A grand slam allowed in the ninth inning turned a close game into more of a blowout.
The first game that doesn’t count is out of the way. It’s a good thing for the Orioles that the Grapefruit League results and stats don’t count for anything, because they dropped the opener to the Pirates, 10-5.
Even more than most spring training games, this was a game that was marked by non-regulars getting the bulk of the playing time. Though the Orioles starting lineup had six players who are probable Opening Day players, they each only got two at-bats in and the substitutions started as early as using pinch runners in the third inning.
This is important to keep in mind because it is not particularly likely that the fortunes of the 2025 Orioles are in any way riding on the performance of Corbin Martin (1 IP, 2 ER), Peter Van Loon (0.2 IP, 1 ER), or Dylan Heid (1 IP, 4 ER). Heid gave up a grand slam in the top of the ninth inning that turned a close game into a not-so-close one.
More relevant to the 2025 Orioles roster might be that Albert Suárez, tapped as the spring opener starting pitcher, scuffled and was unable to complete his targeted two innings before reaching an unacceptable pitch count. Suárez allowed two runs in the first inning, with both being driven in by former Oriole DJ Stewart. Did you know he was in Pirates spring training camp? Well, now, you do.
It’s February 22, so even for the regulars, this stuff doesn’t matter yet. How Suárez pitches as a starting pitcher might not even matter at all, because he’s not currently looking like he’s part of the Opening Day rotation. Neither is tomorrow’s scheduled starting pitcher, Cade Povich. Better if the meaningless results are positive rather than negative, but that mostly wasn’t the way it was meant to be today. Keegan Akin, another likely Opening Day guy, was also victimized by Stewart, who hit a home run in the third inning.
Two of the newer Orioles were able to make a nice first impression even though they only batted twice. Catcher Gary Sánchez drove in one of two O’s runs in the second inning, with outfielder Ramón Laureano driving in another run later that inning. This briefly tied the game at 2-2, at least until Akin got his hands on the game. The O’s tied it back up at 3-3 as Dylan Carlson hit a bases loaded sacrifice fly. Things turned for the negative again with the non-MLB pitchers getting involved.
Prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr. was the first of the day’s substitutions, pinch running for Cedric Mullins after Mullins walked to lead off the third inning. This was fun for all of about six seconds until Bradfield tried to steal a base and was thrown out. Oh well. Among outfield prospects, the game also saw Jud Fabian (one walk, one strikeout) and Dylan Beavers (1-2) make appearances.
At one point during the game, the MASN broadcast duo of Brett Hollander and Dave Johnson, who were calling the game from back in Baltimore due to the network’s cheapness, checked in with their colleague Ben McDonald. The former Oriole is currently in camp as a guest coach.
McDonald was asked who have been the surprises so far in spring training for him. Ben’s first response was to name non-roster reliever Rodolfo Martinez, who has gotten a fair amount of noise during the workout days of early spring training. He also said he’s been seeing impressive things from Bryan Baker, with Baker apparently throwing his fastball harder than previously and demonstrating a sharper changeup thanks to a new grip.
Baker, who is out of minor league options and could be gone from the organization if he doesn’t make the club out of spring training, pitched a scoreless fourth inning in Saturday afternoon’s game. I’ll be curious as the games go along to see if these new things McDonald has noticed make any impact on Baker’s results. If he really has stepped forward, that should be enough to move him back ahead of some of the other players more on the fringe of the bullpen mix.
The game was close until that ninth inning grand slam thanks to Emmanuel Rivera, or Beard as my wife calls him, hitting a two-run homer. Rivera, a late-2024 addition, was removed from the 40-man roster over the offseason but remains in the organization and in camp on a non-roster invite.
The Orioles-owned MASN network will not be televising another Orioles spring training game until next Saturday, though the Orioles will be playing games every day up until then. Maybe when next week’s game starts, they’ll actually have the volume at a good level, so that everyone doesn’t need to turn up their sound just to hear the announcers only to have their ears assaulted on commercial breaks that are suddenly very loud.
The Orioles themselves will be in action tomorrow, probably without very many of the same starters as today. They’re traveling to Phillies camp for a 1:05 game. That one will be broadcast on Phillies TV and radio. Tough luck to anyone who can’t access those, because neither the O’s TV nor radio networks are putting on a broadcast.
The games start counting in 33 days.