Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Angels meant the Orioles got a series win, but not a series sweep to start the 2024 season.

After scoring 24 runs on 24 hits and going 9-for-21 with runners in scoring position in wins Thursday and Saturday, they went 3-for-30 at-bat on Sunday and lost 4-1.

But in scoring 11, 13 and one run in those games the O’s tied a team record for most runs through a season’s first three games. The 2006 club scored 25 runs first and that was matched by this year’s club.

With eight more strikeouts Sunday, the O’s staff fanned 35 (against just five walks) in the series. The 35 strikeouts also tied a club record for the first three games. The 2016 O’s did it first and this club matched them.

For the first time in team history, O’s starting pitchers recorded at least seven strikeouts in each of the first three games. Corbin Burnes, Grayson Rodriguez and Tyler Wells combined to allow five earned runs over 18 innings with one walk and 27 strikeouts. Wells settled down nicely yesterday after a shaky start and it was nice to see him back in the rotation.

The Orioles won’t go 162-0. Seemed like a long shot anyway.

Tyler Wells was charged with three earned runs and four total today in the first two innings before plowing through the Angels order, and a red-hot offense cooled in a 4-1 loss to the Angels before an announced crowd of 20,576 at Camden Yards.

A season-opening sweep was denied.

Wells got into a groove and retired the last 14 batters he faced after Zach Neto’s run-scoring single in the second. He struck out the side in the sixth, giving him seven on the day, with five hits and no walks.

A pitch count of 82 over six innings included 60 strikes. His strikeouts in the sixth came on his changeup, cutter and fastball.

The Orioles (2-0), who had 10 series sweeps in the 2023 season, look for their first of the new season when they host the Angels (0-2) at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

It's the wrap-up game of a season-opening six-game homestand that continues Monday night when Kansas City visits the Yard.

The O's beat the Angels 11-3 Thursday and 13-4 last night. The O's have only trailed for a half-inning this year, when they were behind 1-0 after the top of the first Opening Day. They have scored two runs in each of their first-inning at-bats in this series.

They led 7-1 after the fourth inning Thursday and 3-1 on Saturday through five innings before they scored nine runs in the last of the sixth. The nine runs came before one out was recorded. Per Elias Sports Bureau, the O's had not scored nine runs in an inning before an out was made since at least 1957.

The 24 runs scored are the second-most the Orioles have scored in their first two games of a campaign in club history (25, 2006). On the mound, their 27 strikeouts are the most to begin a season since the team moved to Baltimore in 1954. The previous most was 23 in the 2016 season. 

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Recalled RHP Jonathan Heasley from Triple-A Norfolk.
• Placed LHP Cionel Pérez on the 15-day Injured List with a right oblique strain.

The Orioles go for the sweep this afternoon with Jordan Westburg in his third starting role in three games.

Westburg is playing third base after serving as designated hitter and playing second. He also moved over to shortstop last night in the ninth inning.

Ramón Urías goes to the bench today, with Jorge Mateo at second base.

Adley Rutschman is the designated hitter. Gunnar Henderson stays atop the order, with Cedric Mullins batting seventh.

Tyler Wells won the job as the No. 3 starter in spring training after allowing two runs in 14 1/3 innings. He’s made five career appearances against the Angels, including two starts, and allowed six runs with 14 strikeouts in 13 innings.

What has been better for the Orioles so far, their starting pitching or their offense? Their starters have allowed two runs in two games with one walk and 20 strikeouts over 12 innings. The offense has produced 24 runs and 24 hits.

Flip a coin.

The Orioles go for a three-game sweep of the Angels today at Oriole Park after beating them 11-3 in the opener and 13-4 last night.

Leading 3-1 to the last of the sixth, the first nine O's to bat reached base and the Orioles scored nine runs before an out was recorded. 

Per Elias Sports Bureau, the O's had not scored nine-or-more runs in an inning before recording an out since at least 1957.

Two games into the 2024 season won’t allow for an Orioles lineup pattern to develop. Much too soon for that.

What we did learn yesterday is that Jordan Westburg is projected to play a lot more barring a horrendous slump that would send him to the bench or the minors.

Westburg went from designated hitter on Opening Day against left-hander Patrick Sandoval to second baseman yesterday against right-hander Griffin Canning. The infield is deep and versatile, but Westburg will find his at-bats.

An 11-3 win in the opener included Westburg’s run-scoring single in the first inning that broke a 1-1 tie. He had a two-run single yesterday in the sixth, grounding a 95.7 mph fastball up the middle after seeing three sliders, a splitter and another slider.

“We’re going to give him a lot of starts here and I want to see him play,” said manager Brandon Hyde.

Corbin Burnes raised the bar to ridiculous heights on Opening Day by retiring 18 of 19 batters and striking out 11, a club record for an Orioles debut.

Grayson Rodriguez could have wilted from the challenge this afternoon, questioning his ability to live up to the standard set by Burnes. Instead, he grabbed it with both hands and did chin-ups.

Intimidation is a one-way street with the Orioles.

Rodriguez held the Angels to one run in six innings and tied his career high with nine strikeouts in the Orioles’ 13-4 victory before an announced crowd of 28,420 at Camden Yards, the latest thrashing after a 11-3 win on Thursday.

One team is really good. The other appears to be really bad, unless it’s because the Orioles are really good.

The 2024 Baltimore Orioles have a lot of young talent ready to push for their second consecutive American League East division crown.

Last season, the Orioles were able to capture their first AL East division title since 2014.

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This season will be full of expectations, especially with teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Rays in the division.

The Orioles made significant moves this offseason to help them get back into the postseason in 2024. One of the biggest moves was trading for ace Corbin Burnes.

Reliever Jacob Webb was reinstated from the paternity list this morning after the birth of daughter Hudson, and the Orioles optioned left-hander Nick Vespi to Triple-A Norfolk.

The Orioles play their second game of the season this afternoon with Gunnar Henderson leading off again.

Ryan O’Hearn is the designated hitter and Jordan Westburg is playing second base.

Ramón Urías stays at third base.

Grayson Rodriguez broke camp as the No. 2 starter. He allowed five runs and 16 hits with eight walks and 10 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings.

One of many good things about the fact the 2024 Orioles season has begun is that we will stop hearing about the Texas series and the Orioles being swept in the American League Division Series.

A new year thankfully leads to media asking less about that and the players certainly are glad to stop answering for it and about it.

“I use it for fuel a little bit. But that was last year and this is a new year,” the O’s Gunnar Henderson said this week, probably speaking for just about all of us.

After a 101-win season followed up by their convincing Opening Day romp over the Los Angeles Angels, the O’s are seen as World Series contenders for this season.

They are now the hunted and not the hunters, so to speak.

Five Orioles made their first Opening Day roster Thursday. Four of them were easy calls, anticipated over the winter or definitely late in camp.

Grayson Rodriguez was in the rotation after last spring’s surprise demotion, with the only question whether he’d be the No. 2 or 3 starter. He gets the ball this afternoon.

Yennier Cano made his 2023 debut on April 14 in Chicago, with the Orioles desperate for bullpen help, and became an All-Star setup man and backup closer. He was a lock this spring to repeat those responsibilities after the Craig Kimbrel signing.

Infielder Jordan Westburg made his major league debut on June 26 and was set for 2024, with most of his work done at second and third base but also with a chance to play a little shortstop. Outfielder Colton Cowser really had to win a job after reaching the majors on July 5 at Yankee Stadium and going 7-for-61, and he responded by batting .304 with six home runs and a 1.135 OPS in 18 exhibition games.

Cowser broke the news to the beat crew on the final day that he made the club.

Former O’s manager Buck Showalter used to say, “That’s what they look like” when describing a young player or prospect who looked like a future star.

The same phrase might have applied to ace pitchers and yesterday’s outing by the Orioles' Corbin Burnes.

“That’s what they look like.”

That’s what can happen when you get a smart pitcher with a great plan, who knows how to put away hitters, has all his pitches working and executes well. Great plan, great stuff, great outing.

For the Orioles, this Burnes addition should be, well, great.

The Orioles' 2024 season, their 71^st season in Baltimore, begins this afternoon at Oriole Park. They start a three-game series hosting the Los Angeles Angels.

The Orioles, who are 45-25 all-time in season-opening games, have won 10 of their last 13. They won at Boston on Opening Day last year. The O's are 46-24 in home openers. 

The Orioles open a season at home for the first time since March 29, 2018 versus Minnesota (2,191 days). The O's won that game, 3-2, on an 11th-inning walk-off home run by Adam Jones. The Orioles were originally scheduled to open the 2020 and 2022 seasons at home.

The Orioles are 2-3 in the last five Opening Day games. They won eight in a row from 2011-2018.

The Orioles went 101-61 last season to win the American League East for the first time since 2014 and advance to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The Angels went 73-89 each of the last two years. They finished fourth in the AL West in 2023 and have had eight straight losing seasons since winning 85 games in 2015.

There is always excitement for Opening Day and that is being felt today in Baltimore. But it’s more than one-day excitement here and players say they feel it from the local fans.

Birdland as a whole and fans in Baltimore and beyond are fired up for the 2024 season, eager to see if the Orioles can repeat as American League East champs.

“Positivity is really high right now,” outfielder Austin Hays said this morning in the clubhouse. “There is a different buzz in the city. Social media, just anywhere you go. You go to the grocery store right now and there a lot of people excited for the season to start. It is really great to feel that positivity from the city behind us.”

As the Orioles begin their 71^st season today, Hays said the organization is very healthy and talented, from the majors to the farm.

“I think the most impressive thing about our spring training is when you didn’t have our starters, you had a lot of guys not on the road and young guys that hadn’t seen a whole lot. But there just wasn’t a huge gap between your starters and maybe your B squad or whatever people like to call it.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Recalled LHP Nick Vespi from Triple-A Norfolk.
• Placed RHP Jacob Webb on the Paternity List.
• Placed RHP Kyle Bradish on the 15-day Injured List with a right UCL sprain, retroactive to March 25.
• Placed LHP John Means on the 15-day Injured List with a left forearm strain, retroactive to March 25.
• Designated OF Ryan McKenna and INF/OF Tyler Nevin for assignment.
• Placed C Michael Pérez on the Major League Taxi Squad.

The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 38 players.

The Orioles today announced the club’s 2024 Opening Day roster. The 26-man roster includes:

RIGHT-HANDED PITCHERS (8)

Mike Baumann

Corbin Burnes

With all due respect to recent O’s Opening Day starting pitchers like Andrew Cashner and Tommy Milone and even Kyle Gibson from last year, this year’s starter has a resume that most O’s starters in recent years can’t touch.

Right-hander Corbin Burnes was 10-8 with a 3.39 ERA last season for Milwaukee. He won the 2021 National League Cy Young Award. Today he becomes the first previous Cy Young winner to start an opener for the Orioles since Pat Hentgen in 2001. He was AL Cy Young winner with Toronto in 1996.

Burnes said this week, which is probably pretty obvious – a regular season start is very different from one in March.

“How I prepare for a big league start, has already started, been going for a couple of days now,” he said Tuesday in the Baltimore clubhouse. “A spring training start, you kind of see the lineup about an hour before the game and you just go out and pitch it. So, now that we know who we are going to see, we can game plan a little bit. The focus isn’t on anything about how you are doing mechanically or how the ball feels, it’s going out and getting as many outs as you can that day. The mentality is definitely different.”

Burnes is pleased with a spring training that he felt checked all the boxes – from getting his various pitches ready, to building up his pitch count, to getting to know his new teammates.

The Orioles today announced plans to welcome fans back to Oriole Park for the 2024 season during Major League Baseball’s Opening Day on Thursday, March 28, at 3:05 p.m. ET against the Los Angeles Angels.

Festivities will begin by 2:30 p.­m. with a special pre-game ceremony emceed by Orioles broadcaster KEVIN BROWN. Opening Day celebrations will feature:

• National Anthem: The MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY CHOIR will perform the national anthem from the sod farm prior to the game. A soloist from the choir will also perform "God Bless America" from on top of the Orioles dugout during the seventh inning.
• Moment of Silence: The Orioles will hold a special moment of silence following the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, honoring the victims and their families and sharing an appreciation for our city’s brave first responders who immediately stepped into action.
  
  
• Flag Drop: A 30’ x 42’ flag from Fort McHenry will be l­­­owered from the batter’s eye during the national anthem performance. The flag is a replica of the one that flew over Fort McHenry when Francis Scott Key wrote the Star-Spangled Banner. Individuals supported by The Arc Baltimore will help unfurl the American flag. The Arc Baltimore supports people with developmental disabilities to lead fulfilling lives with a sense of belonging, purpose, and meaningful relationships.
  
  
• Honor Guard: Colors will be presented by members of THE BALTIMORE CITY POLICE HONOR GUARD and BALTIMORE CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT HONOR GUARD.
  
  
• Flag Kids: Children from the YMCA of Central Maryland will line the orange carpet, holding Orioles flags during the pregame ceremony.
  
  
• Ceremonial First Pitch: As an ode to DAVID RUBENSTEIN, whose father was a postal worker, the Orioles will welcome AUBREE SINGLETARY, the child of a Baltimore City postal worker, to throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game. National Baseball Hall of Famer and member of the new ownership group, CAL RIPKEN, JR., will catch the pitch. Singletary is a fourth-grade student at Harlem Park Elementary/Middle School, where the Orioles will provide community support all year long.
  
  
• Mo Gaba’s Fan of the Year: The Orioles will recognize 9-year-old CARTER as the Mo Gaba Fan of the Year. A third-grade student at Timonium Elementary School, Carter was one of the first Orioles fans whom DAVID RUBENSTEIN met while Carter and his mother, Laurie, were shopping at the Orioles Team Store on Monday, March 4. That serendipitous meeting occurred when Carter and his mother took a spontaneous trip to the Team Store, with the opportunity for Carter to pick out any Orioles jersey of his choosing. Now Carter, who plays travel baseball for the Carroll Manor Cardinals, will line up alongside some of his favorite Orioles, including Gunnar Henderson, Cedric Mullins, and Adley Rutschman.
  
  
• Ceremonial “Play Ball”: Representatives of the new ownership group, including DAVID RUBENSTEIN, MICHAEL AROUGHETI, MITCHELL GOLDSTEIN, and MICHAEL SMITH, will yell the ceremonial “Play Ball” prior to the game, ushering in a new chapter of Orioles baseball.
  
  
• Birdland Community Hero, presented by BGE: Again this year, the Orioles will honor and recognize those in our community who have distinguished themselves by selflessly volunteering in fields that care for, serve, teach, protect, and improve the lives of others through the Birdland Community Heroes program, presented by BGE. On Thursday, the Orioles will recognize SARA ARTES, volunteer Executive Director of Corner Team, Inc., an organization that she co-founded in 2017 to establish a safe space for her community’s sports, education, and leadership development. As Executive Director, she oversees a small group of part-time staff and a robust volunteer team. The organization impacts over 300 youth and families annually through boxing and fitness classes, enrichment programs, community service, and academic and mentorship initiatives. As part of her recognition the Orioles Charitable Foundation will make a $5,000 donation to Corner Team, Inc.
  
  
• Budweiser Clydesdales: The world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales will parade from Lot C to Camden Street from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  
  
• Giveaway: All fans in attendance will receive an Orioles rally towel.
  
  
• Opening Day Auction: Fans will have the opportunity to bid on game-used memorabilia from Opening Day to benefit the Orioles Charitable Foundation and special causes such as maternal health equity, military programs, Birdland Community Heroes, youth baseball and softball, and adopt-a-school. The auction will run on Orioles.com/Auction from Thursday, March 28, at 12 p.m. through Sunday, April 7, at 10 p.m. 

For information and reminders on accommodations at Oriole Park, visit Orioles.com/AtoZ.

The gates to Oriole Park at Camden Yards will open three hours before first pitch, at 12:00 p.m. Parking lots will open at 11:00 a.m. Fans attending Opening Day are encouraged to be in their seats, and fans at home are encouraged to tune to MASN, by 2:20 p.m. to enjoy the Opening Day pregame festivities.

Ownership of the Baltimore Orioles has officially changed hands.

Major League Baseball owners voted unanimously today, as expected, on David Rubenstein’s purchase of the team two months after the wheels were set in motion. And about 24 hours before the Orioles begin their pursuit of a second consecutive playoff berth.

Camden Yards will be packed on Thursday for Opening Day. Rubenstein will be watching as the control person.

“On behalf of Major League Baseball, I thank the Angelos family for their many years of service to the game and the communities of Baltimore,” commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.” Peter Angelos loved Baseball, loved Baltimore and was an important part of MLB for more than three decades.

“I congratulate David Rubenstein on receiving approval from the Major League Clubs as the new control person of the Orioles.  As a Baltimore native and a lifelong fan of the team, David is uniquely suited to lead the Orioles moving forward.  We welcome David and his partners as the new stewards of the franchise.”