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, ... read 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 ... read more
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 ... read more
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 ... read more
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 ... read more
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 ... read more
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 ... read more
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 ... read more
