The cake walk had to end eventually right? After a three week stretch against some of the weaker clubs the MLB has to offer, the Birds finally encountered some of the upper echelon of the league. Mistakes magnified, missed opportunities coming back to bite us, rallies just a little harder to ignite...but a great measuring stick to show exactly where we stand as a team as of the first week of May.
Far from a perfect week, but there were some encouraging developments within it.
Record since Last Orioles Report: 3-4
Overall Record: 22-13
Three in KC
Tyler Wells was on the bump to kick off a three game series in Kansas City, getting a bit roughed up in the first inning before settling in to get through six. The offense picked him up though, racking up ten runs between innings 4-6 to put their starter in a position to get the win. Mike Baumann's first bad showing of the season spotted KC three runs to make things interesting, but Ryan Mountcastle hit his second homer of the game in the eighth to put things out of reach. 11-7 road win.
Looking at Kyle Gibson's box score for game two isn't a pretty sight...but it wasn't the reality of the game. The Orioles ace was sharp through the first six, just allowing two runs before completely melting down in the seventh. With how locked in Zack Greinke was, the Royals' late offensive explosion really didn't matter. He was untouchable in a shutout dub.
But the rubber game goes to Baltimore! A shootout broke out after Grayson allowed an early seven run lead to dwindle away, with the O's actually falling behind 9-8 at one point. It was a disappointing display on what should've been a layup decision victory. The long balls really got to the exciting, young prospect, as he gave up three dingers and six earned runs in just 3.2 of work. No bueno.
Ramon Urias came to the rescue though, getting two RBI hits in the eighth and ninth innings to put the Orioles ahead for good. It was as clutch a showing as you could ask for, securing a seventh straight series victory.
Three in the ATL
Just when our confidence is lowest in Dean Kremer...that's when he tends to step up bigtime, which was the story again in a marquee Friday night showdown. He surrendered a run in the first inning, striking fear into those of us expecting a meltdown, but wouldn't surrender another over the next five, going toe to toe with the All-Star.
The O's finally broke through for Kremer in the seventh, putting up seven runs that were highlighted by an Anthony Santander grand slam. Michael Baumann concerningly gave up another three runs while trying to salt away the final few innings, but the good guys continued their streak of eleven series' opening wins in a row to start the season.
Game two was a stinging loss... Against Spencer Strider, a pitcher arguably even more talented than Fried, the Orioles took a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the sixth. Kyle Bradish was throwing well as the offense went run for run with Atlanta. Until an old friend put the Braves up for good. Kevin Pillar pinch hit for Eddie Rosario in the 8th and took Danny Coulumbe deep for a two-run shot that was the difference in a hard fought loss. No moral victories in professional sports, but still some things to hang our hats on from this defeat.
Missed chances doomed them Sunday afternoon. 11 men left on base doomed to Birds as they blew the rubber game of this series in extra innings. Tyler Wells gave up just one run through five, Austin Voth and Yennier Cano took us to the tenth where Felix Bautista missed an opportunity to slam the door in the tenth. Two innings later, Cionel Perez did what he's done all year: give up walks, hits and runs. Tough loss, but these boys can hang.
First Encounter with the Tampa Juggernaut
Shane McClanahan. That's all I need to say about this game. Six innings, seven strikeouts, no runs, 7-0 overall. He was my pick for the Cy Young during the preseason and damn if he isn't off to a monumental start. Kyle Gibson bounced back well from a rough start against Kansas City, but the Orioles had no shot in this one against a superior arm.
Farm Report
-Norfolk is 20-7 currently, boasting one of the more elite lineups that you'll ever find on a AAA roster
-Jordan Westburg hit three bombs on the week, racking up six RBI. Joey Ortiz is the next man up to the bigs, but Westburg cannot be far off
-Colton Cowser's average is now up over .300 and Connor Norby is on a six game hitting streak
-Drew Rom had a dazzling start Wednesday, twirling six while allowing two hits, one walks and striking out eleven
-DL Hall also had an encouraging, scoreless start on the week as he works his way back up to Baltimore
-Chris Vallimont is a pitcher to keep an eye on for the rest of the season. He's been effective over short stretches of innings, currently rocking a 2.66 ERA
-Another 2-4 series loss for the Baysox. As talented as they are, they're just not winning
-Heston Kjerstad's continuing his strong start, now up to eight home runs on the season
-Mychal Givens and Dillon Tate were down on a rehab assignment this week. Givens threw two scoreless and struck out four. Tate was awful, giving up seven earned runs in two total innings over the course of three appearances. Not a positive development for our major league bullpen
-Our boy Jean Pinto's still dealing down in Aberdeen, adding another seven strikeouts to his season totals while allowing just one run over four during his start Wednesday. He's allowed over one earned run in just one of his five starts
-Daniel Federman was lockdown the night after, going four scoreless with ten strikeouts
-Jackson Holliday had another strong week for the Ironbirds, collecting seven hits in five appearances
-Maxwell Costes adjusted quickly to High-A ball, knocking out three long balls and hitting .308 in his first week post-promotion
-Stiven Acevedo may be due for a promotion soon. He's been impressive, slashing a .281/3/18 line in 22 games
-Creed's still bringing it at the plate, sustaining an average of .338 while hitting his seventh out of the park
-Samuel Basallo oddly only played in two games this series, but they were productive showings, collecting two hits and three RBI
Concluding Thoughts
Like Jorge Mateo, regardless of the middle infield talent at Norfolk, Ramon Urias is making himself indispensable to this team. He provides clutch hits, positional flexibility, an award-winning reliable glove...need him to be back to 100% ASAP.
Cionel Perez is still on the shit list. I'm not sure how he's still considered a trusted arm by Brandon Hyde. His bullpen usage has been questionable at times this season.
Despite the sub-.500 record, this week showed that we can bang with some of the big dogs, while revealing some of the flaws we assumed we had in the process. The pitching is shaky; the hitting a bit volatile and overmatched by elite arms. But for a team supposedly a year away, it's an inspiring start. Baltimore's appeal to free agents and home grown stars looking for long term deals has to be rising exponentially.
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@Choppinglines
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