Steve Melewski

Gunnar Henderson: Aberdeen struggles provide learning and growth

September 15, 2021, 8:20pm

Orioles

Gunnar Henderson: Aberdeen struggles provide learning and growth

BOWIE - His bat was trending up at high Single-A Aberdeen after a very slow start with the IronBirds. But the Orioles' No. 4 prospect, young infielder Gunnar Henderson, did not expect he would end his season playing with the Double-A Bowie Baysox. But there he was again in the lineup on Wednesday night at third base as the Baysox continued their quest for a playoff spot, one he gets to be a part of it in the final week of the regular season. He was promoted during Monday's off-day. Henderson,...

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Grayson Rodriguez on mound tonight as Bowie closes in on playoffs (updated)

September 15, 2021, 12:25pm

Orioles

Grayson Rodriguez on mound tonight as Bowie closes in on playoffs (updated)

BOWIE - Led by a recent run of strong pitching, the Double-A Bowie Baysox have reeled off nine straight wins. Tonight, they send their ace to the mound here as they look to take another big step toward wrapping up a playoff berth in the Northeast. Two teams will make the league's best-of-five championship series next week, and Bowie holds the No. 2 spot heading into tonight's games. .623 - Akron (71-43) .609 - Bowie (70-45) .605 - Somerset (69-45) If Bowie keeps winning, the Baysox will be in...

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O's game blog: John Means faces the Yankees at Oriole Park

September 15, 2021, 8:00am

Orioles

O's game blog: John Means faces the Yankees at Oriole Park

In the first two games of their four-game losing streak, in a doubleheader on Saturday against Toronto, the Orioles led before losing. But they have fallen behind big in the last two losses and will look to reverse that tonight when hosting the New York Yankees. The Orioles trailed 16-4 after the third inning Sunday on their way to a 22-7 loss to the Blue Jays. And they trailed 5-0 after the third last night in losing the series opener 7-2 to the Yankees. New York right-hander Gerrit Cole got...

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O's notes, Mancini's nomination, Bowie's double dip win

September 14, 2021, 8:40pm

Orioles

O's notes, Mancini's nomination, Bowie's double dip win

Just as in Sunday's game, the Orioles fell behind early last night in the series opener with the Yankees. They didn't give up 16 runs early on, but they were behind 5-0 in the third inning in what would turn into a 7-2 loss. The Orioles (46-98) have allowed 51 runs and 18 homers in losing the past four games. They didn't homer last night, but the Orioles have hit eight over the last four games and 11 in the past five. The Orioles have homered at least three times in three of their last five...

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O's game blog: Yankees series begins at Oriole Park

September 14, 2021, 11:43am

Orioles

O's game blog: Yankees series begins at Oriole Park

After an off-day that provided them a chance to regroup, the Orioles take the field tonight to start a three-game series against the New York Yankees. The O's come off three straight losses over the weekend to Toronto by scores of 11-10, 11-2 and 22-7. And now they face a Yankees team against which they won two of three games in New York from Sept. 3-5, allowing just 14 runs in those games. But after beating Toronto 6-3 on Friday night, the Orioles took leads into the seventh inning of both...

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Ryan Mountcastle places name alongside O's royalty

September 13, 2021, 12:08pm

Orioles

Ryan Mountcastle places name alongside O's royalty

When he hit the ball in the third inning Sunday, it started soaring toward right-center field. Moments later, it was over the wall, and with one big swing, young Ryan Mountcastle passed one Orioles Hall of Famer and matched another. With homer No. 28, he moved past Eddie Murray (27 homers in 1977) and joined Cal Ripken Jr. (1982) for most homers as a rookie in club history. Hanging out on a list with Orioles royalty - not bad for the young hitter selected No. 36 overall in 2015 out of Hagerty...

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Overcoming adversity: Lamar Sparks gets it going with Aberdeen

September 12, 2021, 3:06pm

Orioles

Overcoming adversity: Lamar Sparks gets it going with Aberdeen

ABERDEEN - When they drafted him from a high school in Katy, Texas, in the fifth round in 2017, the Orioles could look into the future and foresee a day where young outfielder Lamar Sparks would fill out his 6-foot-2 frame and turn into an athletic player with a lot of pop in that bat. That day could still be coming, but it's at least been delayed for Sparks, the No. 158 overall pick that year. A pitcher in high school, Sparks first felt shoulder pain on the high school showcase circuit. As an...

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Still hitting today, Blue Jays pour it on in 22-7 win (updated)

September 12, 2021, 11:51am

Orioles

Still hitting today, Blue Jays pour it on in 22-7 win (updated)

They scored 11 runs twice yesterday in seven-inning games. And they didn't slow down even a bit today. The Toronto Blue Jays scored five runs today before a single out was recorded and had two grand slams and a 10-run inning in the first three frames. The Orioles' Ryan Mountcastle did hit his 28th homer to tie Cal Ripken Jr.'s club rookie homer record, and that was great milestone for Mountcastle. But it came during a 22-7 loss to Toronto as the Blue Jays take the last three games of this...

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O's game blog: Looking for a win in series finale

September 12, 2021, 7:54am

Orioles

O's game blog: Looking for a win in series finale

The Orioles have had challenges this year and tough losses to try and bounce back from. Today may present their toughest challenge yet. They blew seventh-inning leads in both games of Saturday's doubleheader with Toronto losing the opener 11-10 after they led 10-7 heading to the seventh inning. In the nightcap, they had not allowed a hit through six innings and led 1-0 but they lost that game 11-2. The Orioles (46-96) have lost three of four. They have won three six games, five of nine and six...

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After strong outing, lefty Zac Lowther looks for two in a row

September 11, 2021, 7:53pm

Orioles

After strong outing, lefty Zac Lowther looks for two in a row

For Orioles left-hander Zac Lowther, the handful of games left in the 2021 season and the starts he may get are very meaningful. After a year where he has gone 0-5 with a 6.53 ERA at Triple-A Norfolk and also missed time while rehabbing a shoulder strain, these outings, like his start today, are big. He wants to show he is healthy and also that the Orioles still can consider him as a candidate for their 2022 rotation. Lowther provided a nice glimpse of what he can do Monday versus Kansas City....

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O's game blog: Kremer, Akin start in doubleheader

September 11, 2021, 12:12pm

Orioles

O's game blog: Kremer, Akin start in doubleheader

As the Orioles (46-94) get set to play a straight doubleheader today with a pair of seven-inning games versus Toronto, there are a few interesting notes to review from Friday's 6-3 win. That victory snapped Toronto's eight-game win streak. As this series began the Blue Jays were winners of 11 of 12 and 14 of 19 games. They were coming off a four-game series sweep in the Bronx, where they outscored the Yankees 25-8. They were 27-14 in the last 41 games. The Orioles now have won three of four,...

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O's Matt Blood on Grayson Rodriguez and Kyle Stowers

September 10, 2021, 8:46pm

Orioles

O's Matt Blood on Grayson Rodriguez and Kyle Stowers

We will get to see Double-A Bowie right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, baseball's No. 1-ranked pitching prospect, make at least one more start in the 2021 season. Limited to three innings on Thursday at Harrisburg, Rodriguez will pitch next week, likely on Wednesday, when Bowie hosts Altoona in the final week of the regular season for the Double-A Northeast. Should Bowie advance to the playoffs the following week - when there will be one playoff series involving the top two teams in the league -...

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O's game blog: Orioles host Blue Jays in series opener

September 10, 2021, 1:17pm

Orioles

As the American League wild card race comes down the stretch, the Orioles will have plenty of involvement, playing 16 of their remaining 23 games versus three AL East playoff contenders. Tonight, they begin a four-game series in Baltimore against the Toronto Blue Jays. It's a three-day series that includes Saturday's straight doubleheader that begins at 4:35 p.m. Boston (80-62) holds the first AL wild card as the weekend begins, but New York (78-62) and Toronto (77-62) are right on the Red...

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A few O's notes as they await the Toronto weekend series

September 09, 2021, 7:50pm

Orioles

A few O's notes as they await the Toronto weekend series

A few thoughts and notes on the Orioles, who were shut out 6-0 by Kansas City last night. The Orioles were held to three singles as they fell to 45-94 and now await a series with the Toronto Blue Jays that begins tonight at Oriole Park. No runs, no win: A night after their nine-run last of the eighth inning and comeback win, the Baltimore offense was quiet. They got three straight singles with two outs in the last of the second. They got no other hits before that brief rally and none after. And...

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O's game blog: Looking for a series win against Royals

September 09, 2021, 1:12pm

Orioles

O's game blog: Looking for a series win against Royals

The Orioles have had six winning streaks of three games this year and will make it seven if they beat the Kansas City Royals tonight at Oriole Park. They've never gotten to four in a row, but can make it another three-gamer with a win tonight in the series finale. The Orioles let a late lead get away on Monday afternoon, but have scored 16 runs in back-to-back wins in this series. They went to the last of the eighth behind 5-0 last night and then scored nine runs on six hits, an error and a...

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Zac Lowther on O's pitching development and more on last night's win

September 08, 2021, 8:26pm

Orioles

Zac Lowther on O's pitching development and more on last night's win

Coming into this 2021 season, Orioles lefty pitching prospect Zac Lowther had not yet pitched at the Triple-A level. But over his career on the farm since 2017, Lowther was 23-13 with a 2.26 ERA and 1.018 WHIP over 326 innings. He led all O's minor leaguers in strikeouts in 2018 and 2019. He had pitched everywhere from then short-season Single-A Aberdeen through Double-A Bowie. During his strong 2019 season at Bowie, he joined pitching teammates like Alexander Wells, Mike Baumann, Dean Kremer...

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O's game blog: Matt Harvey faces Kansas City

September 08, 2021, 12:12pm

Orioles

O's game blog: Matt Harvey faces Kansas City

After last night's win that featured right-hander Mike Baumann's major league debut and homers from Cedric Mullins, Austin Hays and DJ Stewart, the Orioles look for another win tonight as their series continues with the Kansas City Royals. The Orioles (44-93) won for the third time in four games and are 4-3 over the last seven. They are 6-7 the last 13 games since Aug. 25. The clubs have split the first two games of this four-game series and the Orioles are now 3-2 on the year versus the...

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Mike Baumann's thrilling debut highlights win over K.C.

September 07, 2021, 8:30pm

Orioles

Mike Baumann's thrilling debut highlights win over K.C.

It's exciting - thrilling, really - when a rookie gets his big chance and runs with it like Mike Baumann did last night. Nights like that can give Birdland hope that there may be more talents like Baumann still to come. They hope the young talent comes crashing into Camden Yards like waves into the shoreline. And the waves keep coming. And coming. It was before the game in the Orioles dugout when Baumann spoke with reporters and told us how excited he was to get the shot to make his major...

O's game blog: Alexander Wells faces K.C. at the Yard

September 07, 2021, 2:07pm

Orioles

O's game blog: Alexander Wells faces K.C. at the Yard

The Orioles send another rookie lefty to the mound tonight as they host the Kansas City Royals in the second of a four-game series and 11-game homestand. The Royals scored twice in the eighth Monday afternoon to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead and beat the Orioles by that score in the series opener. The Orioles fell to 34-6 when leading after seven innings. The Royals improved to 5-62 when trailing after seven. The Orioles (43-93) have now played five straight one-run games. This started...

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Mike Baumann on big league arrival, bullpen role and more

September 07, 2021, 1:37pm

Orioles

Mike Baumann on big league arrival, bullpen role and more

For right-hander Mike Baumann, a day he said he has worked his whole life for has arrived. He got the call to the big leagues. Today he was called up from Triple-A Norfolk, where he was pitching very well, and the kid drafted by the club in round in 2017 out of Jacksonville University is now wearing the big league orange and black for the first time. "I mean, I don't even know what to think," an obviously excited Baumann said a few moments ago in the Orioles dugout. "Just happy to be here,...