Did it really have to be Kevin Pillar?
Hello, friends.
Ah, the Orioles. They were so close to pulling off another unexpected win over Atlanta on Saturday night, and they were also so far away. Although the O’s took a one-run lead into the eighth inning, longtime nemesis Kevin Pillar got a pinch-hit go-ahead home run off of Danny Coulombe and the O’s went on to lose, 5-4. I didn’t even know that dude was on the Braves. Will we ever be rid of him?
With the Saturday night loss, the Orioles are now 22-11 for the season. That’s the fifth different time that the team has ended a day with a record of exactly two wins for every loss. All of these have happened since April 23, when they won and were 14-7. It’s a great record, but unfortunately, they’re in the AL East, one of the only two divisions where that record doesn’t give a lead. They trail the Rays by 4.5 games. Well, we can worry about those guys starting on Monday.
For today, the Atlanta series finale awaits. This is the weird 11:35am Eastern start time game. Do not be caught unawares. The game will not air on MASN, but you are supposed to be able to find it on your local NBC affiliate in addition to on the Peacock streaming service. No, I don’t know why they’re streaming on Peacock, or why Peacock wanted 11:35 games. You can also listen on the radio in the same places you would normally listen to an Orioles game.
I did not expect the Orioles to win any games in this series at all, so already having one win in the O’s pocket is a nice bonus. Having won one, it would be nice if they could find a way to win a second and take the series, wouldn’t it? If Tyler Wells can do a good job today, the O’s will have a good chance. O’s batters must do their best against 24-year-old Bryce Elder, who has a 1.75 ERA in six starts this year. They’ve made out okay against Max Fried and Spencer Strider so far, so maybe they can surprise me again.
Around the blogO’sphere
Urías borrows mitt and makes move to first base (School of Roch)
Ramón Urías was unexpectedly the first baseman last night. It went fine.
Félix Bautista off to dominant start for Orioles in 2023 (Orioles.com)
It hasn’t been nearly as dominant as he was last year! Hopefully he can fix this, mostly by shaving, I don’t know, a third off of his current walk rate.
The Norfolk Tides are the best in the minors. The Orioles who were there say the club’s Triple-A team is ‘loaded.’ (The Baltimore Sun)
Jordan Westburg homered again yesterday. He’s hit eight home runs so far. If an infielder gets hurt or stumbles…
Robinson Chirinos ended his MLB career helping Orioles build their culture (The Baltimore Banner)
I’ll never know how true stuff like this actually is, but for real, if Chirinos helped even a little bit to build something that’s carried over this year, that’s great. Thank you!
Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries
The Orioles have not won a game played on May 7 since the 2017 season, when they beat the White Sox, 4-0. Joey Rickard and Trey Mancini each had three hits while Chris Tillman, Alec Asher, and Brad Brach combined for the shutout. That was the fourth win of an eventual six-game winning streak that left the O’s at 22-10, the same record they had after Friday night.
There are a few former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2019 outfielder Keon Broxton, 1994-96 outfielder Mark Smith, 2000-03 catcher Brook Fordyce, and 1956-57/61-62 utility man Dick Williams. Williams, who is a baseball Hall of Famer as a manager, passed away in 2011 at age 82.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: philosopher David Hume (1711), poet Robert Browning (1812), composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840), actor Gary Cooper (1901), Baltimore Colts legend Johnny Unitas (1933), and YouTuber MrBeast (1998).
On this day in history…
In 1718, the city of New Orleans was founded by the then-governor of French Louisiana, Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne.
In 1824, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony made its world premiere in Vienna. As Beethoven had gone deaf in the ten years since he published his last symphony, a different conductor led the orchestra.
In 1915, the RMS Lusitania, at one time the world’s largest passenger ship, sank after being torpedoed by a German submarine. Among the 1,198 people who died were 128 Americans. It’s thought to have helped turn sentiment against Germany in the US.
In 1954, the nearly two-month long Battle of Dien Bien Phu came to an end as about 11,000 French soldiers stationed at the Vietnam base surrendered.
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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on May 7. Have a safe Sunday. Go O’s!