Mountcastle homers three times, but Jays rally in ninth (updated)

Mountcastle homers three times, but Jays rally in ninth (updated)
A feel-good win and a six-homer day by the Orioles - with three from Ryan Mountcastle - blew up on the team in the ninth today, as the Toronto Blue Jays scored six runs in the inning to stun the Orioles 10-7 and quiet what was a boisterous crowd of 10,721. It was a gut punch loss times 10. They were one out away in the ninth, but lefty Paul Fry allowed a bases-loaded walk to Marcus Semien and it was 7-5. Fry, who entered with a 1.78 ERA, allowed two singles and walk around a fly out and...
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O's open to Tyler Wells as a starter and updating John Means

O's open to Tyler Wells as a starter and updating John Means
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said "right around there" today when asked if his ace left-hander, John Means, was expected back around the All-Star break. Means, who is 4-2 with a 2.28 ERA in 12 games, last pitched June 5 when he walked off the mound in the first inning against Cleveland. He went on the injured list with a left shoulder strain. "Good. He's feeling good. He's starting to play catch. Kind of a slow progression back," Hyde said. Speaking of starting pitchers, an outing as a...
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O's game blog: Looking for two in a row over Blue Jays

O's game blog: Looking for two in a row over Blue Jays
After ending a losing streak on Friday night, the Orioles will try to build on that victory and start a winning streak today. They host the Toronto Blue Jays in the second game of a three-game series. The Orioles (23-46) beat the Blue Jays 7-1 as center fielder Cedric Mullins hit two homers and drove in four, and five pitchers allowed just four hits with 10 strikeouts. Thomas Eshelman got the start and gave up three hits and one run over 4 2/3 innings. Tyler Wells replaced him and got the win....
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Mullins big night, Friday farm pitching and more

Mullins big night, Friday farm pitching and more
Excellent pitching, timely hitting, a curtain call and a win. Pretty good Friday night in Birdland. Cedric Mullins hit his sixth career leadoff homer and third this year, and then produced his third career two-homer game, with all three coming this year. He and the pitchers led the Orioles past Toronto 7-1. When Mullins blasted a three-run homer in the eighth he put an exclamation point on a win to snap an eight-game losing streak. He had a 3-for-4 night with his first four-RBI game and...
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O's game blog: Homestand begins against Toronto

O's game blog: Homestand begins against Toronto
The Orioles return home tonight to begin a two-series, six-game homestand. They will host Toronto for three games this weekend and Houston for three beginning on Monday at Oriole Park. The Orioles (22-46) went 5-3 on their last homestand, winning series with Minnesota and Cleveland and splitting two games with the New York Mets. But they just completed an 0-7 road trip, losing three to the Tampa Bay Rays and were swept four in a row at Cleveland. On the trip, they lost four games by two runs or...
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Mullins on All-Star talk, latest losing stretch and his T-shirt night

Mullins on All-Star talk, latest losing stretch and his T-shirt night
When the Orioles open a home series with the Toronto Blue Jays tonight, the game will feature the players that are first and second in the American League in hits, and first and fifth in Wins Above Replacement (FanGraphs.com version) in the majors. Toronto's Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leads the AL with 82 hits and Cedric Mullins of the Orioles is next with 81. Guerrero has produced a 4.1 WAR with Mullins is at 3.0. Mullins and his teammates begin a homestand tonight trying to end another long...
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A look at how Bowie moved to the top of its league in offense

A look at how Bowie moved to the top of its league in offense
Players for the Double-A Bowie Baysox this year can go hitless, yet still get praise from the coaching staff for their hitting. And not just because they may have made a productive out. It's all about the swing decisions they make. They are graded both on the pitches they do swing at and those they do not. The goal is to get a very hittable pitch and drive it. Let almost everything else go. Even borderline strikes are sometimes spit on while a hitter waits for a better pitch. Sometimes, even...
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Jorge López allows three homers as road losing streak continues

Jorge López allows three homers as road losing streak continues
As they tried to end a couple of losing streaks today, the Orioles fell into a three-run hole in the first inning at Cleveland this afternoon. They got close mid-game, but when Cleveland opened up a four-run lead in the sixth the Indians were on their way to a 10-3 win, and they swept a four-game series from the Orioles. The Orioles started this road trip to St. Petersburg, Fla., and Cleveland by scoring 12 runs in the first five games of the trip. But in the last three losses to the Indians...
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O's game blog: Trying to avoid a sweep in Cleveland

O's game blog: Trying to avoid a sweep in Cleveland
The Orioles need a win this afternoon at Cleveland to avoid being swept four in a row and going 0-7 on a road trip to Tampa Bay and Cleveland. Last night they lost 8-7 for their third one-run loss on the trip and second in this series. And their fourth loss on the road trip by two runs or fewer. In their past 12 games decided by two or fewer, the Orioles are 1-11. They fell to 4-12 in one-run games last night while Cleveland improved to 11-6. The Orioles (22-45) play Game No. 68 today. They...
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When it comes to a long rebuild, being patient is difficult

When it comes to a long rebuild, being patient is difficult
Mike Elias has been asked the question before, and it came again yesterday. Does the Orioles executive vice president and general manager relate to fan frustration over the team's performance? He knows some fans are very patient during the rebuilding, but others get very frustrated and upset by poor play at the big league level while the minor league clubs are mostly winning. Is that something he thinks about and is concerned about? When asked yesterday during a Zoom interview with O's...
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O's game blog: Lefty Keegan Akin faces Cleveland

O's game blog: Lefty Keegan Akin faces Cleveland
As the Orioles look to snap a 17-game road losing streak tonight at Cleveland, they send lefty Keegan Akin (0-1, 4.13 ERA) to the mound. Akin has a scoreless start earlier this year against Cleveland and tonight will make his fourth start of the 2021 season. Akin allowed three runs and five hits over four innings in his last start against Tampa Bay. He gave up one run over 9 2/3 innings his two previous starts this season. In three starts on the year, he is 0-1 with a 2.63 ERA with six walks...
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Skipper Brandon Hyde looks to stay upbeat during losing streak

Skipper Brandon Hyde looks to stay upbeat during losing streak
As the Orioles' latest losing streak has reached six games in a row overall and 17 straight on the road, trying to stay upbeat and keep a good energy level is a challenge. They are humans inside those uniforms, and mounting losses frustrate them just as they do fans. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde has reminded reporters all year that the Orioles clubhouse has remained upbeat in part because of some veteran leaders and a coaching staff that stays upbeat every day. That can't be easy. "It's...
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Big crowd saw Grayson Rodriguez throw gas, but Baysox fall short

Big crowd saw Grayson Rodriguez throw gas, but Baysox fall short
BOWIE - The Double-A Bowie Baysox have had such a good season that the first three times they were held to two runs this year, they won by a 2-1 score. But last night, they lost 3-2 to the Akron RubberDucks to open a six-game series and spoil the home debut of their top pitching prospect, right-hander Grayson Rodriguez. Bowie began the night with the best record in all of the minors, but is now 25-10 (.714). That ranks third now, behind low Single-A Tampa (27-10, .730), a Yankees affiliate, and...
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Rodriguez faces Akron in third Double-A start (updated)

Rodriguez faces Akron in third Double-A start (updated)
BOWIE - Making his third Double-A start of the year and first at home, top Orioles pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez allowed two runs in 4 2/3 innings tonight for Bowie against the Akron RubberDucks in front of a big crowd at Prince George's Stadium. After a strong start to his outing, Akron had some nice swings starting in the third inning and there were a few hard-hit balls. He allowed four hits with one walk and six strikeouts in an 83-pitch outing. An inherited runner was stranded when...
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O's game blog: Matt Harvey tries to turn it around in Cleveland

O's game blog: Matt Harvey tries to turn it around in Cleveland
It's back on the field tonight for the Orioles for the second game of a four-game series at Cleveland. The Orioles are winless on this road trip, have lost five in a row overall and 16 straight road games since winning at Seattle on May 6 when John Means pitched a no-hitter. The Orioles (22-43) lost 4-3 on Monday night and they are now 1-10 in their past 11 games decided by one or two runs. They are 4-11 in one-run games after that series-opening loss. The Birds are 4-10 versus the American...
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Minor league notes on Hall, Smith, Grenier and more

Minor league notes on Hall, Smith, Grenier and more
For a Double-A Bowie team that has been winning a lot and bashing the ball all year, another player has emerged recently with a hot bat. And that is infielder Cadyn Grenier, who has made 23 starts for the Baysox at shortstop, with five at second base and one at third base. Grenier, 24, posted a respectable .740 OPS in 2019 in 106 games between low Single-A Delmarva and high Single-A Frederick. He batted .244/.355/.384. But now the player taken No. 37 overall in the 2018 draft out of Oregon...
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O's game blog: Dean Kremer pitches series opener at Cleveland

O's game blog: Dean Kremer pitches series opener at Cleveland
After losing three games at St. Petersburg, Fla., against Tampa Bay, the Orioles' two-city road trip moves on to Cleveland tonight. The Orioles and Indians are starting a four-game series. The Orioles took two of three from Cleveland at home from June 4-6, winning the first and last games of that series. They won the Sunday game 18-5 over Cleveland. The O's have gone 2-8 in their last 10 games in Cleveland and haven't won a series at Progressive Field since 2016. The Orioles (22-42) have...
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Notes on close games, the young starters and Baumann at Bowie

Notes on close games, the young starters and Baumann at Bowie
In baseball, the losses all count the same, whether you get beat 8-1 or 2-1. But the second one can be more frustrating. Typically, a team losing a close game can look back at several things that could have changed the result. The clutch hit in a big spot they didn't get, a double play not turned that led to a run, a pitch meant to be low and away that found the middle and the left the ballpark. It's a fine line. It's part cliché, but also reality that young teams need to learn how to win...
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Bruce Zimmermann solid, but Tampa Bay wins to sweep series

Bruce Zimmermann solid, but Tampa Bay wins to sweep series
Orioles lefty Bruce Zimmermann surely battled well today. He missed by one out giving the Orioles a quality start, something they have had just once in their last 15 games. But he pitched them deeper into the game than some O's starters recently had and kept his team in the game this afternoon at Tropicana Field. But the O's offense was not getting much going against five Tampa Bay pitchers, and they lost 7-1 to the Rays to get swept in this series. The Orioles fall to 22-42 and have now lost...
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O's game blog: The series finale against Tampa Bay

O's game blog: The series finale against Tampa Bay
O's lefty Bruce Zimmermann will try to pitch the Orioles to a win this afternoon at Tropicana Field. The Birds have won his last two starts and need a victory today to avoid being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays and extending their club record road losing streak to 15 games. Zimmermann (4-3, 4.83 ERA) will be making his 11th start. The Orioles are 3-7 in the first 10 but 2-0 in the last two, versus Minnesota and the New York Mets. In those games he allowed four runs and eight hits over 10 1/3...
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