Orioles Report 8/15

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It might be difficult at times, but the intention of this report is to be unbiased overall. With another week of ho-hum, .500 baseball under our belts, things simply don't feel right in Birdland. They're still 21 games over .500, well in the thick of the playoff chase, but something's off. 

Not positive that there's any end in sight, though sometimes all it takes is a spark. Let's hope ours is still to come.

Photo: MLB.com


Kevin Gausman Says Hello

Don't let the final score fool you, the rubber match up in Toronto was not close. Dean Kremer was on his BS, allowing 5 earned on 4 hits and 5 walks in just 4.1 of action. The offense was wholly incapable of keeping up, mustering just 3 hits in 8 innings off of the powdered-donut-loving, former Oriole. It's been a regressive season for Gausman, but he shined in this one.

It got tight late however, thanks to some shaky bullpen work from another familiar face, Zach Pop. Jackson Holliday drove in one on a fielder's choice before a double by Mullins and two-RBI single by Colton Cowser cut the Jays' lead to just one. But Chad Green got Tony Taters to fly out to center for out #3, ending the threat and the series in Toronto's favor. 

7-6 Baltimore loss.


Three in Tampa

Down the Atlantic Coast they went, for a set in St. Petersburg. Colton Cowser kicked off things early with a leadoff home run, giving the Birds' a 1-0 lead that'd stand until the fifth, when Ryan O'Hearn delivered a two-run single. Cedric Mullins followed that up with a solo dinger in the following frame, digging Tampa's hole to four-- which felt like a mountain with how Zach Eflin was throwing.

In a full circle moment against his former club, Eflin was absolutely brilliant. Seven shutout innings, striking out 7 along the way. What a fantastic addition to the rotation these last three weeks. Seranthony Dominguez worked a scoreless eighth before Yennier Cano came in for the ninth, allowing a solo homer to Dylan Carlson to break the goose egg. 

4-1 Orioles win.

Corbin Burnes on the bump for the middle game, always a welcome sight for the Baltimore faithful. The ace was on yet again, outside of a tough fifth inning where the Rays managed all 4 hits and 3 runs they'd post off of Burnes. Hyde let him come back out for a 1-2-3 sixth to reestablish dominance before ending his day ahead 4-3.

The Birds had built their lead thanks to an RBI double by Adley and a two-run single by Mountcastle in the first, followed up by a Jackson Holliday solo bomb. The kid looks so much more comfortable at the plate this go round... 

But that lead was gone just two batters after Corbin exited, as Burch Smith allowed Jose Cabellero to send a game-tying long ball on a ride to the bleachers, costing the starter a chance at a decision. 

Ramon Urias made sure it wouldn't cost the team a win however, responding with a dinger of his own in the top of the eighth after a leadoff Holliday walk. Mountcastle added another insurance run a few batters later, always appreciated with how the bullpen's been throwing these days.

Case in point-- as Yennier Cano and Cionel Perez allowed two hits and two walks, respectively, to make the bottom of the frame shaky. But they got through it, setting up Dominguez to closed out the ninth for his second save with the team, sending this one into the record books.

7-5 O's, guaranteeing themselves the series.

There would be no sweep however, despite Albert Suarez's best efforts to earn it. The quickly-dismissed starter tossed 6.2 shutout innings, the seventh time he's posted a scoreless outing this season. That's good for most in the AL-- one more than the likes of Tarik Skubal, Bryce Miller and Logan Gilbert. Fair company.

Anthony Santander built Suarez a one run lead with a fourth inning homer, which unfortunately had no way of holding. Cionel Perez couldn't even record one out in the seventh before surrendering two hits to blow the team's lead. Craig Kimbrel came in the following frame and walked the bases loaded before allowing a game-winning sac fly. His confidence is shot and his production is matching it to a T.

Nobody needed in the ninth for this one, 2-1 Rays, in a soul snatcher to avoid being swept at home.


A Beltway Two'fer

Unlike Zach Eflin, fellow trade deadline acquisition Trevor Rogers has been far less endearing since joining the franchise. Tuesday night was much of the same, with the lefty getting battered for 7 hits and 5 earned runs over 5 innings. The effort, or lack thereof, raised his ERA to an abhorrent 7.53 with Baltimore-- far from the game-changing arm that was needed.

Santander homered again and Ryan Mountcastle added an RBI. Bryan Baker and Keegan Akin each allowed two earned. James Wood is really good at baseball. 

Nice, quick summary of game one there. 9-3 Nats.

The finale was much nicer for the O's. Gunnar put them on the board in the first with a two-run home run, his 30th. What a year it's been for the 23-year-old. Dean Kremer was bumpy early, allowing Washington to cut the lead in half with an Alex Call double in the second. He'd ultimately settle in from there, giving the team 6 strong innings.

Coby Mayo had his first big league hit in the fifth, a welcome sight for the kid who'd come out of the gate slow. Jackson Holliday knows a thing or two about that, but recorded an RBI single a few innings later to provide some insurance. Adley brought Mayo in to score on a sac fly later on that inning, giving Baltimore their fourth and final run of the day.

4-1 Orioles, splitting the Beltway Series.


Concluding Thoughts

This definitely sounds like a broken record, but the pitching is supremely problematic. No nicer way to swing it. And, unfortunately, it's highly unlikely to improve at this point, so we've kind of got to bunker down with the guys we've got...an ominous proposition given our World Series aspirations. 

Grayson and Coulombe need to get come and stay back. Let's take it to Boston tonight, starting at 6:35.


AL East Standings

1. New York Yankees (72-50)

2. Baltimore Orioles (71-50)

3. Boston Red Sox (63-56)

4. Tampa Bay Rays (59-61)

5. Toronto Blue Jays (57-64)


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@Choppinglines

*I own no rights to any images found in this blog

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