Happy Monday, Camden Chatters! I hope you enjoyed the weekend, and if you’re one of those who is off today for the federal holiday, I hope you have a relaxing day.
We’re still many months from the next Orioles game, but the League Championship Series has begun. Last night, the Brewers and Dodgers kicked off the NLCS in Milwaukee with two aces on the mound. Tarik Skubal started for the Dodgers and lasted five innings with two runs allowed. Jacob Misiorowski struggled a bit and was knocked out after
4.1 innings. But the Brewers took a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning and held on . The Brewers had the chance to score more in the eighth inning but left the bases loaded. Luckily, it didn’t come back to haunt them. The Brewers now have one more win in the 2026 NLCS than they did in the 2025 NLCS.
There are two games today as the Rays host the Guardians in the ALCS. This is an acceptable final two in the American League. I don’t especially like the Rays, but I can get behind any team that has never won the whole thing. I can also get behind a team that hasn’t won since before my parents were born, if the Guardians are to prevail.
I’ll be honest, though, I don’t think the Guardians have much of a chance. The Rays are heads and shoulders better than the Guardians. I don’t want to give any credit to the Yankees or Red Sox, but whatever team came out of that branch of the WC/ALDS games was going to be better than whoever prevailed among the Astros/White Sox/Guardians.
Links
Did The Orioles Extend The Right Pitchers? – MLB Trade Rumors
Charlie Wright of MLBTR looks at the performances of Shane Baz and Kyle Bradish and suggests the Orioles should have extended Trevor Rogers instead. I mean, ok. But how easy would that have been?
When O’s farm IF DJ Layton takes the field, he is playing for his family name – Steve on Baseball
Steve Melewski interviewed minor leaguer DJ Layton, whose grandfather was a Negro Leagues Hall of Famer.
Janet Marie Smith selected as 2026 SABR Dorothy Seymour Mills Lifetime Achievement Award winner – SABR.org
Congrats to Ms. Smith, whose work on Camden Yards changed how baseball parks were designed going forward.
Major decisions face Orioles in upcoming weeks – Baltimore Baseball
Rich Dubroff looks ahead to what could be a busy November before the December lockout.
Dipping in for another dozen mailbag questions – MASN Sports
You’ve got questions; Roch Kubatko has answers.
Birthdays and History
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have six Orioles birthday buddies, including Nolan Reimold (43). Reimold was drafted in the second round of the 2005 draft and went on to play 451 games for the Orioles over seven seasons. Reimold always had promise, but injuries kept his career from ever getting going. He had a promising rookie year in 2009 with a 2.4 bWAR in 104 games. Unfortunately, 104 games is the most he ever played in a season. Reimold had neck, back, Achilles, and oblique injuries. Probably other injuries as well. He played his final Major League game in 2016.
Also born on this day are former Orioles Francisco Peña (37), Paul Janish (44), Leslie Brea (53), Sid Fernandez (64), and Ray Murray (b. 1917, d. 2003). None of these players had a long tenure with the Orioles, with games played ranging from 8 to 42 games. The 42-gamer was Janish, who is also the reason we have Camden Chatter BubbaFan here with us to this day. Thanks, Paul!
The Orioles have played seven postseason games on this day in history and won just two. The two wins came in 1979 and 1983.
In 1979, the Orioles defeated the Pirates 8-4 to take a 2-1 lead in the World Series. Scott McGregor pitched a complete game to get the win. Kiko Garcia had a four-hit day and drove in four runs. Benny Ayala hit a two-run homer.
In 1983, the Orioles evened the World Series at one game apiece with a 4-1 victory over the Phillies. Mike Boddicker allowed just three hits in a complete game. He also knocked in a run on a sac fly. John Lowenstein had three hits, including a home run.
On this date in 1969, 1971, 1996, 1997, and 2012, the Orioles lost to the Mets, Pirates, Yankees, Indians, and Yankees (again).
