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Happy Tuesday, Camden Chatters! The Orioles enjoyed a home off day yesterday and hopefully are well rested and ready to take on the first-place Mets, who arrive at Camden Yards today. When the Orioles and Mets met earlier this season, the Mets swept the two-game series. I think it’s time for some revenge on our home turf!
The Orioles are an abysmal 10-20 at home this year but have won their last two home series when they won two out of three against both Minnesota and Cleveland. If they can win even one game against the Mets, they’ll finish over .500 on the eight-game homestand. Luckily for the Orioles they will not have to face the best pitcher alive, Jacob deGrom. So maybe it won’t be so bad!
Links
Orioles have top pitching prospect in minors after Baseball America update | NBC Sports Washington
Yes, that's right! In the newest BA rankings, Grayson Rodriguez has been named the 11th best prospect in baseball and is the highest ranked pitcher. You love to see it.
Orioles rookie Ryan Mountcastle named American League Player of the Week - Baltimore Sun
How great is it that, when I heard that Mountcastle was named player of the week, I thought, "But how did he beat out Cedric Mullins?" That's how great both of those guys have been! Congrats to Ryan, who has come on strong after a slow start to the season.
Orioles reset: As Grayson Rodriguez and DL Hall headline star-studded Bowie rotation, 2019 group shows graduating can take time - Baltimore Sun
Jon Meoli tosses some cold water on those of us who are getting super excited about the Orioles' pitching prospects.
Birthdays and History
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have four Orioles birthday buddies. Born on this day in 1944 was defensive wizard Mark Belanger, named the ninth best Oriole by this here website. Belanger appeared in 17 seasons with the Orioles from 1965-1981 and racked up eight Gold Gloves with the team. His glove was good enough to overcome a career OPS+ of just 68, which would be unheard of in today’s game. Belanger passed away in 1998 from cancer.
It’s also the birthday of infielder Lenn Sakata (67), who saw action with the Orioles from 1980-85; Rule 5 extraordinaire T.J. McFarland (32); and the late George Brunet (b. 1935, d. 1991), whose 15-year MLB career included one partial season with the Orioles in 1963.
On this day in 1986, the Orioles beat the Yankees 18-9 in what was, at the time, the longest nine-inning game in MLB history. The game clocked in at 4 hours, 16 minutes. I don’t really like games that run that long over three hours, but I think I could stand it pretty well if it was because the Orioles were knocking the Yankees around for 18 runs.
That record was broken in 2006 in a game between the Yankees and Red Sox (shocking). That game clocked in at 4 hours, 45 minutes with the Yankees winning 14-11.