Happy Monday, Camden Chatters. It wasn’t a great weekend to be an Orioles fan, I have to say. The Orioles lost two out of three to the Braves in what felt like it could have been a series sweep (either way, honestly). Every game was exciting, I’ll give them that. But ultimately it was just a whole lot of frustration.
Two of the games went into extra innings, and the lone win was a walk-off after they blew the lead in the eighth inning. Yesterday, the Orioles fell behind 2-0, then scored one run in each
of the 8th and 9th innings to send the game to extras. But they were unable to score a single run in the 10th after loading the bases with no outs. Gunnar Henderson hit the ball hard, but it just happened to go right to Matt Olson at first base. Olson was able to double up Pete Alonso at first. The O’s did a lot of things wrong this weekend, but in my mind that wasn’t one of them. It just really stunk.
After the 10th inning failure, the Orioles fell behind 3-2 in the 11th. They had two runners on in the bottom of the inning, but when Jackson Holliday came to the plate, they walked him to get to Sam Huff. Huff, shockingly, did not come through. I clipped a link about the team’s options at catcher below, but suffice it to say the current situation is untenable. Either Huff or Chadwick Tromp has to go for a better option. Bring up Creed Willems, at the very least. Maybe he’ll be terrible, but maybe he won’t. Those other guys will definitely be terrible.
In better baseball news, yesterday we watched the classic film A League of Their Own. It was the first time my nine-year-old daughter had seen it. She seemed to enjoy the baseball parts but was a little bored by the non-baseball parts. That’s ok, she’ll learn. A League of Their Own is my favorite baseball movie, but is it the best baseball movie? Maybe, maybe not. But I can say for certain that any conversation about the best baseball movie that doesn’t mention it is illegitimate.
So what is your favorite baseball movie?
Links
After growing up in Mississippi, draft picks Eric Booth Jr. and Kevin Roberts Jr. stay together with Orioles – The Baltimore Banner
Well this is an adorable story.
Alonso takes the blame as Orioles lose another 1-run game, 3-2 to Braves in 11 – Baltimore Baseball
Pete Alonso got doubled off in the 10th inning. Maybe he takes the blame, but I don’t think he needs to. It seemed like a freak result.
Orioles promote prospects Wehiwa Aloy and Luis De León – Baltimore Sun
Aloy is headed to Double-A and De León to Triple-A. Congrats, guys! It makes me sad to think that Ike Irish was probably headed to Double-A as well if he hadn’t gotten hurt.
Assessing Baltimore’s catching options with Rutschman, Basallo sidelined – MLB.com
What is going on right now as far as catchers cannot stand. No offense to these guys but no. It’s terrible.
Birthdays and History
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have four Orioles birthday buddies, including Rich Dauer (b. 1952, d. 2025). Dauer had a 10-year MLB career, all with the Orioles. He was a first-round draft pick in 1974 and played 1140 games from 1976-85.
Also born on this day in history are Floyd Rayford (69), Preston Guilmet (39), and Ryan Flaherty (40). Ryan Flaherty is 40? We are all getting so old.
On this day in 1959, the Orioles beat the Tigers 5-2 and Gene Woodling knocked in all five runs, including with a grand slam. The day before, Woodling drove in all four runs in a 4-0 victory over Chicago. Pretty good few days for ol’ Gene!
In 1969, the Orioles beat the White Sox 17-0. Frank Robinson hit two home runs. Boog Powell and Jim Hardin also homered. Don Buford, Paul Blair, and Davey Johnson had three hits apiece. Hardin, the starting pitcher, had a complete-game two-hit shutout.
In 1996, the Orioles defeated Cleveland 14-2 at Camden Yards. Rafael Palmeiro hit a grand slam off Orel Hershiser. Bobby Bonilla and Mike Devereaux also homered. B.J. Surhoff had three hits and three RBI. David Wells started and pitched 7.2 innings. The win brought the Orioles to .500 at 51-51.
In 2020, a bunch of COVID-related shenanigans broke out. The Marlins were playing in Philadelphia when several of their players tested positive for COVID. Instead of traveling home to Miami to play the Orioles, they had to quarantine in Philly. Those games were postponed. The Orioles flew home from Miami, and by the next day basically the entire Marlins team had COVID. The Yankees were supposed to go to Philadelphia, but that got scrapped as well. Since neither the Orioles nor the Yankees had anything to do, the Yankees decided to come to Baltimore to play instead. 2020 was so weird. O
And on this day last year, the Orioles beat the Rockies 5-1. Tomoyuki Sugano allowed one run in six innings. He struck out eight. Tyler O’Neill homered and Dylan Carlson knocked in two runs.
