A series-opening win, more pitching injuries, and a 2023 draftee gets to Double-A.
Good morning, Birdland!
Teams that win two-thirds of their games need more than just superstars. Granted, the Orioles have that in Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman. But baseball is a team sport, one in which even the best players fail an awful lot. That means that if you want be a successful team, there will moments where the entire lineup has to contribute. That was on full display for the Birds last night in their 4-0 win over the Braves.
On the bump, you had Albert Suárez. It’s not often that a 34-year-old picked off the scrap heap during the winter and then sent to Triple-A to begin the season ends up as a difference-maker in the summer. But that is exactly what Suárez has provided. He went 5.1 scoreless innings on Tuesday, the latest impressive outing in his magical season that now sees him with a 1.61 ERA through 44.2 innings.
The lineup looked different last night as Henderson received a rare night off. Jordan Westburg took over the lead-off spot for the night, but it did not go well as he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. Rutschman started as well, but he also ended up 0-for-4. So, who would push the offense forward? The much-maligned Austin Hays and recently healthy Jorge Mateo, of course.
Both Hays and Mateo have a significant collection of haters amongst the Orioles faithful. The hunger for winning has led many fans to be cut throat, ready to cast away long-time contributors at the first sign of trouble. Credit to the Orioles for sticking with these two through some struggles. Hays has seen his numbers slowly tick up since returning from the IL, and Mateo has been a revelation on the middle infield.
The Orioles are a talented team, and they wouldn’t be winning this often without their MVP and Cy Young candidates. But they are not top heavy. This is a well-balanced roster that provides value throughout.
Links
Coulombe injury latest obstacle Orioles must clear | Roch Kubatko
Yeah, it’s not ideal. Coulombe has been so good for this team the last two-and-a-half years. It would really hurt to lose him. At the same time, the Orioles have shown an ability to develop quality relievers out of nowhere, and the trade deadline is still ahead.
Orioles pitching injuries are adding up. What good will worrying do? | The Baltimore Banner
That’s what I’m saying, Jon Meoli! The only perspective that I will add is one of someone that remembers 2014 well. That season the Orioles won the AL East and made it to the ALCS. But imagine how much better they would have been if Manny Machado, Matt Wieters, and Chris Davis had been healthy/not suspended for the playoffs. It’s not fun to play the what-if game with your club’s best team of the decade.
The first 2023 draftee to reach Double-A? A 10th-round pick. | The Baltimore Sun
Congrats to Matthew Etzel for forcing the Orioles to do something about his hot start. Hopefully he can maintain that level of performance in Bowie.
Which MLB contenders have the most prospect chips to offer in trade deadline deals? | The Athletic
The Orioles do have a lot of top prospects, and I do expect them to be active at the trade deadline. But that doesn’t exactly mean they will use those top prospects in those trades. That just has not been Mike Elias’ style.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
- Damon Buford turns 54. Born in Baltimore to former Oriole Don Buford, the younger Buford would play parts of two seasons with the O’s from 1993-94.
- Dave Skaggs is 73 years old. He was a backup catcher with the Birds from 1977-80.
This day in O’s history
2004 – In a game between the Orioles and Giants, Barry Bonds hits his 675th home run and Rafael Palmeiro hits his 537th home run. It is only the third time in MLB history that two players with 500 or more home runs go deep in the same game. The Orioles lose the game 9-6.