months. Before you know it, pitchers and catchers will be reporting. And everything is renewed.

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Baltimore Orioles: You can’t nibble

The Baltimore Orioles should listen to former Hall of Fane manager Earl Weaver more often. Weaver preached attacking the strike zone. Starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano didn’t do it today at Yankee Stadium. Sugano’s line: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 3 K.

Sugano gave up a solo homer to Judge in the first, and then one to Stanton in the second. McMahon followed with a solo shot of his own later in the inning. And the O’s trailed 3-0 early on.

Many of those pitches (not all) were on the fringes of the strike zone. That’s very consistent with what we’ve seen all year. Earlier in the season there were times where it appeared the Orioles were not only nibbling like this in the zone, but were also tipping pitches. Dangerous combination.

And I say that because home runs were being hit on pitches that shouldn’t be winding up in the stands (based on their location) – unless the hitter knew where it was coming in. Or guessing right. But when you don’t attack the strike zone, you play not to lose. In football they call it the “prevent defense.”

The reason for nibbling as opposed to attacking the strike zone of course is understandable. The likes of Judge and Stanton are imposing. But wouldn’t you rather they beat you than you beating yourself?

The other thing that happens when you nibble is that you lose the benefit of the doubt. New York loaded the bases in the fifth before Judge smacked an RBI-single. The pitch to Judge, in fairness, was right down the pike. But many of the pitches which led to the bases being full were borderline. Many were in the strike zone. And they were called balls.

Bellinger added a sac fly-RBI before the inning ended. Coby Mayo would add a solo homer to get the Orioles on the board in the eighth. But the Birds fell, 6-1 in the Bronx.

I’m sure there’s some analytical statistic out there saying that if you live on the fringes of the strike zone you have a better probability of winning. And I’m not suggesting that every pitch needs to be in the strike zone. Not under any circumstances. However again, traditional managers all say you have to attack the zone. The Orioles haven’t used that mantra as a modus operandi in some time. That should be a goal going into 2026, lest they want to watch home run after home run fly over their outfielder’s heads. Their outfielders who incidentally are positioned too deep to stop soft contact – which invariably seems to occur.

The series and the season concludes tomorrow at Yankee Stadium. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Luis Gil. Game time is set for just after 3 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: A struggle for Trevor Rogers in the end

Trevor Rogers has had quite a season for the Baltimore Orioles. He rightfully was given the MVO award this week, and has been a stabilizing force on the staff and in the clubhouse. Unfortunately he struggled in his final start last night at Yankee Stadium, making that his lasting impression of 2025. Rogers’ line: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

After issuing a first inning walk, Rogers gave up a two-run homer to Stanton in the first inning. However the O’s did briefly have the lead. Jordan Westburg uncorked a three-run home run in the top of the third, and suddenly the Orioles led 3-2.

But it didn’t last long. Judge hit a second New York two-run homer in the last of the third, and they retook the lead at 4-3. Stanton added a second later in the inning, ballooning it to 6-3. Many of these home runs came following walks and with two strikes. Dylan Beavers was also replaced in the lineup after his fourth inning at-bat after fouling a ball off his shin. X-Rays were negative.

Tyler O’Neill attempted to bring the O’s closer. His solo homer in the sixth cut the lead to 6-4. However New York would tack on two additional runs as insurance, and the Birds fell 8-4 in the Bronx. For Rogers, not the way he wanted to end the season. But it does little to dim the light he represented this year.

The series continues this afternoon at Yankee Stsdium. Tomoyuki Sugano gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Cam Schlittler. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Drama at the end

Tyler Wells got the start for the Baltimore Orioles tonight against Tampa. Not the greatest start on planet earth, albeit in a game played under the constant threat of rain. Wells’ line: 4.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

Wells surrendered an RBI-double to Lowe in the first inning. An inning later Feduccia added a second RBI-double, and Lowe a solo homer I. The third.

On the flip side, the O’s didn’t get a hit until the seventh inning. But by that time Tampa had extended its lead to 6-0. The O’s did get on the board with a two-RBI single in the eighth. But they fell, 6-2 in the final night game of the season at Camden Yards.

Samuel Basallo was hit during last night’s game. The Orioles also hit Caminero later in the game. My personal opinion was that wasn’t intentional – in both cases. Guys get hit all the time in baseball. Camiero’s body language at the time however indicated that he thought it was purposeful.

Nevertheless Basallo led off against Tampa reliever Pete Fairbanks in the last of the ninth tonight. On an 0-2 count, he was hit in the hand with a 97 MPM fastball. He winced in pain and immediately moved towards the clubhouse. Coby Mayo pinch ran in his place.

After recording the final out, Fairbanks proceeded to blow a kiss towards the Orioles’ dugout while staring them down. Fairbanks may have had some plausible deniability on the intent of the pitch before that. However that sort of petty bush league gesture removed that.

The whole thing seems like it didn’t need to happen. Granted nobody knows what was said or what might have been said earlier in the season. But without admitting to the league that he threw at Basallo intentionally, Fairbanks publicly admitted he threw at Basallo intentionally. The league should take note of that. Especially given that Basallo is a top prospect.

Baseball’s a stoic game. It’s not the NFL or NBA where taunting is all but expected. It’s seen as childish, especially in this context. Again, Fairbanks lost plausible deniability with that act. The league should taken notice.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Cade Povich gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Drew Rasmussen. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Dean Kremer strong in final start

If the Baltimore Orioles’ rotation stays on schedule, Dean Kremer made his final start of the year last night against Tampa at Camden Yards. Perhaps fittingly, it was a start that was delayed an hour and eleven minutes by rain before it even started. But needless to say, Kremer finished strong once he took to the mound. Kremer’s line: 6.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K.

When Kremer left the game he did so to a standing ovation from the fans. He’s a guy who’s chiefly important to this rotation next year. And while he did have his struggles at times this year, he quietly had a very strong season.

He had the lead early, as the O’s manufactured two runs in the first inning. Gunnar Henderson’s sac fly-RBI and Tyler O’Neill’s RBI-groundout gave the Orioles a 2-0 lead. Henderson came up again in the third and added on an RBI-single to extend it to 3-0.

Kremer, for his part, was crisp all night. He also pitched-to-contact, which is all but the opposite of what Oriole pitchers did over the weekend against New York. And the results speak for themselves. In both instances.

Jordan Westburg would tack on a sac fly-RBI in the fifth to extend the lead further. And Colton Cowser put the exclamation point on in the sixth with a two-run home run. The Oriole bullpen was virtually as strong as Kremer, and the Birds went home 6-0 winners in the first game with Tampa, the last home series of the year.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Tyler Wells gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Shane Baz. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Another walk off win

Tyler Wells and the Baltimore Orioles came into tonight’s game against Pittsburgh having won three of four games straight in walk off fashion. On a cool and misty night at Camden Yards, the goal was to win it in nine this time around. The Birds would fail at that, but big deal. Wells’ line: 6.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

The O’s fell behind 1-0 on a fourth inning solo home run by Horowitz. – a Baltimore-area native, by the way. Apparently his family is unable to attend this series due to being out of town for a wedding. Tough pill to swallow!

The Orioles would tie the game in the eighth with two runners on and runners at first and second. Jackson Holliday would dump in a flare that fell for an RBI-single. That tied the game at four.

The game went to extra innings, which wasn’t a surprise. As sure as grass is green, the O’s had to win yet another in walk off fashion. With two runners on in the tenth and nobody out, Daniel Johnson laid down a sac bunt. Not only that, but he placed it perfectly and legged out a bunt single. That loaded the bases, and the O’s eventually walked Pittsburgh off with a run-scoring single by Dylan Beavers.

The Orioles have now taken the first two from Pittsburgh. It’s also the fourth walkoff in five games for the Orioles. Needless to say, they’re feeling it.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Cade Povich gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Johan Oviedo. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: A Holliday 30 years in the making

Nobody does nostalgia like the Baltimore Orioles. We’ve seen it time and again, including tonight with Cal Ripken Jr, and the anniversary of 2131. After which Trevor Rogers took the mound for the Birds. Rogers’ line: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

The problem is, the Orioles were facing Los Angeles’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto. No easy task. This despite the pomp and circumstance of the pregame ceremony. Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead on an RBI-groundout by Ohtani in the third inning.

With two runners on in the fifth, Betts smacked a harsh liner to Gunnar Henderson at short, and Henderson climbed the ladder to get it. Unfortunately, it dropped out of the glove on the way down. It was ruled an RBI-single. Two innings later Betts would follow with an RBI-triple, and the O’s trailed 3-0.

Yamamoto was also throwing a no-hitter. And as the game wore on, it seemed he was getting stronger. Oriole hitters couldn’t do anything against him. Balls that were put in play were outs.

In a way it felt like Los Angeles was saying you can have your nostalgia, we’re here now and that’s more important. They made it to 26 outs in the game. Two outs in the ninth…

…and Jackson Holliday smacked a solo homer to right field. That broke the shutout, and more importantly it broke up the no-hitter. But the game wasn’t over.

A double, a HBP, and a walk later, the Orioles were looking at possibly WINNING the game. Colton Cowser then walked in a run, cutting the lead to 3-2. That brought Emmanuel Rivera to the plate after LA changed pitchers…and you know the rest.

Rivera’s two-RBI single won it 4-3. So in a flash, the Orioles went from having the 30 year anniversary of 2131 having an unfortunate twist, to the latest installation of Orioles Magic. And it should go as no surprise that Cal Ripken Jr. played a role. In a flash, the game changed. That’s baseball. And that’s part of what makes baseball great.

The only downside to this game for the Birds was catcher Samuel Basallo left the game after getting nic’d by a foul ball. Tony Mansolino said after the game that X-Rays were negative. He also said that Dean Kremer’s MRI came back with nothing serious, but he’ll skip his next start.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Tomoyuki Sugano gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by LA’s Clayton Kershaw. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: The Ripken Way

Pending the weather, the Baltimore Orioles will celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Cal Ripken Jr breaking the consecutive games played streak before tonight’s game against Los Angeles. We all know what’s going on; throngs of former Orioles, dignitaries, and even former Oriole play-by-play man John Miller will be in attendance for the festivities. This to mark the moment that saved baseball across multiple generations.

First off, has it really been 30 years?! I was a freshman in high school, and I didn’t know a world without Cal Ripken Jr on the Orange & Black. Or in the lineup. When you think of everything that’s happened between then and now, it’s sort of crazy – both in and outside of baseball.

The numbers on the Warehouse counting the consecutive games played are an iconic sight to many people of a certain generation – certainly my generation. But personally, the part I’ll always remember more than anything else is the image of Cal Ripken Sr applauding and waving from the skybox. The Orioles have always had that Field of Dreams sort of feel about them. And put in that context in terms of baseball being a game between fathers and sons…that “Ripken moment” was perhaps the most meaningful of that entire sequence of events.

People think of a lot of things when the concept of The Oriole Way comes up. I suppose it’s fair to say that the guy who ties that into a beat bow is Earl Weaver. However The Oriole Way in truth begins and ends with the Ripken’s. And I would submit that there’s no city like Baltimore and no family that means as much to it than the Ripken’s. And we saw it that night.

For his part, both Cal Ripken’s would probably say that it’s more about the team than anything else. And it is. But there are certain moments and certain people who always rise to the occasion – birds of a certain feather. The Ripken’s are just that. And it was that bond between father and son which made the image of the numbers on the Warehouse possible.

On the day of my death, Cal Ripken Jr will still be baseball’s Iron Man. I’m sure there’s some analytic which would say I’m mistaken. But the human element of baseball says I’m correct. Nobody’s ever playing in 2,633 consecutive games. The same is true with Joe DiMaggio’s hitting streak – nobody’s hitting in 57 straight games. I say that as sure as crabs and beer are to the shores of the Chesapeake, and to the state of Maryland.

I’ve had people ask me, why is it such a big deal? So the guy shows up everyday – he’s PAID to do that. But as we know, it is a big deal. Because Maryland itself is a blue collar and hard-working state. So the Ripken Way is truly a symbol of that. Do the Orioles do everything right? No. But that moment 30 years ago showed the rest of the country that you can call it what you will…The Oriole Way, The Ripken Way, etc. But the value system of showing up and giving it all you have everyday? Those are Maryland Values. And it was never symbolized better in the form of the Orange & Black than it was in that sequence of events 30 years ago.

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Baltimore Orioles best LA, maybe lose Dean Kremer

The Baltimore Orioles beat the LA Dodgers this evening at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer looked sharp early coming off of a couple of bad starts. It wouldn’t last – but not how you might think. Kremer’s line: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

Dietrich Enns spent the entire top of the fourth inning warming up in the Orioles’ bullpen. He entered the game in the last of the fourth, relieving Kremer. The Orioles later said that Kremer was yanked for right forearm discomfort.

You don’t want to speculate on anything. However needless to say, Dean Kremer is hugely important to the O’s in 2026. I think most fans would take him being shut down now and thus being ready for Spring Training next year. But we’ll just have to see.

The O’s put two runners on in the fifth, and Jackson Holliday stole second base. Funny thing though; LA pitcher Casparius uncorked a wild pitch at the same moment. It was a pretty close play at the plate, but Holliday came in to score on the wild pitch, giving the Orioles the lead.

But it was short-lived. Freeman ambushed the first pitch of the sixth over the wall. That tied the game at one, and we. Had a new ballgame again.

And through the later innings the game remained tied at one. That was until there were two outs in the ninth. Samuel Basallo picked a great moment to hit his first Oriole Park home run. It was a solo shot, and a walk off at that. The Birds went home winners against the defending champion LA Dodgers, 2-1.

That’s almost a footnote if you factor in the Dean Kremer situation. This season has been tough or numerous levels, but none moreso than then the injuries. And now this.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards, as the O’s celebrate 30 years since 2131 and Cal Ripken Jr. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by LA’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles hold on to sweep San Diego

Cade Povich was strong early for the Baltimore Orioles in today’s series finale in San Diego. He fell apart a bit in the end of his outing, but he had room to spare. Barely, that is – as it ended up. Povich’s line: 5.0 IP. 7 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

The O’s led from the very beginning today. Jackson Holliday hit the third pitch of the ballgame out of the ballpark, giving them a 1-0 lead. However it was the third inning that was the big catalyst to victory.

The Orioles led off with a walk and a single. Following a strikeout, Colton Cowser came to the plate. And he broke the game wide open with a three-run home run, giving the Birds a 4-0 lead.

But they weren’t done. Coby Mayo and Alex Jackson followed, giving the O’s back-to-back-to-back home runs. Before the inning ended, Ryan Mountcastle would add an RBI-single, and the Orioles led 7-0 after three. And they needed most of those seven runs.

San Diego figured Povich out after five, however. Machado’s two-run home run cut the lead to 7-2. Following a single and two walks, Cronensworth’s softly-hit infield RBI-single cut it to 7-3. Iglesias would ground into a double-play scoring a fourth run, but that was good news for the Birds. Because it gave them two quick outs and helped them out of the inning.

San Diego would get a fifth run off a solo home run in the seventh. But to me one of the biggest plays of the game was perhaps the most unsung. Representing the tying run, Sheets struck out swinging in the eighth. Sheets swore the ball hit the ground. Replays said otherwise.

But what the replay also showed was that catcher Alex Jackson picked the ball so it didn’t touch the ground. It was definitely fouled off, but Jackson stopped it from hitting the ground. Who knows how the game ends if not for that play.

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Baltimore Orioles win opener in San Diego

Kyle Bradish only went four innings in his second start of the season for the Baltimore Orioles last night at Petco Park in San Diego. It wasn’t the start that Bradish and the O’s would have wanted, but he put the team in a spot to win. Bradish’s line: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K.

The Orioles put two runners in scoring position in the second inning following a single, a walk, and a wild pitch. Samuel Basallo’s, two-RBI double gave the O’s a 2-0 lead. However in the home half of the frame San Diego would get on the board with an RBI-single by Johnson.

The leadoff walk is what hurt Bradish in that inning. Especially this year and especially for the Orioles, those leadoff walks usually are seeming to find a way to trickle in to score. Arraez’s RBI-single later in the inning would tie the game at two.

However Jeremiah Jackson would give them the lead back in the fifth with a solo home run. In the home half of the inning Dietrich Enns committed a throwing error on a bunt, which in effect is the same as a leadoff walk. True to form, that run came around to score – on Laureano’s run-scoring single which tied the game at three.

However on Labor Day Monday, the O’s weren’t going to be denied. Dylan Beavers’ RBI-single in the seventh game them the lead back at 4-3. And the Oriole bullpen shut San Diego down the rest of the way, headlined by Keegan Akin in the ninth.

The series continues this evening at Petco Park. Tyler Wells gets the start for the Orioles and will make his season debut following injury, and he’ll be opposed by San Diego’s Yu Darvish, game time is set for just after 9:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Samuel Basallo leads the parade

Trevor Rogers finished August with yet another outstanding start for the Baltimore Orioles this evening in San Francisco. Rogers has been the closest thing the Birds have had to an ace this year, most poignantly from June or so onwards. Rogers’ line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K.

Rogers gave up a solo homer in the last of the first to Adames. That‘s it. While in the moment it appeared that on the heels of a rough game last night this one would be similar, it ended up being just a blip in the radar. The difference between last night’s game and tonight’s? The bats stayed hit after last night. But the pitching improved leaps and bounds.

The Orioles did actually squander an opportunity or two early on. But they took the lead at 2-1 on Jeremiah Jackson‘a two-run homer in the third. Ryan Mountcastle followed suit later in the inning with a two-run shot of his own, and the O’s led 4-1.

In a game full of offensive highlights however, it was Samuel Basallo in the fourth who made headlines. His solo homer extended the lead to 5-1. However it was the first home run of his career, which by default is noteworthy. Is it the first of a long line of home runs by Basallo in the Orange & Black? One hopes.

The O’s would add a run on an RBI-triple by Jackson Holliday, and a sac fly-RBI by Gunnar Henderson before the inning ended. The Orioles would take a couple of innings off, and the onslaught continued in the seventh with Dylan Beavers’ RBI-single. That extended the lead to 8-1 – did the O’s have some insurance in them?

It’s fair to suggest that eight runs are enough when you’ve only surrendered one. To be clear the Orioles did call off the dogs. They became a station-to-station team, but runs still trickled through. Jeremiah Jackson’s two-RBI double extended the lead to 10-1. Jacksonville would later score on a wild pitch, and the O’s took it 11-1.

Big win for sure, as that snapped a five-game losing streak. Not to mention, the Orioles surrendered 15 runs to this same team last night. However it was also noteworthy for Samuel Basallo’s first major league home run. You only get one first time at something – anything, really. Needless to say, Basallo won’t soon forget Oracle Park.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Oracle Park. Tomoyuki Sugano gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by San Francisco’s Justin Verlander. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Giveth and taken away

The Baltimore Orioles used Dietrich Enns as an opener this evening against Boston. I’ve said it before – I’m not a fan of the concept of an “opener.” It’s too quirky and against the traditional grain of baseball, the most traditional of sports. Enns’ line: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K.

Enns’ loan run surrendered was a solo homer by Anthony in the first at-bat of the game. If you think an opener is a fine way to go, fact is it didn’t work. Many will say it did given that they only surrendered one run. But my point would be that the opener is supposed to in essence do what a closer does, save for it being in the first inning. Closers traditionally throw heat.

In the last of the second the Orioles tied it on an RBI-double by Dylan Beavers. I can understand the ruling, but my personal opinion is it should have been an E8. He flared a ball to center, and Rafaela made a diving attempt at the ball. He actually appeared to get it, but he dropped it. Nevertheless that play tied the game at one.

It was another misplay by Rafaela in the seventh that gave the Orioles the lead. Dylan Beavers lined a ball to center, and Rafaela and the left fielder Duran let it fall between them and lodge under the wall. It’s not an error, but it is a miscue by Rafaela (and Duran), and it gave the Orioles the lead.

Boston would put two runners on base with nobody out in the eighth. Tony Mansolino brought in Keegan Akin from the bullpen, who got the O’s out of the inning. He struck out two and induced a ground ball in the infield for a third out.

However he allowed a softly-hit bleeder into left field to start the ninth. He then allowed Rafaela to redeem himself with a two-run homer, which gave Boston the lead and a 3-2 win. This despite Coby Mayo’s epic at-bat on the ninth in an attempt to get on base.

Akin relied too heavily on his changeup in that eighth inning. The home run pitch was a changeup which stayed too far up. He had lived on the corners, so presumably he was aiming for the bottom of the zone. However that’s dangerous, as if you miss like Akin did…you see the result.

The series with Boston concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Cade Povich gets the start for the #Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Garrett Crochet. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Kyle Bradish a hard-luck loser in his return

The big story for the Baltimore Orioles tonight is the return of Kyle Bradish. Perhaps the biggest injury of the season for the Orioles (save for Colton Cowser), and he finally made his debut on August 26th. And it was as good as advertised. Bradish’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 10 K.

Bradish gave up solo homers in the second and third. Those came off the bats of Story and Hamilton. Other than that, he was outstanding.

Ten strikeouts is a noteworthy number. In short, Bradish’s return was as good as it could have been. Solo home runs aren’t going to hurt you – unless your offense doesn’t produce. And that was the case tonight.

Boston’s Navarez reached on a fielder’s choice in the eighth, scoring a third run. Boston would score two more in the ninth on Hamilton’s two-RBI double. It was ruled a hit, but it probably should have been an error. Dylan Beavers misplayed the ball in left field, allowing it to drop. It was a hit by default, but it was a routine play.

That’s the risk you run with youth at various positions. Luckily for Beavers he’s been very good over the course of his short time here. But if you’re going to have young guys in the lineup, you have to live with those sorts of plays.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. The Orioles are yet to announce a starter, and Boston with throw Brayan Bello. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Bit by instant replay?

Tomoyuki Sugano was solid (ish) for the Baltimore Orioles tonight against Boston at Camden Yards. He put the Birds in a spot to win the game, which is the goal of a starter. Could he have been better? Yes. But he sufficed. Sugano’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 6 K.

Boston took an early lead when Anthony smacked a pitch out of the ballpark during the first at-bat of the game. But Sugano seemed to settle, despite being thrown off kilter early on. Luckily Colton Cowser tied the game in the second with a solo homer of his own.

Cowser would come to the plate again an inning later in the third, and he would do so with the bases loaded. His two-RBI single would give the Orioles. 3-1 lead. However Boston wasn’t finished either.

Duran would come up in the fifth with two on, and would deliver. His three-run home run gave Boston a 4-3 lead. And the Orioles had no response – save for one thing.

Dylan Carlson and the O’s caught a break on his lead off double in the seventh. The ball hit third base umpire Nick Mahrley, and Carlson ended up at second base. Luis Vasquez promptly laid down a bunt back to the pitcher, who threw to third to get Carlson, who was ruled safe.

However Boston challenged the play. Unequivocally, it was a close play – a bang-bang play. The call on the field was safe, which would have given the Orioles runners at the corners with nobody out.

Replays appeared to show that the runner could be out. But was it conclusive? Needless to say, the umpiring crew thought it was. The call was overturned, and the O’s were out of their best chance at evening the score.

My personal opinion is that the runner was probably out. But was there enough evidence to overturn the call on the field? That’s the real question regarding instant replay. It’s not necessarily whether the call should be safe or out. Everything else be damned, it’s supposed to be whether or not the call on the field was overturned.

In my assessment, NO, in this instance there WAS NOT sufficient evidence to overturn the call on the field. So the call should have stood, despite me in the same breath saying that the runner was out. Yes folks, this stuff isn’t easy. We do ourselves a disservice by suggesting that it is, and if the right call is made that’s the goal. Everything else be damned.

If there’s not enough evidence to overturn the call on the field, the call needs to stand. The way we’re supposed to do things is that these are the rules and regulations, and you can’t make exceptions. Yet Boston seemed to get the benefit of the doubt on the call. It was no guarantee that the Orioles would have scored in that sequence of events. But every little bit helps.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Kyle Bradish will make his season debut and make the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Lucas Giolito. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles salvage one in Trevor Rogers’ outstanding start

Trevor Rogers was tasked with being the Baltimore Orioles’ stopper this afternoon in the series finale against Houston. The O’s had dropped the first three games of the series in pretty wild fashion. Today was different all around. Rogers’ line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 9 K.

Save for an elevated pitch count, you can’t really go wrong striking out nine. Yet Roger’s still lasted seven innings. And the O’s led early today. Gunnar Henderson’s solo home run in the first gave them a 1-0 lead.

Houston’s speed and aggressiveness would manifest in the third inning. Following a Smith walk he was sacrificed to season and stole third. He would later score on an RBI-single by Pena. That shows how important Houston thought today’s game was.

However Oriole bats couldn’t get much going after that for some time. At one point Houston retired 14 straight Orioles. However Gunnar Henderson’s single with two outs in the last of the sixth broke that up. He would then steal second, as well as third – with nobody covering the bag.

Ryan Mountcastle’s RBI-single would then give the O’s the lead back. Which after a 3-1 pitch that was out of the zone and called a strike, seemed like a long time coming. One inning later in the seventh, Luis Vasquez smacked a solo homer to extend the lead to 3-1. It was Vasquez’s first career home run. And it ended up being huge.

Rico Garcia came in for the eighth, and loaded the bases with one out. He would be replaced by Keegan Akin, who recorded the second out on a sac fly-RBI by Caratini. But he also got the O’s out of the inning, sent Houston down 1-2-3 in the ninth, and recorded the save.

The Vasquez home run was obviously the big play. But the X-factor was Trevor Rogers. He had a slow start with the O’s when he was traded here last year. But he returned to form in 2025. He needs to remain an Oriole going forward.

The O’s open up a four-game set with Boston tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Tomoyuki Sugano gets the start for the O’s, and Boston’s starter is TBD. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: #RIPFlanny

On this day in 2011 the Baltimore Orioles lost former pitcher Mike Flanagan. We all know the story – Flanny was an Oriole through and through. He was beloved by fans of a certain age, including me.

I’ll never forget the day he passed. It was uniquely personal to this fanbase, which treats its star former players as royalty. And rightfully so. May he rest in peace. And as the last Oriole to stand on the mound at Menorial Stadium, mat time never dim the honor of his deeds.

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Baltimore Orioles: Another wild loss

Many fans thought last night’s game was over after Dean Kremer surrendered five runs for the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning. They may have been correct about the final result being a loss, but they were wrong about thr way it would happen. The game was far from over. Kremer’s line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 7 R (6 earned), 1 BB, 4 K.

Following a leadoff walk, Kremer gave up a two-run homer to Correa. Then a solo home run to Sanchez, and later followed by another two-run shot by Caratini. When the smoke cleared, the Birds trailed 5-0.

Houston was swinging early. However one thing all of the pitches had in common was that they were on the fringes of the plate. They weren’t located in spots one would normally be able to hit the ball the way those balls were struck. And they weren’t just home runs – they were majestic shots.

Has Houston picked up on something Kremer was doing to tip his pitches? Or were they just expecting Kremer to pitch to the black of the plate? Either way, Kremer did settle down a bit. So again another question; did the ORIOLES pick up on Kremer tipping pitches?

For what it’s worth, Kremer continued to pitch to the fringes of the plate. Even on at-bats where he easily retired hitters. Presunably the analytics are telling them there’s a greater probability of victory using that modus operandi.

However as I said, the game was far from over. Gunnar Henderson’s seeing eye RBI-single in the last of the first got the O’s on the board. Henderson proceeded to steal second, and later in the inning he scored as part of Colton Cowser’s two-RBI single. In one half inning, the O’s were within two.

And one inning later, Ryan Mountcastle’s two-run single tied it at five. However Houston allowed the O’s to tie it a couple of times. But they could never quite make it over the hump. Caratini’s grounded into a fielder’s choice in the third with two runners in scoring position. Vimael Machin looked the runner back to third, and threw to first…

…and the rubber at third (Altuve) broke for home as soon as Machin started to throw the ball. Coby Mayo fired and errant throw to the plate, which allowed another run to score. And the O’s trailed 7-5.

That was risky. There’s a reason we use the term looked the runner back to third. Altuve basically mandated that either he was going to be out at home plate, a run was going to score, OR the bases would have been loaded with no out recorded. That sort of aggressiveness looks great on paper and so forth – but it’s risky. Yet it worked.

Jeremiah Jackson’s first big league home run came in the fourth, a solo shot. Colton Cowser would smack a long solo homer in the fifth, tying the game again at seven. But Walker once again hit the O’s hard in the seventh with a two-run home run, putting Houston over the top. Jeremiah Jackson would bring the O’s to within one with an RBI-single in the ninth, but the tying run remained on base.

The series concludes this afternoon at Camden Yards. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles drop a wild one too Houston

Cade Povich wasn’t the only Baltimore Orioles pitcher who struggled in last night’s game against Houston at Camden Yards. Heck, he wasn’t the only pitcher on either side who struggled. It was just one of those games in a sense. Povich’s line: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 6 R (4 earned), 2 BB, 5 K.

Houston took a 1-0 lead in the second as a result of two errors – one of which was on Povich. McCormick tried to sacrifice two runners into scoring position, and Povich overthrew him at first allowing a run to score. To make matters worse, Pena smacked a three-run homer in the aftermath, and the Orioles trailed 4-0.

And that really shows that you can’t allow mistakes to balloon. That inning started with a walk, and then a second runner got on by way of an error, before that aforementioned sequence with Povich. And the Orioles were held accountable.

But they also fought back. Alex Jackson’s RBI-single in the fourth inning cut the lead to 4-1 But Houston wasn’t above mistakes either. With two on later in the inning, Jeremiah Jackson sent a deep fly to right, and Houston’s right fielder Smith misplayed the ball. In short, it was in his glove and popped out, allowing two runs to score and cutting the lead to 4-3.

That was ruled a double, but my personal opinion was that it should be an error. The ball was in his glove. It was a tough play, but it seemed more routine than extraordinary. Either way two runs scored.

Povich was lifted in the fifth with two on and one out. Interestingly, Tony Mansolino went to a leverage reliever early, that being Yennier Cano – who surrendered a three-run home run to Walker. Houston had its four-run lead back at 7-3.

But the O’s chipped back. They loaded the bases in the sixth, and Jackson Holliday’s fielder’s choice-RBI cut it to 7-4. Similar results with Jeremiah Jackson, cutting it to 7-5. One inning later Colton Cowser smacked a very loud solo homer which went a long way, and the Orioles were back to within one at 7-6.

However Houston would add three more in the eighth. Two of them came on a two-RBI double by Caratini, a pinch hitter, which was just barely out of the reach of Jeremiah Jackson in right field. Every button Houston pushed last night worked. But needless to say, the Orioles are never out of a game like this. And they came close.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Houston’s Cristian Javier. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles extend Samuel Basallo

Prior to this evening’s game against Houston, the Baltimore Orioles extended their top prospect, Samuel Basallo. He signed an eight-year extension worth approximately $67.5 million dollars – could balloon up to $88 million. He’s played four games in the big leagues.

Which is why this move is curious. Boston extended Roman Anthony earlier this season after about a month. This is even less playing time than that. I’ll grant that Basallo looks as good as advertised. But there’s a huge risk involved for the team.

It goes without saying that the team assumes some risk in that Basallo could get injured. Granted, it also shows a level of commitment by the organization and by Basallo. So it goes both ways. You only hope it works out.

You also have to hope that this doesn’t start a trend in MLB. I think it’s a bad idea to give someone this young as much money as Basallo’s getting. I suppose the flip side is that it shows the organization is committed to winning in the future. Time will tell.

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Baltimore Orioles, Brandon Young fall to Houston, and injuries

In his first start since chasing perfection, Brandon Young struggled early for the Baltimore Orioles. Ironically against Houston, the same team against whom he chased perfection last week. But despite giving up a plethora of runs early, Young steadied himself – which was good to see. What wasn’t good to see was how he left the game. Young’s line: 5.1 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 2 BB, 1 K.

Young gave up a two-run home run to Walker, a former Oriole, in the first inning. And seemingly the rout was on. Following a Caratini single in the second, the Orioles appeared to erase the base runner with a ground ball double play. But Houston challenged the call at first, which was easily overturned.

Following another walk, Correa’s two-RBI single gave Houston a 4-0 lead. That challenge call ended up being huge in the inning and in the game. That went from erasing the baserunners to being a fielder’s choice with one on and one out.

One Orioles’ highlight was Dylan Beavers’ first career home run, and it came in the last of the second. That cut the lead to 4-1, but Houston kept the pressure on. Sanchez added an RBI-single in the third, and Diaz a two-run homer which busted the game wide open.

However Brandon Young stopped the bleeding. He retired ten of the final twelve hitters he faced. Many will argue that the damage was already done, and it was. But he found a way to stabilize himself, and lasted until the sixth inning.

And he was lifted with one out in the sixth. He covered first on a routine ground ball in the infield, and pulled up lame after recording the out. My initial concern was an Achilles tendon, but when he limped off the field…needless to say at least he walked (gingerly). The Orioles later said he had hamstring discomfort.

So add Brandon Young to the list of injuries. You can also re-add Adley Rutschman, who went on the IL before the game with an oblique strain – the opposite side of his previous injury. This puts Samuel Basallo as the everyday catcher going forward – at least into September.

On top of that, Felix Bautista had season-ending shoulder surgery, and will miss at least twelve months. That’s devastating for Bautista AND the Orioles. But it’s been next man up literally since March, so they’ll have to find a way. Things are slightly better on the Jordan Westburg front; Westburg is day-to-day with a sore right ankle.

In the bottom of that sixth inning Dylan Beavers would ground into a force out which yielded a run, cutting the lead to 7-2. Luckily the Orioles’ bullpen was strong last night, despite being called into action abruptly. Kyle Bradish is expected to join the team next week for the Boston series, and it could very well be Brandon Young going to the IL as a corresponding move. Tyler Wells is expected back after September 1st,

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Cade Povich gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Houston’s Lance McCullers. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: A seemingly unlikely win and sweep

The Baltimore Orioles had to feel like they were playing with house money last night at Fenway Park. They took two-of-three in Houston, and the first game of two in Boston on Monday night. Tomoyuki Sugano was on the mound last night for the finale of the short two-game series, and put the O’s in a spot to win. Sugano’s line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K.

Sided by a Jackson Holliday error, Sugano put two runners on in the third. With two outs they were both in scoring position, with Wong on third. After two disengagements, it stood to reason that Wong wouldn’t creep too far off of third. There’s a difference between taking a lead and trying to cause a balk, and doing so when the implication is trying to steal home.

Yet Wong took a huge lead, causing Sugano instinctively to step off. That’s a third disengagement, and in alignment with the rules, a balk. Sugano was awarded home plate, and Boston took a 1-0 lead.

Conventional wisdom says you don’t creep that far off third. The Orioles, and everyone watching, assumed Wong would take a moderate lead and leave it at that. He caught us all by surprise, needless to say. Including Tomoyuki Sugano.

But two innings later the O’s put two runners on as well. And Ryan Mountcastle’s RBI-single tied the game at one. Colton Cowser followed with an RBI-double, giving the O’s the lead. He would later score on a wild pitch, and the Birds led 3-1. Put people on base and anything can happen.

Kade Strowd loaded the bases with nobody out in the eighth. He was lifted in favor of Rico Garcia, who was asked to do the impossible. Having Boston load the bases with nobody out at Fenway is almost asking for it. Yet Garcia struck out the side, preserving the lead.

However Lowe’s two-run homer in the last of the ninth against Yaramil Hiraldo tied the game at three. Hiraldo would also load the bases, and induce Story to ground into an inning-ending double-play. Getting us to extra innings.

The Orioles would also load the bases in the tenth – and got out of it. With the ghost runner getting to third with one out in the 11th, Samuel Basallo’s run-scoring groundout gave them the lead at 4-3. The game should have been tied before it ended.

With one out and the ghost runner on third, Anthony flied out to center. However the runner at third (Eaton) inexplicably didn’t tag up and run. If you combine that with the fact that the Orioles loaded the bases in the eighth, ninth, and tenth (and pitched out of it), it stands to reason that they pulled a rabbit out of a hat. As many times as they’ve lost despite conventional wisdom this year, this time they got one back.

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Baltimore Orioles: Samuel Basallo makes big league debut in Birds’ runaway win

The Baltimore Orioles and Dean Kremer joined their NFL counterparts in beating a Texas team. Granted if you go back to Friday night the O’s had already done that, prior to the Ravens beating the Dallas Cowboys last night. But nevertheless, Kremer out dueled Houston by shutting them out, and throwing the most pitches he’s thrown all year. Kremer’s line: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K.

This game was always going to be noteworthy once the Orioles opted to promote Samuel Basallo to the big leagues this afternoon. He was hit by a pitch in his first at-bat, and didn’t record a hit in the game. But he’s here, and he hit out of the DH role.

The Orioles loaded the bases in the third on three consecutive base hits. Gunnar Henderson then made a bid for a grand slam, but Houston right fielder Sanchez would rob him of that with an amazing leaping catch at the wall. However it went as a sac fly-RBI, giving the O’s a 1-0 lead.

Three straight fifth inning singles doubled the lead in the fifth, with Jackson Holliday’s RBI-single being the big one. Every Oriole who reached base in the inning would touch home plate, however. Jordan Westburg’s three-run homer broke the game wide open and gave the O’s a 5-0 lead.

Westburg would tack on an RBI-single in the seventh. Adley Rutschman would also add an RBI-groundout. Samuel Basallo also made a play for his first major league hit, and it would have been a home run. But Sanchez struck again in right field, making an incredible catch on the ball. In terms of winning and losing the game of course, it meant relatively little.

The O’s also exploded again in the eighth, in a sequence started by Jordan Westburg’s RBI-single. It also featured Samuel Basallo’s first major league hit. It was a two-RBI single, and it extended the Orioles’ lead to 12-0.

Kremer is reminding coaches and fans alike that he’ll have a big role on this team next year. He’s very quietly had a good season. That cemented itself this afternoon.

The O’s now head to Boston for the first of a two-game series at Fenway Park. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Dustin May. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Not perfect, but FOREVER YOUNG

Coming into tonight’s game in Houston, the Baltimore Orioles were focusing on Brandon Young continuing the string of quality starts of late. This in Houston, about 90 miles from Young’s hometown. With his entire family and half the town in attendance. The movie, The Rookie comes to mind. Young’s line: 8.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K.

However come the end of the game, it was another baseball movie that was coming to mind, For The Love of the Game. Keep in mind, Young was coming off of perhaps his worst big league start last weekend against the Athletics, And in his hometown he followed that up perhaps the best start by an Oriole pitcher in years. And an unforgettable first major league win in the process. If you’re looking to next year and onwards, Young’s a keeper,

The O’s took a 1-0 lead on a solo homer in the third by Coby Mayo. Two innings later Gunnar Henderson plated a run on a sac fly-RBI. A third run scored on a throwing error.

Gunnar Henderson would add an RBI-single in the seventh, as would Jeremiah Jackson in the eighth. The O’s would also tack on two additional runs on a Dylan Carlson two-run home run. All of that combined for a 7-0 Orioles win in Houston.

But Brandon Young was the story. Anytime someone records their first big league win, he’s the story. Especially in his hometown, in front of his entire cadre of family and friends. But…wow.

Young came within four outs of a perfect game. With one out in the eighth inning, Young’s former teammate, former Oriole Ramon Urias, got aboard with a swinging bunt. He ended up on second base as a result of Young’s throwing error.

So in his first big league win, Brandon Young tossed eight innings of one-hit baseball, surrendering one hit and committing a throwing error. Included in that was a perfect game bid, and in his hometown none the less. Again needless to say, that was the best start for this franchise in several years.

Outstanding. Not perfect, but outstanding. It really shows you how difficult it is to toss a perfect game or no-hitter. You can’t under any circumstances think that Brandon Young is going to have outings like this the rest of his career. That isn’t sustainable. But hopefully he takes this momentum onward. He silenced one of the most potent lineups in baseball tonight in his first major league victory.

The series continues tomorrow night at Daikin Park. Cade Povich gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Houston’s Jason Alexander. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: “Action Jackson’s” rule the night

The motif last night for the Baltimore Orioles was better late than never. That’s said in the context of the hour and forty minute rain delay to kick things off before Trevor Rogers could start the game. And he spun a gem for the O’s last night – the O’s who to date hadn’t had a walk off win all year. Rogers’ line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 6 K.

Dean Kremer went eight on Tuesday and gave up one run, and then Rogers’ outing last night. This against one of the hottest lineups in baseball. Unfortunately for Rogers, Oriole bats were once again quiet – early, that is.

The lone run that Rogers surrendered came in the seventh when Naylor slapped an RBI-single following a leadoff triple. But that was okay given that Ryan Mountcastle sent the first pitch he saw in the home half of the inning over the wall for a home run that tied the game at one.

Later in the inning after a single by Ryan Noda, Jeremiah Jackson’s RBI-triple gave them the lead. Jackson would also score on a throwing error, pushing it to 3-1. Also known as a “little league homer.” For what it’s worth, Jackson was also a pinch hitter.

Yennier Cano came on in the closer’s role in the ninth. He gave up a single and a walk, putting two runners on, and then Seattle executed a double steal. An RBI-groundout and a sac fly-RBI would tie the game at three, with Keegan Akin replacing Cano in the middle of the inning.

Yet, the home team bats last. The O’s recorded two quick outs in the inning, before Dylan Carlson got aboard with a single. Keep in mind, the O’s hadn’t won a game in walk off fashion yet this year, this with Jackson Holliday striding to the plate.

That Carlson single may have been the key. That turned the order over to get to Jackson Holliday. In a 2-1 count he sent a liner into the right field corner for an RBI-double that won it for the Birds. In a game that was wayward from the get go due to the weather, the O’s were able to record their first walk off win of the year.

The Jackson’s of course pushed in the big runs. Jeremiah Jackson and Jackson Holliday. But again the biggest play may have been Dylan Carlson getting on base. In that situation if you’re Seattle, you have to look at the scoreboard and recognize that if that guy gets aboard, you turn over the order. Some days you win, some days you lose, and some days it rains. Yesterday two of those things were true for the Birds.

The series concludes this afternoon with Seattle at Camden Yards. Tomoyuki Sugano gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Seattle’s Logan Evans. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Just barely not enough

From the immediate outset it appeared that it was going to be a long night for Dean Kremer and the Baltimore Orioles. Kremer allowed a run and some traffic on the bases in the first inning. But he pitched out of it. And that may have set off the best start of his career. Kremer’s line: 8 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

After leading off the game with a single, Arozarena stole second base. He would later score on Naylor’s RBI-single. Again, it appeared that it might be a long night at that point. But that was the nadir of Kremer’s outing. Unfortunately it’s all that was needed.

That 1-0 lead stood the entire game. The best shot the Orioles had was in the ninth inning when Seattle closer Munoz appeared to take an elongated rest on the mound. With a runner on and two outs, trainers brought out hydration fluids, and he seemed to take a blow smack in the middle of the inning.

He would later compose himself, but his velocity was down. However Ryan Mountcastle grounded out to end the game, and the Orioles fell, 1-0. Dean Kremer deserved better…

…he really did. It’s no exaggeration to say this may have been the best start of his career. And it goes down as an eight inning loss. You can’t win if you can’t score. That much is a fact.

The sequence at the end of the game was curious. Was Munoz dehydrated? Was he in pain? Tough to say, but the game was allowed to be delayed for a time.

The series continues tomorrow night Zar Camden Yards. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Seattle’s Logan Gilbert. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM,

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Baltimore Orioles: Can’t close them out

Brandon Young didn’t have it tonight for the Baltimore Orioles. Then again, neither did the bullpen relievers that followed him. And save for a brief moment, neither did Oriole bats. Young’s line: 3.0 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 2 K.

Before the game of course MASN broadcaster Tom Davis, former outfielder Joe Orsulak, and of course former outfielder Adam Jones were inducted into the Orioles’ Hall of Fame. Needless to say, the Orioles do things such as their Hall of Fame Induction correctly. Nostalgia is a huge part of sports, and this is a very traditional fan base. The O’s are the masters at what you might call Field of Dreams style moments.

But that was perhaps the biggest highlight for the O’s. Maybe not – after the Athletics smacked a two-run home run in the first inning, Gunnar Henderson hit a three-run shot in the home half of the frame, a homer that was set up by Jordan Westburg butcher boying his way on base. So the Orioles did lead the game for a moment. However in the wake of that Henderson homer, 15 consecutive Orioles were retired.

One thing Young and other Orioles pitchers had in common tonight is they couldn’t get out of at-bats. With two strikes guys would find a way to get on base. That began in the first at-bat of the game when Young started out 0-2, and walked the hitter. The two-run homer ensued. You have to get out of at-bats.

Similarly, Rooker’s three-run home run in the third gave the Athletics the lead back. And that came after the precious hitter was in a two-strike hole. Hernias would add a sac fly-RBI to extend the lead to 6-3 before the inning ended.

The fifth inning was the killer. The Athletics put up five runs. And it could have been worse had Adley Rutschman not picked a runner off third. And again, the O’a couldn’t put the capper on. With two outs Hernaiz grounded back to the pitcher, Yaramil Hiraldo. Hiraldo muffed the ball, allowing the runner to reach,

Four of the five runs that scored in the inning came on the heels of that play. Which happened on another two-strike count. Obviously in that instance the pitcher (Hiraldo) in theory did get out of the situation. That would have been the third out. Until it wasn’t. The Athletics may be at a reduced power level, but you can’t give them multiple chances.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Cade Povich gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by the Athletics’ Luis Morales. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles lifted by Ryan Mountcastle in his return

Tomoyuki Sugano got the start for the Baltimore Orioles this evening in game one against the Athletics. This in the kickoff game for Orioles’ Hall of Fame weekend. Tomorrow Joe Orsulak, broadcaster Tom Davis, and of course the great Adam Jones will be inducted into the team Hall of Fame. But for starters Sugano pitched a gem. Sugano’s line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

After Sugano retired the A’s quickly in the first, the Oriole offense got to it. Following a Gunnar Henderson walk, Adley Rutschman smacked a two-run home run. In his return to the majors after being injured, Ryan Mountcastle went back-to-back with Rutschman and smacked a solo home run in the immediate aftermath.

That gave the Birds a 3-0 lead, The Mountcastle homer is noteworthy because of his absence. We last saw Ryan Mountcastle in late May when he went on the IL. Then again, who hasn’t been on the IL this year? Mountcastle’s absence has certainly been felt. But his presence was also felt tonight.

And Oriole bats weren’t able to muster much more. So it’s a good thing that Mountcastle smacked that home run, as the Athletics chipped away. Urias’ sac fly-RBI in the fifth cut the lead to 3-1. The Athletics threatened again in the eighth, scoring a second run on Soderstrom’s RBI-single.

But the O’s would pitch out of that jam, and close the Athletics down 1-2-3 in the ninth. Overall, a nice win to kick off hall of fame weekend. And yes, that Ryan Mountcastle solo homer at the tail end of the first inning was the big play.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Brandon Young gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by the Athletics’ Jack Perkins. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: You can’t nibble

In his return from the IL, Cade Povich was good tonight at Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia. Not perfect, but good. Not great, but good enough to win. 5.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 7 K.

Povich was a hard-luck loser, albeit not in the way we might normally think. This wasn’t necessarily a pitcher’s duel. But in a perfect world, Povich would have actually gotten the win as opposed to the loss.

Povich surrendered a solo homer to Harper in the first inning. However the O’s battled in the early innings. Tyler O’Neill smacked a two-run home run in the second to thrust the Orioles into the lead at 2-1. They would extend it to 3-1 in the third on Jordan Westburg’s solo homer.

The interesting thing is that those two home runs were on pitches well out of the strike zone. It seems like the Orioles couldn’t heed what they were being told by that. They couldn’t see that weak pitches out of the zone weren’t going onto cut it.

Povich was lifted in the seventh after recording two outs and allowing a base hit. Interestingly, that base hit was a contested play. Gunnar Henderson made an amazing play to get to a Realmuto grounder in the hole, and the throw wasn’t in time. The Orioles challenged the play, but the call was upheld. My personal opinion is that he was rightfully out. But there wasn’t enough evidence to overturn the call on the field.

Following a Castellanos single, Corbin Martin’s four-seam fastball was slugged into the stands by Bader to give Philadelphia a 6-3 lead. All of the pitches in the Bader at-bat were either out of the strike zone, or on the fringes. This with Corbin Martin on the mound.

Martin would also surrender an RBI-single to Wilson, and then an emphatic grand slam to Schwarber. Philadelphia would also tack on two additional solo home runs in the eighth. And the O’s fell 13-3 in the series opener.

Prior to the Schwarber grand slam, Martin issued a walk to Turner – again, primarily by nibbling. On a 1-2 pitch, Martin had Turner struck out. Pitch track showed the pitch in the fringes of the strike zone.

But when you constantly nibble on the strike zone, you aren’t going to get that call. Povich got tagged with the loss, but he shouldn’t have. It’s merely a technicality that an inherited runner scored. Povich attacked the strike zone. Subsequent Oriole pitchers didn’t. They tried to nibble on the fringes and get cheap strikes. And home plate umpire Jim Wolf wasn’t having it.

When Martin was forced to throw the ball more over the plate with the bases loaded, Schwarber had the ability to sit on a fastball. And it wasn’t good enough to overpower Schwarber.

When you’re forced to pitch to a heavy hitter like Schwarber, odds are he knows you have to pitch to him. Sometimes that’s the line between winning and losing. That can also be defined by things such as instant replay. Had Coby Mayo stretched just a little further to get the ball on the instant replay review prior to the grand slam, it never happens.

The series continues tomorrow night at Citizen’s Bank Park. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Philadelphia’s Taijuan Walker. Game time is set for 6:45 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles fall despite unlikely heroics

Brandon Young is still looking for his first major league win for the Baltimore Orioles. Not a terrible outing at Wrigley Field this afternoon, but he had to labor. Despite neither of the runs he gave up being earned. Young’s line: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R (0 earned), 2 BB, 4 K.

Jeremiah Jackson committed a two-base error in the first inning, dropping a pop fly. That was followed by Suzuki’s RBI-single, and Chicago led 1-0. Happ’s subsequent run-scoring double multiplied the lead by two.

That’s the argument against a youth movement. You have to eventually bring young guys up, especially in the situation in which the Orioles find themselves now. But you also have to subsequently live with errors like that. Incidentally Jackson somewhat redeemed himself at the end of the inning when a third run tried to score on the Happ double (in the form of Kelly), and he got an assist on the putout at home plate.

Gunnar Henderson would get the O’s on the board in the third with a fielder’s choice-RBI. One inning later it was tied on an RBI-single by Colton Cowser. The Orioles may be at a disadvantage due to various reasons right now, but they don’t give up either.

Chicago would put two runners on in the last of the sixth, the second of which coming on a fluky play. The ball deflected off the base of the pitcher’s mound, and went into the outfield. That’s very typical of the 2025 Orioles. If it’s fluky and it could happen, it has happened. The same is true of the subsequent RBI-single by Swanson which gave Chicago a 3-2 lead.

I’ve said this a million times – the Orioles are playing their outfield slightly too deep. I understand that analytics say that’s what to do, but when you have softly hit balls such as that of Swanson, the outfielders can’t make the play. Soft contact has killed this team this year. And we saw it again today.

The Orioles trailed 3-2 down to their final out. Colton Cowser was on second base after a double, and the Birds sent up Ryan Noda as a pinch hitter. Noda was picked up on waivers yesterday. He’s bounced around with various teams and in various teams’ farm systems. He’s an Illinois native, and he was coming to bat in Wrigley Field with the game on the line…

…and he delivered. His RBI-single tied the game at three. Unfortunately however, Turner’s two-run homer in the last of the ninth won it for Chicago. Valiant effort on the Orioles’ part, but the home team bats last.

The O’s now head to Philadelphia to open up a three-game set at Citizen’s Bank Park. Cade Povich returns to the majors after a rehab to make the start, and Philadelphia is yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for 6:45 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: The confines were friendly to Gunnar Henderson

Tomoyuki Sugano labored through five innings for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon at Wrigley Field. In short, he set the table. But a laborious afternoon, and not a perfect one. But one where he was able to help the Orioles at least hang around. Sugano’s line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

Chicago put two runners in scoring position in the second, and Horner’s RBI-single gave them a 1-0 lead. McGuire’s sac fly-RBI would extend it to 2-0. Jordan Westburg led off the fourth with a single, and was promptly picked off of first. You can’t let that happen.

Chicago starter Boyd has a strange pickoff move that’s borderline to being a balk, quite frankly, it could go either way. The umpire didn’t rule it a balk, so it was an out. In the hole half of the inning Horner would tack on an RBI-single, and Chicago led 3-0.

However Oriole pitching buckled down in the wake of that fourth inning and mowed hitters down. Which was good, because the O’s couldn’t afford any more runs surrendered. Keep in mind, the O’s hadn’t scored a run since the trade deadline.

Colton Cowser walked to lead off the eighth inning. Jeremiah Jackson followed with a single. Later in the inning Jordan Westburg’s RBI-single got the O’s on the board and cut the Chicago lead to 3-1. At least they ended the mini-scoreless streak.

Backing up a second, with one out in the inning Jackson Holiday grounded into a force out. Chicago couldn’t turn two, and the inning continued. Which means that had they turned two, Gunnar Henderson wouldn’t have come up.

And if you watched the game you know what happened. Henderson smacked a three-run home run to right field, giving the Orioles an impromptu 4-3 lead. You don’t get more clutch than that.

Keegan Akin put the winning run on base in the ninth, but retired the side for the save. There are legitimate criticisms to be made of the Orioles this year, along with a lot of other things that were out of their realm of control. But in a year where nothing’s gone right, that’s as improbable a win as you’ll see.

The series concludes tomorrow at Wrigley Field – the Friendly Confines. Brandon Young gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Colin Rea. Game time is set for 2:20 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Trevor Rogers with a quick hard-luck loss

How the Baltimore Orioles responded to all of the trades yesterday was always going to be a big question. However the answer to that question was simply Trevor Rogers. He was a stalwart on the mound for the O’s, pitching a complete game in the first of three at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Rogers’ line: 8.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 8 K.

Rogers allowed two runners in scoring position in the second inning. And Happ’s sac fly-RBI gave Chicago a 1-0 lead. Unfortunately the O’s couldn’t muster anything offensively. However aside from that, Rogers shut Chicago down.

Unfortunately that one run was all they needed. You can’t win if you can’t score. But on a day when it was unclear what the pecking order was in the Oriole bullpen, Trevor Rogers stepped up.

Many people will say that the lineup lost some pizzazz after yesterday’s trades. Maybe it did. But the moves made yesterday put the franchise in a better spot for the future. That’s what’s important.

We also saw what Adley Rutschman brings to the lineup today, as down to his final strike in the top of the ninth with two outs, he lined a double into the outfield. Tyler O’Neill then made a case for a two-run homer which would have put the Birds ahead, but Wrigley held it.

That’s important. It should symbolize to fans that the core of the team is still in tact. Rutschman was a 1:1 for a reason,

This was also one of the quickest games you’ll see. One hour and 49 minutes to be exact. A hard-luck loss for Trevor Rogers, yes. But one heck of a performance.

The series continues tomorrow afternoon at Wrigley Field. Tomoyuki Sugano gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Matthew Boyd. Game time is set for 2:20 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles send Ryan O’Hearn and Ramon Laureano west

Ryan O’Hearn was the Baltimore Orioles’ lone all star representative. Now he and Ramon Laureano are on their way to San Diego. The Orioles traded them this afternoon.

In return the O’s are getting the following prospects:

LHP Boston Bateman
INF Cobb Hightower
INF/OF Victor Figueroa
RHP Tyson Neighbors
INF Brandon Butterworth
RHP Tanner Smith

Bateman especially is sort of a big one. Only at single-A, but he’s one of San Diego’s top prospects. The O’s may have sold a lot today. But they got a decent return.

I’m surprised they traded Laureano, who’s still under team control. However that may have been the X-factor in getting what they got back. The haul they got on all of their trades is heavy on pitching, but the core of the team and the future is still in tact.

Interesting move by San Diego also. At first glance, it looks like the Orioles kind of fleeced them. If you’re their GM, you’re running a huge risk in saying this year or bust. When you take a leap of faith like that, you’d better be right.

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Baltimore Orioles send Cedric Mullins to Queens

The Baltimore Orioles have traded center fielder Cedric Mullins to the New York Mets. This in advance of today’s 6 PM trade deadline. In return, the O’s are receiving RHP Raimon Gomez, RHP Anthony Nunez, and RHP Chandler Marsh.

This at first glance appears to be decent return for a player or Mullins’ caliber. Especially given that he’s a rental. Granted New York is now the only team who can offer him a contract, so there’s that risk for the Orioles. But the O’s can bring him back next year if they want to and are able.

Two of those three are top 30 prospects. So there’s that. And it’s good to restock the minors a bit. That said, youth doesn’t help the Orioles at the big league level for 2026.

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Baltimore Orioles trade Ramon Urias and Andrew Kittredge

The Baltimore Orioles continued their deadline moves following yesterday’s 9-8 loss to Toronto. First off, they sent Ramon Urias to Houston in exchange for minor league RHP Twine Palmer. Palmer has spent parts of two seasons with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, and has a career ERA of 2.62.

The Orioles also appear to be sending Andrew Kittredge to the Chicago Cubs. Neither club has confirmed the deal, and it’s unclear what the Birds are getting in return. Of course we saw Seranthony Dominguez switch clubhouses the other day. Now Kittredge appears to be flying to Chicago with the Orioles only to compete against them with Chicago.

Kittrege is of course a rental for Chicago, as his contract is expiring. Urias was under team control through 2026. It’s a curious trade, especially given that the pitcher they got in return is only 20 years old. Urias is also a Gold Glove winner with the Orioles.

Admittedly Palmer has some promise. But he isn’t someone who appears to be capable of helping the big league club for awhile. More as it comes.

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Baltimore Orioles: Adley Rutschman for the win

By virtue of winning the night cap, the Baltimore Orioles swept today’s doubleheader with Toronto. Brandon Young got the start in a game that was vastly different from the first game. But that’s about par for the course in baseball across two different games. These just happened to be on the same day. Young’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 K.

Young loaded the bases in the first inning but pitched out of it. He then surrendered a run in the second on Lukes’ RBI-groundout. Straw would squeeze in a run in the third on a sacrifice bunt, and the O’s trailed 2-0.

But the Orioles weren’t going quietly despite winning the first game. Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI-triple in the fourth got them on the board and cut the Toronto lead to 2-1. Ramon Urias would plate him with an RBI-groundout, and the score was tied at two.

Of course the interesting side story in this game was that the Orioles traded reliever Seranthony Dominguez to Toronto between games. Go figure, Dominguez did get into the game in the seventh. He didn’t surrender any runs against his now former team, but it figured he’d get into the game.

On a side note, Toronto prospect Juaron Watts-Brown was sent back to the Orioles and assigned to double-A Chesapeake…who was at home, and playing Toronto’s double-A team. It’s unclear if there’s ever been a trade where a big league player switched clubhouses and the minor league compensation did the same on the flip side, but needless to say it was an interesting dynamic.

With the game still tied in the last of the eight, Gunnar Henderson smacked a double. Adley Rutschman followed, of course only in his third game since returning from the IL. And Rutschman smacked a key RBI-double, scoring the go-ahead run,

The Orioles called on Corbin Martin to close out the game – Martin, who was recently picked up by the O’s. Martin put two runners on, and was struggling with his command. But end of the day he recorded three outs and qualified for his first career big league save. And the O’s have taken three of the first four against Toronto, with one to play tomorrow.

The irony of course is that it probably would have been Seranthony Dominguez in the closer’s role. But he was in the opposing bullpen. It wasn’t an easy ninth, but it worked out for the O’s.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Jose Berrios. Game time is set for just after 12:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Seranthony Dominguez switching clubhouses

The Baltimore Orioles have made a trade. They’re sending reliever Seranthony Dominguez to Toronto in exchange for RHP Juaron Watts-Brown. He was previously the 10th best prospect in the Toronto farm system.

Dominguez of course is only switching clubhouses. This in the middle of a doubleheader. I’m always interested to see if he has a jersey and a uniform ready to go in the other clubhouse for the second game when things like this happen. I guess we’ll find out. At this time neither team has confirmed the trade.

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Baltimore Orioles: That escalated quickly

It’s tough to decipher whether Charlie Morton or another members of the Baltimore Orioles was the most key in today’s win over Toronto in game one of a doubleheader. Morton pitched to a quality start, and did so in a game where the Birds needed some longevity given the doubleheader. Not to mention the heat. Morton’s line: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 2 K.

The O’s led almost from the beginning. Sac fly-RBI’s by Tyler O’Neill and Cedric Mullins in the first inning gave them a 2-0 lead. Toronto would cut that in half in the third, however Ramon Urias and Cedric Mullins would each net sac fly-RBI’s in the home half of the inning to give the O’s a 4-1 lead.

The only real threat Toronto posed in this game was in the fourth when Barger’s two-run home run cut the lead to one at 4-3. However they ran themselves out of that inning with runners at the corners and two outs. On a double-steal attempt, the final out of the inning was recorded by the Orioles tagging the runner out trying to steal home. Why you would try something that risky in that situation, I don’t know.

The O’s took that one-run lead into the sixth before it escalated. And fast. Gunnar Henderson’s RBI-single extended the lead to 5-3. Then the red hot Tyler O’Neill’s three-run home run gave them an 8-3 lead. But what the heck…Ramon Urias went back-to-back and smacked a solo shot, before Colton Cowser ended the onslaught with an RBI-single to give the Orioles a 10-3 lead.

But they weren’t finished. Gunnar Henderson’s three-run homer in the seventh gave the O’s a ten-run margin at 13-3. Ramon Urias smacked his second solo home run of the game later in the inning, and the O’s would tack on two nominal runs in the eighth. This following a Toronto solo home run.

When the dust settled, the Birds had a 16-4 win in the first game of the doubleheader. That’s a good spot in which to be going into the second game. Especially when you have a Tyler O’Neill, who has four home runs in the last four games.

The series continues tonight in the second game of the doubleheader at Camden Yards. Brandon Young gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Eric Lauer. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Four homers plus does the trick

My personal opinion is that Baltimore Orioles’ starter Zach Eflin was almost cheated out of a win tonight against Toronto. Interim manager Tony Mansolino lifted Eflin to match up before he could get through five innings. The scoreboard says that was the right move, but I digress. Eflin’s line: 4.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

The O’s got out to an early 3-0 lead in the second. Cedric Mullins smacked a two-run home run. That was followed by a solo home run by Coby Mayo, back-to-back. And that set the tone for the game.

However Toronto would briefly even the score with two homers of their own in the third. But the O’s weren’t having any of Toronto’s antics in this game. Fresh off the IL, Adley Rutschman’s two-RBI double gave the Orioles the lead back at 5-3 in the last of the third. Ramon Laureano would add an RBI-single, but Toronto would add one back on a fielder’s choice-RBI in the fourth.

However the O’s would break the game openly quickly. Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI-double was followed in the fifth by Ramon Laureano’s two-run home run. Coby Mayo would score a tenth run on a fielder’s choice-RBI, in which Toronto had the runner out at home plate but took the out at first instead.

Colton Cowser would tack on a solo home run in the seventh and the Orioles went home 11-4 winners in game one against Toronto. Was it the return of Rutschman that made a difference? Needless to say, it didn’t hurt. But it was probably an indirect result of Rutschman’s return, and more a feature of the lineup being closer to complete.

Home plate umpire Brian Walsh did not have a good game. Gunnar Henderson was rung up on a called strike three that wasn’t close to being a strike, and numerous pitches appeared to be right down Broadway and were called balls. For the Orioles at least tonight, it worked out.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards (in game one of a doubleheader). As things being written, neither team has named a starter. Game time is set for just after 12:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Strong finish in Colorado series

The Baltimore Orioles had to wait a bit longer than expected to see Tomoyuki Sugano in the series finale against Colorado. The game began with a nearly half hour rain delay – with no rain! But end of the day, it was worth the wait; Sugano pitched to a quality start. Sugano’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 8 K.

This was probably Sugano’s best start in awhile. On a hot, humid, and sticky day at Camden Yards, Sugano turned in a great outing. The lone run he surrendered was a solo home run to Bernabel in the second inning. (Bernabel’s first homer of his career.)

But Oriole bats had some wherewithal to them today also. Following a Cedric Mullins walk and a Coby Mayo double, Dylan Carlson’s two-RBI double put the Orioles ahead 2-1. One inning later Gunnar Henderson got aboard with a single, and Tyler O’Neill smacked a two run home run to put the O’s ahead 4-1.

Following Sugano’s dominating performance, Yennier Cano did allow two runners on in the seventh. However he also induced a groundout and a strikeout, preserving the lead.

Gunnar Henderson would score in the eighth on a wild pitch to tack on an insurance run. Which as we know has been a tough thing for the O’s to do this year. End of the day, the Orioles took two-of-three in this series. Many will point to the first game and say that shouldn’t have happened. But two of three is two of three. And you take that.

The O’s now open a four-game set with Toronto tomorrow at Camden Yards. Zach Eflin gets the start for the Orioles, 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: Cedric Mullins on a Rocky Mountain High

Trevor Rogers was tasked with keeping Colorado at bay this evening for the Baltimore Orioles. Luckily for him and the Birds, Colorado wasn’t nearly as pesky as they were last night. Not even close. Rogers mowed them down with relative ease. Rogers’ line: 7.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

The Orioles began tonight’s game in a similar way they did last night, with a run in the first inning. Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI-single gave them a 1-0 lead. One inning later it was 3-0 after a two-run home run by Tyler O’Neill. It was O’Neill’s second straight game with a homer, which is obviously a good sign. O’Neill’s struggled to stay off the IL this year, as of course has seemingly everyone else.

Colorado almost had an extra base hit in the third against Rogers when Arcia sent a deep shot to center. However it ended up being a long fly ball out. Cedric Mullins took a dead sprint towards the wall, laid out, and caught it on a dive. And dazzled the crowd in the process. Needless to say, that’s a gold glove play.

Mullins of course is a prime trade candidate. So that might have come at a good moment. It was also a swan song in a sense (assuming he moves) for the Camden faithful. As was his three-run homer in the fourth to give the O’s a 6-0 lead.

Incidentally, that was Mullins’ 100th career home run – all of them of course in the orange & black. So it was fitting that he hit that homer at Oriole Park. Also perhaps in one of his last games as an Oriole. Potentially. To show he wasn’t kidding, Mullins reached on a swinging bunt in the sixth. Colton Cowser scored on an E1.

Jacob Stallings would plate a run a moment later in a similar fashion – an E1. Colorado’s Robison did not have a good night in the field. The O’s would blow the game further open in the seventh. They batted around, and then some. When the smoke cleared, the O’s put nine runs on the board in the inning. And Colton Cowser made a play for a two-run homer, but it ended up being a long fly ball out to end the inning.

Lost in the shuffle was Trevor Rogers’ effort. Seven innings of one-hit baseball. However the story of the game, aside from the margin of victory, was Cedric Mullins. What happens between now and Thursday’s trade deadline remains to be seen. But Mullins has been a solid Oriole. And he deserves to have had his 100th career homer in front of Orioles’ fans.

Also worth mentioning, Mullins’ contract is up after this season. So the Orioles could trade him this coming week, only to re-sign him (if they so choose) in the off season. For the record, Alex Jackson smacked a solo homer in the eighth to run the final to 18-0. The Orioles set a franchise record tonight incidentally – 18 runs is the largest shutout win (in terms of margin of victory) in team history.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Tomoyuki Sugano gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Colorado’s Austin Gomber. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Solo home runs truly don’t beat you

Things started well enough for the Baltimore Orioles this evening against Colorado. Dean Kremer was dealing, and Oriole bats were hot. But things change often change quickly. Kremer’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 5 K.

Jordan Westburg and Tyler O’Neill each smacked solo homers in the fourth inning to give the O’s a 2-0 lead. Coby Mayo followed with a solo shot of his own in the third, as did Alex Jackson. Almost before the crowd had settled in, the O’s led 4-0.

I’ve written and said a lot thus far this season about the O’s potentially tipping pitches. Quite frankly, at times I STILL think it’s possibly happening (inadvertently, of course). Either that or the analytics the Orioles are using are so strong and so definable, other teams know what they’re going to do, and the adjustments they’re incapable of making.

Nevertheless it almost felt like Colorado might have been tipping their pitches at the beginning. If they were, they themselves were able to pick up on it, and they remedied it. Their starter (Freeland) calmed down after those four home runs. And he started mowing Oriole hitters down.

It was almost like the sides switched circumstances – similar to the game in Tampa earlier this year when the O’s surrendered a 7-0 lead. Colorado found themselves, while the Orioles muddled around in their reporting. Moniak’s solo homer in the fourth cut the lead to 4-1. One inning later Estrada’s two-run home run cut the Oriole lead to 4-3.

An RBI-double by Goodman and an RBI-single by Beck in the fifth gave Colorado a 5-4 lead. That rally came with two outs – another motif regarding the 2025 O’s. Kremer recorded the first two outs of the inning quickly, but struggled after having two outs. Again, another two-out rally.

The O’s would tie the game at five on an RBI-single by Jackson Holliday in the seventh. That got Kremer off the hook, but Tovar’s solo homer in the eighth would end up being the winning run for Colorado. Never allow a team like this to hang around, or you’ll regret it.

The O’s were hitting early. Granted that stopped, but it was happening early. We all know that they say solo home runs don’t hurt you. But if you relinquish several of them, they SHOULD hurt you. Colorado overcame that. And to the victors of the spoils.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Colorado’s Antonio Senzatela. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles trade Gregory Soto

The Baltimore Orioles have traded reliever Gregory Soto to the New York Mets. In return, they received RHP Wellington Arecena and RHP Carmen Foster. Soto is a free agent after this year.

Both relievers the Orioles are receiving are minor league farm hands. Arecena has been in single A, and Foster both at double and triple A. It’s unclear where the O’s will be sending these players, or if one or bother of them will be sent to the big leagues. For what it’s worth, both players have sub-3.00 ERA’s at their respective levels.

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Baltimore Orioles: Bottom of the order and two outs

Zach Eflin came off the IL this evening to make the start for the Baltimore Orioles. And the Birds got a decent outing out of Eflin, who did his job. He put the team in a spot to win. Eflin’s line: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

The Orioles almost set the tone for the game in the first inning. Jackson Holliday drew a leadoff walk, but Jordan Westburg immediately grounded into a double-play. On the first pitch.

The O’s would then put runners at second and third in the third inning with nobody out. Jacob Stallings grounded into a fielder’s choice, leaving one out and runners at first and second. Subsequently, Cedric Mullins was picked off of second. What began as a promising inning, had two quick outs.

The Orioles would manufacture a run in the fourth and take a 1-0 lead on a sac fly-RBI by Ryan O’Hearn. However Cleveland would strike back in their half of the frame on a two-RBI single by Mazardo. In theory to that point, the Orioles had outplayed Cleveland. But Cleveland took advantage of the opportunity they had. The O’s did not.

On the flip side, that Mazardo two-run single was a very softly hit bloop. The Orioles hit several scathing liners this evening, and Cleveland made great plays in the field. Only to get burned again on balls that were hit and placed with soft contact. So far as I know, there isn’t a computer program or AI app that can defend against that as of yet.

But the O’s did tie the score. Jackson Holliday smacked a solo home run in the sixth, and the game was knotted at two. The O’s brought Colin Selby in from the bullpen in the last of the eighth, and he recorded two quick outs.

But rallies start against the Orioles with two outs. Throw in the fact that the bottom of the order is up, and you could have a problem. Naylor’s two-out double put a runner in scoring position. It also split the defenders and went all the way to the wall. It would stand to reason that the Orioles’ analytics told them how to best position their outfielders. Naylor just found a way to beat the computer.

That would bring Kwan to the plate, and his RBI-single T gave Cleveland a 3-2 lead. To make matters worse, when the O’s came to bat in the ninth the Cleveland closer was given multiple close pitches. The pitches were in the zone, but on the fringes. And Cleveland hitters had similar pitches called balls.

What the Orioles are doing with two outs that’s leading them astray is beyond me. But opposing teams have taken advantage all year. That could be coincidence for sure. But odds are there’s something facilitating opposing teams’ ease with Oriole pitching with two outs. Especially the bottom of orders.

The O’s will try to salvage one in the series finale tomorrow at Progressive Field. Charlie Morton gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Cleveland’s Logan Allen. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Solid outing for Cade Povich in Birds’ win

The Baltimore Orioles gave Cade Povich the ball in this afternoon’s game against Minnesota at Ed Smith Stadium. He went deeper into the ballgame than even I thought he would pitch, being removed with two outs in the fourth. Povich’s line: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K.

The line run Povich surrendered was on an RBI-single by Wagaman in the first inning. That came as a result of a walk a stolen base, and a groundout. Remember, nothing good ever happens after a walk.

But that was the last time Povich had someone on base. He retired nine in a row following that run, and was lifted by manager Craig Albernaz with two outs recorded in the top of the fourth. Overall this was a great outing for Povich.

You can accept allowing a run in the first inning, unless you’re a perfectionist. But he shut down Minnesota bats after that. Small blip in the radar, and he then adjusted.

The game remained tied until the last of the sixth. Heston Kjerstad continued his outstanding spring with a two-run home run to give the Orioles a 2-1 lead. Kjerstad of course has struggled both in games and in terms of being injured for most of his career. So it’s good to see him raking this spring. Whether it lands him in the active roster remains to be seen.

One inning later however Minnesota tied it on an RBI-single by Outman. However it was another Oriole who’s had his struggles, who brought it home for the Birds. Different struggles, but still struggles. Coby Mayo’s RBI-double in the last of the seventh put the O’s in the lead, 3-2.

Grant Wolfram and Keegan Akin also had great outings today out of the bullpen. And remember, it’s all about looking crisp in these games. The O’s certainly did that.

The Orioles stay at Ed Smith Stadium tomorrow to welcome in AL East rival, Toronto. Tyler Wells gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Cody Ponce. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fall to St. Louis

St. Louis came to Ed Smith Stadium this afternoon, with Chris Bassitt on the bump for the Baltimore Orioles. Bassitt of course was the Orioles’ big off season signing in pitching, and he had a semi-successful outing today in anticipation of the regular season. Bassitt’s line: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K.

The lone run that Bassitt surrendered actually crossed home plate after he exited. With runners at the corners in the top of the fourth, Walker grounded into an out, scoring the runner from third. The O’s would tie the game at one in the bottom of the inning on Ryan Mountcastle’s RBI-single.

Two RBI-singles by St. Louis in the fifth gave them a 5-1 lead. Velazquez would smack a solo home run in the sixth to extend that to 4-1 all this off the Oriole bullpen, who’s expected to be without and injured Andrew Kittredge at the start of the regular season. St. Louis would tack on a ninth run in the ninth inning on a GIDP, and a tenth on a wild pitch.

St. Louis would also drive in two in the seventh on a two-run homer by Baez. The Orioles didn’t get much going in the way of offense today, but you have to keep in mind that it’s only spring training. There’s no game plan per se. But the Birds did tack one back on before it ended. Willy Vasquez’s RBI-double cut the final to 10-2.

The O’s have a split squad day tomorrow with most of the regulars taking on Minnesota at Ed Smith Stadium. Cade Povich gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Mick Abel. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Comeback win on Chris Bassitt’s debut

Chris Bassitt made his spring debut for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon at Jet Blue Park in Ft. Myers as the Birds traveled to take on the BoSox. Not an awful first start, as Bassitt pitched into the third inning. Bassitt’s line: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 2 K.

Bassist gave up a double and then an RBI-single to Durbin in the first inning. He walked a runner in the third, who came around to score following Bassitt’s departure, on three-run homer by Contreras. Sandwhiches around that was a Heston Kjerstad RBI-double in the second.

Boston would load the bases later in the third, and Castro’s two-RBI single would extend the lead to 6-1. It appeared the rout was on on this Sunday at Fenway South. But the O’s chipped away.

With one out in the fifth Enrique Bradley Jr. bunted for a base hit, and Boston proceeded to commit a two-base error. Part of that was an errant throw in an attempt to get Bradley at first base. But after that it was Bradley’s speed in getting to third base. Bradley would score on Colton Cowser’s run-scoring groundout.

Following a walk and a double, Samuel Basallo would smack a ground rule two-RBI double, and the O’s had cut the Boston lead to 6-4. Heston Kjerstad’s subsequent RBI-single would cut it further to 6-5.

Boston would rack what they was almost an insurance run on in the fifth on an errant throw by Basallo in the fifth. But that’s awful early to add an “insurance run.” And true to form, the Orioles loaded the bases in the next inning and tied the game on back-to-back walks. Jud Fabian’s RBI-groundout later in the inning gave them an 8-7 lead.

The big story was Chris Bassitt’s outing. But don’t displace Heston Kjerstad’s game. He’s quietly having a very good camp. It’ll be interesting to see if he can play his way onto the roster. Needless to say, he could use a good break going his way.

Baltimore Orioles fall on late Atlanta power

If you noticed that Kyle Bradish pitched three innings for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon against Atlanta, you get a prize! Figuratively, that is. Point being, he pitched one additional inning than he did the first time out. Bradish’s line: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 5 K.

Bradish sent Atlanta down 1-2-3 in the first, striking out the side. However he allowed two hits in the second, and an RBI-single by Tromp (former Oriole). Atlanta would proceed to put one more on the board in the second inning at Ed Smith Stadium on a subsequent RBI-so glue by English.

The issue in that inning seemed to be similar with what we saw with this team all season in 2025 (and previously). There wasn’t one hard-hit ball in that inning. The run-scoring hits were both flares, with English’s being just out of the reach of Pete Alonso at first base.

I chronicled this a lot last year – and before. It seemed to happen a decent amount. My personal opinion was that the Orioles played their outfield too deep, presumably for analytics reasons. Neither of those plays were affected by that element. However needless to say, Atlanta plated two runs in semi-cheap fashion – without hitting the ball hard.

Adley Rutschman had a great day at the plate. He made solid contact in the last of the second and stroked a double to center. He would later score on a sac fly-RBI by Coby Mayo (following a single by Ryan Mountcastle). Rutschman would come back up in the fourth and smack a solo homer to tie the game at two. Solid contact, both times.

The Orioles brought Yennier Cano into the game for the sixth. Following a base hit and the runner being sacrificed to second, Cano was called for a balk, sending the runner to third. Like most pitchers being called for a balk, Cano seemed unclear as to what he had done wrong. Replays were inconclusive – which again is often a staple of balk calls.

One way or the other that left the runner at third base with less than two outs. Tromp would come back to bat, and his RBI-groundout gave Atlanta their lead back at 3-2. Atlanta would cement their victory in today’s game with back-to-back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning. Not exactly how you want to finish the game, but it’s fair to point out that all three homers were on pitches up in the zone. As they say, if it’s high let it fly.

Atlanta would tack on an additional run on Lowdise’s RBI-double in the ninth. But speaking of if it’s high let it fly, the Birds did just that also. Vance Honeycutt smacked a two-run home run in the ninth to cut the lead to 7-4. Sam Huff came to the plate in the immediate aftermath and smacked a solo shot of his own, giving the O’s back-to-back homers. They fell on this day to Atlanta however, 7-5.

The takeaway today should be Bradish and Rutschman. Bradish may have surrendered two runs, but as I said they came off of softly hit balls – including the guys who came around to score. There’s nothing you can do about that. You can’t plan for it and you can’t really defend against it. At least in the infield.

Other than that, Bradish was strong. Rutschman had two solid contact at-bats. One was a double (and he later came around to score) and the other a home run. If you’re looking for bright spots, those are two big ones.

Manager Craig Albernaz told the media before the game that he expects Samuel Basallo to return to the lineup tomorrow in Ft. Myers against Boston. Basallo of course was injured in Thursday’s game. The Orioles took a wait and see approach, but luckily the worst seems to have been averted.

Tomorrow the Orioles head to Jet Blue Park in Ft. Myers to take on the Boston Red Sox. Chris Bassitt makes his spring debut and gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Ranger Suarez. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fall in Bradenton

Shane Baz took to the bump this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles in Bradenton against Pittsburgh. Solid outing overall for Baz, who’s expected to be a part of the rotation. Baz’s line: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

You could do without the two walks. But the four strikeouts were promising. The Orioles are hoping that Baz solidifies the rotation, at least a bit more solid than it was last year.

The game was scoreless until the sixth when Bryan Ramos of the Orioles smacked an RBI-single to give the O’s a 1-0 lead. That run wasn’t in the form of Adley Rutschman, as he had subbed out. But it was a Rutschman walk which led to that run coming across.

However it was also walks which plagued the Orioles in that sixth inning. Wendzel’s RBI-single after two walks tied the game at one. Between challenges, stolen bases, and pushing the issue, Pittsburgh got very aggressive in the last of the seventh. They put two additional runs across, giving them a 3-1 lead.

But it didn’t end there. Pittsburgh extended its lead to 6-1 with station-to-station hitting, and tough running. I found it interesting that they challenged every call that they could – and it worked. They left no stone unturned. Which is how you win games.

The Orioles return to Ed Smith Stadium tomorrow to take on Atlanta. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Atlanta’s Spencer Strider. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Pete Alonso making his presence felt

Kyle Bradish got the start for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon in Lakeland, FL against Detroit. He was solid in the first inning, but somewhat shaky in the second. Bradish’s line: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K.

Bradish had the lead before he even took the mound. Heston Kjerstad’s solo homer in the top of the first gave the Birds a 1-0 lead. It was a great moment for “The Silent J,” who struggled with injuries last year. On this day however, he made solid contact early and hit the ball over the wall. Later in the inning Reed Trimble’s RBI-single extended the lead to 2-0.

Bradish would load the bases in the second, and Detroit would tie it on an RBI-single by Anderson. But as the game wound into the third inning, the Orioles’ biggest off season acquisition introduced himself to Detroit fans in Lakeland. Pete Alonso smacked a solo homer, giving the Orioles a 3-2 lead.

The fact that Alonso was in the lineup today is noteworthy. He wants at-bats – as many as he can get. It’s that sort of leadership that he’s bringing to the O’s, and it’s not something that’s tangible on the stats sheet. Usually most veterans stay back on road trips – especially early in camp. Alonso wanted to be in the lineup. And he made an impact.

Detroit would tie the game in the bottom of the inning on a Slater solo homer – which appeared to be wind-aided. But the Orioles set themselves up for what they hoped at the time to be victory an inning later. With two on Jose Barrero sent a double into left field. It was about to be a two-run double, but Jeremiah Jackson was thrown out at home plate after the first run scored.

The Orioles took that one-run lead into the last of the ninth. A walk and a wild pitch by Andrew Magno advanced the tying run into scoring position with one out. Briceno sent what should have been a routine fly ball to center. Enrique Bradfield Jr. dropped the ball – after making the catch.

The runner tagged to go to third, but only after the out was recorded. He would later score on Clark’s RBI-single. Even had the runner stayed at second when Bradfield muffed the ball, that run might have scored. But it scored one way or the other – and the game ended in a 4-4 tie, with the teams deciding not to go to extras.

The Orioles return to Sarasota tomorrow to welcome Atlanta into Ed Smith Stadium, Cade Povich gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Atlanta’s Garrett Baumann. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Beware of the big inning

Dean Kremer made his maiden spring voyage this afternoon against Pittsburgh at Ed Smith Stadium. Interesting outing; Kremer surrendered two runs, but didn’t give up a hit. Kremer’s line: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 1 K.

Kremer sent Pittsburgh down 1-2-3 in the first. However he surrendered three walks to lead off the second inning, and you know what comes next. Nothing good ever happens after a walk – much less three. Yorke grounded into a force out, giving Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead. Rodriguez would do the same, and the O’s trailed 2-0.

These spring games are as much about fundamentals as anything else. They certainly aren’t about wins and losses! That second force out was a comebacker to Kremer. He hesitated ever so slightly in throwing the ball to second base; did that cause him to make a throwing that was slightly “off?” Tough to say. But the throw was slightly “off,” perhaps preventing a double-play. You can’t give away outs.

The Orioles would get on the board in the last of the second when Dylan Beavers grounded into a double-play with runners at the corners. But that was the only run that they would put across in the at-bat. In a game that didn’t count.

The O’s brought in Dietrich Enns in the fourth. Remember how every pitching analyst in history says stay out of the big inning? Enns didn’t take that advice this afternoon. Following a walk, he surrendered a two-run homer to Rodriguez, extending Pittsburgh’s lead to 4-1. Two singles later runners were at the corners, and Pittsburgh attempted a steal of second. Adley Rutschman committed a throwing error, allowing a run to score.

Following another walk, former Oriole fan favorite Ryan O’Hearn came up to bat. O’Hearn specifically requested to be on the trip for Pittsburgh, as he valued his time with the Orioles so much. To his credit, he took full advantage, sending an Enns pitch into the stands for a three-run home run and extending the Pittsburgh lead to 8-1.

However we also saw the beauty and majesty of baseball in that moment. When he came up for his first at-bat, O’Hearn was giving a standing ovation by Orioles fans at Ed Smith Stadium. He acknowledged the crowd and went about his business. While rounding the bases on that home run, Orioles fans also applauded; O’Hearn again acknowledged the crowd while rounding the bases.

O’Hearn anappreciated the fans while an Oriole. It showed today – on both sides. He showed a lot of class in that moment, as did the Orioles fans.

The O’s would get one back in the last of the fifth on an errant pickoff attempt, but the damage was done. Remember folks, the results aren’t important in these games. It’s things like Kremer hesitating in the moment as I mentioned above which need to be worked out. And they will be.

The Orioles head out on the road for the first time this spring tomorrow to take on Detroit at Joker Merchant Stadium. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Jack Flaherty. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Pete Alonso for the win!

Opening Day of Spring Training came today for the Baltimore Orioles. Trevor Rogers was on the mound, and was all but flawless. Okay, he gave up one base hit in two innings. But other than that he looked good. Rogers’ line: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K.

I’ll only say this seven or eight more times over the next week or so. But keep in mind that hitters are roughly 5-7 days behind pitchers and catchers. So it isn’t shocking to see low-scoring spring games. Especially in early spring.

One important aspect of today’s game was prior to it – Mike Elias told the media that Jordan Westburg had a partially torn UCL, and would miss at the very least the first month of the season. I suspect more. He’s undergoing therapy, and the Orioles are hopeful of a positive prognosis.

So injuries are once again leading the day. It’s unclear how this injury occurred, but one way or the other it occurred. And the Orioles are now taxed with finding a replacement, at least temporarily.

That replacement could be Coby Mayo in the interim. The youngster went 0-for-2 today, but looked good in the field at the hot corner. Needless to say that could be the biggest early camp storyline for the O’s.

Filling in for Jackson Holliday at second was Jeremiah Jackson, who looks better and better as an acquisition. He led off the sixth with a base hit, and later scored the Orioles’ first run in camp on a two-run home run by Pete Alonso. The Orioles’ biggest offseason acquisition in years made his first bang. And led to a 2-0 Orioles’ win on Grapefruit League Opening Day.

The Orioles remain in Sarasota tomorrow as Pittsburgh rides into Ed Smith Stadium. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Wilber Dotel. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.