Happy Monday, Camden Chatters! I hope that, despite the poor play of the Orioles, you were able to have a nice weekend. I went to the game on Saturday, and the weather was just great. It was hot in the sun, but for a 4 p.m. game much of the stadium was in shade. That’s about the only good thing I have to say about that game. Well, it was nice to see Pete Alonso hit a home run and have an all-around good day.
Yesterday’s game was another drag. The Orioles had so many chances at the plate but couldn’t
capitalize. Trevor Rogers looked good, which is refreshing. It was a shame to see Rico Garcia have another bad outing, but I try to be rational about that one. He was never going to get through the season with a 0.68 ERA. Through his first 24 games, Garcia gave up just two runs. That is not sustainable. He has not allowed runs in three of his last four games. I’m ready for his regression to be over. If you want to read all the ugly details of yesterday’s 9-3 loss, check out Tyler Young’s game recap.
Since their impressive 7-3 homestand, the Orioles have gone 6-7. They won one series, split one, and lost two. It’s been frustrating, but not terrible. Even so, if you feel like you’re ready for a little vacation from the Orioles, this is your week. They are off today and kick off a nine-game West Coast road trip on Tuesday in Seattle. From Seattle, they head to Los Angeles to play the Dodgers and Angels. I don’t have to tell you that this is going to be a very tough trip. They will face two first-place teams, one of which is the best team in baseball. And baseball on the West Coast is always a tough task.
Of the nine games being played, three start at 4 p.m. Eastern time. The rest begin around 10 p.m. This is a good chance to decompress from the team. Or, you can stay up way too late. Then if they lose, you can be mad at both them and yourself as you struggle to get to work the next day. I might be speaking from experience.
Links
After a decade with the Mets, Alonso is embracing his new home – MASN Sports
I really enjoy Pete Alonso as a person. And I enjoy it when people say nice things about Maryland, so this is a good story.
Weekend series loss: O’s Sunday notes after losing the series finale to San Diego – Steve on Baseball
Steve Melewski wraps up the disappointing homestand after a disappointing weekend series
Despite strong start by Rogers, Orioles end disappointing homestand with 5-2 loss to Padres – Baltimore Baseball
Rich Dubroff has yesterday’s game story with team quotes.
Birthdays and History
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! I’m sorry to say that you have no Orioles birthday buddies. Not a single Oriole was ever born on June 15th. There are two Hall of Famers born on this day in history, however. Wade Boggs (68) and Billy Williams (88) are celebrating today, so happy birthday to them.
On this day in 1997, the Orioles completed a sweep of the Atlanta Braves in Atlanta. The game went into extra innings tied at 3-3, when Lenny Webster hit a game-winning two-run homer. The Braves and Orioles came into the series with 42 wins each, tied for the most in baseball. The Orioles left with a 45-19 record, 8.5 games better than the next team in the American League. 1997 was fun.
In 1999, Will Clark got his 2000th hit as a member of the Orioles. It came in the 10th inning of a 2-2 tie with the Royals. Three batters later, Charles Johnson hit a walk-off single. Clark ended his career with 2,176 hits, 153 of which came with the Orioles.
In 2013, the Orioles lost to the Red Sox, 4-3, on a gorgeous Saturday in Baltimore. It was the only game of the four-game series that the Red Sox won. I don’t recall anything about that game except that I checked the score one time during my wedding reception. I do remember the wonderful weather. Happy anniversary, Paul!
And one year ago today, the Orioles beat the Angels, 11-2. Scott Blewett was the opener ahead of Cade Povich and allowed both Angels runs. He blew it. Jordan Westburg and Ramón Urías hit two-run homers. Gary Sánchez had a grand slam. Ramón Laureano and Coby Mayo also had RBI hits.
