Taking a quizzical look at Orioles

Taking a quizzical look at Orioles
Making it through Christmas yesterday during a cream cheese shortage goes down as another victory and proves again that nothing can stop me from living my best life. I also can't be deterred from assigning a quiz on a Sunday morning. You can treat it like the socks and underwear that someone gift-wrapped and left under the tree. Or the one chocolate candy in the sampler box that is filled with jelly. If you choose to take the quiz - and you can't spit it out - this would be a good time to get...

Making another move into the mailbag

Making another move into the mailbag
If it's Sunday, it must be time to rummage through the ol' mailbag instead of letting it overflow and risking a few questions sticking to the bottom. I'll never forgive myself for taking 22 years to offer my opinion on the Orioles selecting Mike Paradis in the first round. And I wasn't ... wait for it ... Stahling before commenting on their next pick. (Look it up if you must and then forgive me.) Let's get to some of the fresher inquiries this morning, unedited in all their glory. I will...

The pitch mix and the one the O's threw more than any AL team

The pitch mix and the one the O's threw more than any AL team
If we are going to consider and discuss the Orioles' 2021 pitching performance, you know the club will rank at or near the bottom of the American League in many team categories. For instance, they were last in team ERA at 5.84, which was just over a full run per game worse than Minnesota, next at 4.83. But we're not here today to hammer away at some rough pitching stats. Today, I wanted to take a look at the Orioles' 2021 pitch mix. This can be interesting to look at and size up how they...

The rise and fall of Valdez and Plutko

The rise and fall of Valdez and Plutko
The Orioles already made a few decisions on their minor league free agents, bringing back outfielder Cristopher Céspedes and pitchers Ofelky Peralta and Nick Vespi. Other moves will be sprinkled into their offseason, with some bigger names in the industry likely to compete for jobs on minor league deals with invitations to spring training. Like the past winter when the Orioles signed starters Félix Hernández, Matt Harvey and Wade LeBlanc. Relievers Adam Plutko and César Valdez...

Putting Hays in corner an appealing move for Orioles

Putting Hays in corner an appealing move for Orioles
Among the important developments for the Orioles in 2021, and it requires looking past the record, run differential, negative WARs and the rest, is the ability of Austin Hays to stay in the lineup after his return from a strained left hamstring on June 11 and play in a career-high 131 games. A mark that wasn't hard to surpass considering the previous best was 33 last summer. Hays accumulated 529 plate appearances, and he built on a reputation for finishing strong while others tend to whither....

Orioles and Rangers lineups

Orioles and Rangers lineups
The Orioles get a four-game break from contending opponents, facing the Rangers tonight with rookie Zac Lowther on the mound and a designated hitter back in their lineup. Trey Mancini is the cleanup hitter and DH. Anthony Santander remains out of the lineup with a sore left hamstring. Santander ran sprints earlier today and hit in the cage. Austin Hays is in left field and Ryan McKenna is in right. Jahmai Jones is the second baseman. Austin Wynns is catching. Lowther is making his ninth...

Orioles forced into another flurry of roster moves

Orioles forced into another flurry of roster moves
The lineup was a late posting again yesterday. Manager Brandon Hyde explained that the Orioles had "a bunch of things going on right now." It must have been quite a scene. Bring players to Philadelphia and calculate how many are needed on the active roster and for which injured Orioles. Outfielder Anthony Santander avoided the injured list, but didn't figure to be much of a contributor off the bench with a sore left hamstring. As if his sore left ankle needed company. The starter for Sunday...

Orioles put Urías on injured list and DFA Valdez

Orioles put Urías on injured list and DFA Valdez
The Orioles' roster moves are official and their 28-man roster has been refreshed again. The club has recalled infielder Jahmai Jones and reliever Konner Wade from Triple-A Norfolk today, placed infielder Ramón Urías on the 10-day injured list with a right adductor strain and designated reliever César Valdez for assignment. Reliever Joey Krehbiel, claimed off waivers yesterday from the Rays, was optioned to Norfolk. Urías was a late scratch from the lineup yesterday, but he...

Orioles bullpen brings its best until 10th in 3-2 loss (updated)

Orioles bullpen brings its best until 10th in 3-2 loss (updated)
The bullpen game plotted tonight by Orioles manager Brandon Hyde began to live up to its definition perhaps a bit sooner than anticipated. Conner Greene couldn't give the Orioles a second inning as the opener, his 24 pitches in a scoreless first against the Phillies beginning the parade of relievers. Marcos Diplán tossed two scoreless innings. Thomas Eshelman stranded a runner in the fourth, retired the side in order in the fifth and struck out two batters in the sixth around J.T....

Stewart goes on injured list (plus lineups, Urías scratched)

Stewart goes on injured list (plus lineups, Urías scratched)
The Orioles have placed outfielder DJ Stewart on the 60-day injured list with a right knee osteochondral defect and selected the contract of reliever César Valdez from Triple-A Norfolk. Putting Stewart on the 60-day IL created a spot for Valdez on the 40-man roster. Stewart wasn't going to return before the season ended on Oct. 3. An osteochondral defect, according to a quick Internet search, refers to a focal area of damage that involves both the cartilage and a piece of underlying bone....

Because You Asked - The Edge of Reason

Because You Asked - The Edge of Reason
The Orioles aren't playing tonight. They have an off-day in New York. We should all be so lucky. "Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to Broadway?" "Practice, practice, practice." I've already mastered the art of the mailbag. How to gather questions, provide answers - or at least make the attempt - and exhibit tremendous patience while repeating myself. And also how to make it conversational at times, which ain't easy with the mail. I implore everyone to be as expansive as you'd like...

Akin goes career-high seven innings in O's 13-1 romp (updated)

Akin goes career-high seven innings in O's 13-1 romp (updated)
Given new life late in their baseball season, the Orioles are trying to avoid a new losing streak. They may never lose again. Rearranging the outcomes can't be done without turning the tables. Shohei Ohtani lofted a ball onto the flag count on the second pitch from starter Keegan Akin, but the left-hander did his finest work as a professional with one run allowed in seven innings. The Orioles tied the game in the third, Pedro Severino hit a grand slam as part of a six-run fifth and they...

Orioles threaten, but can't end losing streak (updated)

Orioles threaten, but can't end losing streak (updated)
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde didn't want starter John Means putting too much pressure on himself to end a 17-game streak. The majors are hard enough without creating ways for it to grow more challenging. "I felt like he did last time a little bit in his last start," Hyde said early this afternoon. "Just want him to go out and pitch his game and hopefully he gives us a chance to win." There's no chance if you don't score. The odds improve just a little if it's one run. Means coasted into...

Elias on Hyde, status of rebuild, injury updates and more

Elias on Hyde, status of rebuild, injury updates and more
Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias spent about 25 minutes in the home dugout this afternoon for his latest media session. The 15-game losing streak, second-longest in club history, the path of the rebuild and the organization's prospects were among the many topics. Elias said he senses the pressure that manager Brandon Hyde is feeling beyond winning games and offers encouragement in their discussions. That Hyde is the right man for the job and it's going to work out....

Orioles claim Ellis and DFA Valdez

Orioles claim Ellis and DFA Valdez
The Orioles made their latest bullpen move this afternoon, claiming right-hander Chris Ellis off waivers from the Rays and designating César Valdez for assignment. Left-hander Ryan Hartman cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. Ellis, 28, made his second major league appearance Tuesday night against the Orioles and earned the win with four scoreless innings in relief. He allowed three hits, walked one, struck out seven and was designated for assignment to create room for...

Orioles tie longest losing streak of season at 14 games (updated)

Orioles tie longest losing streak of season at 14 games (updated)
The Orioles bolted to an early lead tonight and lost their offensive touch. Their starter ran up a high pitch count that threatened his removal by the middle innings. Manager Brandon Hyde tries to find new methods to pull the Orioles out of their old ways, whether it's with his personnel or how he gets them to the ballpark. Tonight's lineup underwent drastic changes based more on health than a hunch. What's it going to take to form a congratulatory line after the final out rather than...

Orioles allow season-high 16 runs in latest loss (updated)

Orioles allow season-high 16 runs in latest loss (updated)
If it really does start with starting pitching, as baseball folks preach, the Orioles really are having a rotten weekend in Boston. Spenser Watkins allowed six runs last night in four innings, the sweat making it harder to find his grip on the ball. Manager Brandon Hyde revealed earlier today that left-hander Bruce Zimmermann must remain on the injured list after spraining his ankle in a training mishap, which prohibits the rookie from joining the rotation on Sunday. Jorge López loaded the...

Watkins struggles again, losing streak reaches nine games (updated)

Watkins struggles again, losing streak reaches nine games (updated)
Cedric Mullins got his usual business out of the way early tonight, which is so often how it happens. Richie Martin maintained his power surge at Fenway Park, though with a pronounced gap in between home runs. The Orioles had a couple of positive moments in their return to the site of their season-opening sweep, but the slumping Red Sox kept topping them. Kept extending at-bats and innings against rookie starter Spenser Watkins. Kept flexing their muscle after the bullpen came into play. And a...

Orioles trying to find ways to fix a frustrating situation

Orioles trying to find ways to fix a frustrating situation
There are no easy or obvious solutions to the Orioles' explosive bullpen, holes in the rotation and thinning roster due to injuries. Not unless the production picks up at its highest affiliate. That would at least provide an option. Relievers have surrendered 52 runs in the past five games - 16 scored in the eighth inning in the Rays' sweep - and manager Brandon Hyde can't be criticized for running the same group into games every night. He can't be ripped for ignoring hot hands that simply...

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...