The O’s looked rejuvenated in Cleveland this weekend, and now they’ll drop by on the two worst teams in the AL East.
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
This just in: the sky might not, in fact, be falling for the Orioles.
Think back to Friday night. After the O’s started their season-long 10-game road trip with two ugly, mistake-filled losses in Cleveland, dropping them out of sole possession of first place, some Orioles fans couldn’t help but wonder if the team was headed for an imminent collapse. They couldn’t pitch, they couldn’t hit, and their defense got sloppier by the day.
Well…what a difference two days can make. The Birds salvaged their series with a pair of wins this weekend against MLB’s best team, putting together two of their most well-played games of the season. Their offense came alive, buoyed by a heating-up Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman as well as the return of Jackson Holliday, who looks like a totally different, much more confident player in his second stint with the Birds. Plus, several players the Orioles acquired during their somewhat controversial trade deadline frenzy — notably Zach Eflin, Eloy Jiménez, and Seranthony Dominguez — have made big contributions in the early goings.
It doesn’t mean the Orioles are completely fixed now, but this team is too talented to stay down for long. And they’ll play out the rest of their road trip against two teams that should, on paper, be easier opponents than the Guardians were. Tonight they start a three-game set versus the cellar-dwelling Blue Jays, whose lineup has become nearly unrecognizable due to injuries and a deadline sell-off. After that they’ll head to Tampa for three against the Rays, who are still fighting for a wild card spot but traded away a large chunk of their roster as well.
It’s a golden opportunity for the Orioles to see if they can keep the good vibes rolling. With any luck, they’ll be sitting alone in first place again by the time they return to Camden Yards next week.
Links
Eloy Jiménez enjoying the ‘good vibes’ with young Orioles – The Baltimore Banner
I would be enjoying the vibes just about anywhere if I got to leave a team that has lost 21 games in a row. In any case, Eloy has certainly made a good first impression with O’s fans.
Jon Meoli: One thing remains curiously missing from the Orioles’ offense – The Baltimore Banner
Meoli points out that the Orioles haven’t won a game since May 25 in which they were trailing after six innings. Where have all the late-inning comebacks gone? Is Orioles Magic dead, you guys??
Ripken chosen as next guest splasher on Sept. 6 – School of Roch
I don’t know how long the Orioles can realistically continue the Splash Zone concept, but it’s been a heck of a lot of fun while it lasts. Get your tickets now for Iron Splash on Sept. 6.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Former Orioles born on this day include right-hander Victor Zambrano (49) and the late outfielder Mike Reinbach (b. 1949, d. 1989), righty Jim Hardin (b. 1943, d. 1991), and catcher Cam Carreon (b. 1937, d. 1987).
On this date in 1959, the Orioles and White Sox played an 18-inning barnburner that ended in a 1-1 tie because of a midnight curfew in Baltimore. Billy O’Dell made a strong start for the Orioles — eight innings, one run — but it was Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm who put up the most heroic effort, working 10 scoreless innings of relief, the first 8.1 of them hitless. Chicago’s 1-2-3 hitters were a combined 0-for-21. Meanwhile, White Sox starter Billy Pierce pitched sixteen (16!) innings, holding the O’s to one run despite 11 hits. The entire 18-inning game was played in just over four hours.
On this day in 1971, Orioles starter Pat Dobson suffered a rare bad start, giving up six runs in 3.2 innings to the Yankees. How rare was it? Entering that outing, Dobson had thrown nine consecutive complete games — three of them shutouts — and had been the winning pitcher in 12 consecutive starts. He had also thrown 23 straight scoreless innings.
And on this date in 1986, the Orioles and Rangers combined to hit three grand slams in one game, setting a new MLB record (which has since been tied three times). The Rangers hit their slam early, a Toby Harrah shot off Ken Dixon in the second, before the O’s hit both of theirs in the same inning — first Larry Sheets off starter Bobby Witt, then Jim Dwyer off reliever Jeff Russell — to turn a 6-0 deficit into a 9-6 lead in the fourth. After all that, Texas ended up winning the game anyway, 13-11, thanks to a six-run top of the eighth that sadly did not include another grand slam.