Saturday’s Bird Droppings: Where the Orioles got blown out again

Good morning, Birdland!

Well, that was pretty embarrassing. We get it, the Orioles major league-ready pitching depth is thin, but was that really the best foot they could put forward? Unfortunately, the answer is probably “yes.”

Luis Ortiz was sent back to Triple-A Norfolk immediately following the game. The 23-year-old looked like a guy that wasn’t ready for the big leagues. He walked five, struck out three and served up four runs on four hits and two home runs over 3.1 innings. He is still young enough that there is hope he can become a reliable member of the pitching staff down the road, but not today.

The lowlight of the night belonged to Dan Straily. The veteran hurler was brought in as stop-gap, innings-eater type of pitcher that would put up somewhat respectable numbers and keep the organization from needlessly calling up a player like Ortiz. Instead, he’s been one of the worst players on the one of the worst teams in the league. On Friday, he allowed seven runs on four home runs in just 1.1 innings of work. Even on a struggling club, he sticks out for his performance on the mound.

At least there’s always the next day. In the Orioles case, that means taking on a Cy Young candidate and the defending World Series champions. Yay!

Links

Trumbo unsure of return after latest setback - School of Roch
None of what is being said about Mark Trumbo sounds encouraging. Every day that goes by, the more if feels like he has already played in his final game as an Oriole. The 33-year-old has already put a rehab stint on hold, and now he is going to receive PRP injections as a sort of “Hail Mary” approach to the knee problem that ails him.

Hunter Harvey making first career relief appearance to control innings, try out new role - Baltimore Sun
I’m guilty of occasionally forgetting about Hunter Harvey. He was the team’s first round pick back in 2014, which feels like forever ago. But the fact remains that he is still a legitimate prospect. He may not end up as a rotation stalwart as once thought, but the possibility of him injecting some life into the major league bullpen is an intriguing one.

Don’t panic about the Orioles unsigned draft picks just yet - The Warehouse Podcast
The first wave of Orioles draftees have been signed, but most of the big names remain in negotiations. Mike Elias gave some PR-type answers about the talks, which don’t likely mean much. But the team still has about a month to get things done.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

I’m sorry to say that no former Orioles share your birthday. However, some other interesting people were born today, like soccer star Mo Salah (b. 1992), former major league pitcher Tim Lincecum (b. 1984), actor Neil Patrick Harris (b. 1973) and entertainer Ice Cube (b. 1969).

Not much has happened in Orioles history on June 15, according to Baseball Reference. So, here a few notable events that have taken place on this day away from Birdland:

1648 - Dr. Jean-Baptiste Denys performs the first human blood transfusion. The 15-year-old boy who was administered the transfusion survived the procedure.

1752 - Benjamin Franklin is said to have conducted his famous kite experiment and prove that lightning is electricity on this day.

1776 - Delaware officially votes to separate itself from the British Crown and Pennsylvania.

1836 - Arkansas becomes the 25th U.S. state.

1921 - Bessie Coleman becomes the first female African-American pilot when she earn’s her pilot’s license.

2012 - Nik Wallenda becomes the first person to successfully tightrope walk over Niagara Falls.