Thursday Bird Droppings: Where the Orioles finally won a game

Hello, friends.

Another day has dawned with the Orioles in last place in the American League East. Though the Orioles finally won a game last night, they continue to have the worst record in MLB with a 9-27 mark. They are now on pace to win 41 games, if you round up. The Orioles trail the first place Yankees by 17 games and the fourth place Rays by eight games.

The 1988 Orioles lost their 36th game, a 7-4 defeat at the hands of the Athletics, with future no-hitter contributor Mark Williamson taking the loss for the Orioles and future Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley getting the save for the Athletics. This left the ‘88 squad with a 5-31 record. They did not win their ninth game until they were 9-34.

As for last night’s game, the Orioles finally combined good enough starting pitching with some clutch hitting from the pricy sluggers to pull off a 5-3 victory over the Royals. If you missed seeing the O’s back in the win column, make sure to check out Tyler Young’s recap of the game. I had not been in the country for an O’s win since April 20, so it was nice to see.

Can the Orioles finally hit double-digit wins tonight in the 37th game of the season? It’s nice to dream, but you should keep in mind that Chris Tillman is pitching the game and adjust your expectations accordingly. He has pitched poorly enough that you have to wonder, with each given start, if it goes badly enough, could it be his last? I will be there watching him tonight. At least the weather will be nice.

Around the blogO’sphere

Chris Davis finding home run stroke as Orioles are reminded of power potential (Baltimore Sun)
Two home runs in two games for Davis, and both off lefties. I do not look to hope, for it has forsaken these lands, but perhaps that will end up meaning a little something.

Darren O’Day to DL, Tanner Scott recalled (Orioles.com)
If you missed the news last night, O’Day has a hyperextended right elbow. The Orioles currently claim he will miss the minimum 10 days - the trip is backdated to May 6.

Dylan Bundy said he’s healthy, but then what’s going on with his command? (Baltimore Baseball)
Unpleasant questions will linger about Bundy until he has t least one good start again, and possibly more than one.

Showalter on handling rough start, Santander’s future, pitching Wright and Araujo (Baltimore Sun)
I respect Buck’s commitment to not tipping that the Orioles will option Anthony Santander to the minors as soon as they’re allowed to on May 12. As for the rest, it sounds like he’s getting tired of Mike Wright. I, too, am tired of Wright.

Araujo learning hard lessons in majors (School of Roch)
It’s discouraging seeing Pedro Araujo blow some games, but it’s not his fault that the Orioles are crazy enough to draft a guy out of High-A and then have him pitching key innings.

Birthdays and anniversaries

In 2012, the Orioles were the first time in AL history to lead off a game with back-to-back-to-back homers. Ryan Flaherty, J.J. Hardy, and Nick Markakis all homered - Hardy had previously been a part of that feat with the Brewers in 2007. The Orioles ended up winning the game, 6-5.

One lone former Oriole has a birthday today: 2008-10 reliever Kam Mickolio.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Your birthday buddies for today include: Pacific coast explorer Robert Gray (1755), actor Fred Astaire (1899), Sex Pistols vocalist Sid Vicious (1957), U2 singer-songwriter Bono (1960), science fiction author John Scalzi (1969), funny man Kenan Thompson (1978), and five-time gold medal swimmer Missy Franklin (1995).

On this day in history...

In 1773, Great Britain’s Parliament passed the Tea Act, which gave a monopoly on tea trade to North America to the British East India Company. Some colonists were upset by this.

In 1801, the First Barbary War began when the Barbary pirates of Tripoli declared war on the United States. At the time, it was the only Barbary War, of course.

In 1869, the golden spike was hammered in at Promontory Summit in Utah, linking the eastern and western United States with the Transcontinental Railroad.

In 1916, Ernest Shackleton and several companions, who had been stranded on Antarctica, arrived on a life boat after a journey of 800 miles to South Georgia, where they found a whaling post and arranged rescue for the stranded crew still on Antarctica.

In 1940, Germany initiated “Fall Gelb” (Case Yellow), its invasion of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg through the Ardennes Forest, and later, France. Elsewhere, in the UK, Neville Chamberlain was replaced as Prime Minister by Winston Churchill.

In 1969, American and Vietnamese forces began to attack a hill known as Hill 937. It took ten days to capture the hill at a cost of 103 killed - leading to an alternate nickname, Hamburger Hill. Two weeks after capturing the hill, the forces abandoned the position.

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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on May 10 - or at least, until something happens later when the Orioles play the Royals, although since Chris Tillman is pitching, no one can promise that what happens will be any good.