O's game blog: They don't want to leave this series sweepless in Seattle

kimbrel and rutschman gray

Against a Seattle Mariners team that ranks 13th in the American League and 27th in the majors scoring 3.78 runs per game, the Orioles have allowed just one run in two games.

They have 2-0 and 4-1 victories at T-Mobile Park and can complete a three-game sweep today against the AL West leaders.

The Orioles look for their sixth series sweep of the year of three games or more. They swept four at Chicago versus the White Sox from May 23-26. They won four straight in Florida against the Rays from June 7-10. They have three-game sweeps over Boston, Minnesota, and Cincinnati.

They look for the sweep against a Mariners team (47-41) that has scored just five runs during a four-game losing streak. Seattle has lost seven of nine and 10 of its past 13 games. The M’s first-place lead is down to two games over the Houston Astros.

In these two games, Baltimore pitchers have allowed just seven hits in 18 innings with six walks and 24 strikeouts against the team that has struck out more than any in the majors. Seattle batters have fanned 901 times.

Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Burnes too busy with babies and preparing for next start to think about All-Star Game

Corbin Burnes

SEATTLE – The math leaves two possible outcomes for Orioles ace Corbin Burnes.

If Burnes starts every fifth day heading into the break, beginning this afternoon against the Mariners, his turn falls on July 14 against the Yankees at Camden Yards. An important 11:35 a.m. game between the top two teams in the division to finish the first half.

If Burnes is on the mound every fifth game, with extra rest coming from Monday’s open date on the schedule, he’d be available to pitch in the All-Star Game on July 16.

He’d be available to start for the first time.

Burnes hasn’t paused to think about it. He’s preoccupied with wife Brooke giving birth to twin girls Charlotte and Harper early Friday morning in Arizona. Burnes is a tired dad working on six days’ rest this afternoon following last Thursday’s outing at Camden Yards.

Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

After nine-run outburst, offense falls flat (updated)

GettyImages-1405734279

SEATTLE – As the city of Seattle should know, defense wins championships.

Wait, sorry, wrong sport. Defense sometimes wins baseball games, as it nearly did tonight for the Baltimore Orioles. The offense didn’t hold up its end of the bargain in a 2-0 loss, in which the Birds mustered just one total hit. 

"We're playing really well defensively," said manager Brandon Hyde. "That's why we're staying in games, pitching and defense is still extremely important, and we've been doing that." 

"I wouldn't be able to do it without the help of the defense," added Dean Kremer. "They're spectacular." 

Entering tonight’s game, Kremer had posted a 1.71 ERA through his first four starts of the season. In the same sample size, Robbie Ray boasted a 1.80 ERA in his previous four starts. They both pitched as their resumés would suggest on Tuesday night. 

Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

O's game blog: Dean Kremer faces the Mariners in Seattle in Game 2

Kramer pitching gray

As the Orioles continue to play winning baseball and are 21-16 since May 19, they are compiling a number of good stats on both the pitching and hitting sides. Let’s take a look at several of them as they get set tonight to play the second game of a three-game series at Seattle.

A 21-16 record produces a win percentage of .568 over a 37-game span, which is nearly a quarter of the season. A team that could play at that percentage for 162 games would finish 92-70.

The Orioles' 9-2 win last night at Seattle gives them a 35-40 record and they have won five of six, six of eight and eight of 11 games. The Orioles are now 11-5 the last 16 games and 13-8 over their past 21. While they have an overall losing record in road games at 17-23, they are 11-7 in their past 18 games away from Oriole Park and they are 4-1 to start this 10-game road trip.

The Baltimore pitching staff has put together a stunning run with a team ERA of 1.99 over the last 11 games, and they have allowed two runs or less in eight of those games. O’s pitchers have allowed nine combined runs the last six games, 13 in eight and 22 runs over the last 11 games.

In addition to that, the O’s starting pitchers have an ERA of 1.82 over the last eight games. And the Baltimore bullpen has allowed zero or one earned run for 13 consecutive games with an ERA of 1.34 in those 13 games and 0.93 over the past six games.

Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Orioles run out of rallies in 10-inning loss (updated)

GettyImages-1400711568

The Orioles received their biggest hit today a few hours before the game started, learning that baseball’s top pitching prospect, Grayson Rodriguez, might miss a significant portion of the season with a strained lat muscle.

A delayed debut stung worse than a fastball to the ribs, but the Orioles had the major league side of business to occupy them. Players on the 26-man roster trying to win a home series against the Mariners. Manager Brandon Hyde tasked with guiding them through it.

Process the news and move on from it.

The Orioles led twice through the midpoint of the game and rallied for three runs in the sixth to create another tie, their ability to bounce back from adversity not limited to past losses, but the Mariners scored against Jorge López in the 10th and won 7-6 at Camden Yards.

López retired the first five batters he faced, but the automatic runner came home in the 10th on Abraham Toro’s one-out triple to center field, the ball deflecting off Cedric Mullins’ glove near the fence. López had two runners in scoring position with two outs and stranded them, and his ERA tumbled to 1.05 after he worked 2 1/3 innings.

Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Amid homers, Mullins had a good night that could prove to be big

mullins hatless white

Sure the Orioles mashed four homers last night in a 9-2 win over Seattle and sure they even crushed a couple of balls over the left-field wall. That seems to make news around here these days.

But maybe the biggest development for the Orioles came on a single and double. Because they came off the bat of center fielder Cedric Mullins. He set a very high bar for himself going 30-30 last season and winning unanimously the Most Valuable Oriole award.

But Mullins was hitting just .169 with an OPS of .410 his previous 16 games, going 11-for-65, when game time on Wednesday rolled around. Then lefty Robbie Ray made Mullins look bad in the last of the first when he chased a slider down and struck out.

His average had dropped to .236 and his OPS to .662.

But when I interviewed Mullins about his offense before the game last night I found a player not stressing or pressing. One still confident and one feeling that a couple of very good swings he had put on balls that were caught on Tuesday night was going to be a good sign for him.

Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Answers to questions about early surprise squads

Answers to questions about early surprise squads
The answers to questions regarding the top five surprising teams in the early going on the season: Q: What is fueling the Tigers' first-place run in the American League Central? A: Pitching and defense. "This is about throwing the ball over the plate and catching it,'' Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said to the Detroit Free Press. "But we can't get too high on this stuff. There's a long way to go.'' The Tigers get a big test starting tonight when they play Cleveland in a series they'll...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Opposite dugout: Mariners still in pursuit of a wild card berth

Opposite dugout: Mariners still in pursuit of a wild card berth
Manager: Scott Servais (3rd season) Record: 76-60 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: DH Nelson Cruz (33 HR, 83 RBIs), 2B Dee Gordon (30 SB), RF Mitch Haniger (23 HR, 84 RBIs), SS Jean Segura (.321) 1B Ryon Healy (24 HR, 66 RBIs) LHP Wade LeBlanc (8-3, 3.71 ERA), RHP Edwin Díaz (51 saves, 1.93 ERA) Season series vs. Orioles: 4-0 Pitching probables: Sept. 3: LHP Josh Rogers (1-0) vs. RHP Erasmo Ramírez (1-3), 9:10 p.m., MASNSept. 4: RHP Alex Cobb (4-15) vs. LHP Wade LeBlanc (8-3), 10:10...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Opposite dugout: Mariners look to rebound in Baltimore

Opposite dugout: Mariners look to rebound in Baltimore
Manager: Scott Servais (3rd season) Record: 47-31 Last 10 games: 3-7 Who to watch: DH Nelson Cruz (20 HR, 48 RBIs), 2B Dee Gordon (19 SB), SS Jean Segura (.334 with 21 doubles), RF Mitch Haniger (58 RBIs), LHP Wade LeBlanc (3-0, 3.26 ERA), RHP Edwin Diaz (27 saves) Season series vs. Orioles: First meeting (2-4 in 2017) Pitching probables: June 25:RHP Félix Hernández (6-6) vs. RHP Andrew Cashner (2-8), 7:05 p.m., MASNJune 26: LHP James Paxton (6-2) vs. RHP Kevin Gausman (3-6), 7:05 p.m.,...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Report: Werth agrees to minor league deal with Mariners

Report: Werth agrees to minor league deal with Mariners
Veteran outfielder Jayson Werth is going to get a shot at extending his big league career in the Pacific Northwest. The former Nationals standout has agreed to a minor league deal with the Seattle Mariners, according to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. Mariners bringing in veteran outfielder Jayson Werth on a minor league contract https://t.co/ZJ7Kg0ys85 pic.twitter.com/sQaVgIJW8Y -- Seattle Times Sports (@SeaTimesSports) March 27, 2018 Werth spent seven seasons with the Nationals, but did...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Defending World Series champion Astros remain favorites in AL West

Defending World Series champion Astros remain favorites in AL West
Who says rebuilding lasts forever? It only seems to be the case. The Astros, who had 100-loss seasons each year from 2011 to 2013, won their first World Series last season. This season, they are the favorite to win the American League West. And they could be the first team since the 1999-2000 New York Yankees to win consecutive World Series. In the rest of the AL West, the stories are the same. The Mariners, Angels, Athletics and Rangers have potent lineups, but rotation questions. The...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Orioles outscore Seattle and sweep series (quotes added)

Orioles outscore Seattle and sweep series (quotes added)
One big inning by Seattle and a short start by right-hander Ubaldo Jiménez put the Orioles in a big hole today. But a relentless offense that hit four more homers helped them dig out. Down by 6-2 in the third inning, the Orioles rallied to beat Seattle 8-7 this afternoon at Oriole Park. With a season-high seventh straight win, the Orioles improved to 68-65. Jiménez allowed six runs and six hits in just 2 2/3 innings, the last two scoring after he left the game. His ERA is now 6.85 and...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

O's game blog: Orioles look for sweep against Seattle

O's game blog: Orioles look for sweep against Seattle
Last season the Orioles went 1-6 against Seattle. This season they are 3-2 and can complete a three-game sweep of the Mariners today. The Orioles have not swept Seattle three in a row at home since Aug. 6-8, 2012. The Orioles have won six in a row overall to move to 67-65, are 40-26 at home and two games over .500 for the first time since June 10. A win today would produce a season-high seven straight victories. With 7-6 and 4-0 wins the last two nights the Orioles have now won three straight...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

O's game blog: Tonight's game and minor league award winners

O's game blog: Tonight's game and minor league award winners
After a weekend sweep of the Boston Red Sox, the Orioles host Seattle tonight to start a three-game series and 10-game homestand. They'll host the Mariners for three games, the Blue Jays for four and the Yankees for three at Camden Yards. The Orioles recorded their first sweep of the Red Sox since June 9-11, 2015 at Camden Yards and the first series sweep at Fenway Park since Sept. 8-10, 2014. In the series, the Orioles outscored the Red Sox, 25-4. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Opposite dugout: Unyielding Mariners in thick of wild card chase

Opposite dugout: Unyielding Mariners in thick of wild card chase
Manager: Scott Servais (2nd season) Record: 66-65 Last 10 games: 6-4 Who to watch: SS Jean Segura (.301, 18 SB), DH Nelson Cruz (.289/.372/.555 with 31 HR, 101 RBIs), 2B Robinson Canó (19 HR, 78 RBIs), 1B Yonder Alonso (.270, 24 HR), LHP Ariel Miranda (8-6, 4.62 ERA), RHP Edwin Díaz (30 saves) Season series vs. Orioles: 2-1 Pitching probables: Aug. 28: LHP Marco Gonzalez vs. RHP Chris Tillman, 7:05 p.m., MASN2 Aug. 29: RHP Erasmo Ramírez vs. RHP Dylan Bundy, 7:05 p.m., MASN2 Aug. 30:...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Taking a look at the bizarre AL wild card race

Taking a look at the bizarre AL wild card race
The American League wild card race is bizarre, flawed or mediocre - whatever you choose to call it. In most seasons, teams struggling to stay above .500 would be long gone out of the race. Not this year. Here is what makes the AL wild card race so wild: * The Twins, who lost 103 games in 2016, are contenders even with a rotation that includes Bartolo Colon, Aaron Slegers, Dillion Gee and Tim Melville. Colon is 44 and looks like a sportswriter. Slegers has made one big league start, Gee 23 in...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Opposite dugout: Mariners looking for first playoff berth since 2001

Opposite dugout: Mariners looking for first playoff berth since 2001
Manager: Scott Servais (2nd season) Record: 59-60 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: DH Nelson Cruz (28 HR, 93 RBIs), SS Jean Segura (.319 with 17 stolen bases), 2B Robinson Canó (.273/.335/.464), CF Jarrod Dyson (27 stolen bases), RHP Edwin Díaz (3.40 ERA, 27 saves) Season series vs. Orioles: First meeting (6-1 in 2016) Pitching probables: Aug. 14: RHP Kevin Gausman vs. RHP Yovani Gallardo, 10:10 p.m., MASNAug. 15: LHP Wade Miley vs. TBA, 10:10 p.m., MASN2Aug. 16: RHP Ubaldo Jiménez vs....
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Where the American League postseason race stands

Where the American League postseason race stands
With less than two months to go, there's not a lot of drama in the National League races. The Nationals most likely will play either the Cubs, Brewers or surging Cardinals in the Division Series, while the Dodgers will play the winner of the projected Diamondbacks-Rockies wild card game. The American League is more complex. Teams are bunched and a .500 record keeps a team thinking October. The Orioles are contenders even though they were seven games under on July 16. The Orioles' schedule...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Rendon takes advantage of rest with big series versus Seattle

Rendon takes advantage of rest with big series versus Seattle
The Nationals were unable to hold the lead Thursday, but the offense of Anthony Rendon was again the reason they had a shot at the win. Rendon's solo homer was the first run in a two-run fifth inning, lifting the Nationals to a 2-0 lead over Seattle. The Mariners rode a Nelson Cruz three-run shot to salvage the series 4-2. Rendon's ninth homer was his fourth homer in the series. He accumulated two homers Tuesday, a three-run shot in the first-inning Wednesday and the solo shot Thursday. He...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments

Rendon keeps rolling (Nats win 5-1)

Rendon keeps rolling (Nats win 5-1)
The Seattle Mariners scored first against Tanner Roark. But he quickly extinguished any thought of a big inning. With one out in the first, Kyle Seager doubled to right-center field. Seager rounded first and then challenged Michael A. Taylor and was safe into second base. Robinson Canó followed with a run-scoring single. Roark then got Danny Valencia and Ben Gamel to strike out looking. In the bottom of the first, the Nationals quickly answered back with a vengeance, taking on Mariners...
Continue reading
  0 Comments
0 Comments