Good morning Birdland,
The Orioles debut of their new City Connect jerseys on Friday night did not go great, ending in a 6-3 loss to the visiting San Francisco Giants. That scoreline is kind to the Orioles. They were down 6-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth and were only saved by a Gunnar Henderson two-run homer. Make no mistake, it was an ugly game.
The middle of the Orioles lineup is killing them. Pete Alonso and Samuel Basallo went a combined 0-for-6 with two strikeouts and two walks. They
both have a season OPS that starts with a “5”. It’s a problem without an easy solution. Basallo is young enough that you can move him down in the lineup for a while with little recourse. Alonso, on the other hand, is a proven veteran early into his tenure with the team. Craig Albernaz might need to take his temperature in order to determine the best approach. But something has to change.
At least Adley Rutschman had yet another impressive day at the plate. The catcher went 3-for-5 with two doubles. He is now batting .294 with an .856 OPS. Is he all the way back to his old self? It sure looks like it.
Shane Baz was…OK. Yet again, the starter made it through five innings, but he also allowed three runs on nine hits, two walks, and four strikeouts. He gave up a decent amount of hard contact too. His season ERA increased from 4.09 to 4.50. We are all waiting for the flamethrower to have a signature, dominant outing. It didn’t come on Friday night.
But that might have been alright if reliever Nick Raquet had been better in his Orioles debut. The 30-year-old allowed three runs on two hits, a walk, and a home run. Yennier Cano and Albert Suárez combined for three shutout innings in the other frames that the bullpen had to cover.
The O’s are back on national television tonight. This time it’s on Fox, a channel that everyone should be able to access. Maybe Chris Bassitt can finally have a major league-caliber outing in an Orioles uniform? They could use it. First pitch is 7:15.
Links
Frustrated by slow start to O’s career, Alonso vows to be better soon | MLB.com
While there is more than one hole in the Orioles offense, it does feel like Alonso is THE guy that they really need more from. The top of the order is getting on base at a fine rate. They need the guys in the middle to drive them in, and right now Alonso is not getting it done.
Beavers and Blaze getting their chances in Orioles lineup | Roch Kubatko
Albernaz has to find offense where he can get it. Right now that means playing Dylan Beavers, Blaze Alexander, and Leody Tavares when it makes sense.
Grading the glizzies: How each hot dog at Camden Yards measures up | The Baltimore Banner
Perhaps the most important article of the day. Ballpark food costs way too much for you to waste it on sub-par grub. The Banner is doing the hard work to keep you informed. Seriously!
O’s players react to new City Connect uniforms: ‘They rock’ | MLB.com
Although not universal, it does seem like most outlets think that the Orioles’ new City Connects are the best of the new bunch. I have to say that I like certain elements. My biggest grip is with the “BMORE” script. I would have preferred “Charm City,” and maybe a different font. I also think the bird perched on the “R” doesn’t really fit the rest of the outfit. But it’s a solid effort overall.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
- Alejandro De Aza turns 42 today. He was a late-season addition to the 2014 O’s, and stuck around for a bit in 2015 as well. In total he played in only 50 regular season games for Baltimore between the two seasons.
- Steve Scarsone is 60 years old. The infielder played in 11 games for the 1992 Orioles.
- The late Willie Royster (b. 1954, d. 2015) was born on this day. His only big league experience came on the 1981 O’s, playing in four games.
- A posthumous celebration for Art Quirk (b. 1937, d. 2014), who was born on this day. The southpaw tossed 27.1 innings for the Orioles in 1962.
This day in O’s history
1961 – The Los Angeles Angels play their first game in franchise history, which happens to be a 7-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
2002 – The Orioles set a pair of single-inning team records, scoring 12 runs and collecting 11 hits in the sixth inning of a 15-6 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
2023 – Ryan Mountcastle ties an Orioles team record with nine RBI in a 12-8 win against the Athletics. Mountcastle ties Jim Gentile (1961) and Eddie Murray (1985) with his performance.
