Mountcastle to miss time, Baker impressing, and Blewett is back
Good Morning Birdland,
Well, they say all good things must come to an end. That includes the Orioles six-game winning streak. They lost 5-4 to the Athletics on Friday night, a frustrating game that saw them cough up two different leads and struggle with runners on base.
Dean Kremer did not have his finest outing, although most of his struggles were confined to the third inning, when he gave up a four spot. He was due for a clunker after two really good starts in a row.
It wasn’t all bad. Jackson Holliday had three more hits, including a home run. Get this guy to the all-star game! Coby Mayo got his first MLB extra-base hit. Maybe he is starting to find his groove. And Dylan Carlson continues to perform. He walked twice and hit a two-run homer. You have to keep playing this guy every day until the magic wears off, right?
Tonight is the Orioles last late-night, west coast game until August. It’s a Saturday, so it may be easy for many of you whipper snappers to stay up until 1 a.m. and watch baseball. I will be on recap duty, so an evening cup of coffee could be on the docket for me. It’s all worth it to watch Charlie Morton and Luis Serverino pitch. Truly a blessed life we all lead.
Links
‘Incredibly disappointing’: Mountcastle (hamstring) to miss 8-12 weeks | MLB.com
Ryan Mountcastle has not had the best season, but it seemed like he was just sorting himself out at the plate. Now he is on the shelf until early August, at least. That really stinks.
Baker’s a maker of All-Star talk, Mayo getting more starts without Mountcastle | Roch Kubatko
The injury to Mountcastle is a “next man up” situation. It seems as though Coby Mayo will be the beneficiary of it. It will give the youngster some room to grow and develop without a replacement breathing down his neck. That could be exactly what he needs.
Jon Meoli: The Orioles are winning again. What should we make of it? | The Baltimore Banner
This recent run has been fun, even if we understand the team is still a playoff longshot. What I do think people need to pause on is thinking about what this means for the trade deadline. Should they buy or sell? It doesn’t matter right now. We’ve got more than a month and a half before the deadline. Keep both avenues open, and let the team’s performance and record by that point dictate what you do.
Orioles Acquire Scott Blewett | MLB Trade Rumors
He’s back, folks! In a bit of baseballing irony, Scott Blewett was DFA’d by the Braves in order to make room for old friend Craig Kimbrel. And now the Orioles are taking Blewett off the Braves’ hands. This will be his second stint on the 2025 Birds. He threw 4.1 scoreless innings with them back in April.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
- Chris Richard turns 51 today. He spent parts of three seasons in Baltimore from 2000 through ‘02, posting a 107 OPS+ in that time.
- Heathcliff Slocumb is 59. The journeyman reliever had just one season with the Orioles, appearing in 10 games for them in 1999.
- Roger Nelson celebrates his 81st birthday. He served as a solid swingman pitcher on the 1968 Orioles.
This day in history
1967 – In the secondary phase of the first free agent draft, the Orioles select pitcher Mike Adamson, who will completely skip the minors and debut with the O’s on July 1.
1998 – Eddie Murray’s “33” uniform number is retired by the Orioles.
2010 – The Orioles select infielder Manny Machado with the third pick of the amateur draft.