The Orioles won both series against their AL East opponents this week, though they missed a chance yesterday for an even better showing.
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
The Orioles just keep on plugging along. After their 106-series sweepless streak ended in St. Louis, a fire has been lit under this team, which has rattled off an 8-2 record and won all three series since. Yesterday they finished a 4-2 homestand with two series victories over AL East foes. The O’s are 37-20, the fifth-best record in the majors, and are on pace for 105 wins. You love to see it.
Still, the final game of the homestand left a somewhat sour taste in the mouths of Orioles fans. The O’s had every opportunity to pull off the sweep, building an early 3-0 lead behind a dominant Cole Irvin in a game in which they’d eventually collect 15 hits. That’s a game that you probably should win. Instead, the O’s bullpen collapsed late and the offense squandered numerous in a 4-3 loss, which Mark Brown recapped.
I think Brandon Hyde generally does a good job with in-game strategy, but yesterday wasn’t one of his finest performances. Failing to pinch-hit for the utterly lost-at-the-plate Cedric Mullins in the seventh, with two runners in scoring position and the O’s ahead by just one run, was a glaring misstep.
So too was the eighth-inning bullpen usage, in which Hyde let a fatigued Dillon Tate hang out to dry for about five batters too long instead of simply bringing in Danny Coulombe to start the inning. Hyde’s options were limited, with Yennier Cano and Jacob Webb unavailable, but Coulombe has been one of the Orioles’ most reliable relievers this year, and the southpaw doesn’t have extreme lefty-righty splits. He could’ve handled the right-handed bats at the top of the Rays’ order (and he ended up facing them anyway in the ninth inning, after the Orioles had fallen behind, and retired them without issue).
All in all, it felt like a very winnable game that the O’s let slip through their fingers. Every team has games like this, of course, and the Orioles are usually pretty good at bouncing back from tough losses. But these kinds of O’s defeats are magnified by the fact that the first-place Yankees simply will not lose, and completed a sweep in San Francisco yesterday with a ninth-inning comeback to extend their division lead over the Orioles to three games. Seriously, Giants? You couldn’t do us a solid and win even one game?
Oh well. The Orioles’ next order of business is to hit the road for a pair of four-game series against division rivals in Toronto and Tampa Bay. Just keep winning series and the O’s should be okay in the end…assuming the Yankees don’t keep doing the same.
Links
Orioles lose late lead and fail to sweep Rays (updated) – School of Roch
Not to be overshadowed by the Orioles’ loss, Gunnar Henderson reached base five times yesterday, including a leadoff homer. How are we lucky enough to watch this guy play every day?
Orioles’ Jorge Mateo enters concussion protocol – The Baltimore Sun
What a weird, fluky injury to befall Mateo just as he had cemented himself as the everyday second baseman. Here’s hoping he won’t be sidelined for long.
O’s closer Craig Kimbrel, once again, gets on a pitching roll – Steve Melewski
Craig Kimbrel seems to be back on track after that rough patch in early May. But I for one am still going to be a nervous wreck every time he pitches.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! And happy 30th birthday to O’s infielder Ramón Urías, who’s now in his fifth year with the Birds and has a .261/.326/.400 line in 356 career games, plus a Gold Glove to his name. Have a good one, Ramón!
Five former Orioles were also born on June 3, including Orioles Hall of Famer Jim Gentile, the slugging first baseman who turns 90 years young today. Others are left-hander Brandon Waddell (30), catchers Robert Machado (51) and Izzy Molina (53), and infielder Aaron Ledesma (53).
On this date five years ago, the Orioles’ organization forever changed for the better when they selected catcher Adley Rutschman with the first overall pick of the 2019 draft. The Oregon State standout was hyped as a future superstar and boy, has he lived up to the hype, ushering in a renaissance of winning Orioles baseball.
Random Orioles game of the day
On June 3, 2015, the Orioles lost in Houston, 3-1, to complete a three-game Astros sweep and send the Birds to their fifth straight defeat. The O’s managed only four hits, two of them by Adam Jones, as Houston rookie right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. pitched a complete game with 11 strikeouts. It was the first — and still only — complete game for McCullers in his now 127 career MLB starts. O’s starter Miguel González worked a quality start but gave up three runs on three solo homers, two by Chris Carter and one from George Springer.