Road trip marked by close games ends with back-to-back losses for O's

During a road trip where six of the seven games were decided by one or two runs, the Orioles went 4-2 in those six games, which is quite respectable. But they lost the last two, which stings a bit. 

They come home with a series loss at Philadelphia (went 1-2) after their big series win (went 3-1) against Tampa Bay. 

But we should also keep in mind they were tied for first with Tampa Bay when that series began and now, they lead the AL East by 1.5 games. They are 5.5 games ahead of Toronto which currently holds the third AL wild card spot.

But the Orioles have had some problems this year against National League teams. While they have played .644 ball (47-26) against American League teams they have played just .517 ball (15-14) versus the NL.

They have gone 1-2 in series against Atlanta. the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philaelphia.

Right-hander Kyle Bradish had a strange start as the Philles went 0-for-6 against him on 14 pitches the first two innings but then went 6-for-10 with two walks as they took a 4-3 lead with two runs in the third and two in the last of the fourth.

Bradish entered with an ERA of 1.62 his previous seven starts but gave up five runs on 6 2/3 last night. After the O's tied it 4-4, he gave up a solo homer on an 0-2 pitch to No. 9 hitter Edmundo Sosa in the seventh as Philly took a 5-4 lead.

That was the eighth homer allowed by O's pitchers on an 0-2 count this year to tie for the MLB lead.

Now the countdown to the trade deadline next Tuesday is on big time. As usual a flurry of activity is expected over the last day or two leading up to Aug. 1. The O's could be seeking a starting pitcher and/or a bullpen arm or two. The Angels, per a Sports Illustrated report, are now going to keep and not trade Shohei Ohtani.

Which do the Orioles need more, rotation or 'pen? What might they end up with?

Ryan Minor to be honored: The Low Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds are going to welcome former Shorebirds’ player and manager Ryan Minor, back to Arthur W. Perdue Stadium to retire his number 44 jersey on Friday, Aug. 4 prior to the game against Lynchburg.

Minor’s number 44 jersey will be the first Shorebirds jersey ever retired in the history of the franchise and the retirement ceremony will take place at approximately 6:30 p.m. Minor will be joined by his family for the jersey retirement along with Shorebirds general manager Chris Bitters.

“The Shorebirds are honored to retire Minor’s number 44 as the first jersey ever retired in Shorebirds history,” said Bitters. “Minor has been a fixture for the Shorebirds representing the team as both a manager and player and we could not think of a more deserving individual to enshrine forever in Shorebirds history.”

Minor’s career included a big season with Delmarva when the Shorebirds won the South Atlantic League championship in 1997 and he set several single-season records then that still stand. After officially retiring as a player, Minor continued to have a tremendous impact on the game of baseball as he returned to the O’s organization as a coach, joining the Shorebirds staff in 2008. In 2010, Minor made the jump to manager serving as the Delmarva skipper from 2010-2012 before being moved up to lead the High-A Frederick Keys team in 2013. He returned as manager of the Shorebirds for the 2014-2017 seasons.

Recently, Minor was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. While he endures a battle and fight unlike any other, the Shorebirds wish to show him that the community that accepted him not just as an adopted son, but as its favorite son, still loves him and supports him.

“The number 44 means a lot to the Delmarva Shorebirds,” said Bitters. “There’s no better way to honor him than retiring his prestigious number 44 to bring the community together and let him know everyone here is to support him while he battles this awful disease.”