Another look at players in the fall instructional league camp

Another look at players in the fall instructional league camp
The fall instructional league camp is entering its fourth day down in Sarasota, Fla., more activity at the Ed Smith Stadium complex before pitchers and catchers report to spring training on Feb. 15. Here are a few more participants who caught my eye when the Orioles shared their list with the media: * They loaded up their camp roster with 17 of the 2021 draft picks, and they included outfielder/first baseman Billy Cook, a 10th-rounder out of Pepperdine University. Cook, 22, led the West Coast...

Some of the top farm pitchers get closer to Baltimore

Some of the top farm pitchers get closer to Baltimore
As the Orioles work to improve their pitching in 2022, there remain a few ranked pitching prospects the club has yet to see pitch in Baltimore. And there are others, like Zac Lowther and Alexander Wells, that we saw get their feet wet this year. Enough to know how tough it is to pitch in the American League East. The Orioles still play more than half their games outside of the East, this is true, but the division remains the best in the baseball and maybe the toughest in all of sports. Topping...

Orioles' late rally falls short in 6-4 loss in Toronto (updated)

Orioles' late rally falls short in 6-4 loss in Toronto (updated)
The Orioles tried to stay in spoiler mode tonight while going with a bullpen game rather than a starter equipped to provide actual length. Teams wanting the Blue Jays to implode in the weekend series and influence the wild card race could be heard cringing. Their eyes were bulging while checking the late score. Injuries have tampered with the Orioles rotation, which becomes more settled in the last two games with John Means and Bruce Zimmermann. So, manager Brandon Hyde lined up his available...

Akin and Hays impress again, but O's lose 4-3 (updated)

Akin and Hays impress again, but O's lose 4-3 (updated)
As the Orioles keep piling more players on their injured lists and going day-to-day with others who are ailing, they cherish every individual who stays in the lineup or rotation and seems determined to finish strong. Keegan Akin, a couple starts removed from his six no-hit innings, shut out the Phillies over 5 1/3 and struck out six batters before Eric Hanhold replaced him. Austin Hays retained ownership of the month of September, his scorching bat producing a run-scoring double in the sixth...

Bowie's Grayson Rodriguez takes loss as Akron takes Game 2

Bowie's Grayson Rodriguez takes loss as Akron takes Game 2
BOWIE - It was not the night the Bowie Baysox were hoping for. The weather made it challenging and so did Akron RubberDucks batters. They scored six runs in just 2 2/3 innings off Bowie ace Grayson Rodriguez - that was a season high for him in runs allowed - as Akron beat Bowie 8-5 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five Double-A Northeast Championship Series. The Baysox have scored just six runs on six hits in the first two games. The late afternoon downpour finally subsided, but the first...

Early excitement from Orioles evaporates in 12-3 loss (updated)

Early excitement from Orioles evaporates in 12-3 loss (updated)
Before the Orioles began tonight's game against the Rays, about 30 minutes later than intended, they stood along the dugout railing to watch the club's newest inductees into its Hall of Fame. To enjoy the ceremony and see how the other half lived, rather than just gazing across the field. The video tribute for former shortstop J.J. Hardy closed with him reaching for home plate to score the go-ahead run on Delmon Young's bases-clearing double in the 2014 Division Series. The loudest moment in...

Notes on O's loss, final draft pick signed and farm player movement

Notes on O's loss, final draft pick signed and farm player movement
The Orioles will be back at Camden Yards tonight against Miami looking to beat the Marlins for a two-game series split and a winning 4-1 homestand. Miami hit three homers in last night's 7-3 win over the Orioles. O's right-hander Spenser Watkins gave up a three-run homer to catcher Sandy Leon on the eighth pitch of a sequence in the top of the second. That put Miami up 3-0 and they were never tied or trailed after that. Austin Hays and Cedric Mullins hit solo homers for the Orioles. They've...

Is bullpen best for Brooks?

Is bullpen best for Brooks?
Let's take another shot this morning at addressing one of the litany of questions facing the Orioles before opening day 2020. Funny how so many of them lead to the pitching staff, whether it's the rotation or bullpen. What should the Orioles do with Aaron Brooks? The numbers make the decision appear to be simple. He's been much more effective as a reliever than as a starter, and the Orioles need to improve in both areas. The Orioles claimed Brooks off waivers from the Athletics on July 6,...

Núñez made it easy to slot him as designated hitter in 2020

Núñez made it easy to slot him as designated hitter in 2020
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde wasn't ready last month to hand Austin Hays the center field job on opening day. No amount of prodding from the media was going to soften his stance. It was too soon to begin construction of a 26-man roster to be unveiled in late March. The story is the same regarding Renato Núñez. Hyde won't say that Núñez is going to be the primary designated hitter next season. But he speaks as if Núñez is on the team. "I think it's way too soon to think...

Five Orioles confirmed for Arizona Fall League

Five Orioles confirmed for Arizona Fall League
WASHINGTON - The Orioles have five confirmed representatives playing in the Arizona Fall League, with room for more additions. The Surprise Saguaros roster includes pitchers Dean Kremer, Alex Wells and David Lebron and infielders Rylan Bannon and Mason McCoy. Single-A Delmarva manager Kyle Moore is serving as one of the coaches. The Orioles also have spots reserved for one more pitcher and an outfielder. It's possible that Double-A Bowie's Yusniel Diaz fills the latter spot after missing...

Futures Game O's, the Friday farm and a very noteworthy win

Futures Game O's, the Friday farm and a very noteworthy win
It must be pretty exciting for the organization that the two Orioles pitching prospects to make the All-Star Futures Game are among the youngest players on either the American League or National League rosters. The rosters for the game on July 7 in Cleveland were announced Friday. Single-A Delmarva right-hander Grayson Rodriguez makes the roster at age 19 and Single-A Frederick lefty DL Hall joins him on the AL roster at 20. There are six players among the 50 players on both rosters that are 19...

Brandon Hyde after 16-2 loss: "You know, pretty embarrassing again"

Brandon Hyde after 16-2 loss: "You know, pretty embarrassing again"
OAKLAND - It wasn't actually the first time this year the Orioles had allowed 16 runs in a game. But when it happened Tuesday night at Oakland, a manager who has had to handle interviews so many nights about a pitching staff that came up short, seemed to be exasperated to have to do it again. Who could blame Orioles skipper Brandon Hyde? That was indeed hard to watch. O's pitching allowed 16 runs to tie a season-high first set April 20 versus Minnesota, giving up 10 of them in the last of the...

Frederick is set to host the Carolina League All-Star game

Frederick is set to host the Carolina League All-Star game
OAKLAND - The All-Star break has arrived in the Single-A Carolina League, and tomorrow night the Orioles' Frederick Keys affiliate will host the All-Star game at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium. Frederick previously hosted All-Star games in 1991 and 2005. In that most recent game, the Orioles' Nick Markakis not only won the pregame Home Run Derby, but hit two homers in the game to lead the Carolina League past the California League. The All-Star Classic, presented by Visit Frederick, will...

Another one-run loss, plus Friday on the farm

Another one-run loss, plus Friday on the farm
That's four games on the road trip and four one-run games with three losses for the Orioles. Very competitive yet again, they did some good things but failed to win. Thanks to an error and a few timely hits, they took a 3-0 lead on Houston right-hander Gerrit Cole through four innings. Rio Ruiz had a clutch two-out, bases-loaded single in the first. Chance Sisco hit his first homer of the year and fifth of his career in the third. Sisco did a nice job to wait on a curveball over the outside...

A look at a series-opening loss, Mountcastle's torrid bat and more

A look at a series-opening loss, Mountcastle's torrid bat and more
It was another night when the Orioles got a short outing from a starting pitcher, but the way Tampa Bay's Tyler Glasnow was throwing it was not going to matter. Glasnow was dominant last night as Tampa Bay beat the Orioles 7-0 to take the series and homestand opener. It's not a bad combination for a pitcher when you throw 99 mph, as Glasnow did in the first inning, and combine that with a curveball that three batters took for called third strikes. It didn't get much better for Baltimore...

O's game blog: John Means starts White Sox series opener

O's game blog: John Means starts White Sox series opener
The Orioles road trip moves on to Chicago and they start a three-game series tonight in the windy city. The Orioles (10-19) went 0-3 at Minnesota, scoring just four runs. They've lost seven of nine and 14 of the last 19 games. Left-handers get the start with John Means (3-2, 1.74 ERA) facing Manny Bañuelos (1-0, 2.51 ERA). In his three starts, Means is 1-2 with a 2.08 ERA. He has averaged 6.9 strikeouts/nine innings in his starts and 15.3 per nine when pitching out of the bullpen. The White...

After allowing seven homers, O's pitchers try to get back on track against the A's

After allowing seven homers, O's pitchers try to get back on track against the A's
After allowing seven home runs and 15 runs Sunday, there is nothing, really, to do for the Orioles pitching staff and team as a whole but get back on the horse tonight versus Oakland. Try to ride their way to victory and put that mess from Sunday in their rear-view mirror. The O's were competitive and led the Yankees in the first two games of the series. They just didn't win. Sunday they were blown out and it felt like about 10 losses, but really only counted as one. Time to get back to...

Orioles acquire catcher Lenin Rodriguez from Phillies

Orioles acquire catcher Lenin Rodriguez from Phillies
SARASOTA, Fla. - The distribution of international signing bonus slots continues under executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias. The Orioles swung another spring training deal earlier today, sending an undisclosed slot figure to the Phillies in exchange for minor league catcher Lenin Rodriguez. Rodriguez is the latest depth move, and he reaches the low levels of the system. He turns 21 later this month and hasn't played above short-season Single-A, appearing in 21 games last...

Orioles acquire pitcher David Lebron (O's win 9-8)

Orioles acquire pitcher David Lebron (O's win 9-8)
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles brought over three pitchers this afternoon from minor league camp to pad the bullpen in case of an unexpected mid-inning departure, and they also managed to send someone over to Twin Lakes Park with an in-game trade. The club announced during the third inning that it acquired right-hander David Lebron from the Rangers in exchange for international signing bonus slots. (I've already heard how this is Lebron's team now, and other NBA-related jokes, but keep 'em...