Yard Work podcast: Episode 7

Happy Saturday, Orioles fans. Welcome to this week's edition of Yard Work.

In this week's episode, Steve Melewski and I talk about the return of Manny Machado. Machado wrapped up his four-game suspension as a result of his actions in the Orioles' bench-clearing brawl back on June 7, and the Orioles posted a 2-2 record in his absence. The offense didn't seem to skip a beat, but having a guy who is hitting well above .300 return to action is never a bad thing.

Meanwhile, both Yovani Gallardo and J.J. Hardy returned to the Orioles last Saturday. Gallardo picked up the win against the Blue Jays, while Hardy has posted a .250 average in his first five games back from the disabled list. Steve and I will discuss their respective returns and what lies ahead for both players.

Mychal Givens seems to have hit a snide in the bullpen. Over his past four appearances, the right-hander has allowed eight earned runs, raising his ERA nearly two entire runs. What's changed for Givens in the past few weeks? We'll dive into the status of the O's bullpen and talk game management, a difficult task at times.

While Givens has struggled recently, catcher Matt Wieters has had a hot start to June. Over the past two weeks, Wieters has hit .310 with eight RBIs. Is there a key to the catcher's hot-hitting abilities? The numbers may surprise you.

There is never a dull week in Birdland and the Orioles still find themselves atop the American League East. We'll preview the team's four-game series against the Rays and a long West Coast swing that should be another true test for the club. It's all discussed on this week's episode of Yard Work. Enjoy!

Note: The Yard Work podcast will be recorded each week; therefore, all Orioles records and statistics will be current at time of recording, but may be different when podcast is downloaded. Please don't hold that against us!