Wednesday Bird Droppings - One bad inning to doom them all

Tampa Bay Rays 5, Baltimore Orioles 4 - Fox Sports
Tim Beckham’s three-run homer capped a five-run inning and rookie Jake Faria pitched into the eighth inning, when Tampa Bay’s early five-run lead got down to one.

Orioles Buck Showalter's Trop takedown includes bullpen mounds, bathroom options, bladder problems | Tampa Bay Times
Then Buck Showalter went to one of his primary criticisms of the Rays homefield "advantage:" "Why do we not have a bathroom in our bullpen but they have one? I know who all has bladder problems on our bullpen because they're always walking by me to go to the bathroom (behind the dugout).''

Orioles notes: Shortstop J.J. Hardy to see hand specialist next week, hopes for mid-August return - Baltimore Sun
"Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy, who has been sidelined the past five weeks with a fractured bone in his right wrist, hopes to resume all baseball activities shortly with a focus on returning by mid-August."

Rangers, Orioles delusions will decide MLB trade market | New York Post
The Orioles and Rangers began Tuesday at 48-51. What they believe about their chances to surge to a wild card likely will dictate how star-studded the rest of this trade deadline season is – notably if Zach Britton and Yu Darvish get traded. Both teams were just 3 1/2 games out of the second wild card. It is a Siren song. So close. But there were four teams between both clubs and the second wild card. Plus, what is more relevant: 3 1/2 games or four months of 48-51?

These identical twins are highly regarded prospects in both of their organizations | MLB.com
Did you know O's farmhand Alex Wells has an identical twin, who pitches for a minor league affiliate of...the Twins? You can't make this up.

Birthdays and History

Happy Birthday to former Orioles Alex Burnett, Vidal Nuno, Pete Ward, Lou Jackson, Bill Miller, and Norm Siebern. They share today with famous people including author George Bernard Shaw 1856; psychologist Carl Jung 1875; author Aldous Huxley 1894; MLB and Orioles Hall of Fame pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm 1923; director Stanley Kubrick 1928; Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger 1943; ice skater Dorothy Hamill 1956; actor Kevin Spacey 1959; actress Sandra Bullock 1964; actor Jeremy Piven 1965; and actress Kate Beckinsale 1973.

On this day in Baltimore baseball history...

1970 - Boog Powell drives in six runs to lead the Orioles to an 11 - 1 win over the Twins. Boog hits a single and homer, both with the sacks full, and takes over the American League lead in ribbies with 86. Dave McNally loses his shutout on a homer by P Jim Perry.

1980 - Orioles ace Steve Stone tops Mike Caldwell and the Brewers, 4 - 1, for his 14th straight win.

On this day in world history...

1775 - A postal system was established by the 2nd Continental Congress of the United States. The first Postmaster General was Benjamin Franklin.

1788 - New York became the 11th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

1947 - U.S. President Truman signed The National Security Act. The act created the National Security Council, the Department of Defense, the Central Intelligence Agency and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

1948 - U.S. President Truman signed executive orders that prohibited discrimination in the U.S. armed forces and federal employment.

Consider this your discussion space for FINA World Swimming Championships: Day 4.