Thursday Bird Droppings: Another Orioles 14 game losing streak (and counting)

Hello, friends.

The 2021 Orioles are proving to be history-makers once again. After last night’s latest loss, the team has now lost 14 games in a row for the second time this season. This feat of failure was last accomplished in 1935 by the Boston Braves. It’s not good to get a “(bad thing) that hasn’t been done since ____” and the year that’s named is 86 years ago! You’ve been really bad! That’s the 2021 O’s. Check out Tyler’s recap of the game for the not-so-lovely totals.

Baltimore Positive’s Luke Jones noted after the latest loss that you could take away every loss in both of those 14-game streaks and the Orioles would still be below .500 for the year. They have now lost 81 games, so a better-than-.500 finish is already impossible in mid-August, and with their next loss they’ll seal another losing season. It’s... well, you know. It’s not very fun to be a fan while all of this is happening. There are not many original ways left to express this reality.

We are left, once again, trying to cling to the hope of a better future that won’t end up being too far off. The farm is where the action is. To that end, what passes for exciting is that MLB Pipeline updated its top 100 prospects list last night. There are five Orioles on the list, same as before. 2020 top pick Heston Kjerstad has dropped off due to the uncertainty surrounding his health. 2021 top pick Colton Cowser debuts at #83. He’s the eighth-highest-ranked player from this draft class, trailing the four players drafted ahead of him and three others.

Even as this updated ranking offers hope to Orioles fans, with Adley Rutschman at #1 and Grayson Rodriguez at #8, it offers caution too. The top two Red Sox are at #9 and #18. The top two Yankees are at #15 and #17. The top two Rays are at #20 and #22. The Jays have no one in the top 30 but still have three prospects in the top 50. The O’s currently successful rivals have not totally emptied their farms out to compete. When the Orioles are hopefully good again, these guys are going to have top prospects hitting the bigs, also.

The Orioles need to somehow pull off a win in the series finale this afternoon in order to avoid being swept, and also in order to avoid the franchise’s longest losing streak since the 0-21 beginning to the 1988 season. Oh, yeah. That’s who’s up next on the list. I would like to think that these Orioles have it in them to fluke their way into winning one of these next eight games and not end up doing worse than those guys. But I’ve watched a lot of the 2021 Orioles and I know they absolutely could.

With their 38-81 record, the O’s are now on pace for a 52-110 finish. Currently mired in this losing streak, it feels generous to assume that the team will win another 14 games from here on out. For those out there who at this point can only take comfort in the draft pick, the Orioles are indeed lined up for next year’s #1.

It’s a 1:10 start time, so be ready to tune in early or be ready to accept gentle mockery if you admit to tuning in late. Jorge López is set to pitch for the O’s, with Baltimore-born rookie Shane McClanahan pitching for Tampa.

Around the blogO’sphere

Every team’s 2022 spring training schedule (MLB)
Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to Sarasota by February 15, 2022, with the first exhibition game taking place on February 26. Start those countdown clocks now.

Cedric Mullins talks hitting (Fangraphs)
I am always happy to share with you any time that a national baseball media outlet takes notice of the Orioles to do something other than take a dump on them.

The Baltimore Orioles are in the waiting room (Defector)
...but also the Orioles do deserve articles that take a dump on them sometimes. And this one was nice enough to link to a Camden Chat article to support one of its points.

Colton Cowser’s college coach seems top Orioles pick as future star (Press Box)
Any given player’s college coach is not exactly the least biased source of information around. Still, it’s always nice to see good things said about an Orioles prospect.

This, that, and the other (School of Roch)
Roch spent some time yesterday thinking about how odd it is that the way things have turned out for the Orioles, they don’t have enough qualified first basemen around. Times have changed! Now that Ryan Mountcastle is back, this is less of a struggle.

Orioles claim Zack Burdi (MLBTR)
The fringe of the Orioles 40-man roster shifted again yesterday. The O’s claimed 26-year-old righty Zack Burdi off waivers from the White Sox. Burdi was the #26 overall pick in the 2016 draft and was recently DFA’d by Chicago to make room for... Mike Wright. The circle of life! By the way, Burdi has an 8.27 ERA in 16.1 big league innings. He’s been assigned to Norfolk to begin.

Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries

You have to go all the way back to 2015 to find a season where the Orioles won a game on today’s date. Six years ago, Henry Urrutia delivered a walkoff home run against the Mets to improve the Orioles to 62-57. They went 19-24 the rest of the way.

There are a number of former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2011-17 shortstop J.J. Hardy, 2008 reliever Lance Cormier, 2007-08 reliever Rocky Cherry, 1987 reliever Luis DeLeon, 1975 swingman Paul Mitchell, Maryland-born 1961-62 pitcher Jim Lehew, and 1959 infielder Jim Finigan.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: pioneering pilot Orville Wright (1871), designer Coco Chanel (1883), Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry (1921), 42nd president Bill Clinton (1946), Europe frontman Joey Tempest (1963), and rapper Nate Dogg (1969).

On this day in history...

In 1812, during the War of 1812, the American frigate USS Constitution engaged a British frigate, HMS Guerriere. Despite being outgunned, Constitution managed to force the surrender of Guerriere’s crew, after which the British ship was set on fire and left to sink.

In 1909, Indianapolis Motor Speedway first opened for racing. The first day of racing saw the death of one driver and one mechanic.

In 1944, with Allied armies approaching, the French Resistance began an uprising in Paris to help to liberate the city from Nazi rule. The German garrison surrendered six days later.

In 1953, a plot orchestrated by the CIA and MI6 led to the overthrow of the Iranian prime minister, Mohammad Mossadegh. The prime minister had nationalized an oil industry that was owned by the British.

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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on August 19. Have a safe Thursday. Go O’s!