Good morning Birdland,
The World Baseball Classic has been underway for a few days now, but Friday was the busiest slate so far. Eight games took place, including the opener for Team USA. They beat Brazil 15-5, although that scoreline is not reflective of just how close Brazil kept things for most of the evening. It was an 8-5 game going into the ninth inning, and that is where the US pulled away as Brazil was on its eighth and ninth pitchers of the contest.
But Brazil had more feel good stories than
the US, for whatever that is worth. Lucas Ramirez, the 20-year-old son of Manny Ramirez, launched two home runs as Brazil’s lead-off hitter. Joseph Contreras tossed 1.1 innings for Brazil, which included getting Aaron Judge to hit into a double play. Contreras is just 17 years old, can touch 100 mph, and is in the middle of his senior year at a Georgia high school. Amazing stuff.
Team USA walked 17 times in the game while striking out only twice. Brice Turang led the team with three hits, two doubles, and four RBI out of the nine hole in the order. Judge also had a two-run homer and scored three times. Alex Bregman walked four times. Roman Anthony and Kyle Schwarber had two hits apiece.
There was no Gunnar Henderson in this one. He seems to be the backup at both shortstop and third base for Team USA. One would imagine he will get a start at some point, at least in group play, but who knows. If manager Mark DeRosa prefers his speed and left-handed bat coming off the bench, then that is the role he will handle. Hopefully it doesn’t have a negative impact on Henderson’s ability to ramp up to the regular season with the Orioles.
There are eight more games on the docket for today. As of this writing, South Korea and Japan are already underway in Tokyo. Team USA will take on Great Britain tonight at 8 p.m. on FOX.
The Orioles also played a game on Friday. It did not go as well, particularly for Albert Suárez (L, 2.2 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 HR). They lost 10-2 to the Cardinals. But there were positives. Chris Bassitt gave up just one run and struck out two over three innings. Yennier Cano had another shutout inning. Ryan Mountcastle was 3-for-3. And although he did not hit a home run, Vance Honeycutt remained perfect this spring with a single in his lone at-bat.
The O’s will play two games today. It’s a split squad special. They will host the Twins in Sarasota, and they will head to Venice for a matchup with the Braves. Both games start at 1:05. MASN and local radio coverage will broadcast the game in Sarasota, but it looks like the Braves networks will cover the other game, so MLB TV subscribers should be able to watch/listen to that as well.
Links
Because You Asked – Another Simple Favor | Roch Kubatko
Lots of bullpen questions in this one, and for good reason. Outside of Ryan Helsley, little is settled in the team’s relief corps. Andrew Kittredge dealing with shoulder inflammation doesn’t help. It seems inevitable that they sign…someone by Opening Day. But it’s common for Mike Elias to wait on that. He probably wants to see a little bit more from the guys in camp before adding a known commodity like a veteran reliever.
Polar Bear Q&A: Alonso on 1st half of camp, leadership, World Series aspirations, more | Orioles.com
Pete Alonso has very quickly become the face of the Orioles franchise. He’s not their absolute best player, obviously, but he does seem the most comfortable with being the guy to talk to the media and guide the culture of the team. That’s something they needed. Hopefully it comes with a bunch of homers this season.
Remember what the Orioles’ stars told Craig Albernaz in the fall? Their explanations speak volumes. | The Baltimore Banner
It sounds like everyone is on board with Albernaz’s philosophy of getting back to basics, playing “winning” baseball, and putting your best foot forward at all times. That sounds simple, and like something you would have hoped they were doing anyway. But the reality is that losing and injuries can breed bad habits. A perspective shift should help.
Orioles’ starting pitching appears to be a strength: ‘I think we’re very underrated’ | Baltimore Baseball
If the unit needs to view themselves as underdogs, I am all about it. I would agree that there is more upside in this group than the broader public is acknowledging. But there is also a lot of risk.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
- Nick Ciuffo turns 31 today. He spent two games as an Orioles catcher in 2021.
- Joe Carter is 66 years old. A team legend with the Blue Jays, Carter’s time with the Orioles was less remarkable. He played half of the 1998 season in Baltimore.
This day in O’s history
1999 – It is announced that the Orioles will travel to Havana, Cuba for a March 28 exhibition game against the Cuban national team. It is the first time in 40 years that a team from the United States will play a professional game in Cuba.
