That...was a mentally exhausting week right there, I guess that's the stress of high stakes baseball! Even when things aren't perfect, this team's shown they're willing and able to pull themselves all together and work things back to course.
We entered three games up on Tampa for the AL East, and we're exiting two up. At a glance, not the best stretch of the Orioles season-- but believe me, things were looking much more grim. Let's jump into things!
Record since Last Orioles Report: 3-4
Overall Record: 93-56
Three vs. St. Louis
Exactly seven days ago, we kicked off a three game set against the Cardinals with Dean Kremer on the bump. Unfortunately for us Birdland, it was bad Dean, surrendering five earned on seven hits in just 4.1. He was replaced by DL Hall, who entered the game to a 5-3 deficit. They wouldn't trail again.
Ryan O'Hearn had yet another big hit, ripping an RBI double to pull within one. After loading the bases, Andre Pallante surrendered a grand slam to Cedric Mullins, putting the O's ahead 8-5. Gunnar would go yard the next inning, with Austin Hays delivering a two run single in the eighth to put things away for good. Needing five bullpen arms in the first game of a series isn't ever ideal, but if you get the win then all is forgiven. 11-5 Birds.
Who's that, in the distance?? It can't be... Why, it's John Means, getting his first start for Baltimore since Tommy John surgery! And he pitched well all considered, giving up just three earned runs over five innings, without walking a single batter. Plenty of positives to draw on.
Unfortunately, the offense sputtered against Adam Wainwright-- one of the most hittable pitchers in the whole league this season. Anthony Santander knocked in Adley on a single in the fifth before O'Hearn drove Gunnar home on a fielder's choice later in the inning, and that was all she wrote for the Birds' bats.
Jorge Lopez got tagged for two in the seventh to put the final score at 5-2, in favor of the Cards.
I can't say I've ever been happy after getting shut out 1-0, but to see Drew Rom come into Camden and pitch like that was an awesome sight. Two hits in 5.1, walking three and striking out seven. The rookie was really on his A game against his former team.
Kyle Gibson lasted 6.2 of his own, allowing the sole run on a Richie Palacios fourth inning dinger. Only seven hits total between the two teams here, as the Cardinals take the series via a 1-0 rubber game victory.
The Biggest Series of the Season
Never have I ever experienced a regular season series with this much magnitude. Two game lead going into a four game stint against a Tampa team eager to regain their spot atop the division.
Game one did not disappoint. Kyle Bradish struggled in the third, giving up three of the four he'd allow, but really locked down the opposing lineup outside of that. Ryan O'Hearn and Gunnar hit solo homers to give the O's their first two runs in the second and fourth before Adam Frazier's game tying fielder's choice in the fifth.
Then one bad pitch, just one, to Luke Raley in the top of the seventh. He parked it over the center field wall, reclaiming the lead for his team. Baltimore's bats were hapless from there, continuing a cold streak at the plate into their third straight defeat: 4-3 Rays.
Friday was worse.
Zach Elfin gave up a lone hit in seven dominant innings, a solo bomb to Heston Kjerstad in his second career game. The Orioles would only muster one more hit the rest of the evening. Jack Flaherty was bad once again, looking overmatched in his four innings, allowing six hits and three earned. I don't think we can really trust him in any high leverage situations come playoff time.
7-1 Orioles loss, knotting up the division.
Grayson Rodriguez to the rescue. The rookie twirled an absolute gem for the Birds when they needed it most, going for a career high eight scoreless innings. He was gassing up the upper nineties well into the start, notching seven K's on the night. Not only ace type stuff on display, but Cy Young caliber; the kid was on a different level.
Inspired by Grayson's performance, the offense decided to wake up! Eleven hits on the day, including RBI singles by O'Hearn, Gunnar, Adam Frazier, Adley Rutschman, Cedric Mullins and Ramon Urias-- a parade around the bases! Henderson added a long ball in between all of that for good measure, helping the good guys bounce back with a vengeance: 8-0 Baltimore
Then came Sunday. We officially clinched a playoff spot in the late innings, but the final head-to-head battle for divisional supremacy was a slugfest. Brandon Lowe went yard in the first to put Tampa up 1-0, only to be matched by an Austin Hays run scoring single in the fourth. Dean Kremer, Danny Coulombe and Jorge Lopez held down the tie through seven before Lopez imploded, giving up back to back jacks in the eighth to Tristan Gray and Christian Bethancourt. Gut punch.
Adley hit a home run of his own in the bottom of the frame, pulling the Orioles within one. Then Adam Frazier, with two strikes and two outs in the ninth, went opposite field down the line with Jorge Mateo in motion from first. The speedy pinch runner scored with ease, tying things up at three apiece.
After a groundout to Yennier Cano drove in the Rays' fourth run of the game, Adley Rutschman delivered once again. Like Frazier before him, this too came with two outs in the frame, as the star catcher hit a chopper up the middle infield. Aaron Hicks came in and we went to the eleventh.
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| Photo: Reggie Hildred/ USA Today |
DL Hall locked things down in the top of the frame, priming the home team for a victory. O'Hearn laid down a textbook bunt to advance Rutschman from second to third. Cedric delivered a sac fly in the next at bat, sending Oriole Park into a frenzy. As gritty a win as you'll ever see, proving they belong.
Playoff bound, two games up in the East with thirteen games to go. Incredible.
Farm Report
-Jackson Holliday hit his first AAA home run on Thursday afternoon, sneaking the 316 foot shot over the right center wall. He's hit .224/1/4 in his two weeks since arriving at Norfolk, with more walks than strikeouts
-Coby Mayo's gotten his average up to .260 after a 7-20 series with a dinger and two RBI. He also scored five runs
-In an uncommon relief appearance Wednesday, Garrett Stallings took the rock for a strong seven innings. He gave up three hits and one earned while striking out seven along the way
-Cade Povich was dialed in on Saturday, striking out eight over six shutout innings, allowing just three hits and two walks
-The Tides are 31 games over .500 and entering their final series of the year before a best two out of three championship the following week. Easily one of the better minor league teams we'll ever see
-Samuel Basallo had a smooth transition up to AA ball, going 7-15 at the plate with two RBI and three extra base hits. He only struck out once
-Max Wagner ending his first full professional campaign on a really high note, driving in three while scoring five times while batting .500 in his final four games
-Jud Fabian and John Rhodes finished 2023 with 15 and 17 home runs, respectively, while with Bowie. If they can get their averages up to a more workable spot, they'll find their way onto a big league roster somewhere
-Alex Pham gave up just one run in five innings of relief Tuesday, wrapping up a really nice third season for the 23 year old. He went 3-5 with a 2.57 ERA, 4:1 K:BB % and a .182 BAA across two levels of ball
Concluding Thoughts
-As mentioned in the introduction, this team has absolutely no quit in them. They're a powder keg, one spark away from game changing rallies at every given moment. Brandon Hyde's arguably the biggest part of this; with the trust, preparation and culture he's instilled into this team. They play for each other and it's so fun to watch. Manager of the Year, anything less would be criminal
-Didn't care at all to see John Angelos celebrating with the boys Sunday. In a season with so much unity and accomplishment, he's been the only consistent blemish on the team. No business being in that locker room in my opinion. He looked like an amateur doing it too, hopefully they wiped down the hose afterwards.
-Final road trip of the season ahead, with three big games in Houston before a foursome against the free falling Guardians. Whoever scheduled this fourteen game block in the middle of September is a brutal individual...but we're keeping on!
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@Choppinglines
*I own no rights to any images found in this blog
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