Hello, friends.
Here’s my hot take: It’s more fun when the Orioles win than when they lose. Yesterday, as they stopped themselves from getting swept by the White Sox with a 6-1 victory, we saw a glimpse of what this team could be if enough of its pieces regularly came together. Dean Kremer returned from the injured list and pitched great, Tyler O’Neill hit a homer and made a good play on defense, and the bullpen didn’t spoil it. Check out my recap of the game for more of the lovely totals.
A challenge
that’s been in front of the Orioles all year is the need to stack together some wins. They have rather infuriatingly not been able to do it yet. Each time they fail to do so, the next opportunity becomes that much more urgent. The Wednesday win puts them at 40-48, 4.5 games out of the wild card but with five teams to pass. The math gets tough in a hurry if they don’t start fixing some of their problems, especially considering the inflection point of the trade deadline (August 3) being much closer than the end of the season.
They won’t have a chance to do that today since they’re off today. Waiting for them next are the Cincinnati Reds, a team that was strong through the end of April but stunk it up in May and June. Although they have a better record than the Orioles, Cincinnati is farther out of the postseason picture in the NL than the O’s are in the AL. That’s the way it goes. The Orioles could play well against the Reds or they could have another one of these sleepwalk series. They are capable of good things! That’s what makes the bad ones showing up so often such a source of frustration.
In less major league-focused news, MLB announced the rosters for the 2026 edition of the Futures Game on Wednesday. The game will be played at noon on July 12 in Philadelphia. I think it’s kind of a shame they don’t even give these players prime time billing, but that’s a whole separate thing. Most teams have two players who made one of the rosters. That’s true of the Orioles as well. Two of their 2025 high draft picks are going to be on the roster: outfielder/first baseman Ike Irish, and pitcher Joseph Dzierwa.
Irish recently cracked MLB Pipeline’s updated top 100 list, checking in at #84. He’s doing well for himself in High-A Frederick, hitting .266/.388/.467 so far this season. Dzierwa may not be on any top lists yet but he’s getting more hype within Birdland for his results in Frederick and then with Chesapeake. The 22-year-old righty has a 0.917 WHIP between High-A and Double-A, with 96 strikeouts in 76.1 innings. His results did not drop off after being promoted. It’s exciting. These guys being recognized is nice for them. Hopefully they get to make the most of the chance to make some good memories.
A year ago, the Orioles had outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. and pitcher Keagan Gillies as their representatives in the game. I think that’s a step up in prospect quality this year, for whatever that ends up being worth.
Orioles stuff you might have missed
Ryan Helsley experiences elbow discomfort warming up in Orioles win (The Baltimore Banner)
Yesterday’s win did not come without a cost. Helsley didn’t even make it out from the bullpen warmup before hurting too much to enter the game. He was already on the IL with elbow inflammation this year. Hopefully the next bit of news isn’t “the big one.”
Recapping the series of roster moves before Wednesday’s game (School of Roch)
A flurry of roster activity was involved in activating Kremer to make the start, plus adding a fresher reliver in Cameron Weston. More may be coming if Helsley’s situation turns into “put him on the IL right away.”
Creed Willems is forcing an interesting conversation (Orioles on the Verge)
What do you do with a guy OPSing .798 at Norfolk who’s seemingly blocked at any position the Orioles might have him play?
Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries
Today in 2013, the Orioles traded Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop to the Cubs for Scott Feldman. This did not turn out to be a good idea.
There are a pair of former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2018-19 reliever Pedro Araújo, and 1963 pitcher Pete Burnside.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: author Hermann Hesse (1877), Baltimore native Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall (1908), Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas (1932), stock car racer Richard Petty (1937), musician Michelle Branch (1983), and gold medal judoka Kayla Harrison (1990).
On this day in history…
In 1644, the English Civil War saw its largest battle as an allied force of Parliamenterians and Scottish Covenanters fought Royalists in the Battle of Marston Moor. The battle, waged by over 40,000 men across both sides, was a victory for the Parliamenterian side in part thanks to an Oliver Cromwell-led cavalry charge. The Royalist defeat limited their ability to gather further strength from a generally sympathetic north of England.
In 1776, the Second Continental Congress approved the Lee Resolution, which proclaimed all ties with Great Britain to be severed by an independent United States. More well-known today is July 4, since this is when the Declaration of Independence’s text was approved by the Congress.
In 1863, Colonel Joshua Chamberlain and his 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry repulsed the Confederate attackers at Little Round Top in Gettysburg with a downhill bayonet charge. This was only one pillar of the Union’s defense in the three-day battle.
In 1937, Amelia Earhart made her last radio contact, after which she disappeared while attempting to make an around-the-world flight across the equator.
**
And that’s the way it is in Birdland on July 2. Have a safe Actual Independence Day.
