Steve Melewski

For Jordan Westburg, the struggles provided chance for growth

September 22, 2021, 9:19pm

Orioles

For Jordan Westburg, the struggles provided chance for growth

BOWIE - For Double-A Bowie infielder Jordan Westburg, seeing his career advance three levels on the farm this year - from low-Single-A Delmarva through high Single-A Aberdeen and now on to Bowie - was a nice achievement. But to hear him tell it, learning to deal with the struggles he experienced along the way in moving up levels was pretty important as well. Westburg, the Orioles' No. 6 prospect, has had a very strong year. He's hit .285/.389/.479/.868 with 27 doubles, five triples, 15...

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Bowie's Grayson Rodriguez takes loss as Akron takes Game 2

September 22, 2021, 6:05pm

Orioles

Bowie's Grayson Rodriguez takes loss as Akron takes Game 2

BOWIE - It was not the night the Bowie Baysox were hoping for. The weather made it challenging and so did Akron RubberDucks batters. They scored six runs in just 2 2/3 innings off Bowie ace Grayson Rodriguez - that was a season high for him in runs allowed - as Akron beat Bowie 8-5 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five Double-A Northeast Championship Series. The Baysox have scored just six runs on six hits in the first two games. The late afternoon downpour finally subsided, but the first...

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A look ahead at Game 2 tonight in Bowie

September 22, 2021, 8:51am

Orioles

BOWIE - It is not a must-win like their game Sunday, when the season would have been over with a loss, but it's a pretty vital game for the Bowie Baysox tonight. They host Akron in Game 2 of the Double-A Northeast Championship Series. After losing here 5-1 last night, they would be in an 0-2 series hole with a loss tonight, and heading to Akron for the rest of the series. Game 3 is set for Friday night at 6:05 p.m. The Baysox, who tied with Akron for the most runs scored in the league in the...

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O's game blog: Looking for a series win at Philadelphia

September 22, 2021, 8:41am

Orioles

O's game blog: Looking for a series win at Philadelphia

The Orioles will take a series victory if they win at Philadelphia tonight. They have split two games at Citizens Bank Park, winning 2-0 Monday night behind John Means and losing 3-2 in 10 innings last night. The Orioles (48-103) are 1-4 on this road trip that ends tonight. They are 25-52 on the road and 7-12 versus National League teams. In their most recent games they have lost four of the last five and nine of 11 heading into the series finale. The Orioles have been struggling to score runs,...

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Seeing Grayson Rodriguez's huge year through eyes of his teammates

September 21, 2021, 7:43pm

Orioles

Seeing Grayson Rodriguez's huge year through eyes of his teammates

BOWIE - As he gets set to make a playoff start tonight for the Double-A Bowie Baysox, it is obvious that right-hander Grayson Rodriguez has had a special season. He is baseball's No. 1-ranked pitching prospect for a reason, and the stats bear that out. But his teammates in Bowie will remind you he has also been a very solid teammate, and his coaches will remind you of that too. The organization also made sure he made gains this year in things like how he scouts his opponents. During a long...

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Jordan Westburg homers, but Bowie loses Game 1

September 21, 2021, 5:04pm

Orioles

Jordan Westburg homers, but Bowie loses Game 1

BOWIE - The Bowie Baysox got an early lead tonight in Game 1 of the Double-A Northeast Championship Series. But the lead didn't hold up as the Baysox bats were silenced most of the night. Akron right-hander Peyton Battenfield allowed just one hit over seven innings as the RubberDucks beat Bowie 5-1 in the opener of the best-of-five series. Bowie will try to get even at home tomorrow night at 6:35 p.m. Battenfield was acquired by Cleveland on July 30. The Indians traded outfielder Jordan Luplow...

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Bowie's Cody Roberts on his game-winning hit Sunday

September 21, 2021, 11:27am

Orioles

Bowie's Cody Roberts on his game-winning hit Sunday

BOWIE - Two days removed from the must-win game that saved their season and got them to tonight, Bowie opens the Double-A Northeast Championship Series tonight, hosting Akron in Game 1 of a best-of-five series. Bowie's three-run rally in the eighth inning on Sunday gave the Baysox a 7-5 win over Altoona and sent Bowie to the playoffs, where tonight they begin a series seeking their second league championship after winning the 2015 Eastern League title. With the game tied 5-5 on Sunday, catcher...

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O's game blog: Looking for two in a row over Phillies

September 21, 2021, 8:25am

Orioles

O's game blog: Looking for two in a row over Phillies

After they had allowed 24 runs in the Boston series, losing all three games, the Orioles pitched a shutout Monday night as they beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-0. It was a damaging loss to the Phillies' playoff chances. Lefty John Means and two relievers teamed on a four-hitter. It was the fourth shutout of the year for a Baltimore staff that had allowed 81 runs the previous nine games. * April 2: Means goes seven innings as O's blank Boston 3-0 on opening day.* May 5: Means pitches a...

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Patrick Dorrian got sought-after power surge to help Bowie to playoffs

September 20, 2021, 8:09pm

Orioles

Patrick Dorrian got sought-after power surge to help Bowie to playoffs

BOWIE - He is a rarity at Double-A Bowie. He has been with that team all year, from start to finish, and will be a key cog in their lineup tonight as the Double-A Northeast Championship Series begins with Bowie hosting Akron in a best-of-five series for the league championship. Patrick Dorrian, 25, has had a strong year on the Orioles farm. One that can fly under the radar when your name is among the organization's home run leaders with players like Adley Rutschman and Kyle Stowers. Stowers...

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John Means was outstanding as O's beat Phillies (updated)

September 20, 2021, 5:42pm

Orioles

John Means was outstanding as O's beat Phillies (updated)

At times tonight, Orioles ace lefty John Means looked like the 2021 early season version. The Means who had an ERA of 1.21 after his first eight starts. That is always big for the Orioles and Means was tonight. He threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings - his fifth start this year allowing no runs - as the Orioles blanked the Philadelphia Phillies 2-0 to start a three-game road series. The Orioles (48-102) won for just the second time in 10 games and put a damaging loss on the Phillies record....

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O's game blog: Series begins at Philadelphia

September 20, 2021, 2:47pm

Orioles

O's game blog: Series begins at Philadelphia

If the Orioles thought playing an interleague series this late in the season would provide an opponent just playing out the string - well, that was not an accurate thought. Tonight, the Orioles begin a three-game series at Philadelphia and the Phillies desperately need wins. Philadelphia (76-73) began play Sunday just one game behind Atlanta for the National League East lead. But they lost 3-2 to the Mets while the Braves (77-70) blanked San Francisco 3-0. So the Phillies begin this series two...

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Fast start, strong finish, final day win leads Bowie to playoffs

September 19, 2021, 4:59pm

Orioles

Fast start, strong finish, final day win leads Bowie to playoffs

As they get ready to play for a league championship for the third time in the team's 28-year history, the Double-A Bowie Baysox can look back on a special regular season where they got off to a sizzling start and produced a strong finish. The Baysox were 21-5 on June 4 and were about the best team in all of Minor League Baseball to that point. Late in the year, as they pushed for a postseason spot, Bowie won 12 of 14 in the last two series, going 7-0 versus Harrisburg and 5-2 against...

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The Bowie Baysox win to reach the playoffs

September 19, 2021, 12:51pm

Orioles

The Bowie Baysox win to reach the playoffs

They took an early lead but then fell behind. But the Double-A Bowie Baysox put together a dramatic rally in the last of the eighth this afternoon and pulled out their must-win game today. Bowie entered the final day of the regular season needing a win to advance to the playoffs. A loss and the season would be over. The Baysox entered the last of the eighth down 5-4 but scored three times to beat Altoona 7-5. The Baysox end the regular season 73-47 (.608), winning 12 of their final 14 games, to...

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O's game blog: Alexander Wells on mound in series finale

September 19, 2021, 8:10am

Orioles

O's game blog: Alexander Wells on mound in series finale

The Orioles need a win this afternoon to salvage the finale of their three-game series at Boston before their current road trip moves on to Philadelphia beginning Monday night. The Birds have lost by 7-1 and 9-3 the last two days at Fenway Park. The Orioles (47-101) have lost seven of their last eight games and have dropped their past three series. They have a 24-50 road record and are 6-11 in September after going 4-24 in August. Baltimore pitching has allowed 16 runs in this series and 73...

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Outfielder Zach Watson is only 20-20 player on O's farm

September 18, 2021, 5:18pm

Orioles

Outfielder Zach Watson is only 20-20 player on O's farm

BOWIE - When you look at the top home run hitters on the Orioles farm they are mostly a group of real big and strong players. Mostly, but not all. In that group of players who have the physical look of middle-of-the-order hitters is center fielder Zach Watson of the Double-A Bowie Baysox. At 6-foot and 160 pounds, and with his speed, he has more the look of the speedy, leadoff type of hitter than a player with 20 homers, exceeded by just three players in the O's farm system this year. But...

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O's game blog: Zac Lowther faces Red Sox

September 18, 2021, 7:36am

Orioles

O's game blog: Zac Lowther faces Red Sox

After losing 7-1 last night to start a three-game series, the Orioles are back at Fenway Park this afternoon. They play the Boston Red Sox in the second game of a three-game series and six-game road trip. In the last four games, the Orioles have scored just two, three, three and one run. That is nine runs on 26 hits in that span. Austin Hays' solo homer in the second inning was the only O's run last night as they were held to four hits - the Hays homer and three other singles. The Orioles...

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Looking for fewer strikeouts versus the AL East, plus farm notes

September 17, 2021, 8:23pm

Orioles

Looking for fewer strikeouts versus the AL East, plus farm notes

Put the ball in play and something good could happen. That has been true on offense in baseball forever. Although we are in an era now with big swings and big strikeout numbers. As the Orioles were held to four hits and lost 7-1 at Boston Friday night, they struck out just five times while drawing one walk. But as the Orioles look to get better and win more often in the rugged American League East, they are going to need to put the ball in play more versus other division clubs. Not only do...

O's game blog: O's face Boston in series opener

September 17, 2021, 12:44pm

Orioles

O's game blog: O's face Boston in series opener

After going 3-3 on their last road trip through the American League East cities of Toronto and New York, the Orioles begin their second-to-last road trip of the season tonight where they began their 2021 season, Fenway Park in Boston. That first series went great for Baltimore as the Orioles swept the three games by a combined 18-5 score. But in a return trip there in mid-August, the Orioles were outscored 30-5 and swept three straight by Boston, and that included a 16-2 loss. The Orioles...

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On O's farm, hitters take BP routine and turn it into runs

September 16, 2021, 7:12pm

Orioles

On O's farm, hitters take BP routine and turn it into runs

BOWIE - In spring training of 2020, the Orioles implemented a new method for their minor league hitters to train with before games. Traditional batting practice, just to get loose by raking against slower, grooved fastballs, was going to be replaced by a routine that would be tougher for the hitters at 4 o'clock, but might lead to more production beginning at 7 o'clock. Then the lost minor league season put this plan on hold. But this year it's being implemented with full force throughout...

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O's game blog: Series and homestand finale against Yankees

September 16, 2021, 11:12am

Orioles

O's game blog: Series and homestand finale against Yankees

After letting the lead get away in the ninth last night as they lost 4-3 to the New York Yankees, the Orioles are out today to end their latest losing steak, which has reached five games. Two of the five losses were by one run where they surrendered a lead in the final inning. The Yankees (82-64) will try to sweep this series and stay in position to earn an American League wild card berth, as three AL East teams battle over two spots. Beginning play today, New York and Toronto have identical...