Orioles Second Consecutive Sweep Shows Shades of Potential

Sugano Shuts ‘em Down and Milk is Back on the Menu

Colton Cowser Returns to Rallying Orioles Lineup

The Orioles beat the Mariners 5-1 in game 1 of the series in Seattle. The young Orioles offense looks more comfortable as they get some of their big bats bat. 

OF Colton Cowser returned after a two month absence, and the Milkman announced his arrival with a solo home run in the 6th inning. The Orioles gave Mariners SP George Kirby fits throughout the game. They stayed back on his breaking balls and got a lot of weak contact that found holes in the infield. 

Adley Rutschman Leads in Mariners Win

Adley Rutschman led the way with 3 hits and scored twice. Ramon Urias went hitless but was able to drive Adley in on a sacrifice fly. Ryan O’ Hearn continued to stay hot, smacking two hits with runners in scoring position. The O’s were able to drive up Kirby’s pitch count, and he was going to be chased out by the end of the game. Unfortunately, Kirby took a line drive off his face in the fifth and ran straight into the tunnel. He said after the game that he was ok, but he may miss a few starts. 

After Kirby left the game, the Orioles got their licks in against the Seattle bullpen. Cowser got his homer against former Oriole Eduardo Bazardo. In the 9th, up 3-1, the Orioles young bats were able to score some insurance runs. Coby Mayo led off with a single, followed by a scorching double by Heston Kjerstad to drive Mayo in. Kjerstad went 2-3 with a walk in one of his best games in recent weeks. Holliday slapped a single later in the inning to bring the lead up to 5-1.

Tomoyuki Sugano Continues to be Orioles Ace

Tomoyuki Sugano continues to lead the O’s pitching staff, as he threw another gem on a beautiful Tuesday in Seattle. Sugano had great stuff all night, mixing his pitches effectively to keep the Mariners off balance. Tomo went strong for 7 innings, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits while recording 7 strikeouts. 

Tony Mansolino Trusts His Pitching Staff

Sugano stayed out of trouble pretty much the whole game outside of the sixth inning. It was a tight 3-1 game with the top of the order coming up. The first two hitters slapped weak singles past the infield with the Mariners two superstars, Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh, ready to do damage. 

In the past, former manager Brandon Hyde may have gone for a mound visit or even pulled Sugano, but interim manager Tony Mansolino trusted the rookie to get the job done. Sugano proceeded to strike out Julio on 3 pitches, then got Raleigh to ground into a double play. Sugano used his best pitch, the splitter, on 4 of the 5 pitches he threw. He got Rodriguez to whiff on strike 3 and Raleigh dribbled the ball to 2B Jackson Holliday. 

The one bad pitch was a breaking pitch that didn’t break to former Oriole Rowdy Tellez, who smashed the ball 400 feet to right field for a solo homer. It was Sugano’s 3rd start of the year to last 7 innings, most on the team, and he lowered his ERA to a team-leading 3.04. The Orioles made some questionable decisions during free agency, but Sugano was their best find.

Orioles Bullpen Shuts Down Mariners

The Orioles bullpen finished off the Mariners after Sugano’s great outing. Bryan Baker got out of a 2 on, 1 out jam by getting Jorge Polanco to pop out and blowing a 97 mph fastball past Julio Rodriguez for strike 3. 

Felix Bautista came out for a non-save situation in the ninth and promptly went 1-2-3 with a strikeout on Rowdy Tellez to end the game. Birdland will want to take at least 1 of the next two to win a road series against a tough opponent. The Orioles aren’t back by any means, but they are showing signs of life. The pitching is no longer abysmal, and the bats are getting healthy.

O’s Extend Longest Win Streak of the Year to 5 Games

Homegrown Birds Rutschman and Kjerstad Get It Done at the Plate

Adley Rutschman Hits Home Run

Adley Rutschman looks like a different hitter since he landed in the Pacific Northwest. 

From June 30th of last year through June 1, Rutsch was hitting .198, a far cry from his first two seasons. He seems to have changed his swing, abandoning the “toe-tap” in his load for a more steady approach. On Tuesday, it led to some good contact that landed in the outfield for 3 singles. 

Wednesday, he showed off the power, blasting a pitch 415 feet and knocking Mariners starter Emerson Hancock out of the game. It was Adley’s first home run in two weeks, and it got the birds on the scoreboard.

Heston Kjerstad Hits Clutch Triple Amid Slump

The Orioles’ story of the season on offense has been an inability to capitalize with runners in scoring position. Whether it's batted-ball luck, bad approach, or poor swing decisions, they have not been able to get it done. 

Well, Heston Kjerstad decided to forget about his .155 avg with runners in scoring position. Down 2-1 with runners on first and second, Kjerstad was able to squeeze a fly ball down the line in right. Ramon Urias and Coby Mayo were able to score, Kjerstad ended up with a triple, and the Orioles got a lead and never looked back. Silent J has struggled in the first few months of the season, but so has pretty much every hot prospect who finally gets regular playing time. Adley and Gunnar Henderson struggled, Colton Cowser and Jackson Holliday were sent down to the minors during their rookie seasons. Kjerstad has been fortunate to get consistent at bats despite his struggles, thanks to a plethora of injuries in the Orioles outfield. 

Across the MLB, it is tougher than ever to make the jump to the show, so growing pains are expected. Heston has looked much better at the plate over the past week, hopefully its sign that good things will continue to happen for him at the plate. Soon, the Orioles will have to make some tough roster decisions with injured players returning. For now, “Silent J” needs to continue to take his chance.

Cade Povich Continues to Improve

Cade Povich seems to get a little bit better every start. The lefty didn’t have his best stuff last night, but he was still very effective against a puzzled Mariners lineup. 

He gave up 2 runs on just 4 hits and 1 walk in a solid 5.1 innings pitched. With Povich, you always want to pay attention to the walks, if he isn’t giving away free bases, he usually has a good day. Cal Raleigh got a single and a double off of Cade, but he held the rest of the lineup in check, racking up 5 K’s. As you can see from the link below, a lot of Povich’s pitches were around the zone. He has done a great job of limiting walks, now the next step in his evolution in to locate his fastball better. High fastballs are really tough on hitters, but Cade needs to locate a little better to force hitters to chase. 

I would like to see the O’s give him as many starts as he can this season. If he can add a couple mph in the offseason in addition to the experience he’s gaining, he will be an interesting piece. His pitch mix is solid, and a little more velocity could make the lefty a long-term option in the Orioles future starting rotation.

Bullpen is Lights Out, Seals the Win

Yennier Cano came in to relieve Povich in the 6th inning with the O’s down 2-1. The Orioles needed a ground ball with runners at first and third, Seattle had already got 1 run in the inning. Cano was able to force weak contact with the infield in and Adley Rustchman tagged out JP Crawford at home. 

He then was able to strike out Randy Arozarena to end the inning without too much damage done. 

After the top of the 7th with Kjerstad’s 2-RBI triple, the bullpen had a simple task: get 9 outs without allowing a run. Seranthony Dominguez went 1-2-3 with two strikeouts in the bottom of the 7th. 

Gregory Soto had one of his best appearances of the season. Soto struck out Ben Williamson and Cole Young, walked Crawford, and got Raleigh to strikeout on a slider. 

Then it was up to the Mountain, Felix Bautista, pitching back-to-back games. Bautista struggled with command, but he was able to get 2 outs on weak pop flies. With 2 runners on, Mariners 1B Rowdy Tellez stepped up and nearly gave Orioles’ fans a midnight heart attack. Tellez drove a ball to deep center field, but there was just enough room for Orioles CF Jordyn Adams to make the catch and exhale after a tough game.

Rutschman and Henderson Back to Back Homers Finish Mariners Sweep

Orioles Star Bats Beat Bryan Woo

Runs have been a hot commodity for the Orioles this year, and this series was no exception.  However the Orioles have not been able to produce runs via small ball or the long ball.  At 3.84 runs per game, the Orioles are 25th in the league when it comes to scoring.

Facing a pitcher in Bryan Woo who ranks in the top 10 in WHIP (0.96) felt like an uphill climb.  Especially after winning 5 games in a row where the Orioles average a whopping 3.4 runs per game.

But once again it was the Orioles that were able to find timely hits. After going down 3-1 in the fifth inning, the Orioles top of the lineup came up.

Jackson Holliday worked the count full, and eventually walked to set up Adley Rutschman.

Rutschman’s Northwest Homecoming Party

Adley Rutschman has been struggling to start the year.  The Orioles star backstop is slashing .225 / .314 / .375 to start the year, well below his career numbers.

Headed into a series near his home of Portland, Oregon, Rutsch was riding a 5 for his last 56.  But sometimes home cooking is exactly what a player needs to get back on track.

Rutschman homered to drive in Holliday and knot the game up at 3 runs a piece.

But maybe more importantly Rutschman was able to go 6-12 during the series against the Mariners with 2 home runs, and 3 RBIs.  A sign of things to come?

Gunnar Henderson Goes Back to Back

The game wasn’t tied for long.  The Orioles star shortstop Gunnar Henderson followed Adley Rutschman’s moon ball to right field with one of his own to put the Orioles up 4-3.

The 4 runs managed to be enough for the Orioles to extend their streak.  But it would be nice to see the team start to pull away in some of these games, especially after they chase a starter as good as Woo.

Zach Eflin Wins After Quality Start, Moves to 5-2 on the Season

Zach Eflin, the Orioles expected ace at the beginning of the season, is still working his way back from an early season injury.  But this start showed how steady the veteran right hander can be as he delivered his second quality start in a row.

Since his return from a month long injury on 5/11, Eflin has gone 5+ innings in 5 straight starts.  And in his past two he’s been exceptional going 6+ and allowing 3 runs or less.

Eflin’s final line against the Mariners:

• 6 innings pitched

• 8 hits

• 3 earned runs

• 0 walks

• 7 strikeouts

Another great performance from the Orioles veteran right hander.

Cal Raleigh, AL Home Run Leader, Takes Zach Eflin Deep

Against the Mariners there’s definitely some pitches he wants back, but he managed to limit the damage to only one player, the AL home run leader Cal Raleigh who got all 3 RBIs on the day.

One came in the fifth inning with a man on when Cal Raleigh unloaded into an Eflin 1-0 pitch for his 24th home run of the year.

The switch hitting catcher also added the only other run on the board for the Mariners on the day with a third inning RBI single.

Cal Raleigh MVP Odds

Cal Raleigh is a name that most people wouldn’t have brought up in the same conversation as Aaron Judge and Gunnar Henderson to start the year, but after 24 bombs in early June, the league is on notice.

After Sunday’s game the switch hitting catcher is on pace for 63 home runs.  Keep an eye out for the Seattle Mariner superstar as the season goes on.

Baker, Kittredge & Akin Shut Door on Mariners

Baker Earns 2nd Save, Ks 2 Mariner Hitters

Bryan Baker has earned a different role in the Orioles bullpen.  The right handed flamethrower picked up his second save on the year, and the third of his career.  Striking out two hitters, and getting another fly out in a one run game is huge.

Even if it was the bottom of the Mariners lineup, the Orioles trust Bryan Baker in big spots.  And on days that Orioles closer Felix Bautista isn’t available, look for Baker to continue to shut the door.

Akin & Kittredge Runnerless Innings, 3 Ks Combined

The 7th and 8th inning belonged to Keegan Akin and Andrew Kittredge.  In a one run game both pitchers were extremely effective - the Mariners’ baserunners didn’t reach safely in either inning.

Akin who pitched for the first time in nearly a week showed no rust.  He worked through the Mariners 9-1-2 hitters with ease.  Getting pinch hitter Dylan Moore to strike out on three straight fastballs up and in, all swinging strikes.

J.P. Crawford, the 1 hitter, flew out on one pitch, and Jorge Polanco faced the same fate on 5 pitches.

Overall Akin was dominant.  Kittredge was equally as dominant.

Andrew Kittredge Strikes Out Julio Rodriguez, Randy Arozarena, While Cal Raleigh Flies Out

Andrew Kittredge is exactly what the Orioles wanted when they signed him in free agency this offseason - a dominant arm out of the bullpen.

Against the heart of the Mariners lineup in a one run game, he goes 1-2-3 by striking out Julio Rodriguez, flying out Cal Raleigh (24 homers), and striking out former Ray Randy Arozarena, he’s the real deal.

Orioles Take On Athletics in Sacramento

Dean Kremer - RHP - 5-5, 4.70 ERA v. TBD

Dean Kremer Looks to Build Off Great Month of May

Dean Kremer is looking to build off a great month of May, and a great start of June for the club.  

In May, Dean Kremer was excellent:

• 6 Starts

• 36.1 Innings Pitched

• 2.72 ERA

And now he gets a chance to face a ball club that has been struggling to say the least.  The Athletics are 2-20 in their last 22.  Kremer will look to give his team a chance to win.

Charlie Morton - RHP - 2-7, 6.20 ERA v. TBD

Charlie Morton is a player that has gained a ton of respect from the team at BirdlandFlock.  When Charlie Morton sucked, Charlie Morton was his biggest critic.

Now the dude is straight spinning the ball delivering quality starts in his past two starts.

Tomoyuki Sugano - RHP - 5-3, 3.04 ERA v. TBD

The Orioles Ace, Tomoyuki Sugano, will look to build on a season where he’s gone 5+ innings in his last 10 starts.

The Orioles best pitcher will get the last game of the series.