Friday Bird Droppings: Where the Orioles are leaving the East Coast

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

The Orioles tonight are venturing into uncharted territory — or at least, uncharted since the first week of September 2018. They’re leaving the Eastern Seaboard.

So far this year, all 26 of the Orioles’ games have been either in Baltimore or on the road against a fellow AL East club. The same was true of their final 22 games of the 2018 season. And all of their spring training games in between, of course, were in sunny Florida. You have to go back to Sept. 4, when the O’s finished a three-game series in Seattle, to find the last time they played baseball in another time zone.

This trip won’t take the Orioles too terribly far across the country, just a hop over to the Central Time Zone for three games apiece against the Twins and White Sox, two teams they just played in their last homestand. The O’s are in the midst of a 25-game stretch in which they face only four different clubs: the Twins, White Sox, Red Sox, and Rays, with two series against each.

Can the O’s build on their modest two-game win streak? They’ll need to adjust to some unfamiliar surroundings to do so.

Links

Because You Asked - Catching Fire - School of Roch
Roch Kubatko passes along information about all things Orioles, including the fact that Richard Bleier has apparently never had anything to drink in his life besides water, milk, and Powerade one time? What on earth?

Orioles using Bird, other scooters to navigate this season | SI.com
This story is delightful. What I wouldn’t give to be walking around Baltimore and see half a dozen Orioles players scooting along in a Flying V formation.

Showing off new changeup, Grayson Rodriguez is rolling at Delmarva - Steve Melewski
It’s rarely a bad thing when an already highly touted prospect decides to unveil a new pitch. The changeup is certainly working wonders for Grayson Rodriguez.

Chris Davis hitless streak: Why an Orioles fan got a tattoo honoring him - Yahoo Sports
A 59-year-old grandmother got a tattoo of Chris Davis’ number to support him through his historic struggles. She’s more of a badass than I’ll ever be.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have one lone, solitary Orioles birthday buddy, who appeared in just five games with the club: 1962 catcher Nate Smith. Mr. Smith turns 84 today.

On this day in 2015, the Orioles humiliated the Red Sox with an 18-7 pasting at Camden Yards. Four O’s batters had at least three hits, and four had at least three RBIs, including Chris Davis, who jacked a homer. The losing pitcher for the Red Sox was future Oriole Wade Miley.