O's game blog: Chris Ellis faces Texas at Camden Yards

O's game blog: Chris Ellis faces Texas at Camden Yards
After splitting the first two games in this series, the Orioles host the Texas Rangers tonight looking to erase the memory of last night's blown lead and 8-5 loss. The Orioles went to the ninth leading Texas 5-3 but allowed five runs as the Rangers evened the four-game series at a win each. O's pitching had allowed just seven runs in the previous four games and then gave up eight in losing Friday night. They had beaten the Rangers 3-0 on Thursday night as Zac Lowther and three relievers...
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Brandon Hyde on Tyler Wells to the IL and other notes

Brandon Hyde on Tyler Wells to the IL and other notes
The Orioles' constant run of injury issues today sent Rule 5 pick right-hander Tyler Wells to the 10-day injured list. He is dealing with right shoulder inflammation and right-hander Spenser Watkins rejoins the team to take his roster spot. Wells' season ends, but what a rookie year it was. He went 2-3 with a 4.11 ERA and four saves, the last of which came in the series opener against the Rangers on Thursday night. But last night, trying to record another save, Wells faced one batter in the...
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Mullins goes 30/30, Elias on MASN and more

Mullins goes 30/30, Elias on MASN and more
What a moment for center fielder Cedric Mullins last night as he became the Orioles' first player to hit 30 or more homers while stealing 30 or more bases in a single season. His three-run shot in the second inning was an important homer too, a three-run shot that fans call a Weaver. It gave the Orioles a 4-2 lead on Texas. They let the game get away, but the moment didn't. Mullins got a curtain call and then his teammates stayed back in the dugout as he took the field and stood alone for...
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Late lead gets away and Bowie is swept by Akron

Late lead gets away and Bowie is swept by Akron
That was a very tough way for a season to end for the Double-A Bowie Baysox. They let a late 5-0 lead get away and lost 6-5 at Akron tonight as the RubberDucks scored twice in the ninth to produce a championship via a walk-off win. Akron, down 5-0, scored four runs in the eighth and two in the ninth to stun Bowie and end the year for the Baysox, who were swept three straight in the Double-A Northeast Championship Series. A costly throwing error by second baseman Cadyn Grenier scored the first...
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O's game blog: Looking for two in a row against Rangers

O's game blog: Looking for two in a row against Rangers
After pitching their second shutout of the last four games and fifth of the season on Thursday night, the Orioles resume their home series tonight with Texas. They host the Rangers for Game 2 of a four-game series and seven-game homestand. Thursday night, lefty Zac Lowther and three relievers teamed on a five-hitter with nine strikeouts. Lowther went the first five innings, allowing three singles with two walks and a career-best seven strikeouts. He threw 94 pitches, 58 for strikes, and two of...
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Drew Rom's big year on farm, plus a take on Brandon Hyde

Drew Rom's big year on farm, plus a take on Brandon Hyde
BOWIE - It was a week ago today, the last Friday of the regular season, and Double-A Bowie needed every win it could get to try and complete its playoff push. Young lefty Drew Rom took the mound against Altoona. And he threw five perfect innings with seven strikeouts. And on just 54 pitches. He was, indeed, rolling and dealing. It capped a strong finish to his regular season where Rom threw 14 scoreless innings over his last three starts for Bowie, allowing just five hits. He walked one and...
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O's game blog: Final homestand begins

O's game blog: Final homestand begins
For the Orioles in the 2021 season, it's 152 games down and 10 go. They begin their final homestand tonight, hosting the Texas Rangers to start a four-game series. They will follow that with three at home versus Boston and then three at Toronto to end the year. The Orioles (48-104) blanked the Phillies on the road 2-0 on Monday behind John Means. But they lost 3-2 in 10 innings on Tuesday and 4-3 on Wednesday. So each team scored just seven runs in three games. The Birds have lost five of...
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For Jordan Westburg, the struggles provided chance for growth

For Jordan Westburg, the struggles provided chance for growth
BOWIE - For Double-A Bowie infielder Jordan Westburg, seeing his career advance three levels on the farm this year - from low-Single-A Delmarva through high Single-A Aberdeen and now on to Bowie - was a nice achievement. But to hear him tell it, learning to deal with the struggles he experienced along the way in moving up levels was pretty important as well. Westburg, the Orioles' No. 6 prospect, has had a very strong year. He's hit .285/.389/.479/.868 with 27 doubles, five triples, 15...
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Bowie's Grayson Rodriguez takes loss as Akron takes Game 2

Bowie's Grayson Rodriguez takes loss as Akron takes Game 2
BOWIE - It was not the night the Bowie Baysox were hoping for. The weather made it challenging and so did Akron RubberDucks batters. They scored six runs in just 2 2/3 innings off Bowie ace Grayson Rodriguez - that was a season high for him in runs allowed - as Akron beat Bowie 8-5 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five Double-A Northeast Championship Series. The Baysox have scored just six runs on six hits in the first two games. The late afternoon downpour finally subsided, but the first...
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A look ahead at Game 2 tonight in Bowie

A look ahead at Game 2 tonight in Bowie
BOWIE - It is not a must-win like their game Sunday, when the season would have been over with a loss, but it's a pretty vital game for the Bowie Baysox tonight. They host Akron in Game 2 of the Double-A Northeast Championship Series. After losing here 5-1 last night, they would be in an 0-2 series hole with a loss tonight, and heading to Akron for the rest of the series. Game 3 is set for Friday night at 6:05 p.m. The Baysox, who tied with Akron for the most runs scored in the league in the...
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O's game blog: Looking for a series win at Philadelphia

O's game blog: Looking for a series win at Philadelphia
The Orioles will take a series victory if they win at Philadelphia tonight. They have split two games at Citizens Bank Park, winning 2-0 Monday night behind John Means and losing 3-2 in 10 innings last night. The Orioles (48-103) are 1-4 on this road trip that ends tonight. They are 25-52 on the road and 7-12 versus National League teams. In their most recent games they have lost four of the last five and nine of 11 heading into the series finale. The Orioles have been struggling to score runs,...
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Seeing Grayson Rodriguez's huge year through eyes of his teammates

Seeing Grayson Rodriguez's huge year through eyes of his teammates
BOWIE - As he gets set to make a playoff start tonight for the Double-A Bowie Baysox, it is obvious that right-hander Grayson Rodriguez has had a special season. He is baseball's No. 1-ranked pitching prospect for a reason, and the stats bear that out. But his teammates in Bowie will remind you he has also been a very solid teammate, and his coaches will remind you of that too. The organization also made sure he made gains this year in things like how he scouts his opponents. During a long...
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Jordan Westburg homers, but Bowie loses Game 1

Jordan Westburg homers, but Bowie loses Game 1
BOWIE - The Bowie Baysox got an early lead tonight in Game 1 of the Double-A Northeast Championship Series. But the lead didn't hold up as the Baysox bats were silenced most of the night. Akron right-hander Peyton Battenfield allowed just one hit over seven innings as the RubberDucks beat Bowie 5-1 in the opener of the best-of-five series. Bowie will try to get even at home tomorrow night at 6:35 p.m. Battenfield was acquired by Cleveland on July 30. The Indians traded outfielder Jordan Luplow...
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Bowie's Cody Roberts on his game-winning hit Sunday

Bowie's Cody Roberts on his game-winning hit Sunday
BOWIE - Two days removed from the must-win game that saved their season and got them to tonight, Bowie opens the Double-A Northeast Championship Series tonight, hosting Akron in Game 1 of a best-of-five series. Bowie's three-run rally in the eighth inning on Sunday gave the Baysox a 7-5 win over Altoona and sent Bowie to the playoffs, where tonight they begin a series seeking their second league championship after winning the 2015 Eastern League title. With the game tied 5-5 on Sunday, catcher...
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O's game blog: Looking for two in a row over Phillies

O's game blog: Looking for two in a row over Phillies
After they had allowed 24 runs in the Boston series, losing all three games, the Orioles pitched a shutout Monday night as they beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-0. It was a damaging loss to the Phillies' playoff chances. Lefty John Means and two relievers teamed on a four-hitter. It was the fourth shutout of the year for a Baltimore staff that had allowed 81 runs the previous nine games. * April 2: Means goes seven innings as O's blank Boston 3-0 on opening day.* May 5: Means pitches a...
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Patrick Dorrian got sought-after power surge to help Bowie to playoffs

Patrick Dorrian got sought-after power surge to help Bowie to playoffs
BOWIE - He is a rarity at Double-A Bowie. He has been with that team all year, from start to finish, and will be a key cog in their lineup tonight as the Double-A Northeast Championship Series begins with Bowie hosting Akron in a best-of-five series for the league championship. Patrick Dorrian, 25, has had a strong year on the Orioles farm. One that can fly under the radar when your name is among the organization's home run leaders with players like Adley Rutschman and Kyle Stowers. Stowers...
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John Means was outstanding as O's beat Phillies (updated)

John Means was outstanding as O's beat Phillies (updated)
At times tonight, Orioles ace lefty John Means looked like the 2021 early season version. The Means who had an ERA of 1.21 after his first eight starts. That is always big for the Orioles and Means was tonight. He threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings - his fifth start this year allowing no runs - as the Orioles blanked the Philadelphia Phillies 2-0 to start a three-game road series. The Orioles (48-102) won for just the second time in 10 games and put a damaging loss on the Phillies record....
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O's game blog: Series begins at Philadelphia

O's game blog: Series begins at Philadelphia
If the Orioles thought playing an interleague series this late in the season would provide an opponent just playing out the string - well, that was not an accurate thought. Tonight, the Orioles begin a three-game series at Philadelphia and the Phillies desperately need wins. Philadelphia (76-73) began play Sunday just one game behind Atlanta for the National League East lead. But they lost 3-2 to the Mets while the Braves (77-70) blanked San Francisco 3-0. So the Phillies begin this series two...
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Fast start, strong finish, final day win leads Bowie to playoffs

Fast start, strong finish, final day win leads Bowie to playoffs
As they get ready to play for a league championship for the third time in the team's 28-year history, the Double-A Bowie Baysox can look back on a special regular season where they got off to a sizzling start and produced a strong finish. The Baysox were 21-5 on June 4 and were about the best team in all of Minor League Baseball to that point. Late in the year, as they pushed for a postseason spot, Bowie won 12 of 14 in the last two series, going 7-0 versus Harrisburg and 5-2 against...
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The Bowie Baysox win to reach the playoffs

The Bowie Baysox win to reach the playoffs
They took an early lead but then fell behind. But the Double-A Bowie Baysox put together a dramatic rally in the last of the eighth this afternoon and pulled out their must-win game today. Bowie entered the final day of the regular season needing a win to advance to the playoffs. A loss and the season would be over. The Baysox entered the last of the eighth down 5-4 but scored three times to beat Altoona 7-5. The Baysox end the regular season 73-47 (.608), winning 12 of their final 14 games, to...
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