Kimbrel keeps rolling, organizational untouchables, and saying goodbye to Oakland.
Good Morning, Birdland,
At three full games, the Orioles now have their largest division lead of the season. It comes after they held off the Athletics for a 3-2 win on Friday night, hours after the Yankees had lost yet again, this time in somewhat embarrassing fashion.
It’s a good thing the O’s did win, because this would have been looked at as a big missed opportunity otherwise. As a team they left nine runners on base and ended two different innings with the bases loaded.
Fortunately, the pitching staff had a great night. Albert Suárez fought through six innings and allowed just two runs, both on solo homers. Then, Brandon Hyde turned to his current A-bullpen: Jacob Webb, Yennier Cano, and Craig Kimbrel. As a group they tossed three shutout innings and struck out five to lock down the win.
Maybe even more important than the win is that last night’s game marked the end of the crazy late west coast games for a little while. The first pitch today and tomorrow is 4:07, meaning that many of us can watch without holding our eyes open past the third inning. The O’s will have to wrangle with pacific time once more this year, when they take on the Dodgers in late August, but that feels like eons away at this point.
For now, it’s about getting the series win in Oakland while hopefully extending the AL East lead further. It will be Cade Povich’s job to keep the A’s lineup at bay while the O’s offense looks to whoop up on Luis Medina.
Links
Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel has emerged from early stumble for best performance in years: ‘He’s been money’ | The Baltimore Sun
Kimbrel has been a surprise to me. I figured he would be fine, something close to the 3.26 ERA he posted with the Phillies last year. Instead, he has been a level above that, posting his best strikeout rate since 2021 and looking like one of the league’s better closers. The Orioles still need more in the bullpen, but kudos to Kimbrel for his renaissance.
Inbox: O’s ‘untouchables’? Guardians options with their 2nd pick? | MLB Pipeline
Jim Callis thinks that only Jackson Holliday should be “untouchable” at the trade deadline. Personally, I would make Coby Mayo untouchable too. He’s so close to the big leagues, and it feels like the Orioles will have room for him next year if Anthony Santander leaves in free agency. But as Callis points out, everyone has a price. If there was a way for the Orioles to add Tarik Skubal, I could be persuaded.
Orioles’ rotation keeps rolling | Roch Kubatko
The Orioles of my childhood struggled to field even one competent starting pitcher at a time. But in 2024, despite a number of injuries, even the back of the Orioles’ rotation is steady. It’s awesome!
Orioles see something special in final series at Oakland Coliseum | The Baltimore Banner
The Oakland Coliseum is one of those stadiums that makes baseball fun. The dimensions are wonky. The foul territory goes on for miles. The bathrooms in the dugout don’t always work. It’s magical.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
- Manny Machado turns 32. One of the most talented Orioles in recent memory, Machado spent parts of seven seasons in Baltimore from 2012 through 2018. In that time, he won two Gold Gloves and made two all-star teams before he was traded to the Dodgers as part of an organizational tear-down.
- The late Barry Shetrone (b. 1938, d. 2001) was born on this day. A Baltimore native, Shetrone attended Southern High School and went on to play for his hometown team from 1959 through ‘62, appearing in 58 total games as an outfielder.
- It’s a posthumous birthday for Frank Kellert (b. 1924, d. 1976). He played in 10 games for the Orioles during the 1954 season.
This day in O’s history
1966 – Boog Powell knocks in 11 runs during a doubleheader to tie an American League record. On the day, Powell hits two homers, including a grand slam.
2016 – The Orioles beat the Dodgers 6-4 in a 14-inning affair at Dodgers Stadium, but not before both teams combine to strike out 36 times (18 strikeouts each). Jonathan Schoop has the winning hit, a two-run double in the top of the 14th. Mike Trumbo went deep twice in the game to give him an MLB-best 26 long balls on the year.
2023 – Gunnar Henderson leads the way as the Orioles beat up the Yankees 14-1. Henderson has three hits, including a home run, three runs, and four RBI.