Starters were solid, the bats were not as O's lose twice

Starters were solid, the bats were not as O's lose twice
Orioles right-hander Matt Harvey gave up just two runs and lefty Bruce Zimmermann gave up just two as well. But neither pitcher would get a win in today's doubleheader against Seattle. And neither would the Orioles, who scored just three runs over two games and 14 innings. They fall twice to Seattle today by scores of 4-2 in the first game and 2-1 in the second. Now they head to Texas for a series that begins on Friday. In the first game, Harvey was pounding his fastball, throwing it 64...
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Let's play two again for O's as minor league spring training continues

Let's play two again for O's as minor league spring training continues
Matt Blood is beginning his second season as the Orioles' director of player development. He joined the organization in September 2019. The 2007 University of North Carolina grad has worked in Major League Baseball for nine years with St. Louis and Texas before joining the Orioles. He and the O's minor league and player development staff, at least most of it, have convened in Sarasota, Fla. for minor league spring training. Opening day on the farm is May 4. Some players and coaches are at the...
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O's game blog: Matt Harvey and Bruce Zimmermann face the Mariners

O's game blog: Matt Harvey and Bruce Zimmermann face the Mariners
After picking up their first win on this homestand in the second game of the doubleheader Tuesday night, the Orioles (5-6) host Seattle (6-5) today in another doubleheader. After last night's rainout the clubs will play their second doubleheader in three days. Seattle won the twinbill opener 4-3 in eight innings Tuesday before the Orioles took the nightcap 7-6. The Birds rallied from a 4-0 deficit to take the second game, but not before they lost a 6-4 lead in the last inning. No. 9 hitter Sam...
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Ryan Mountcastle hopes his bat is starting to heat up

Ryan Mountcastle hopes his bat is starting to heat up
After batting .333/.386/.492/.878 during a 2020 season that ended with his eighth-place finish in the American League Rookie of the Year voting, Ryan Mountcastle started slowly at the plate this season. He was 2-for-16 after the first four games and batting .167 after six. But he went 3-for-6 with a pair of doubles in Tuesday's doubleheader. He's now 6-for-20 (.300) during a five-game hitting streak with three doubles, a homer and three RBIs. "Just trying to keep my head clear at the plate...
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Maikel Franco's big swing helped O's get their offense going

Maikel Franco's big swing helped O's get their offense going
It may have been the biggest hit of the night for the Orioles and maybe one of their biggest of the 2021 season so far. They had lost Game 1 to Seattle 4-3 in eight innings and they were trailing Game 2 by a 4-0 score when third baseman Maikel Franco batted in the last of the third. The bases were loaded and there were two outs. A loss in the nightcap and the Orioles would have a five-game losing streak and would fall to 1-7 since the opening weekend at Boston. But they got back in the game...
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O's pick up a walk-off win and a doubleheader split

O's pick up a walk-off win and a doubleheader split
Down 4-0 in the last of the third in Game 2 of tonight's doubleheader against the Seattle Mariners, the Orioles were in desperate need of a break. They got a couple in that third inning that were big, but got another one in the last of the seventh to produce the season's first walk-off win. Ramón Urías' RBI single to center with two outs gave the O's a 7-6 win and doubleheader split. Leading 6-4, the Orioles got tied up 6-6 in the top of the seventh, the scheduled last inning of the...
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O's game blog: Means and Kremer pitch in doubleheader

O's game blog: Means and Kremer pitch in doubleheader
After a rainout last night, which followed the O's getting swept by Boston over the weekend, the Orioles (4-5) open a four-game series today against the Seattle Mariners (5-4). The clubs will play a single-admission doubleheader consisting of a pair of seven-inning games beginning at 4:05 p.m. The Orioles were outscored 27-16 versus Boston after they held the Red Sox to five runs in their series-opening sweep at Fenway Park. After the Orioles lost to Boston 14-9 on Sunday, their team ERA...
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Looking at a balancing act for O's skipper Brandon Hyde

Looking at a balancing act for O's skipper Brandon Hyde
As the manager of the Orioles, Brandon Hyde is well aware he is skipper of a rebuilding project. But at 7 p.m. every night (or earlier for day games), he badly wants to win the baseball game that is right in front of him. And Hyde will make every move he can, and any and all lineup tweaks, changes or adjustments that he hopes will lead to a win. He wants to put players in the best spots to succeed, which he hopes ultimately leads to wins. So while pushing hard each night for a win, there will...
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O's game blog: The series opener against Seattle

O's game blog: The series opener against Seattle
Looking for their first win since Wednesday, the Orioles take the field at Oriole Park tonight, hosting Seattle. It's the continuation of their homestand and the start of a four-game series through Thursday. Right-hander Dean Kremer (0-1, 9.00 ERA) will make his second start. He took the loss Tuesday in New York against the Yankees. Over three-plus innings, he gave up five hits and three runs with four walks and five strikeouts. Kremer threw 85 pitches, 51 for strikes. His fastball averaged...
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Maikel Franco's bat may be heating up as he moves to cleanup spot

Maikel Franco's bat may be heating up as he moves to cleanup spot
With Ryan Mountcastle among several Orioles scuffling at bat, manager Brandon Hyde dropped him down to sixth in the batting order and moved third baseman Maikel Franco up to the No. 4 spot. Franco will bat cleanup tonight at Camden Yards as the O's and Seattle play the series opener of a four-game set. It will be somewhat familiar territory for Franco. In 117 career games and 486 plate appearances batting fourth, he has hit .248/.302/.395/.698 with 17 homers and 73 RBIs. The only spots he has...
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Piggyback pitching will come to the O's farm this year

Piggyback pitching will come to the O's farm this year
When the Orioles' minor league seasons begin next month, we could see rosters filled with starting pitchers and starting pitcher candidates. Piggyback pitching is coming to the O's farm this year. No, this doesn't have anything to do with anyone lugging around someone else on their back. We've seen it before, where a pitcher will piggyback in a minor league game. It essentially means splitting up the game between two starting pitcher candidates, one that starts the game and one that picks...
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Jorge López struggles again as O's get swept

Jorge López struggles again as O's get swept
It was a series that began amid a lot of hope for the Orioles. They were coming home for the first time this season off a thrilling, 11-inning win Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. They were facing a Boston team they swept three straight last weekend, winning 11-3 in the final game. But the results this time were very, very different. The Red Sox have not lost since the Orioles left Fenway Park. They scored four in the third inning and five in the fifth today to build a midgame 10-1 lead, and...
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O's game blog: It's López against Pivetta at Oriole Park

O's game blog: It's López against Pivetta at Oriole Park
The Orioles have recorded a three-game sweep over Boston this year, and the Red Sox will have one over the Orioles if they win this afternoon at Camden Yards. Boston has won 7-3 and 6-4 in 10 innings to take the first two games in this series. The Red Sox (5-3) now have the longest win streak in the American League - five in a row - and have moved into sole possession of first place. They lead the division by a game over the Orioles and Tampa Bay, both at 4-4, and by two games over New York and...
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Frustrating ending had Birdland ornery Saturday night

Frustrating ending had Birdland ornery Saturday night
It was a tough crowd on the blogs and Twitter around Birdland late last night. Blowing a late lead to the Red Sox had fans stirred up. I guess I can understand. But jumping on César Valdez because he suffered a blown save seemed a bit harsh to me. The Orioles have four wins this year. He had two saves and win in those games. His ERA was 0.00 and his WHIP was 0.923 when he took the mound last night. In his first 12 games with the Orioles, dating to last year, he was 5-for-5 in saves with an...
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O's game blog: Bruce Zimmermann faces Boston at Oriole Park

O's game blog: Bruce Zimmermann faces Boston at Oriole Park
With Thursday's home opener loss behind them and with a 1-3 record since a 3-0 start, the Orioles host the Boston Red Sox tonight. The Sox won 7-3 Thursday in the series opener, ending a four-game losing streak to the Orioles. Through Friday's games, the Orioles and Boston were tied for first in the American League East at 4-3, with New York and Tampa Bay one game back at 3-4 and Toronto 1 1/2 games out at 3-5. This afternoon those standings changed when Tampa Bay blanked the Yankees on a...
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So far, some O's that are not big strikeout guys have struck out big

So far, some O's that are not big strikeout guys have struck out big
As the Orioles look to cut down on their mounting strikeout totals, perhaps the thing they can rely on most of all is track record. Several of their players that are striking out a lot right now show strikeout rates more in line with league average or less, both recently and over their careers. That can provide some hope for a club that has fanned 10 or more times in six consecutive games and 13 or more times in a new major league-record five straight games. After they struck out seven times...
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A take on the rotation so far and moving forward

A take on the rotation so far and moving forward
The Orioles bullpen, which was pretty airtight in the big win Wednesday night at New York, had a few leaks on Thursday afternoon in the home opener in Baltimore. We know the team is heavy on long-relief options, and we're going to find out over time how the late-game relievers hold up and protect leads. So far, right-hander César Valdez had been outstanding in recording two saves and a win. On Wednesday night when the Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman was limited to one inning, the O's...
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Some issues crop up as O's have lost three of four

Some issues crop up as O's have lost three of four
If we are taking a big picture view, the Orioles are tied for first place and they have a 4-3 start. A winning overall start against Boston and New York. They'd likely take that record in every seven-game sample against those clubs. But since the club's 3-0 start in Boston, where they scored 18 runs, they have hit less and won less. They've allowed seven runs in three of the four games, going 1-3 since the first Boston series. They lost the home opener 7-3 yesterday to Boston and those last...
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O's can't hold lead, fall to Red Sox in home opener

O's can't hold lead, fall to Red Sox in home opener
It was a messy top of the sixth for the Orioles. A lead was lost and later so was the home opening game. The Boston Red Sox scored two runs in the sixth to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead and eventually pulled away for a 7-3 win. Boston improves to 4-3 with a fourth win in a row. The O's fall to 4-3 in losing their third home opener in a row. Right-hander Matt Harvey was rolling and then suddenly he wasn't. After a shaky first, where he allowed a two-run homer to Rafael Devers that went...
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O's game blog: O's play Red Sox in home opener

O's game blog: O's play Red Sox in home opener
Riding on a bit of a high after their 11-inning win at New York last night, the Orioles would love to take that momentum and roll it into a win this afternoon. They host the Boston Red Sox in their 2021 home opener to start a three-game series. In a game where the Orioles were held to four hits and struck out 17 times, and needed their bullpen to cover 6 1/3 innings, they pulled out a thrilling 4-3 win over the Yankees. The game ended with right fielder Anthony Santander's outfield assist,...
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