The O’s beat the Rays, Rogers to start today, and a tragedy in the organization.
Good morning Birdland,
These guys just keep winning baseball games. They beat the Rays 5-1 on Tuesday night, their 10th win in June. That makes this their winningest month of the season, and they still have 12 games left on the slate.
It’s a reflection of two things. First, the Orioles were very bad in April and May, winning nine games in each. But they are also playing really, really well in May, a .667 winning percentage in the month. That’s 108 wins if sustained for a full season, and it’s exactly what they need to do in order to get back into the thick of the AL playoff race.
Jordan Westburg has injected life into this lineup in a big way. He had three more hits on Tuesday, bringing his line to .385/.467/.808 since returning. And you can’t say enough about how the outfield has transformed in the last month. Ramón Laureano and Dylan Carlson were two afterthoughts this past offseason. They have been the team’s best outfielders for a while now and combined for five more hits last night.
And, of course, the pitching has really turned things around. Dean Kremer tossed five innings and allowed one run, and then the bullpen cruised through four scoreless innings to lock down the win.
When you score five runs, you’re going to win a lot of games. When you allow one run, you’re going to win a lot of games. The Orioles are doing more of both things lately, and it’s fun to watch.
Links
O’s Minor Leaguer Luis Guevara passes away at age 19 | Orioles.com
It was reported over the weekend that an Orioles player had been involved in a boating accident in Florida. The team then cancelled games for their Florida Complex League on Monday and Tuesday. On Tuesday evening it was confirmed that Guevara had passed as a result of the collision. It’s devastating news.
Rogers’ return to Orioles brings latest restructuring of roster | Roch Kubatko
Trevor Rogers is the expected starter tonight in Tampa. That will require the Orioles to keep shuffling through relievers. Grant Wolfram is the likely candidate even though he was just recalled on Tuesday. Such is life for fringy relievers in the majors.
Inside the Dugout: 6 thoughts on the trade deadline | The Baltimore Banner
The Orioles still have more than a month until the trade deadline. But those days will slip away quicker than we realize, and in likelihood they will still be below .500 at that point. What should they do if the team is surging but still in a tough spot mathematically?
Clutch hitting, ‘pen have O’s thinking their mojo’s back | Orioles.com
It certainly doesn’t feel like the same team we watched in April and the first half of May. It feels like this group is always in control. Even when losing, anything is possible.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
- Caleb Joseph turns 39 today. From 2014 through 2018 he was a solid catching option for the Orioles. Unfortunately for him, he may be best remembered for his nightmare 2016 season, when he took 141 plate appearances but failed to drive in a run. That is an MLB record in the live ball era.
- Carlos Méndez is 51 years old. The first baseman played in 26 games for the Orioles in 2003.
This day in O’s history
2001 – Cal Ripken Jr. announces that he will retire at the end of the season.
2007 – The Orioles fire Sam Perlozzo as manager. Dave Trembley is named interim skipper, a role he will later take on full-time.