It was a season of progress and improvement for the Orioles

It was a season of progress and improvement for the Orioles
For the Orioles, the 2020 season, turned out to be about progress and improvement. They moved the organization forward in bringing young talent onto the team, much of it homegrown, that performed well. They made improvement in the won-loss record. But, yes, the bar was low for that latter achievement. * The 2018 Orioles went 47-115 and played .290 baseball.* The 2019 Orioles went 54-108 and played .333 baseball.* The 2020 Orioles went 25-35 and played .417 baseball. The club had finished in...

O's rally to win finale, finish 25-35

O's rally to win finale, finish 25-35
Given one last chance to get a win this year, the Orioles did just that, beating the Toronto Blue Jays 7-5. They take the final game in this series and season to finish at 25-35. After playing .312 ball in losing 223 games over the last two seasons, the Orioles finished in fourth place this year, playing .417 ball. They went 13-20 at home and 12-15 on the road. They went 14-26 versus the American League and 11-9 against the National League. They end with a win after coming into Sunday with four...

O's game blog: The season finale arrives

O's game blog: The season finale arrives
The Orioles began the delayed and shortened 2020 season on July 24 in Boston. And this 60-game campaign will end today in Buffalo as they face the Toronto Blue Jays in the season finale. As recently as Sept. 8, the Orioles were 20-21 after beating the New York Mets 11-2 and were just a half-game back of the New York Yankees for the final American League playoff spot. But they have gone 4-14 since then falling to 24-35 and now are eight games behind Toronto, which is currently the No. 8 AL...

A look at Mike Elias' season-ending presser and other notes

A look at Mike Elias' season-ending presser and other notes
On the next to last day of the 2020 season, Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias talked at length about this year and what lies ahead for the Orioles. It was another Zoom interview, but we didn't really zoom through it. He was asked a lot of questions and there was a lot to absorb and wrap our heads around. No news was really made, nor were there any proclamations. Elias didn't commit to having an instructional league in the weeks ahead, but it sure sounds like the...

O's game blog: John Means faces Toronto

O's game blog: John Means faces Toronto
The Orioles return to Buffalo's Sahlen Field tonight for the next-to-last game of the 2020 season. It's the second of their three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays, who beat the Orioles 10-5 last night. Toronto led that game 10-0 in the fifth inning and losing pitcher Jorge López allowed eight runs in two-plus innings. The Orioles scored the game's final five runs. Ramón Urías, Cedric Mullins and José Iglesias all hit solo homers. The O's have hit three homers in a game 11...

Hyde's protocol props, plus notes on the MVO and more

Hyde's protocol props, plus notes on the MVO and more
Entering this weekend, almost all the teams in Major League Baseball were on pace to be at 60 games played through the end of the regular season on Sunday. My take is this is a real accomplishment for MLB. The sport had many doubters leading up the start of the year. And as some teams had in-season COVID outbreaks, no one could take for granted that the season would be played to its conclusion. But it surely appears headed in that direction. Issues could still pop up along the way during the...

O's game blog: The final series begins

O's game blog: The final series begins
The Orioles begin the final series of the 2020 season tonight when they play at Buffalo's Sahlen Field against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Orioles (24-33) could finish 27-33 and would be playing .450 ball for the year if they sweep this series, but they are just 1-6 on the season against Toronto. The Blue Jays (30-27) beat the New York Yankees 4-1 last night to clinch their first playoff berth since 2016. They are two games behind New York for second place in the American League East and a...

Santander on MVO: "It's such an honor to receive this award"

Santander on MVO: "It's such an honor to receive this award"
His season ended in early September due to a right oblique strain and it wasn't long after that the Orioles were straining to score runs. They miss outfielder Anthony Santander, who today was named the 2020 Most Valuable Oriole. The Orioles do not release results of the voting by local media that cover the team on a regular basis, but in a year with several worthy contenders, Santander is the winner. He finished the year batting .261/.315/.575 with 13 doubles, one triple, 11 homers, 24 runs...

Trying to evaluate players in a 60-game season

Trying to evaluate players in a 60-game season
If this were a normal season, players currently slumping would have over 100 games to do something about it. But now those same players have three more games. It's probably not enough time to overcome slumps that have lasted a week or more. Some players' stats are falling big-time and they are going to have to look at them all winter. Does that create a complicated evaluation process for the Orioles? They have 60 games of a body of work and not 162 to look at. Some players that were key...

Mullins' early big hit helps O's offense break out at Boston

Mullins' early big hit helps O's offense break out at Boston
As the Orioles offense broke out tonight and they won the final game of a three-game series, a somewhat unlikely source had an early big hit. It was center fielder Cedric Mullins. It's not that he had been hitting poorly; he had not. But Mullins had struggled this year as a right-handed batter facing lefties. However, his two-run, bases-loaded double tonight was a key hit that gave the Orioles an early 3-0 lead in the second inning. They went on to beat Boston 13-1 to avoid being swept three...

O's game blog: Looking to avoid a sweep at Fenway

O's game blog: Looking to avoid a sweep at Fenway
The Orioles will fall into a tie for fourth place in the American League East with Boston if they lose to the Red Sox tonight. They began this series three games ahead of the Red Sox in the standings. But after 8-3 and 9-1 losses, they could find themselves even with another defeat. The Orioles (23-33) have scored one run or less nine times in the last 14 games after Wednesday's loss. The team is in an extended slump, but it wasn't always this way. It wasn't always this way even this month....

Pat Valaika finishing strong even as team has not

Pat Valaika finishing strong even as team has not
Orioles utility player Pat Valaika had an uncertain offseason, one where he was claimed by the Orioles, then Arizona, then the Orioles again. He was outrighted off the club's 40-man roster on Feb. 11. But one day before the shortened season was set to begin, his contract was selected by the club on July 23. It was bumpy ride in the winter, but has been a much smoother one during this season for Valaika. He's been on the roster all year. Over 50 games, the 28-year-old has hit .263/.300/.451...

Another rough night in Boston for the Orioles

Another rough night in Boston for the Orioles
This is not the way the Orioles wanted to play to end the 2020 season. There are four games to go, but they need to clean a few things up and fast. They've lost the first two games of their series at Boston. If they get swept tomorrow, these clubs will be tied for fourth place with three to play. A last-place finish is within reach. Just a week or two weeks ago there were playoff hopes and talk. After last night's 8-3 loss at Fenway Park, they got smoked 9-1 tonight. The Orioles have gone...

These three on O's farm looked to improve even without games

These three on O's farm looked to improve even without games
The summer was rolling on and the Orioles' 60-game season was underway. Some, but not all, of the club's top minor league players, were getting great work in at the alternate site in Bowie. But what about the rest of the minor league players? There are more than 100 of them. In this recent entry, pitchers Drew Rom and Brenan Hanifee provided updates about how they have been getting their work in and their innings in without games to play. Today I check in with three position players on the...

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

O's game blog: Dean Kremer faces the Red Sox at Fenway
After Tuesday's 8-3 loss to Boston, the Orioles are back at Fenway Park tonight to play the second game of a three-game series. There are only five games remaining in the 2020 season. The Orioles (23-32) had a run of good pitching come to an end last night. But in fairness, they also made three errors, scored just three runs and went 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position. They earned that loss. But in the homestand against Tampa Bay and Atlanta before this trip, the Orioles allowed three...

A look at a few slumping bats as the season's end nears

A look at a few slumping bats as the season's end nears
When you think about the Orioles offense in 2021 you think about getting Trey Mancini back and letting him hit in the middle of an order that includes a healthy Anthony Santander and a young Ryan Mountcastle playing in the bigs for a full season. It you can add in a healthy year for Austin Hays, that would be a real plus. If a couple of the players that have been here since the start of the 2019 season can get their bats going again, that would be a real plus as well. Those players include...

O's game blog: The final road trip begins

O's game blog: The final road trip begins
As the Orioles begin their final road trip of the season tonight, they have clearly played much better on the road in 2020 than in 2019. Of course, there have been many fewer road games to play. But last year's O's club went 29-52 (.358) and won just five of 26 road series, going 5-17-4. This year's club is 10-11 (.476) on the road and has won three of seven road series, going 3-3-1. The Orioles will play the next three nights at Fenway Park in Boston and will end the year over the weekend...

Could O's fans be getting behind this team in playoffs?

Could O's fans be getting behind this team in playoffs?
When the Orioles made the American League playoffs in 2012, they ended a 14-season drought with no playoff baseball. On Sunday, the San Diego Padres clinched their first playoff berth since 2006. That ends a run of nine consecutive losing seasons and 13 straight seasons without seeing the postseason. O's fans can relate to how Padres fans must feel this year, ending the long postseason drought. Sadly for them, it comes at a time when they can't even go to beautiful Petco Park to watch their...

Reaching for the record book as the O's beat Tampa Bay

Reaching for the record book as the O's beat Tampa Bay
It was a game that had some of us - OK, me - checking the record book on several occasions. At various times Sunday I wondered about the O's record for consecutive strikeouts, about the record for strikeouts by a pitcher in one game and the team record for strikeouts in one game. On Wednesday night, lefty Keegan Akin fanned six straight Atlanta Braves. It was on that night we were reminded the team record for consecutive strikeouts was seven. That was done by Sammy Stewart on Sept. 1, 1978 in...

A look at John Means' big strikeout day against the Rays

A look at John Means' big strikeout day against the Rays
Most days, Orioles left-hander John Means features a solid fastball. He throws it about 49 percent of the time and averages around 94 mph. Today, the velocity was there as usual, but the results were not usual at all. Means was showing an at times elite fastball as the Orioles edged Tampa Bay 2-1 to take the final game of this five-game series. Means usually uses that fastball to set up his quality secondary pitches. Today, that heater was helping him rack up a career-best 12 strikeouts over 5...