Orioles move past off-day and into weekend series against Rays

Only in the heat of a pennant race with the regular season down to the last 21 games could winning two of three from the Rockies and White Sox seem unsatisfactory.

They’re both painfully bad. The Orioles should have swept both series based on their talent and motivation. But the Rockies are better at home and the thin air messes with all logic. And the White Sox … well, there’s no excuse except that it’s the major leagues and no team is gonna go 0-162. It's bound to catch a popup.

Going 4-2 in the last six games is nothing to sneeze at, but please cover your mouth if you do.

I covered the 2002 Orioles who finished 4-32 under manager Mike Hargrove and they were more competitive than Chicago. Requests for comparisons have been brought to me. Also with the rebuild Orioles. Again, not this terrible.

Hargrove’s club was .500 on Aug. 23. I can think of 500 reasons why the White Sox didn’t get close. But I respect the effort Wednesday night, when they could have folded after Gunnar Henderson’s game-tying leadoff home run in the bottom of the first.

The Orioles didn’t score again. Albert Suárez delivered a rare dud. But they’re still in first place today and they’re the only team in the American League with 81 victories.

If you’re sweating the closer situation in Baltimore, Yankees fans should be drowning over Clay Holmes. If you’re wondering which team is the biggest threat in the playoffs, I’d worry about the one that has Emmanuel Clase in the ninth.

Meanwhile, the Rays are in town again for a weekend series, and the identities of the starters were protected like bank account passwords. The Orioles could have sent Dean Kremer to the mound or the injured list. They could have pushed him back while he played catch again in the outfield. The off-day yesterday provided more flexibility.

The matter was settled last night with Kremer passing his tests, including Wednesday’s bullpen session, and earning the start tonight. Zach Eflin and Corbin Burnes follow.

The Rays also weren’t listing anyone until last night. Now we know it’s right-handers Shane Baz, Ryan Pepiot and Zack Littell. Or if you didn’t know, there you have it.  

The Orioles haven’t swept an opponent since facing the Rays on June 7-10 at Tropicana Field and they’re 8-2 against them this season. Tampa Bay sold at the deadline, including the Eflin trade that should warrant an invite to the parade if the Orioles win the World Series.

Off-days for the media tend to be a lie, but yesterday actually was quiet. Catcher David Bañuelos cleared waivers and was outrighted for a third time. Pulses didn’t race. It was anticipated based on recent history.

Bañuelos is good for catching depth in the system and he’s comfortable on the taxi squad, where he’s spent the bulk of 2024. The Orioles keep selecting his contract because he’s nearby and convenient, and it allowed him to get a major league at-bat.

Former Orioles infielder Terrin Vavra elected free agent yesterday rather than accept an outright assignment from the Mariners. He just needs to stay healthy and he can help a team. The guy hits and he’s versatile.

He certainly gave the Orioles more than Jean Segura at Triple-A Norfolk.

This one really caught my eye: The Phillies reportedly are calling up Seth Johnson to make Sunday’s start against the Marlins.

Johnson and minor league pitcher Moisés Chace were traded to the Phillies at the deadline for left-hander Gregory Soto. The Orioles got Johnson at the 2022 deadline in a three-way deal involving Trey Mancini and Chayce McDermott, and he rose to No. 8 prospect status this year per MLB Pipeline.

I was surprised that the Orioles surrendered Johnson, given the imbalance between pitching and position player prospects in the organization and how much they coveted him in 2022. He was viewed as a steal despite his pending Tommy John surgery, which forced the Orioles to handle him with extreme caution upon his return to the mound.

Gotta give up something to get something, and they wanted Soto as a high-leverage left-hander with closing experience while Danny Coulombe rehabbed from elbow surgery. Soto allowed a total of eight runs over two early appearances that soured many fans, but he has a streak of 10 scoreless outings in a row.

Good for Johnson that he’s already headed to the majors after making only one start above High-A before this season. He’s allowed one run in 16 innings with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Good for the Orioles that Soto is gaining manager Brandon Hyde’s trust in a volatile bullpen.