Good Morning Birdland,
Are the two LCS matchups already over? The Dodgers beat the Brewers 2-1 on Tuesday night to take a 2-0 lead in the series, which nows heads to Los Angeles. The same thing is brewing
in the ALCS, where the Mariners are up 2-0 and about to play their first home game of the set tonight.
If it seems odd to you that both road teams took 2-0 leads in the LCS, then you would be right! According to Sarah Langs, this is only the second time it has ever happened. The other year was 1970, when the Orioles beat the Twins, and the Reds beat the Pirates in what was then a best-of-five sets. Both of those series were sweeps.
Add that to the history that is in the favor of a Dodgers/Mariners World Series:
- 78 of 93 teams in a best-of-seven format that have gone up 2-0 have gone on to win the series.
- 26 of 30 teams to go up 2-0 in a best-of-seven and won both on the road have won the series.
- 14 of 15 teams in either the ALCS or NLCS who were up 2-0 winning both on the road have gone on to win and the one team that didn’t came during the 2020 NLCS played at a neutral site.
As is evident in those numbers, this is not a fait accompli. Teams have gone up 2-0 in the same fashion as these teams and ended up losing the series. It is entirely possible that these squads join them, and given the Mariners history of postseason disappointment you can bet their fanbase is almost assured of it.
That’s why they play the games after all. We have just one on the docket for this evening, an 8:08 first pitch between the Jays and the M’s. The game can be found on FS1.
Links
Getting another scout’s take on Orioles | Roch Kubatko
Not the most insightful quotes here. I do agree on Ryan Mountcastle. It’s time for a change of scenary, both because the Orioles seemingly have heirs at first base, but also because he is going to get a raise in arbitration, and I’m not sure that makes sense for a team that is probably going to platoon him.
Alex Bregman Will Opt Out Of Red Sox Contract | MLB Trade Rumors
This is not a surprise, and it’s also not necessarily Orioles related. But some have made a connection between the two. All I know is that the O’s need to add a legitimate veteran bat this season, and they need outfield help. Bregman would not solve that second part, but perhaps he could push someone like Jordan Westburg to a corner outfield spot? Maybe that’s too many moving pieces and someone like Cody Bellinger makes more sense. The chances of the Orioles actually signing anyone with that sort of name recognition feels remote.
Giants speak with former Orioles skipper Brandon Hyde about open manager position | The Athletic
I hope that Hyde does get another chance to manage. He grew up near San Francisco, so it would be a homecoming for him. That feels like a job with some significant pressure going into 2026. They have a lot of veterans that make a lot of money, and they have now missed the playoffs four straight seasons. Whoever takes over will need to win right away.
Orioles don’t want to get caught short on starters again | Baltimore Baseball
Although injuries did crop up for the Orioles pitchers, the team cannot blame them nearly as much. They knew Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells were going to miss most of the season. They knew that Grayson Rodriguez was a question mark after the way his 2024 season ended. Trevor Rogers had his knee issue, but was he going to be on the major league roster out of spring? Mike Elias thought they could limp through as a .500 team until the trade deadline, and he was wrong. Hopefully he is more aggressive this time around.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
- Jack Flaherty turns 30 today. The righty joined the Orioles at the 2023 trade deadline, and went on to compule a 6.75 ERA over nine appearances. He signed elsewhere the following offseason.
- Cody Carroll is 33 years old. He was one of the three pitchers acquired from the Yankees in exchange for Zack Britton. Caroll would end up pitching in just 18 games for the Orioles, split between 2018 and ‘20.
- Chad Mottola celebrates his 54h birthday. The outfielder played in six games for the Birds in ‘04.
- Glenn Gulliver is 71 today. His only MLB experience came with the Orioles as he was a backup third baseman on the team between 1982 and ‘83
- Jim Palmer turns 80. The greatest pitcher in Orioles history may also be the most beloved. The Hall of Fame righty has spent basically his entire adulthood with the organization. His playing career spanned from 1965 through ‘84. He is the only pitcher to win a World Series game in three different decades. He became the youngest player to pitch a complete game shutout in the World Series. And he is one of the few accomplished hurlers to have never allowed a grand slam in an MLB game. Outside of his playing career, Palmer became an accomplished broadcaster, starting even before he retired from the game. He has called games nationally for ABC and ESPN, and locally for WMAR, HTS, and now MASN. His time in the booth has been reduced recently, which makes sense for someone that is now in their 80s, but hopefully Cakes can remain involved with the Orioles for as long as possible.
This day in O’s history
1970 – The Orioles make another comeback, recovering from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Reds 9-3 and win the World Series in five games. Brooks Robinson is named World Series MVP.
1997 – Despite eight shutout innings from Mike Mussina, Baltimore falls 1-0 to Cleveland. The O’s leave 14 runners stranded against five different pitchers. The win gives Cleveland their second AL pennant in three years.
2014 – The O’s are dismantled in four games by the Kansas City Royals, finished off with a 2-1 loss in Game 4 of the ALCS here.
