Steve Melewski

O's game blog: Dean Kremer faces the Red Sox

May 09, 2021, 8:07am

Orioles

O's game blog: Dean Kremer faces the Red Sox

The Orioles have not won a home series this year - going 0-3-1 - and they need to win the last two games of this current series with Boston just to gain a split. The Red Sox have posted 6-2 and 11-6 wins to start this four-game set at Oriole Park. Rookie Zac Lowther allowed seven runs over 2 1/3 innings last night and Boston opened a 9-2 lead after four innings. The Red Sox have 21 hits in this series, with the Orioles scoring eight runs on 20 hits. After Saturday's loss, the O's team ERA...

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O's lose again at home to Red Sox, but Aberdeen still unbeaten

May 08, 2021, 7:05pm

Orioles

O's lose again at home to Red Sox, but Aberdeen still unbeaten

The fact that shortstop RamÃ³n UrÃas made an error playing behind pitcher Pat Valaika in the ninth inning last night probably tells us something about how this game went for the Orioles. Valaika went on to put up a zero in his one inning and that was something. But overall, not a good night for the Orioles, who got whipped 11-6 by Boston. And the visiting team is 8-0 this year when these clubs play. The bad news is the next two in this series will be at Oriole Park. Somehow the Orioles...

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O's game blog: Zac Lowther makes first MLB start

May 08, 2021, 1:44pm

Orioles

O's game blog: Zac Lowther makes first MLB start

For the fourth time since last Aug. 31, the Orioles will send out one of their young pitching prospects tonight for his first big league start. Lefty Zac Lowther, who has put together a very strong minor league resume for the club, will face Boston in the second of a four-game series. When Keegan Akin made his first start last Aug. 31 on the road against Toronto, he allowed two unearned runs over 4 1/3 innings and the Orioles won 4-3 as he got a no-decision. On Sept. 6, 2020, Dean Kremer made...

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Ryan Mountcastle on getting his offense going

May 08, 2021, 10:39am

Orioles

Ryan Mountcastle on getting his offense going

As Ryan Mountcastle tries to get his bat going consistently, a few recent games and last night's three-hit effort are steps forward for the O's 24-year-old outfielder/first baseman/designated hitter. As his struggles went on in the season's first few weeks, Mountcastle said he tried to draw on last year as a reminder of what he could do. He hit .333/.386/.492/.878. His OPS plus of 139 in 2020 was 39 percent above league average. His current mark there is 64, 36 percent below the league. "I...

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Notes on Friday's loss, Lowther's start and Aberdeen at 4-0

May 07, 2021, 9:18pm

Orioles

Notes on Friday's loss, Lowther's start and Aberdeen at 4-0

For the Orioles, the road to get back to the .500 mark is hard. Very hard. They have had seven tries since April 10, playing games where they were one game under .500. With last night's 6-2 loss to Boston, they are 0-7 in those games. The Orioles (15-17) had chances last night, going 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and leaving 10 men on base. They fell to 2-14 when scoring three runs or fewer. They have scored two runs or fewer in 11 of their 17 losses. So yep, frustrating. It was...

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O's game blog: Matt Harvey faces Boston in series opener

May 07, 2021, 2:17pm

Orioles

O's game blog: Matt Harvey faces Boston in series opener

As the Orioles get ready to, hopefully, play Boston for the third series this season tonight, they can look back on two very different series against the Red Sox. The start of tonight's game, which was set for 7:05 p.m., is being delayed by rain. Shortly after 8 p.m., an approximate start time of 8:40 was announced. The Orioles opened the year by sweeping three straight at Fenway Park. They outscored the Red Sox 18-5 in those games, holding them to 15 hits, and they pitched to an ERA of 1.67...

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O's still not making a dent in their playoff odds

May 06, 2021, 7:03pm

Orioles

O's still not making a dent in their playoff odds

Through 31 games, the Orioles continue to hover around the .500 mark. They are playing .484 ball via win percentage at 15-16. And they have played a difficult schedule. Of the club's 31 games, 26 have been played versus teams that have a current winning record and 12 have been played versus first-place teams in Boston and Oakland. That strength of schedule at .522 is the toughest in baseball, per FanGraphs.com. The Orioles are 12-14 against winning clubs. They have gone 3-3 against Boston and...

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The lefty who didn't get prospect attention is being noticed now

May 05, 2021, 5:31pm

Orioles

The lefty who didn't get prospect attention is being noticed now

We have pointed it out before, but it still holds true: John Means was never ranked once among the Orioles' top 30 prospects by Baseball America and barely made it onto the MLBPipeline.com list. But not being ranked doesn't mean you can't make the majors, be good when you get there and be a Rookie of the Year contender. For Means, check, check and check. It doesn't mean you can't pitch a no-hitter. Check. MLBPipeline.com ranked him No. 29 on its O's preseason top 30 in 2015 and 2017, and...

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John Means adds name to O's history book with no-hitter

May 05, 2021, 2:19pm

Orioles

John Means adds name to O's history book with no-hitter

He was hitting corners. He was getting four pitches over consistently for strikes. He was throwing a remarkable percentage of first-pitch strikes. And he was dominating. But would John Means make history this afternoon or just post another dominant start and lead the Orioles to another win? It was the first part. Today the lefty produced the sixth no-hitter in Baltimore Orioles history and the first since 1991. It was the first solo no-hitter by an O's pitcher since 1969. Throwing first-pitch...

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O's game blog: The series finale in Seattle

May 05, 2021, 9:53am

Orioles

O's game blog: The series finale in Seattle

The Orioles can produce both a winning series and a winning road trip with a victory this afternoon at Seattle. The trip began when they took two of three from first-place Oakland over the weekend. It continued Monday with a 5-3 win at Seattle before last night's 5-2 loss. The Orioles (14-16) are playing .467 ball at the 30-game mark. That would produce a final record of 76-86. Even with Tuesday's loss, they have won four of their last six, six out of 10 and are 9-8 over the last 17 games....

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The RISP issues and a look at opening night on the farm

May 04, 2021, 10:34pm

Orioles

The RISP issues and a look at opening night on the farm

For the Orioles, it has been a recurring problem with their offense: a lack of clutch hits. This issue showed up again big time in the second game of the Seattle series Tuesday night. The Orioles had the bases loaded and one out in the second inning. They had bases loaded and two outs in the sixth and the same situation in the eighth. The last two times, catcher Chance Sisco grounded out in each instance to end the threat. He went hitless and is now batting .162 with a .414 OPS. He had company...

This time, Mariners have a big eighth to beat O's (quotes added)

May 04, 2021, 8:40pm

Orioles

This time, Mariners have a big eighth to beat O's (quotes added)

On a night when the Orioles continued to not capitalize on bases-loaded situations, the Seattle Mariners did in a big way with one of their own. And that led Seattle to a 5-2 win over the Orioles on Tuesday night in the second game of the series. Right-hander Travis Lakins Sr. started the last of the eighth in a 1-1 tie and gave up a flared single to right by Sam Haggerty. Then he walked the next two hitters before manager Brandon Hyde called for Tanner Scott to try and pull off a miracle with...

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O's game blog: Shooting for a series win at Seattle

May 04, 2021, 4:44pm

Orioles

O's game blog: Shooting for a series win at Seattle

Enjoying a good road trip with three wins in four games, the Orioles look for another victory when they play at Seattle tonight in the second of a three-game series. The Orioles were being shut out through seven innings and down 1-0 last night when they erupted for a five-run eighth and a 5-3 win. Cedric Mullins and Freddy Galvis hit two-run homers. It was No. 5 for Mullins and No. 3 for Galvis. The Orioles can get back to the .500 mark for the first time since April 10 with a victory tonight....

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Where the O's top 30 prospects will begin the minor league season

May 04, 2021, 1:23pm

Orioles

Where the O's top 30 prospects will begin the minor league season

With Minor League Baseball opening a new season tonight, here is a look at where Orioles prospects on the MLBPipeline.com top 30 are beginning the new season. Triple-A Norfolk leads the way with a roster currently holding eight top 30 prospects, while Double-A Bowie, high Single-A Aberdeen and low Single-A Delmarva have five each. Norfolk: (9) Yusniel Diaz, (10) Keegan Akin, (11) Zac Lowther, (15) Ryan McKenna, (19) Jahmai Jones, (20) Alexander Wells, (23) Rylan Bannon, (24) Tyler Nevin. Bowie:...

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O's hit two homers in eighth, rally to beat M's (with quotes)

May 03, 2021, 8:13pm

Orioles

O's hit two homers in eighth, rally to beat M's (with quotes)

If one of the Orioles' goals tonight was to get right-hander Dean Kremer back on track, they did that. But could his strong outing lead to a win in the series opener at Seattle? It was a night where Seattle went with a bullpen game. And that actually was not great news for the Orioles. The Mariners bullpen began the game first in the majors in 'pen ERA at 2.30 and second in WHIP and batting average against. And for seven innings, five Mariners pitchers kept the Orioles off the board. And...

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Opening night starter: DL Hall moves up to Double-A and debuts tonight

May 03, 2021, 4:23pm

Orioles

Opening night starter: DL Hall moves up to Double-A and debuts tonight

Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez might be the Orioles' highest-ranked pitching prospect. But left-hander DL Hall is not far behind. And now armed with a fastball that touches 100 mph and what he believes is improved command, the 22-year-old Hall will make his Double-A debut tonight. He's on the mound when the Bowie Baysox play at Altoona on opening night. In the most current national rankings, Baseball America rates Rodriguez No. 18 on its top 100 list, with Hall No. 52. MLBPipeline.com ranks...

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O's game blog: The series opener at Seattle

May 03, 2021, 3:40pm

Orioles

O's game blog: The series opener at Seattle

The West Coast road trip continues at T-Mobile Park tonight when the Orioles play the Seattle Mariners to start a three-game series. The Orioles (13-15) took two of three over the weekend at Oakland. Seattle (16-13) won two of three from the Los Angeles Angels. The Mariners are 5-2-2 in series play this year and 8-6 at home. They are 14-8 in their last 22 games, a stretch that includes a four-game series in Baltimore where they won three of four games. When these clubs last played on April 15,...

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Galvis on getting back in lineup and trying to maintain a hot bat

May 03, 2021, 2:44pm

Orioles

Galvis on getting back in lineup and trying to maintain a hot bat

Just when he was starting to hit on a team that could have used some offense, new Orioles shortstop Freddy Galvis had to miss four games. He suffered a sore left adductor/groin on April 26 against the New York Yankees. But he was back in the lineup over the weekend, starting at short for the last two games of the series at Oakland. "I think it was like little by little," Galvis said via Zoom of that issue that kept him briefly on the bench. " After we came from Texas and Miami, where they...

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There were good signs over the weekend for the offense

May 02, 2021, 5:46pm

Orioles

There were good signs over the weekend for the offense

It was at least a small step forward over the weekend at Oakland for the Orioles on offense. They scored 16 runs on 28 hits, batting .264 for the three games with four doubles and four home runs. There was no offensive explosion, but there seemed to be less chasing of pitches and more clutch hits. Again, no outpouring of clutch hitting, but seeing Trey Mancini, Freddy Galvis and Austin Hays get run-producing hits with two outs was a step forward in Sunday's 7-5 loss. The Orioles have lost just...

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O's game blog: Going for a sweep in Oakland

May 02, 2021, 10:29am

Orioles

O's game blog: Going for a sweep in Oakland

The Orioles are enjoying the West Coast so far. They've started a six-game road trip by going 2-0 at Oakland and can record a three-game sweep of the Athletics today at Oakland Coliseum. If the Orioles win: * They will have their second three-game sweep, with both coming on the road.* They will have a season-best four-game winning streak.* They'll be back at .500 for the first time since April 10 when they were 4-4.* They will be 4-2 against the first-place Athletics.* They will be 10-4 in...