Few runs, no wins: O's bats stifled by Marlins pitchers

Few runs, no wins: O's bats stifled by Marlins pitchers
So how did it turn so quickly on offense for the Orioles? Through Sunday they had just swept a three-game series from the Tampa Bay Rays. And while the offense was not putting up huge numbers, they were scoring just over five runs a game and were among the American League leaders in team OPS. But then the Miami Marlins came to town - a team that had not played in eight days - and the Orioles can't touch their pitching. Sure, the Marlins threw two young pitchers with good arms at them in Pablo...
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O's game blog: Looking for some runs against the Marlins

O's game blog: Looking for some runs against the Marlins
The Orioles had nine innings to score against Miami last night and could not. They had seven today in the first game of a doubleheader and could not score this time either. Miami's Brian Anderson hit a solo homer leading off the fourth off Alex Cobb as the Marlins blanked the Orioles 1-0. The O's have lost the first two games of this four-game series by 4-0 and 1-0 as they fall to 5-5 on the year, while Miami is 4-1. The eight day layoff has somehow helped the Marlins' pitching. The Orioles...
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O's game blog: Alex Cobb faces the Marlins

O's game blog: Alex Cobb faces the Marlins
The Orioles (5-4) will look to stay above the .500 mark with a win in the first game of a doubleheader today at Camden Yards. After losing 4-0 last night to the Marlins (3-1), the O's host Miami for two games today. Both games are set for seven innings. Right-hander Alex Cobb (1-0, 2.89 ERA) gets the start in the opener, making his third start of the season. Cobb has pitched 9 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits and three runs, with three walks and eight strikeouts. He gave up two runs in four...
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A few notes and quotes as O's get blanked in series opener

A few notes and quotes as O's get blanked in series opener
They have a depleted roster and had not played in eight days, but when you get pitching like that, you can win a ballgame. Right-hander Pablo López, 24, made a strong season debut as Miami blanked the Orioles 4-0 last night. If you can strike out Hanser Alberto twice in one game, you are doing something. López did that twice in his five scoreless innings last night, getting Alberto both times with changeups. This is a hitter that was batting .429 at game time and was 9-for-19 his previous...
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O's game blog: The series with Miami begins

O's game blog: The series with Miami begins
After one day off the Orioles get back on the field tonight. Their opponent, the Miami Marlins, have had eight days off. Their season was paused after their team was hit hard by COVID-19, which impacted 18 players and two coaches. Playing for the first time since Sunday, July 26, the Marlins (2-1) begin a four-game, three-day series versus the Orioles (5-3). Miami won two of three in its season-opening series at Philly, posting wins by 5-2 on opening day and 11-6 in the third game, around a...
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Seeing some individual player improvement during a 5-3 start

Seeing some individual player improvement during a 5-3 start
Their pitchers - starters and bullpen - are coming off a solid weekend. Their batters are putting more balls in play and coming through at times in big spots. They are making more consistent contact, even against some tough opponents including Gerrit Cole, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow. Their 5-3 record was third-best in the American League heading into Monday night's action, and 6-2 was easily within their grasp in the second Yankees game in the ninth. The Orioles' strong start is surprising...
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Some notes and quotes after an O's weekend sweep

Some notes and quotes after an O's weekend sweep
After a 2019 season when they went 0-13 in sweeps - they swept no one and got swept 13 times - the Orioles finally swept a team. And a good one. In 2018, the Tampa Bay Rays won 90 games, and in 2019 they won 96 and made the American League playoffs. In those two seasons, the Orioles lost 115 and 108. O's fans have plenty of appreciation and respect for what the Rays do in a tough division. So to sweep that team made for a fun weekend in Birdland. The O's beat a quality division opponent, and...
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A look at Tommy Milone's outing as O's sweep Tampa Bay

A look at Tommy Milone's outing as O's sweep Tampa Bay
It started with the starter. For the second day in a row, a veteran left-hander who was signed by the Orioles to a minor league contract gave them a big effort on the mound. Tommy Milone today followed Wade LeBlanc from last night. His pitching got the club off to a nice start on the mound. And after some early missed scoring chances, the Orioles plated three runs in the seventh to break a 1-1 tie and post a 5-1 win. This is the club's first series sweep since August 2018. Last year they had...
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O's game blog: Looking for their first sweep since 2018

O's game blog: Looking for their first sweep since 2018
With a win today, the Orioles can do something they didn't do once in 2019: sweep a series. Last year the Orioles had zero series sweeps, but they were swept 13 times by other clubs. So today, after winning this weekend by scores of 6-3 and 5-4 in 11 innings, the Orioles can sweep the Tampa Bay Rays. In the 2018 season the Orioles had two sweeps. They swept a two-game series on the road against the New York Mets June 5-6. They also swept three in a row from the Toronto Blue Jays at home Aug....
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The early positive trend of strikeouts by O's pitchers

The early positive trend of strikeouts by O's pitchers
By striking out 10 Tampa Bay batters last night, the Orioles tied a team record. Their staff has now fanned 10 or more hitters in four straight games. This is the fourth time they've done this since 1954. They would not have been able to tie the mark without last night's game going extra innings. Birds pitchers had eight strikeouts through nine innings. But Tanner Scott got one in the 10th and Travis Lakins Sr., on the way to his first MLB win, got one in the 11th. Records are nice, but...
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O's game blog: Looking for two in a row against the Rays

O's game blog: Looking for two in a row against the Rays
The Orioles (3-3) host Tampa Bay (4-4) tonight in the second of a three-game series. Baltimore won 6-3 last night as the O's bullpen fanned nine and allowed one run over five innings. The O's got back-to-back homers from Anthony Santander and Pedro Severino in the fourth and Hanser Alberto, who is batting .440, added a solo shot in the eighth. Before last night the last time the O's hit back-to-back homers was Sept. 23 in the fifth inning at Toronto, when it was Jonathan Villar and Austin...
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Eventful 24 hours: Davis is fine, O's bounce back, Bleier traded

Eventful 24 hours: Davis is fine, O's bounce back, Bleier traded
The news cycle and information moved fast around the Baltimore Orioles on Friday and into the first hour of Saturday morning. First they got Chris Davis back and he was indeed COVID-19-free. Then we found out that, at least for now, right-hander Kohl Stewart was opting out of the season. On the field, after a rain delay of nearly an hour and a game that took three hours and 36 minutes, the Orioles had beaten Tampa Bay. Their bullpen was stellar. They regroup after Thursday's brutal loss. But...
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Chris Davis returns but Kohl Stewart decides to pause his season

Chris Davis returns but Kohl Stewart decides to pause his season
After undergoing, by his count, at least eight COVID-19 tests over the past few days, Orioles first baseman Chris Davis said today he does not have coronavirus. After being away from the club for two games, he returned to Camden Yards this afternoon. He is not in tonight's lineup against Tampa Bay, but he is available when a three-game series starts at 7:35 p.m. As the Orioles get Davis back today, they lose right-handed pitcher Kohl Stewart, who is headed to the injured list and is removed...
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O's game blog: Alex Cobb faces former team

O's game blog: Alex Cobb faces former team
After being swept in a two-game series by the New York Yankees, the Orioles continue their homestand tonight. They welcome in their American League East rivals the Tampa Bay Rays to start a three-game series. As game time was approaching the tarp was on the field and we may be in for a delayed start. The Orioles (2-3) lost 9-3 and 8-6 to New York as Aaron Judge hit a three-run homer in the ninth last night to turn a 6-5 deficit into an 8-6 Yankee lead and win. After losing their season opener,...
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A take on Joe Kelly's suspension and another loss to Yankees

A take on Joe Kelly's suspension and another loss to Yankees
Might as well express what figures to be an unpopular opinion and then duck. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly got suspended for eight games for throwing at the Houston Astros in the sixth inning Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park. He was not even ejected from the game, but he got hammered with this suspension that he is currently appealing. The Major League Baseball press release stated, "Kelly, who has previously been suspended in his career for intentional throwing, threw a pitch in the...
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O's game blog: John Means faces Yankees at Oriole Park

O's game blog: John Means faces Yankees at Oriole Park
The Orioles will turn to their 2019 All-Star pitcher, left-hander John Means, as they try to end a long losing streak versus the New York Yankees. The teams play tonight to end a brief two-game series. New York got homers from DJ LeMahieu, Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks last night in a 9-3 win. The Yankees built an early 5-1 lead after three innings and never trailed in improving to 3-1, while the Orioles fell to 2-2. The Orioles have lost 17 in a row against New York since their last win on March...
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Anthony Santander can relate to COVID-19 situation in MLB

Anthony Santander can relate to COVID-19 situation in MLB
He can certainly relate to the COVID-19 situation in Major League Baseball. The Orioles' Anthony Santander contracted the virus and missed a large portion of summer camp. But he returned in time for the season opener and has played in all four games thus far. He is slated to bat fourth tonight in right field against the New York Yankees. But the Miami Marlins saw about half their roster impacted and now the team they last played, the Philadelphia Phillies, will not be playing at least through...
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For one night anyway, O's-Yankees looked a lot like 2019

For one night anyway, O's-Yankees looked a lot like 2019
The first Orioles-Yankees game of 2020 looked like so many others from last summer. The Yankees bashed three home runs and they won by a comfortable margin. The O's lost their home opener 9-3 at Oriole Park. DJ LeMahieu homered on the second pitch of the night and New York added two more homers in the third. Aaron Judge hit a solo shot and Aaron Hicks a two-run homer. On its way to going 10-0 in Baltimore in 2019, the Yankees hit 43 homers. They hit two or more in every game at Camden Yards...
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O's allow three homers, lose home opener to New York

O's allow three homers, lose home opener to New York
The Orioles, who went 2-17 against the New York Yankees last year, extended two long losing streaks against them tonight. They could not get to right-hander Gerrit Cole until late in the night and New York enjoyed more longballs at Oriole Park. O's right-hander Asher Wojciechowski looked like he had some decent stuff - he fanned seven in five innings and got 18 swings and misses - but he also gave up three homers that were not exactly crushed. But that was enough to do him in. The Yankees...
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O's game blog: Wojciechowski vs. Cole in series opener

O's game blog: Wojciechowski vs. Cole in series opener
After two days and two games postponed against Miami, the Orioles' season resumes tonight with their home opener. They host the New York Yankees tonight and tomorrow at Oriole Park. The Orioles scored 14 runs in winning the last two games of the Boston series and they are 2-1. So are the Yankees, who have had games with Philadelphia postponed this week. New York opened its season winning two of three at Washington. The Tampa Bay Rays begin today in first in the American League East at...
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