Hired July 8 as the Orioles' first female president of business operations, Catie Griggs is on a fact-finding mission right now. In her first press conference with O’s media yesterday she said since her first official day Aug. 19, she has spent time getting to know the city, her new team and her new co-workers.

Soon she will head up improvements that will be made to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, with some coming next year but more significant ones likely for the 2026 season.

“Right now I’m learning,” said Griggs. “That is priority No. 1. I know what I don’t know. I have reasonable experience running a baseball team from the business side. But I’ve never run a team from the business-side here in Baltimore.”

She was the first major hire for new owner David M. Rubenstein and his new ownership group. Griggs served as president of business operations for the Seattle Mariners since July of 2021 before resigning and taking the job with the Orioles. That was after four seasons as the chief business officer for Atlanta United in Major League Soccer. She oversaw all aspects of the Mariners organization outside of baseball operations.

To better get to know the fan experience at Oriole Park she took part in it. Already sitting in 15 different areas of the ballpark.

The defensive metrics aren’t always in Colton Cowser’s corner, even as he’s chasing down fly balls in them.

Ask anyone with the Orioles or the scouts who filter into ballparks to file reports, and they’ll praise Cowser’s range, instincts and sure hands and note the improvements made as a professional. They love how he’s handling the tricky left field dimensions at Camden Yards as smoothly as predecessor Austin Hays, a Gold Glove finalist last year, and grown into a skilled and trusted alternative to Cedric Mullins in center.

Cowser’s 11 outs above average per FanGraphs ranked sixth in the majors yesterday, but he was credited with only one defensive run saved, and Baseball-Reference.com calculated his dWAR at minus-0.2.

Last night’s lineup put Cowser in left field for his 73^rd start this season and 90^th appearance. He made five starts last summer.

“I think he’s a legit center fielder but he can go play in the corners,” said first base coach Anthony Sanders, who also serves as outfield instructor. “Anytime you can get three center fielders on the same field, it’s gonna make the defense a lot better. He’s adjusting. I know he’s played a lot of center in the minor leagues, but that left field is like no other. You just have to drop your head and keep going and going. And he does a really good job.

Albert Suárez watched his second pitch tonight, a fastball to White Sox leadoff hitter Nicky Lopez, sail into the right field seats.

Gunnar Henderson took it as a challenge, hitting his 10^th leadoff homer in the bottom of the first inning and his 35^th overall to set the club record for a shortstop.

The back-and-forth would stop, with Suárez producing a rare clunker. He wouldn’t get the last word or last through fifth. And the Orioles wouldn't score again.

Andrew Vaughn led off the fourth with a homer and Dominic Fletcher hit a two-run shot later in the inning, his first of the season, to guide the White Sox toward an 8-1 victory before an announced crowd of 17,843 at Camden Yards.

Chicago had lost 12 in a row and an astounding 42 of 46. They were outscored 22-3 in the first two games of the series.

With 22 runs scored in back-to-back wins over the White Sox, the Orioles look for a three-game series sweep tonight. That would also give them a seven-game sweep of the season series.

In late May, the Orioles won four straight at Chicago, but they were all close wins by 8-6, 6-4, 5-3 and 4-1. In this series, the O’s have won 13-3 and last night by 9-0.

They’ve scored 22 runs on 27 hits the last two games, with three doubles, a triple and two homers and they are 11-for-36 batting with runners in scoring position.

In going 6-0 on the year versus the Sox, the O’s have outscored them 45-17. On offense, they have hit .287 with an .887 OPS and 10 home runs. The Baltimore pitchers have a 2.67 ERA and have allowed a .528 OPS to White Sox hitters this year.

Right-hander Albert Suárez (7-4, 3.14) has been on a five-start pitching role and will make his 20^th start tonight. He is 2-0 with a 1.19 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in those five games, allowing four earned runs over 30 1/3 innings with five walks to 24 strikeouts.

More positive injury news came out of Camden Yards this afternoon. Momentum for the Orioles isn’t restricted to winning the next series.

Grayson Rodriguez completed his first bullpen session this afternoon and remains confident in his return later this month from a lat/teres injury.

Rodriguez threw about 20 pitches, mixing off-speed stuff with his fastball.

“Arm’s feeling good and I think right now that’s the most important thing is just being able to get back on the mound, let it eat a couple times,” he said.

“Everything felt good. The ball was spinning well.”

The first-place Orioles wrap up their series against the White Sox tonight with Coby Mayo at third base and batting seventh.

Adley Rutschman is the designated hitter.

Gunnar Henderson stays atop the order. He has a hit in four straight games for the first time since July 25-Aug. 1.

Albert Suárez is making his 20^th start and 28^th appearance with his ERA down to 3.14. In his five starts last month after replacing injured right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, Suárez allowed only four earned runs with 24 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings. He posted a 1.97 ERA in six August games.

Suárez pitched in relief against the White Sox on May 25 and shut them out over four innings.

When Wyatt Langford of the Texas Rangers hit a walk-off grand slam off Yankees closer Clay Holmes late last night, it moved the Orioles back into first place in the American League East.

Holmes, who suffered his 11th blown save, gave up two hits and two walks in the ninth and saw his slider hit 407 feet to lose the game 7-4.

The Orioles (81-59) were last in first on Aug. 20 and now they begin play today a 1/2-game ahead of the Yankees (80-59).

The Orioles beat the Chicago White Sox 9-0 last night at Oriole Park and have won four of five and seven of 11, going 23-21 since the All-Star game. New York has lost five of seven and is 22-19 in the second half. 

The chase is on for the AL East title with 22 games remaining.

One of the most important milestones for James McCann was reached last month when he accrued 10 years of major league service time, a feat accomplished by roughly seven percent of players. He qualified for the fully vested portion of the pension. And if he stayed with the same team for five years, he’d have the power to veto any trade.

The last part probably won’t happen with McCann, who celebrated his 34^th birthday in June. The four-year deal he signed with the Mets expires after the season, and he’s spent the last two with the Orioles after they traded for him on Dec. 21, 2022.

McCann is focused on the last month of the regular season and trying to win another division title, but he confirmed over the weekend that he wants to play next season. He isn’t ready to retire.

“My body feels good,” he said. “I haven’t really put an end date in sight. I feel like right now I’m focused on the task at hand and helping this team advance to the playoffs and beyond. But the future is something we can’t control and it’s something that I’ve preached for a long time in my career is control what you can control. So I try not to dwell on what the future holds too much.”

So he intends to keep playing?

With Monday's 13-3 win in the homestand opener against the Chicago White Sox, the Orioles tonight are taking another run at a three-game win streak.

They have been hard to come by lately. Their last came from July 14-20 when the Orioles won the last game of the first half versus the Yankees and the first two of the second half at Texas. The last time the team won on three straight days, they did so on four straight, from June 26-29.

Since July 20, the O's have won two in a row six times but each time lost the third game. Tonight maybe the seventh time is the charm.

Monday's game was one of their highest scoring games of the year for the O's bats, topped only by a 17-5 win June 20 at Yankee Stadium. Their 18 hits yesterday were topped only by the 20 hits in that same June game.

By comparison, the Orioles got 10 runs on 18 hits and six extra-base hits in three games at Dodger Stadium. Then they had 13 runs, 18 hits and six extra-base in one game versus the White Sox.

On a day the Orioles had one of their highest-scoring games of the year and a day when every starter both had a hit and scored a run, one Oriole had two hits and now the club hopes he can get hot again.

Catcher/DH Adley Rutschman had two hits – one a bloop single – and drove in a run. It was just his third two-game game since Aug. 10.

Since posting an .848 OPS in June, Rutschman put up a .482 OPS in July and a .625 mark in August. Before Monday’s game, he was batting .149 with an OPS of .460 his previous 12 games.

Before the O’s beat the Chicago White Sox 13-3, manager Brandon Hyde said Rutschman was physically fine. Nothing bothering him or keeping him from putting up numbers. Now he just has to get out of an extended slump.

“It’s just been a tough couple of months. Tough since the All-Star break,” Hyde said pregame. “You know, he’s grinding. He’s trying every single day to try to get the feeling back. He is putting in so much work, where we have to monitor it honestly. He is such a huge part of our offense and our team, and he knows that. So, he is probably putting way too much pressure on himself also. I think that is why you see the swing decisions are sometimes not Adley-like. Because he is trying to make an impact and to get back to who he is.

Back home for the first time since Aug. 25 after a 3-3 road trip, the Orioles begin a six-game homestand this afternoon versus the Chicago White Sox, who will be followed by the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Orioles (79-59) are a half game back of the New York Yankees (79-58) as play begins today. The Orioles went 1-2 in Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium and then 2-1 in Denver at Coors Field.

They scored 10 runs versus the Dodgers and produced 16 runs on 27 hits with a .759 OPS against Colorado. The Birds have had three straight games scoring five or more runs for the first time since July 14-20.

Today the Orioles host the Chicago White Sox (31-107), who have easily the worst record in the majors. They have lost 20 more games than any other club with Colorado next at 87.

The White Sox were swept over the weekend by the New York Mets, losing 5-1, 5-3 and 2-0.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Selected the contract of INF/OF Nick Maton from Triple-A Norfolk.
• Designated C David Bañuelos for assignment.

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

The Orioles had losing months in both July and August, but they began September with a win Sunday by 6-1 at Colorado. The O's won the series over the Rockies.

The Orioles had gone 0-5-1 in their past six series versus National League opponents. But their win at Coors Field gave them their first series win over an NL team since they beat Atlanta and Philadelphia in Baltimore in mid June.

The Orioles have gone just 19-24 this season versus National League teams. During the six-series winless run that ended yesterday they were a combined 5-12 against the Cubs, Marlins, Padres, Nats, Mets and Dodgers. 

But now at 79-59 for the season, the Orioles have 24 games remaining. With the Yankees loss Sunday, they are 1/2-game back in the AL East.

Of the games remaining, the O's have three against a club well under .500, six games versus clubs over .500 and 15 against teams hovering around .500.

DENVER - The reaction is about what you’d expect. Players watch a teammate sustain an injury and struggle to comprehend the reasoning or keep count.

Zach Eflin is reinstated from the injured list and starts yesterday’s series finale in Colorado, less than 24 hours after a 103.1 mile line drive slams into Dean Kremer’s right arm, creating a Rocky Mountain high welt above his wrist. The Orioles were dumped again into their gain-one, lose-one way of life.

Kremer has avoided the injured list and perhaps the off-day Thursday works in his favor. But he lasted only 3 1/3 innings and manager Brandon Hyde used six relievers in a 7-5 loss. Hyde said yesterday that he’d be surprised if Kremer started in the next four or five days.

Ramón Urías is hit on the nose by a 93.8 mph sinker, stays in the game and rolls his ankle covering third base. He’s on crutches and the 10-day IL, putting the Orioles’ hottest hitter on ice for an indefinite period.

If it wasn’t for bad luck …

DENVER – The Orioles recorded a hit with a runner in scoring position to take a quick lead, and Zach Eflin retired the side in order on 10 pitches in his return from the injured list. Maybe, just maybe, the Orioles would make it through the afternoon in good health and with a series win. Leaving the drama at the entrance to Coors Field. Starting a new month with a new attitude and better vibes.

They couldn’t possibly know what else Eflin would deliver.

Eflin retired the first 15 batters on only 49 pitches to flirt with the first perfect game in franchise history. He’d settle for seven innings of one-run ball in a 6-1 victory over the Rockies before an announced crowd of 32,961 on another gorgeous Denver day.

Eflin was barreling toward the first Orioles complete game since Dean Kremer on Sept. 23, 2022 against the Astros at Camden Yards. Kremer left last night’s start in the fourth after taking a line drive off his right forearm area. An odd connection was brewing.

Chad Kuhl tossed the last complete game at Coors Field on June 27, 2022.

After winning the first game of their series at Dodger Stadium, the Orioles lost the next two games, losing the series to the Dodgers. They need a win today to avoid the same fate at Coors Field.

The Orioles beat the Rockies 5-3 in the series-opener on Friday night, but they lost 7-5 last night. So the O’s and Rockies play the rubber match game to end this series and road trip. The Orioles are 8-5 in rubber match games.

At 78-59, the Orioles begin play today 1.5 games behind the New York Yankees. They are 39-29 on the road and 2-3 on this trip.

The Orioles have lost three of four, six of 10 and 11 of their past 19 games. The O’s are 20-21 since the All-Star game after going 58-38 in the second half.

The Orioles have now played 137 games:

DENVER – Coby Mayo was on a flight to Denver last night when third baseman Ramón Urías sprained his right ankle. Mayo was joining the Orioles’ expanded roster, unaware that he’d do more than fill out the bench.

“Obviously, I saw what happened after the fact,” Mayo said.

He also heard plenty about it. His phone was blowing up with text messages about Urías and the opportunity that arrived as he checked into the team hotel.

Urías rolled his ankle while covering third base on Ezequiel Tover’s stolen base in the seventh inning. Urías laid on the ground, writhing in pain, and remains on crutches today.

An offense that’s scuffled for prolonged periods lost a player batting .357 with a 1.178 OPS over his last 14 games before last night. Just another unfortunate injury that tests this team’s depth and resolve.

DENVER – Zach Eflin is reinstated from the injured list and starting this afternoon against the Rockies. Coby Mayo is recalled from Triple-A Norfolk as the 14^th position player on an expanded roster.

And that’s just the beginning.

Infielder Ramón Urías is on the 10-day injured list with a sprained right ankle. He’s on crutches again today after rolling the ankle last night on a tag play at third base.

The Orioles selected catcher David Bañuelos’ contract from Norfolk. He was on the taxi squad and likely will return to it by Monday afternoon.

Outfielder Forrest Wall was designated for assignment to make room for Bañuelos. He was 4-for-11 with a home run for Norfolk after the Orioles claimed him on waivers last week from the Marlins.

With last night’s game, a 7-5 loss at Colorado, the Orioles have played 137 games with 25 to go in the 2024 regular season.

If we count March as its own month and we will as the Orioles played three games then, they’ve now completed six months of baseball.

Here is a statistical look at each month with the team record, the staff ERA and OPS against and the offense’s runs per game each month with the OPS on offense by the club.

* March, 2-1 record: 3.00 ERA, .533 OPS against, 8.33 runs per game & .823 OPS.

* April, 17-9 record: 3.75 ERA, .695 OPS against, 5.08 runs per game & .755 OPS.

DENVER – Seranthony Domínguez has converted his seven save opportunities with the Orioles following the trade that unfolded near the deadline that sent outfielder Austin Hays to the Phillies.

The ride can’t be described as smooth, but he usually gets the team where it wants to finish.

The occasional bumps have resulted in all of the scoring against Domínguez. He’s allowed five runs in 15 innings on solo homers by José Ramírez on Aug. 3, Rob Refsnyder on the 18^th, Francisco Alvarez on the 19^th, Jesse Winker on the 21^st and Brendan Rodgers Friday night.

Alvarez and Winker had walk-off homers for the Mets at Citi Field to stick Domínguez with both losses. Four of the home runs were hit in a span of seven appearances.

In 16 games, Domínguez has registered a 3.00 ERA and 0.933 WHIP with 10 hits, four walks and 19 strikeouts.