When healthy, Dwight Smith Jr. tried to run with his opportunity

When healthy, Dwight Smith Jr. tried to run with his opportunity
On March 8, outfielder Dwight Smith Jr. got traded from the Blue Jays to the Orioles for international bonus money. He was about to leave the only organization he knew. The one that drafted him 53rd overall in 2011. He had played over 700 games in seven seasons on the Blue Jays' farm and briefly in the majors for Toronto in 2017 and 2018. And now he wondered how it would all turn out upon being traded. "I was just thinking, 'What's next?' " he recalled yesterday in the O's clubhouse. "I...
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Another one got away: O's blow 7-1 lead against Blue Jays

Another one got away: O's blow 7-1 lead against Blue Jays
For the Orioles tonight, it was an epic late-inning meltdown. A 7-1 lead after four innings was not safe and neither was a 9-5 lead going to the ninth. Last night's loss was pretty brutal. This was worse. The Orioles lost 11-10 to Toronto tonight at Camden Yards to fall to 49-103 with 10 games remaining in the season. Called on to pitch with the O's up 9-5 in the ninth, Miguel Castro got an out and then walked two around a bloop single. With Toronto later down to their last out, Cavan Biggio...
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Mychal Givens on tough stretch following a strong one

Mychal Givens on tough stretch following a strong one
The stat sheet says Orioles right-handed reliever Mychal Givens has not had as good a year in 2019 as the year before, or the year before that, in numbers like ERA and WHIP. But Givens was a pitcher on a pretty good roll that got derailed Saturday night at Detroit and that continued last night in Baltimore. At Comerica Park, he gave up a game-tying homer with two outs in the last of the ninth inning and the Orioles lost 8-4 in 12 innings to the Tigers. Last night he gave up a leadoff homer in...
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O's game blog: Dylan Bundy faces the Blue Jays

O's game blog: Dylan Bundy faces the Blue Jays
The Orioles took a 4-3 lead to the eighth inning last night. But the game got away from a bullpen that posted an American League-best 2.91 ERA since Aug. 20. Toronto tied the game in the eighth and scored four in the ninth for an 8-5 win. Toronto (60-91) took the opener of a three-game series. It was the opener of the Orioles' six-game homestand, their final homestand of 2019. Baltimore (49-102) is 3-4 over the last seven games but just 4-12 in September. The Birds are 23-53 at home and 7-7...
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Amid another that got away, Trey Mancini played well again

Amid another that got away, Trey Mancini played well again
If you want an example of leadership by example, watch the Orioles' Trey Mancini. He may not be a vocal leader and may not be a teammate that would air another out for any reason, but he sure plays hard. All the time. Every inning. Every game. It's great leadership for young players. As the losing continues and the club is making costly mistakes almost every night, Mancini has been a constant in a positive way. He hit .355 with a 1.023 OPS in March and April to show the way early on, and...
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One that got away: Toronto scores four in ninth to win 8-5

One that got away: Toronto scores four in ninth to win 8-5
Starting on Aug. 2, right-hander Mychal Givens went 15 straight games without allowing a homer. Now he has yielded a longball in back-to-back games in the ninth inning, and a home run allowed tonight helped beat the Orioles. Justin Smoak homered onto the flag court to lead off the ninth as Toronto beat the Orioles 8-4 with four runs in the ninth. It's the opener of a three-game series and the final homestand of this year. Cavan Biggio's two-run triple in the ninth made it 7-4. That hit gave...
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O's game blog: The final homestand begins

O's game blog: The final homestand begins
After going 2-2 at Detroit in a one-series road trip, the Orioles are back at Oriole Park tonight. They host Toronto in Game 1 of a three-game series and six-game homestand to wrap up the 2019 home season. The Orioles (49-101) have 12 games remaining. They are 3-3 over the last six games but 4-11 in September. They are 21-46 versus the American League East and 7-6 against Toronto. The Blue Jays are the only division team the Birds hold a winning record over. The Orioles are 23-52 at home and...
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Two O's are Baseball America classification All-Stars

Two O's are Baseball America classification All-Stars
Two Orioles minor league pitchers were named classification All-Stars by Baseball America. The publication names All-Star teams for each classification - Triple-A, Double-A and so on down the line. That involves three leagues in each classification in most cases and Baseball America selected six pitchers - five starters and one reliever for each team. Double-A Bowie lefty Zac Lowther was named a Double-A classification All-Star. For the Baysox he went 13-7 with a 2.55 ERA. Over 148 innings he...
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O's game blog: The series finale in Detroit

O's game blog: The series finale in Detroit
The Orioles (49-100) have won two of three in Detroit (44-104) and the clubs conclude their series this afternoon at Comerica Park. It will complete a one-series road trip for the Orioles before they return home on Tuesday night. Baltimore will have 12 games left after this series - six at home versus Toronto and Seattle and six on the road at Toronto and Boston. The Orioles have hit .281 (32-for-114) in the series in Detroit, scoring 18 runs on three doubles, a triple and four home runs. They...
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A coach says goodbye, and some improved pitching stats

A coach says goodbye, and some improved pitching stats
When Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias confirmed recently that 14 members of the O's player development department will not be returning next year, it was a tough day. But Elias needs to be able to bring in his own people, and he said that change is needed to improve the Orioles. The moves are hard but not totally unexpected. He inherited a lot of his staff last November. The reshaping of it comes now. Last week, one of those 14 reached out and wanted to thank...
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O's game blog: Time to regroup in Detroit

O's game blog: Time to regroup in Detroit
Well, at least the Orioles don't have to wait long to try and erase the taste of last night's loss in Detroit. The quick Saturday night to Sunday afternoon turnaround puts the O's back on the field today about 13 hours after last night's defeat. The Orioles lost 8-4 to the Tigers in 12 innings on a walk-off grand slam by John Hicks. In the eighth inning the Orioles were down 2-0 when Trey Mancini hit a go-ahead three-run home run. But with two outs in the last of the ninth, Mychal Givens...
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The manager who had his eyes on Anthony Santander in 2016

The manager who had his eyes on Anthony Santander in 2016
During the 2016 season, a young outfielder for the Single-A Lynchburg Hillcats of the Carolina League had a huge season. Over 128 games he hit .290/.368/.494 with 42 doubles, 20 homers, 90 runs and 95 RBIs. He led the league in doubles and extra-base hits and was third in homers and RBIs. He was really good in games against the Orioles' Single-A Frederick Keys team and the manager in the Frederick dugout took note. So after the season when it was getting close to the time for the Rule 5 draft,...
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O's game blog: Looking for two in a row in Detroit

O's game blog: Looking for two in a row in Detroit
The Orioles (48-99) beat the Tigers 6-2 last night to open a four-game series that continues tonight at Detroit's Comerica Park. The Orioles are 2-1 the last three games, but 3-10 over the past 13. With that win they improved to 14-34 in series-opening games. Right-hander Aaron Brooks got the win, allowing two runs over 5 1/3 innings. Trey Mancini's RBI single in the first inning gave the Birds a 1-0 lead, and his two-run homer (No. 31) in the seventh extended a 4-2 Baltimore lead. DJ Stewart...
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Double-A Bowie's season ends in Game 4 loss in Eastern League final

Double-A Bowie's season ends in Game 4 loss in Eastern League final
BOWIE, Md. - When the long grind of a professional baseball season ends it can be abrupt and jarring. There can be sadness that it ended and about how it ended. The Double-A Bowie Baysox players, staff and fans, no doubt, felt some of that last night. On a cool night at Prince George's Stadium, some of the magic we saw from the Baysox during the long, hot summer was not there. They hosted Games 3 and 4 in a series that left Trenton tied 1-1, but lost both games at home as the Thunder secured a...
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Trenton beats Bowie to win the Eastern League championship

Trenton beats Bowie to win the Eastern League championship
BOWIE, Md. - Held to three hits and one run last night, the Double-A Bowie Baysox were no-hit through five innings tonight. When they finally got something going, it was not enough and too late. The Trenton Thunder beat Bowie 5-2 tonight to win the Eastern League Championship Series three games to one. Trenton wins its fourth Eastern League championship and first since 2013. Bowie, which won the title is 2015, is denied a second Eastern League championship. After a very poor 7-23 start to its...
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Bowie notes: Cedric Mullins' bat heating up in playoffs

Bowie notes: Cedric Mullins' bat heating up in playoffs
BOWIE, Md. - He began the season as the center fielder for the Orioles and is ending it in center with Double-A Bowie. But with the season about to end on the farm, 24-year-old outfielder Cedric Mullins is finally getting his bat going and maybe that's the first step to turning around what has been for him a rough 2019 season. Mullins hit just .094 with the Orioles in 19 games to start the season before he was sent to Triple-A Norfolk on April 22. With the Tides he hit .205 in 66 games and was...
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O's game blog: The series in Detroit begins

O's game blog: The series in Detroit begins
After losing two of three at home to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Orioles (47-99) begin a four-game series in Detroit tonight at Comerica Park. The Birds lost 4-2 to the Dodgers on Thursday and were held to two hits. They went 1-6 on the homestand. They finished the season going 7-13 in interleague play. The Orioles' next loss will be No. 100 and they will have back-to-back years of 100 or more losses for the first time in team history. The 1954 Orioles lost 100, the 1988 club lost 107 and...
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Lefty Alex Wells threw a gem, but Bowie lost in Game 3

Lefty Alex Wells threw a gem, but Bowie lost in Game 3
BOWIE, Md. - The box score says that Double-A Bowie lefty Alex Wells was the losing pitcher in Game 3 of the Eastern League Championship Series last night. Trenton beat Bowie 2-1 at Prince George's Stadium to take move to within a win of the Eastern League title. But Wells' performance on the field said something very different. He was in command and control and dealing from the outset. Only a rare steal of home put him and his team behind and put that "L" next to his name in the box score....
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Trenton beats Bowie in Game 3 of Eastern League finals (quotes added)

Trenton beats Bowie in Game 3 of Eastern League finals (quotes added)
BOWIE, Md. - With the Prince George's Stadium crowd cheering loudly for a strikeout in the top of the seventh to get Double-A Bowie out of big jam, Trenton instead got a run - and the batter didn't have to do a thing. Trenton got the lead in a manner not often seen in baseball anymore. A steal of home. It led Baysox lefty Alex Wells to a very tough luck loss as the Thunder beat Bowie 2-1 tonight to take a 2-1 lead in games in the best-of-five Eastern League Championship Series. Bowie will...
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Bowie notes: Diaz heats up, Lowther update and more

Bowie notes: Diaz heats up, Lowther update and more
BOWIE, Md. - It seems the longer the Eastern League playoffs go, the better outfielder Yusniel Diaz is swinging the bat for the Double-A Bowie Baysox. Diaz and his Baysox teammates will host Trenton tonight at Prince George's Stadium. It's Game 3 of the best-of-five Eastern League Championship Series, which is tied at a win each after Bowie beat Trenton last night. Diaz was limited to 76 regular-season games this season by injuries. He dealt with a hamstring issue in April and a quad injury...
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