After three decisive victories to start the series, the O’s are a win away from their first ever four-game sweep in Tampa Bay.
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
Remember just last year, when the Orioles and Rays were the two undisputed behemoths of the AL East, jockeying back and forth for the division lead all season long? Well, in 2024, the two clubs have gone in decidedly different directions.
The O’s continue to play like one of the best teams in baseball, reaching a season-high 20 games above .500 yesterday, putting them on a 106-win pace that would be the third-best in franchise history. They are, once again, embroiled in a tooth-and-nail fight for the division lead.
That battle, this time, is with the Yankees and not with the Rays, who have fallen off the table after last year’s 99-win season. Tampa Bay currently sits in last place in the AL East with a 31-34 record, and the Orioles have taken them to the cleaners in the first three games of their four-game series, outscoring the Rays by a 20-5 margin. Yesterday’s victory was the most lopsided yet, one in which Grayson Rodriguez carried a perfecto into the sixth and Adley Rutschman blasted a game-breaking grand slam. Check out Stacey’s recap for all the glorious details.
The O’s have a chance to prolong the Rays’ misery in tonight’s series finale with ace Corbin Burnes on the hill. If the Birds pull out the “mop” (the four-game series sweep), it would be the first time they’ve ever accomplished the feat in Tampa Bay.
It’s surprising to see the Rays, who have long been so adept at staying competitive despite low payrolls and high roster turnover, sink to the bottom of the division standings. Sorry, guys. But…better you than us.
Links
Adley Rutschman’s grand slam, 6 RBIs turn tight game into Orioles blowout – The Baltimore Banner
I don’t know if you guys have heard, but Adley Rutschman is pretty good at baseball. #analysis
Making room for Mateo, Urías producing in spare role, O’Hearn’s odd stat, Mountcastle’s short home run – School of Roch
The O’s will have a tough roster decision to make when Jorge Mateo comes off the injured list. If Cedric Mullins was potentially on the chopping block, he might have saved himself with his two hits yesterday. My guess is we’ll see one of the Orioles’ banged-up outfielders land on the IL.
Jackson Holliday still hasn’t fixed his biggest problem in the minors – Fansided
Cody Williams notes that Holliday is still struggling to hit high fastballs in the minors. Compared to league average, that is. He’s way better at it than, like, me.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! And happy 77th birthday to Orioles Hall of Famer and Camden Chat’s 14th greatest Oriole of all time, Ken Singleton. The outfielder spent a decade as a mainstay in the Birds’ lineup, posting an outstanding .388 OBP, hitting 182 homers, making three All-Star appearances, twice finishing in the top 3 of the AL MVP vote, and winning a World Series in 1983. Enjoy your day, Ken! Other former Orioles born on June 10 include right-handers Jay Flaa (32) and Julio Mañón (51) and the late left-hander Ken Lehman (b. 1928, d. 2010) as well as catcher Hank Foiles, who passed away last month at age 94.
On this date in 1978, Jim Palmer won a 1-0 decision in Oakland, his third 1-0 victory in a five-start span. For eight innings, it was a scoreless pitcher’s duel between Palmer and Athletics starter Steve Renko before the O’s struck for a two-out rally in the ninth. The aforementioned Ken Singleton, on his 31st birthday, ripped a single, and Lee May followed with an RBI double for the lead. Palmer finished things off with a perfect bottom of the ninth, completing a three-hit shutout.
In 1995, light-hitting O’s utility man Jeff Manto crushed a home run in his fourth consecutive at-bat, powering a second-inning blast off Angels right-hander (and Baltimore native) Mike Bielecki. Manto had homered in his only two official at-bats the previous day against the Angels, and had dingered in his final at-bat vs. Seattle the day before that.
And on this date in 2005, in an interleague matchup between the Orioles and Reds, three members of the 500-homer club all played in the same game for the first time in MLB history. The Orioles’ Sammy Sosa (580 dingers at the time), and Rafael Palmeiro (559) and the Reds’ Ken Griffey Jr. (510) were all in the starting lineup. Griffey tagged the Orioles’ John Parrish for his 511th career homer, while the Orioles’ duo went 1-for-7 with a single.