Cowser’s return, Tromp sticks around, and what the Orioles need to do by the deadline.
Good morning Birdland,
Folks, are the Orioles back? I‘m thinking they’re back!
They won again on Tuesday night in Seattle. It’s their fourth straight win—a season high—and their seventh win in their last 10 games. Over this stretch they have inched their way up the standings ever so slightly. There are now two teams worse than them in the AL (Athletics and White Sox), and the Orioles sit nine games back of a wild card spot.
Now, this little run has not changed the Orioles chances all that much. FanGraphs gives them a 2.8% chance of making the playoffs. That’s not nothing! But it is also not great odds. So we can pause any playoff preparations for now.
That said, it is clear that this team is playing much better baseball the last two weeks. Much of that is because the starting pitching has been downright good.
Tomoyuki Sugano allowed one run over seven innings to a solid Mariners lineup last night. Charlie Morton has rediscovered his form. Dean Kremer is rebounding from a poor April. Zach Eflin is gonna do Zach Eflin things. Cade Povich shows some promise. And there is help on the horizon in the form of Kyle Bradish. Things are improving!
Ultimately, the rotation is just a stabilizer for the this team. If they have any hope of a historic comeback, they are gonna need the offense to realize its potential. That means scoring 5+ runs with regularity, as they did against Seattle.
The return of Colton Cowser will help them achieve that goal. He is such a useful player. He can run. He can play defense. He can hit for power. Inserting him back into the lineup lengthens it in a major way. Now, if they could just get Heston Kjerstad and Coby Mayo going…
We saw a little bit of that as well. Kjerstad had two hits, including a double, and a walk. Mayo singled and scored a run. It’s not all gonna happen at once. But if it happens at all, this lineup can be really, really good.
It’s cool to have good baseball to watch again!
Links
Cowser sets record straight on Henderson’s ‘shrimp’ autograph — then homers in return | Orioles.com
Cowser is pretty clearly the goofball of the group that seems to get along with just about everyone. While his play on the field is obviously important, getting that personality in the clubhouse every single day has a role to play as well.
Orioles Re-Sign Chadwick Tromp To Minor League Deal | MLB Trade Rumors
Fear not, Tromp Hive. The reserve catcher will remain in the organization after he had opted for free agency earlier in the day. You would hope the Orioles have no use for Tromp at the major league level, but it’s good to have a competent catcher in the organization.
West Coast leftovers for breakfast | Roch Kubatko
For many of the Orioles hitters that are struggling, it seems like the team is leaning on process over outcomes. Roch mentions Kjerstad here as someone that keeps getting chances despite poor results. In the eyes of Mike Elias and others, it’s probably pretty simple. Kjerstad is no sure thing, but if/when he hits, he is one of our nine best.
The Orioles have 50 games before the trade deadline. Here’s what it would take to avoid a fire sale. | The Baltimore Banner
Getting to .500 by deadline day feels close to impossible. But getting within striking distance of a playoff spot by then is not off the table. What Mike Elias does at that time really depends on what this team looks like by then. If they offense is roaring, the rotation is steady, and Bradish is in the midst of minor league rehab, he’s gonna buy. How much he buys could vary quite a bit.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
- Cla Meredith turns 42 today. He spent two seasons in the Orioles bullpen from 2009 through 2010.
- J.C. Romero is 49 years old. The lefty had a five-game cameo on the 2012 Orioles.
- Ricky Jones celebrates his 67th birthday. His MLB career lasted all of 16 games, which came with the 1986 Orioles.
- Terry Kennedy turns 69. He was an Oriole from 1987-88, which included an all-star now in ‘87.
- Billy Hunter is 97 years old today. The infielder came with the Orioles to Baltimore when the franchise moved from St. Louis in 1954. He played 125 games in that first season in Charm City and then departed for other teams.
This day in O’s history
1967 – The Orioles beat the Senators 7-5 in the longest game in modern Orioles history. The game goes 19 innings, includes 21 Washington strikeout, and an Andy Etchebarren walk-off home run.
1997 – The Orioles extend their AL East advantage over the Yankees to nine games with a 9-7 win against the Bomber. Cal Ripken Jr. homers the day after signing 2,200 copies of his new book, a task that took until 3:01 a.m. to complete.
2010 – Dave Trembley is dismissed as Orioles manager after the team begins the season 15-39, the worst record in MLB. Juan Samuel is named interim manager.
2019 – The Orioles beat the Rangers 12-11 in a game that felt like a blowout prior to the ninth inning. Pedro Severino hits three home runs and Dwight Smith Jr. drives in six runs. But the Rangers storm back to score six times in the ninth before Mychal Givens strikes out Elvis Andrus for the final out of the game.