O’s drop the series in LA, Basallo homers in Norfolk, and roster expansion is coming soon.
Good Morning, Birdland,
The Orioles’ two-month long flirtation with mediocrity continues. They were unable to follow up the nice series win against the Astros with the same outcome in Los Angeles. The team’s pitching was not good in the final two games in SoCal, but that’s almost the daily expectation at this point. The hitting was unable to make up the difference.
The O’s have not scored more than four runs in a game since last Friday. It has become commonplace for the bats to turn in pedestrian performances night after night. That would be OK if this team was boasting a healthy pitching staff that included Kyle Bradish and Félix Bautista. But that’s not reality. This version of the Orioles has serious flaws, particularly on the mound. It’s going to be up to the offense to win games. Lately, they haven’t been able to do it.
Up next is a six-game stretch in which the Orioles absolutely HAVE to bust out of this extended funk. The Colorado Rockies are one of the worst teams in baseball. The Orioles are a homer happy team that gets to play three games at Coors Field. That should be a recipe for success for our guys.
After that, they head home and welcome in the Chicago White Sox, who are legitimately one of the sport’s worst teams of all-time. Since the start of July, the White Sox have won seven games. A sweep is not guaranteed, but even the Orioles in their current form are far better than the White Sox.
Win these games! Please!
Links
Basallo hits first Triple-A homer? No … wait … yes, he did! | MLB.com
It’s great to see Basallo having immediate success at the plate in Triple-A. There is no doubt the 20-year-old can hit, and that may be all he needs to get himself to the major leagues sometime next season. But it will be interesting to see what kind of emphasis the Orioles put on his glove. It does not need to be exemplary in order for him to be incredibly valuable behind the plate.
Orioles return to Colorado, roster expansion nearing | Roch Kubatko
Roch recalls the legendary Keon Broxton home run that actually entered low orbit. It was a bomb. Two months later, Broxton would be gone. But that was a neat moment.
How Albert Suárez’s success in Japan, Korea molded him into key piece for Orioles | The Baltimore Sun
I’m not sure what this Orioles season looks like without Albert Suárez. He has had his ups and downs, but he has always filled in admirably when the team needed him. He’s not the team MVP, but he is at least an unsung hero or a Comeback Player contender.
Orioles have plenty of options for September additions but only 2 available roster spots | The Baltimore Banner
Initially, the expansion probably won’t be too exciting. If Zach Eflin is healthy, he will get activated and start. Maybe the O’s swap a reliever for someone like Brooks Kriske. Woo? Forrest Wall feels like the favorite on the offensive side. The team could use some speed, and Wall offers that. The only other legitimate option is Coby Mayo, but if he isn’t going to start then he may be better served to stick in Norfolk a bit longer.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
- Kris Foster turns 50 today. He pitched in seven career MLB games, all of which came during the 2001 season in Baltimore.
This day in O’s history
1958 – Orioles’ outfielder Dick Williams achieves the rare feat of playing all three outfield positions in a single game without record a putout or assist. O’s beat the Red Sox 7-2.
1969 – As part of a 6-3 win over the Angels, the Orioles score their final run of the day on a Brooks Robinson single followed by three consecutive passed balls by California catcher Joe Azcue. It ties an American League record.
1996 – The Orioles claw to within four games of the Yankees in the AL East standings, beating the Mariners 5-2. Eddie Murray hits his 499th career home run and Pete Incaviglia smacks a grand slam.