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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O's game blog: Alexander Wells on mound in series finale

O's game blog: Alexander Wells on mound in series finale
The Orioles need a win this afternoon to salvage the finale of their three-game series at Boston before their current road trip moves on to Philadelphia beginning Monday night. The Birds have lost by 7-1 and 9-3 the last two days at Fenway Park. The Orioles (47-101) have lost seven of their last eight games and have dropped their past three series. They have a 24-50 road record and are 6-11 in September after going 4-24 in August. Baltimore pitching has allowed 16 runs in this series and 73...
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Outfielder Zach Watson is only 20-20 player on O's farm

Outfielder Zach Watson is only 20-20 player on O's farm
BOWIE - When you look at the top home run hitters on the Orioles farm they are mostly a group of real big and strong players. Mostly, but not all. In that group of players who have the physical look of middle-of-the-order hitters is center fielder Zach Watson of the Double-A Bowie Baysox. At 6-foot and 160 pounds, and with his speed, he has more the look of the speedy, leadoff type of hitter than a player with 20 homers, exceeded by just three players in the O's farm system this year. But...
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O's game blog: Zac Lowther faces Red Sox

O's game blog: Zac Lowther faces Red Sox
After losing 7-1 last night to start a three-game series, the Orioles are back at Fenway Park this afternoon. They play the Boston Red Sox in the second game of a three-game series and six-game road trip. In the last four games, the Orioles have scored just two, three, three and one run. That is nine runs on 26 hits in that span. Austin Hays' solo homer in the second inning was the only O's run last night as they were held to four hits - the Hays homer and three other singles. The Orioles...
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Looking for fewer strikeouts versus the AL East, plus farm notes

Looking for fewer strikeouts versus the AL East, plus farm notes
Put the ball in play and something good could happen. That has been true on offense in baseball forever. Although we are in an era now with big swings and big strikeout numbers. As the Orioles were held to four hits and lost 7-1 at Boston Friday night, they struck out just five times while drawing one walk. But as the Orioles look to get better and win more often in the rugged American League East, they are going to need to put the ball in play more versus other division clubs. Not only do...
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O's game blog: O's face Boston in series opener

O's game blog: O's face Boston in series opener
After going 3-3 on their last road trip through the American League East cities of Toronto and New York, the Orioles begin their second-to-last road trip of the season tonight where they began their 2021 season, Fenway Park in Boston. That first series went great for Baltimore as the Orioles swept the three games by a combined 18-5 score. But in a return trip there in mid-August, the Orioles were outscored 30-5 and swept three straight by Boston, and that included a 16-2 loss. The Orioles...
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On O's farm, hitters take BP routine and turn it into runs

On O's farm, hitters take BP routine and turn it into runs
BOWIE - In spring training of 2020, the Orioles implemented a new method for their minor league hitters to train with before games. Traditional batting practice, just to get loose by raking against slower, grooved fastballs, was going to be replaced by a routine that would be tougher for the hitters at 4 o'clock, but might lead to more production beginning at 7 o'clock. Then the lost minor league season put this plan on hold. But this year it's being implemented with full force throughout...
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O's game blog: Series and homestand finale against Yankees

O's game blog: Series and homestand finale against Yankees
After letting the lead get away in the ninth last night as they lost 4-3 to the New York Yankees, the Orioles are out today to end their latest losing steak, which has reached five games. Two of the five losses were by one run where they surrendered a lead in the final inning. The Yankees (82-64) will try to sweep this series and stay in position to earn an American League wild card berth, as three AL East teams battle over two spots. Beginning play today, New York and Toronto have identical...
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Gunnar Henderson: Aberdeen struggles provide learning and growth

Gunnar Henderson: Aberdeen struggles provide learning and growth
BOWIE - His bat was trending up at high Single-A Aberdeen after a very slow start with the IronBirds. But the Orioles' No. 4 prospect, young infielder Gunnar Henderson, did not expect he would end his season playing with the Double-A Bowie Baysox. But there he was again in the lineup on Wednesday night at third base as the Baysox continued their quest for a playoff spot, one he gets to be a part of it in the final week of the regular season. He was promoted during Monday's off-day. Henderson,...
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Grayson Rodriguez on mound tonight as Bowie closes in on playoffs (updated)

Grayson Rodriguez on mound tonight as Bowie closes in on playoffs (updated)
BOWIE - Led by a recent run of strong pitching, the Double-A Bowie Baysox have reeled off nine straight wins. Tonight, they send their ace to the mound here as they look to take another big step toward wrapping up a playoff berth in the Northeast. Two teams will make the league's best-of-five championship series next week, and Bowie holds the No. 2 spot heading into tonight's games. .623 - Akron (71-43) .609 - Bowie (70-45) .605 - Somerset (69-45) If Bowie keeps winning, the Baysox will be in...
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O's game blog: John Means faces the Yankees at Oriole Park

O's game blog: John Means faces the Yankees at Oriole Park
In the first two games of their four-game losing streak, in a doubleheader on Saturday against Toronto, the Orioles led before losing. But they have fallen behind big in the last two losses and will look to reverse that tonight when hosting the New York Yankees. The Orioles trailed 16-4 after the third inning Sunday on their way to a 22-7 loss to the Blue Jays. And they trailed 5-0 after the third last night in losing the series opener 7-2 to the Yankees. New York right-hander Gerrit Cole got...
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O's notes, Mancini's nomination, Bowie's double dip win

O's notes, Mancini's nomination, Bowie's double dip win
Just as in Sunday's game, the Orioles fell behind early last night in the series opener with the Yankees. They didn't give up 16 runs early on, but they were behind 5-0 in the third inning in what would turn into a 7-2 loss. The Orioles (46-98) have allowed 51 runs and 18 homers in losing the past four games. They didn't homer last night, but the Orioles have hit eight over the last four games and 11 in the past five. The Orioles have homered at least three times in three of their last five...
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O's game blog: Yankees series begins at Oriole Park

O's game blog: Yankees series begins at Oriole Park
After an off-day that provided them a chance to regroup, the Orioles take the field tonight to start a three-game series against the New York Yankees. The O's come off three straight losses over the weekend to Toronto by scores of 11-10, 11-2 and 22-7. And now they face a Yankees team against which they won two of three games in New York from Sept. 3-5, allowing just 14 runs in those games. But after beating Toronto 6-3 on Friday night, the Orioles took leads into the seventh inning of both...
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Ryan Mountcastle places name alongside O's royalty

Ryan Mountcastle places name alongside O's royalty
When he hit the ball in the third inning Sunday, it started soaring toward right-center field. Moments later, it was over the wall, and with one big swing, young Ryan Mountcastle passed one Orioles Hall of Famer and matched another. With homer No. 28, he moved past Eddie Murray (27 homers in 1977) and joined Cal Ripken Jr. (1982) for most homers as a rookie in club history. Hanging out on a list with Orioles royalty - not bad for the young hitter selected No. 36 overall in 2015 out of Hagerty...
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Overcoming adversity: Lamar Sparks gets it going with Aberdeen

Overcoming adversity: Lamar Sparks gets it going with Aberdeen
ABERDEEN - When they drafted him from a high school in Katy, Texas, in the fifth round in 2017, the Orioles could look into the future and foresee a day where young outfielder Lamar Sparks would fill out his 6-foot-2 frame and turn into an athletic player with a lot of pop in that bat. That day could still be coming, but it's at least been delayed for Sparks, the No. 158 overall pick that year. A pitcher in high school, Sparks first felt shoulder pain on the high school showcase circuit. As an...
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Still hitting today, Blue Jays pour it on in 22-7 win (updated)

Still hitting today, Blue Jays pour it on in 22-7 win (updated)
They scored 11 runs twice yesterday in seven-inning games. And they didn't slow down even a bit today. The Toronto Blue Jays scored five runs today before a single out was recorded and had two grand slams and a 10-run inning in the first three frames. The Orioles' Ryan Mountcastle did hit his 28th homer to tie Cal Ripken Jr.'s club rookie homer record, and that was great milestone for Mountcastle. But it came during a 22-7 loss to Toronto as the Blue Jays take the last three games of this...
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O's game blog: Looking for a win in series finale

O's game blog: Looking for a win in series finale
The Orioles have had challenges this year and tough losses to try and bounce back from. Today may present their toughest challenge yet. They blew seventh-inning leads in both games of Saturday's doubleheader with Toronto losing the opener 11-10 after they led 10-7 heading to the seventh inning. In the nightcap, they had not allowed a hit through six innings and led 1-0 but they lost that game 11-2. The Orioles (46-96) have lost three of four. They have won three six games, five of nine and six...
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