Thursday Bird Droppings: A day off as the Orioles head back home

Hello, friends.

Last night’s Orioles game was the sort of game that makes you glad for a day off today. After watching a bullpen failure that started in the fifth inning because of Matt Harvey’s early exit from the game and continued into the seventh, I’m ready for a day off. There was bad pitching, bad luck, and bad defense and it all combined into a big 2021 Orioles vintage mess.

If you want to get the scoop of more of the not-so-lovely totals in a game that the Orioles once led 3-0 before going on to lose 10-3, check out Paul Folkemer’s recap.

Stupid games like last night’s are the kind that leave me feeling like if I have to watch that nonsense, the Orioles might as well get the #1 pick for everyone’s trouble. That’s not the way things stand at the moment. The Orioles, at 38-69, entered Wednesday with six fewer losses than the worst-in-MLB Diamondbacks. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: It’s going to be hard to out-suck those guys.

The other teams that are vying for the #2 spot that the Orioles currently occupy also lost on Wednesday evening. The Twins dropped a 6-5 game to the Reds. The Pirates lost a 4-2 game to the Brewers. And closest to the Orioles, just a half-game behind them before yesterday’s games, the Rangers were losers as well, falling 2-1 to the Angels. It’s going to be hard to out-suck some of those guys, too.

There are many people more optimistic than me to be found in Birdland. The other night after the O’s won the season opener against the Yankees, I put a poll on Camden Chat’s Twitter account that asked whether the Orioles would exceed their then-pace of 59-103 or not. 63.5% of those who voted thought the Orioles would go over, with 60 or more wins. That seemed generous to me then and the last two losses haven’t made 60+ wins feel any more likely. But then, I am a noted downer.

Not that it’s hard to be a downer when looking at the remaining Orioles schedule. They had a soft stretch coming out of the All-Star break. Reality returned with the just-concluded Yankees series. There are a whole lot of AL East games to come closing out the season, and as we all know, those teams are all better than the Orioles and are fighting for postseason spots. The East gauntlet continues after the off day on Friday as the O’s host the Rays.

Around the blogO’sphere

Diplan, Knight latest to get shot in bullpen for Orioles; Anderson, Leyba designated for assignment (Baltimore Baseball)
The Orioles roster merry-go-round spun again yesterday, with Domingo Leyba and Shaun Anderson sent packing, while relievers Marcos Diplan and Dusten Knight have joined the party.

Hyde on rotation, Alexander and Tyler Wells, and new relievers (School of Roch)
The Tyler Wells fans out there hoping for his speedy return will be waiting at least another day as he remains day-to-day after some soreness throwing a live BP.

In so many ways, the Orioles can still only dream of a prospect like Yankee Luis Gil (The Baltimore Sun)
Jon Meoli dug in to Tuesday’s Yankees starter who made his MLB debut, prospect Luis Gil. He notes two ways Gil is unlike most O’s prospects: He throws really hard, and he signed for $90,000 out of the Dominican Republic seven years ago. Even if the Orioles found a Gil-like player in their signing class this year, we won’t see him until 2027 or 2028. It’s a long time from now.

Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries

Today in 2019, Jonathan Villar hit for the cycle in a 9-6 loss to the Yankees. O’s pitchers allowed five homers to the Yankees in the game, setting a new record of ten straight games with multiple home runs allowed.

There are a pair of former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2001 reliever John Wasdin, and 1977-78 pitcher Nelson Briles.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: writer Guy de Maupassant (1850), astronaut Neil Armstrong (1930), basketball hall of famer Patrick Ewing (1962), and movie maker James Gunn (1970).

On this day in history...

In 1620, the Mayflower departed from Southampton, England, though its famous journey came later. On this occasion, it made it only as far as Dartmouth before needing to dock due to a leak in the companion ship Speedwell.

In 1864, Admiral David Farragut led the American navy to victory in the Battle of Mobile Bay. Farragut ordered his ships to speed through a minefield with an order famously paraphrased as, “Damn the torpedoes. Full speed ahead!”

In 1926, Harry Houdini escaped from an underwater tank in which he had been submerged for 91 minutes. It’s recognized today as his greatest escape.

In 1962, Nelson Mandela was sent to jail in South Africa, sentenced to life for conspiring to overthrow the Apartheid state. He was released in 1990. Elsewhere in the world on this same day, Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her home.

**

And that’s the way it is in Birdland on August 5. Have a safe Thursday.