A series-opening win, how Norby told his family about the call-up, and why did so many teams pass on Gunnar in today’s round-up.
Good Morning, Birdland!
Last night was a fine example of just how deep this Orioles lineup is. Gunnar Henderson didn’t have a great game, going 1-for-5 with two strikeouts. Adley Rutschman had a rough one, posting an 0-for-5 with three K’s. And yet, the Orioles scored six runs anyway.
Jordan Westburg bounced back from a poor series in Toronto to record two hits, including a late two-run bomb to put the game away. Anthony Santander was hovering around the Mendoza line coming into June, but now he is up to a .227/.306/.472 line after his two-hit night in Tampa.
It’s not a perfect offense. Cedric Mullins continues his season-long scuffle. Colton Cowser has tailed off since his hot start. But none of the names in the lineup is a particularly easy out. From the top to the bottom this is a dynamic attack that will make any pitcher antsy.
On the pitching side, don’t look now but the bullpen is suddenly locking everything down.
Over the Orioles’ past nine games, their bullpen has a 0.63 ERA — two runs in 28.2 innings.
— Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) June 8, 2024
How about Yennier Cano last night? The guy decided to throw his four-seamer a whole bunch out of nowhere, and it worked! He was slinging it in there at 96-97 mph, and the Rays hitters had no chance.
There are ebbs and flows to a baseball season. Things won’t always be going so swimingly. But this past week or so has been a pretty good time. Let’s keep it going tonight with Kyle Bradish on the bump.
Links
Circling back to yesterday’s happenings with the Orioles | Roch Kubatko
You weren’t alone if you were worried about Bradish given some of the things being said by the Orioles. We all knew it was a tough stretch of the schedule, and things were going to shift, but it’s still scary to hear that pitchers are getting extra rest, especially when we know there is an underlying injury to worry about.
Even when they are far apart, Connor Norby and his brother do things together | The Baltimore Banner
Well this is a fun little story! It’s always interesting to hear the background of what goes on when a player is called up. For Norby, he prioritized calling his family and then a haircut before getting to Toronto. It’s worked out well for him so far.
How many Orioles could make the All-Star Game? These players deserve a look. | The Baltimore Sun
If you want the premier perspective on the worthy all-stars on the Orioles’ roster, I recommend Mark’s blog. But this one from The Sun is fine as well.
How did 29 MLB teams pass on Orioles superstar Gunnar Henderson? | Yahoo! Sports
Because no one else knows ball like Mike Elias. Or maybe because the Orioles had particularly deep pockets in 2019. Perhaps a little column A, a little column B?
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
- Connor Norby turns 24 today. One of the newest Orioles was drafted by the team in 2021 and made his big league debut this past week in Toronto. Here’s hoping to a long, productive career for the youngster.
- T.J. McFarland is 35. A Rule 5 pick in late 2012, the lefty would pitch in parts of four seasons for the Orioles from 2013-16, almost entirely as a reliever. Since then he has bounced around the league a bit and currently has a role in the Athletics bullpen.
- Lenn Sakata is 70 years old. From 1980 through ‘85 he was a backup infielder with the Orioles, known more for his glove than his bat. But he will remembered as an important piece of the 1983 World Series champion O’s, including a game in August of that season in which he volunteered to play catcher late in the game as the two regular backstops had exited. That was the same inning that Tippy Martinez picked off all three Blue Jays runners, due in part to Sakata’s presence behind the plate, which encouraged some larger-than-normal leads by the Toronto runners.
- The late Mark Belanger (b. 1944, d. 1998) was born on this day. A team legend, Belanger spent parts of 17 seasons in Baltimore from 1965 through ‘81. He won eight Gold Gloves and earned an all-star nod in ‘76. The Orioles inducted him into their team Hall of Fame in 1983, the year after his playing career ended.
- A posthumous birthday for George Brunet (b. 1935, d. 1991). He pitched in 16 games for the 1963 O’s, a footnote on his 15-year MLB career.
This day in O’s history
1986 – The Orioles and Yankees play the longest nine-ining game in AL history. It takes four hours and 16 minutes for the O’s to beat the Yanks 18-9.
2013 – The Orioles’ 30th-round draft pick, infielder Federico Castagnini out of Creighton University, becomes the first player drafted that was born and raised in Italy.