Taking another look at Orioles' roster decisions

Emmanuel Rivera

Who have you got in the World Series?

How much do you care after the Orioles lost in the Wild Card?

They’re busy reconstructing the coaching staff after moving on from co-hitting coach Ryan Fuller, bench coach Fredi González and major league coach José Hernández, and after co-hitting coach Matt Borgschulte returned to the Twins. But there’s lots more to keep them preoccupied this month and beyond.

Roster decisions are on the agenda, of course, and the following are included:

What to do with Emmanuel Rivera.

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A few notes after the Orioles get win No. 90

Emmanuel Rivera

With their 9-2 win over the Minnesota Twins Saturday night, the Orioles improved their record to 90-71 with one game to play.

The Birds have won four of five and six of the last nine games as they are playing better with the playoffs starting Tuesday.

A win today and they would finish 33-33 in the second half.

By securing win No. 90, this O’s team is now tied for the 20th-most wins in team history with the 1975 and 1978 teams. So 22 O’s teams have won 90 or more.

If they get win No. 91 today, the O’s will tie for the 18th-most wins in club history with teams from 1968 and 1974.

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Rivera homers twice, Holliday reaches base five times and Davidson deals in Orioles' 9-2 win (updated)

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MINNEAPOLIS – Matt Bowman jogged from the bullpen to the mound to begin warming tonight, keeping him in a familiar routine except for the inning. He isn’t accustomed to pitching in the first. He doesn’t normally face a leadoff hitter.

The Orioles used an opener. Tucker Davidson arrived for bulk relief work. They batted Jackson Holliday atop the order and started him at shortstop. A handful of regulars rested on the bench, only the third time for Gunnar Henderson. The perks of clinching a playoff seeding were flaunted.

Bowman struck out two batters in 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Davidson shut out the Twins over 4 2/3. Ryan O’Hearn and Emmanuel Rivera belted two-run homers off rookie Zebby Matthews and Rivera launched a solo shot off reliever Louie Varland. The Orioles secured the home Wild Card but they didn’t fold, powering past the sagging Twins 9-2 before an announced crowd of 30,558 brave souls at Target Field.

Bowman allowed one hit and threw 19 pitches in his first major league start, and first at any level since 2015 with Triple-A Las Vegas. Davidson, whose contract was selected earlier today, followed him and surrendered four ground ball hits.

"That was nice," manager Brandon Hyde said of Davidson. "He’s pitched in some big games in his career, and had a nice year in Triple-A. Awesome to see him get an opportunity and take full advantage of it tonight.”

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Orioles ready for more roster retooling

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The unpredictability of baseball, and so often the Orioles organization, were on full display again yesterday. Trying to guess along is a dangerous game, bound to burn its participants.

News leaked that the Orioles were optioning corner infielder Coby Mayo to Triple-A Norfolk, and the immediate assumption had utility infielder Ramón Urías rejoining the club from the 10-day injured list. Two rehab games at Triple-A Norfolk, where Urías homered Friday night, seemed sufficient.

I jumped to that conclusion so hard that I may have qualified for the next Olympics.

Instead, the Orioles selected outfielder Daniel Johnson’s contract from Norfolk because Cedric Mullins’ status was uncertain due to the neck soreness that kept him on the bench Friday night. Mullins and right fielder Austin Slater attempted diving catches simultaneously the previous night and collided.  

Johnson made sense based on the circumstances, but Urías’ return is imminent, perhaps by this morning. Urías and Jordan Westburg were removed from last night’s game by design in the fifth inning. It’s just a matter of which players are bumped from the roster.

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O'Neill walk-off homer against Akin in 10th sends Orioles to 5-3 loss (updated)

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BOSTON - Dean Kremer appeared to be the victim tonight of bad luck, two-out execution and run support in a ballpark that’s treated him rudely. Someone needed to have his back, and Anthony Santander stepped up with a game-tying homer off Red Sox reliever Justin Slaten with two outs in the eighth inning.

Only Kremer could be saved. A game was lost in sudden and harsh fashion, another stumble by the Orioles that also cost them ground in the division race.

Emmanuel Rivera did his part earlier with a solo homer in the third inning and he came up big again much later, but Tyler O'Neill hit a three-run homer off Keegan Akin in the 10th to give the Red Sox a 5-3 walk-off win over the Orioles before an announced crowd of 32,448 at Fenway Park.

The Orioles have lost four of their last five games and five of seven while falling to 83-64, including 25-26 since the break. The Yankees beat the Royals 4-3 in 11 innings to open a 1 1/2 game lead.

An off-day Thursday is followed by a three-game series in Detroit to finish the penultimate road trip of the season.

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Slow start, fast finish: O's whip White Sox, 13-3 in series opener (updated)

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The start to the Orioles' latest homestand, which began with them playing easily the worst team in the majors, could have gone better.

Right-hander Corbin Burnes, who began today with an 8.59 ERA over his last three starts and 7.36 over his past five, gave up a couple of soft hits and both runners scored in the top of the first to give the Chicago White Sox a 2-0 lead.

One of those two runs was unearned, thanks to an error by first baseman Ryan O’Hearn, and the O’s gave up 90 feet on the bases overthrowing the cutoff man. Not a sharp start to the series.

They were playing a White Sox team that fell to 31-107 with Sunday's defeat to set a franchise record for losses. They had lost 10 in a row and 14 of 15, and were 4-40 the last 44 games.

They came to Baltimore with the second-worst major league record after 138 games since the Philadelphia A’s (30-107-1) of 1916.

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Emmanuel Rivera talks about joining Orioles

Emmanuel Rivera Marlins

Last fall, he was playing in the World Series for the Diamondbacks. It capped a 2023 season that began with him playing for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. It ended chasing a championship.

He went 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs in the World Series versus the Rangers, who won the World Series in five games.

But on Monday, corner infielder Emmanuel Rivera was designated for assignment by the Marlins. The Orioles claimed him two days later and now he is with them waiting for his first chance to play for his new team.

A right-handed hitter, Rivera, 28, played in 96 games with Miami, taking 229 plate appearances and batting .214/.294/.269/.563. He has a career .656 OPS over 313 big league games with Kansas City, Arizona and Miami.

“I think it’s a great opportunity,” he said of his chance with the O’s, with interpreting help from Brandon Quinones. “Thank God, you know, for being able to stay healthy and that I’m now here with this team.

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