Leftovers for breakfast

NEW YORK – Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez sat on a fastball last night like it was a clubhouse sofa.

Alvarez got ahead 3-0 against Orioles reliever Seranthony Domínguez – oh, let’s just call him the closer and stop hedging – and unloaded for his first career walk-off hit of any kind. And man, did he enjoy it.

Well, what he saw of it.

Alvarez made contact, held up the bat with one hand, released it and turned to the Mets dugout. He never looked back at the ball, gesturing to teammates with both hands and slapping his chest multiple times before beginning to round the bases. His jersey was pulled below his left shoulder after reaching home plate and being mobbed.

Domínguez struck out the first batter he faced. He struck out three Red Sox in the ninth inning the previous day. But he’s also surrendered home runs in back-to-back appearances.

Remembering Orioles who started strong and didn't sustain

Remembering Orioles who started strong and didn't sustain
My mind keeps spinning back to past Orioles teams that I've covered as an adult or watched as a kid. Anything to limit my screen time during this shutdown. Let me pose a question this morning while we resist the urge to panic shop. (Don't be that person. You don't need 12 dozen eggs and all the toilet paper and liquid hand soap.) Which homegrown Orioles started out good, fooling you into thinking that they'd become future All-Stars or at least longtime contributors, and then fizzled? Got...

This, that and the other (and more)

This, that and the other (and more)
Double-A Bowie outfielder Yusniel Diaz was chosen as the Eastern League's Player of the Week on Monday and hasn't appeared in a game since receiving the honor. Fans are curious about his disappearance. I'm here to clear up any confusion that I don't create on my own. Diaz, 22, was placed on the temporary inactive list because he's on paternity leave. He's put baseball on hold for his baby. Diaz went 8-for-19 with three home runs and 11 RBIs in his last five games. The jewel of the Manny...