Good morning, Camden Chatters.
You know, maybe I’m just a pie-in-the-sky, hopelessly optimistic Orioles fan. But when the O’s began their eight-game homestand last week, I kind of thought they could win…I don’t know…two games?
Am I unreasonable? Was that too much ask?
Apparently so. The homestand is over and the carnage is complete. The Orioles went a whopping 1-7 in front of the Camden Yards crowd, completely destroying any good vibes they’d brought back to Baltimore from their previous road trip.
It was an utter disaster. When the Orioles hit, they couldn’t pitch, taking 10-7 and 9-8 losses against the Astros last week. When they pitched, they couldn’t hit, losing four in a row to the Red Sox while scoring a total of seven runs. And, in true 2025 Orioles fashion, they did dumb things throughout the homestand. It’s only fitting that the finale ended with a baserunning blunder, with Dylan Carlson — representing the tying run in the ninth — getting thrown out at third base on a grounder to the shortstop. Come on, guys. This is Little League stuff. Mark Brown recapped the disappointing contest, which completed Boston’s mop (four-game sweep) of the Orioles.
The Orioles will now distance themselves as far as possible from this horrific homestand by flying to the west coast. First up is a jaunt to San Francisco to battle for black-and-orange supremacy, and then the O’s will head to San Diego to reunite with Ryan O’Hearn and Ramón Laureano (and Manny Machado and Jose Iglesias and technically Nestor Cortes Jr., who pitched four games for the O’s in 2018). The Orioles are also taking a break from the American League for a while, starting a stretch of four straight series against NL opponents.
Based on their recent play, the Orioles look like a team that’s just exhausted, mentally as much as physically. It’s been a brutal season and they’ve got nothing to play for. It’s understandable — if frustrating — that they may not exactly be laser-focused. But the baseball schedule is unrelenting, and they need to do their best to pull themselves together for the final 28 games of the season. Hang tough, stay competitive, and try to steal some wins from some of baseball’s toughest teams. And please don’t get mopped again, OK?
Links
Orioles finish series vs. Red Sox, Garrett Crochet with whimper in 3-2 loss – The Baltimore Sun
One of the many frustrating things about yesterday’s game is that the Orioles actually had Garrett Crochet on the ropes a few times and couldn’t take advantage. I’d almost rather he had just thrown a shutout or something.
Jackson’s unexpected flourish as RH bat for Birds rolls on – MLB.com
There haven’t been many bright spots for the 2025 Orioles, but Jeremiah Jackson is one. I didn’t know he existed until about two months ago and now he’s the Birds’ hottest hitter.
The Orioles’ recently fired manager appeared on MLB Network yesterday and had mostly good things to say about the team. Sorry to those of you who were hoping for some drama.
Shawn Dubin faced the Orioles three times this season and gave up nine runs in four innings. Yup, I can totally see why the O’s were like, “We’ve gotta go get this guy!”
Were the Orioles too early in extending Basallo? | MAILBAG
Come on, people are complaining about the Samuel Basallo extension now? This is one of the few things the O’s front office has done right this year.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! And happy 75th birthday to Orioles Hall of Famer Doug DeCinces, who had the unenviable task of replacing Brooks Robinson as the Birds’ third baseman and passed with flying colors. It was DeCinces whose walkoff home run on June 22, 1979 is widely credited as the birth of Orioles Magic. Other former Orioles born on Aug. 29 include infielder Eddie Rogers (47) and the late catcher Frank Zupo (b. 1939, d. 2005), outfielder Dave Nicholson (b. 1939, d. 2023), and infielder Billy Cox (b. 1919, d. 1978).
On this day in 1979, the Orioles’ Eddie Murray single-handedly defeated the Twins, crushing three home runs and driving in all seven of his team’s runs in a 7-4 win. Eddie’s three-run homer in the fifth off Geoff Zahn gave the Orioles the lead, his two-run shot off Zahn in the seventh provided some insurance, and his ninth-inning two-run blast against Mike Marshall was the icing on the cake.
In 1999, Albert Belle tied an MLB record with four doubles in one game, leading the O’s to an 11-4 win in their final game at Tiger Stadium. His four doubles came against four different Detroit pitchers.
And on this date in 2021, the Orioles lost to the Rays, 12-8, completing a historically brutal season series in which the Rays won 18 of the 19 games. The Orioles’ lively offense that day was undone when starter Spenser Watkins and relievers Paul Fry and Conner Greene combined to give up 12 runs. The Rays’ 18-1 record against the Orioles tied the major league record for the best by any team against a single opponent in a season. It’s a mark that won’t soon be matched, now that MLB has changed the schedule so that division opponents play each other only 14 times instead of 19.
