Friday Bird Droppings: Where we’re in awe of the new Orioles Home Run Chain

Hello, friends.

Rutschman is creeping closer every day. We still do not have an official day when Adley Rutschman will arrive in Baltimore to debut with the Orioles, but as of yesterday he’ll be only a level away. After only a few days at Double-A Bowie, the O’s promoted both Rutschman and high-ranked pitching prospect D.L. Hall up to Triple-A Norfolk. They are on the cusp of making it to the bigs.

For Rutschman, the Baltimore arrival will probably be much sooner. Hall, who pitched for Bowie yesterday, was only built up to a pitch count of 60. The team will, if nothing else, probably want him to get fully stretched out, and they may want him to make a few more Triple-A starts beyond that. Rutschman, though, it seems like he’s ready. I remain convinced we will see him on either May 16th - the start of the homestand after this current one - or May 20th - the Friday of that next homestand. Today, you can find him in Nashville.

In the meantime, things are kind of... fun with the Orioles right now? It feels weird to say this considering how much of a joyless slog it’s been around here for the past four years. And Rutschman isn’t even here yet! But the last couple of O’s games have been fun, with the Orioles delivering their brand new Home Run Chain into our lives. This is the kind of thing that good teams do when they’re winning. It’s fun to share in even a little of that.

The Orioles knocked off the Twins last night with five solo home runs, including two by Ryan Mountcastle. The Chain is powerful. Check out Andrea’s recap of the game for the lovely totals, and don’t forget to vote in the MBP poll.

We’ll have to see if this offensive explosion continues into the weekend series against the Royals. It seems like it’s going to be a cool, rainy environment, probably not ideal home run weather. The Orioles could go right back to what we’ve seen out of them in April. It’s going to be a lot less fun if the last couple of games are just a two-game interlude before the train heads off for Suckville again.

Still, if we’ve learned anything over the last few seasons, enjoy the days where the O’s make you a little happy, since there’s no way to know how long they will keep it up. Their 10-16 record has them on pace for a 62-100 season. We have the Home Run Chain. And we haven’t even started seeing the really fun players yet.

The O’s are back in action tonight for a scheduled 7:05 game, again depending on the rain. Jordan Lyles is set to start for the Orioles, with Carlos Hernández pitching for Kansas City.

Around the blogO’sphere

Orioles’ home run chain links long balls and light hearts: ‘When we have fun, we play good’ (The Baltimore Sun)
The Home Run Chain is not to be denied. Apparently, Rougned Odor and Robinson Chirinos just acquired it from a fan in the stands and suddenly there it was. This may be the biggest contribution that Odor makes to the Orioles this year.

I mean, just look at this thing!

Lakins at a loss to explain home runs (School of Roch)
I think an obvious answer presents itself, but I can appreciate the difficulty of a professional baseball player in acknowledging the obvious negative.

Q&A with Austin Hays: Talking health, happiness, and the left-field wall (The Athletic)
Among the goals Hays has set for himself, he wants to play in at least 150 games. If he can stay that healthy all year, I think that will mean good things.

Orioles claim former top prospect Logan Allen (Orioles.com)
The waiver wire has brought a former top 100 pitching prospect, younger than any other player who’s yet to throw a pitch for the 2022 Orioles, into the mix. We’ll see if he sticks around or if he’s just short-term churn.

Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries

On this day a decade ago, the Orioles played the famous Chris Davis Pitching Game, with Davis ending up as the winning pitcher in a wild 9-6, 17-inning affair. In what may be the best take I have ever posted to this website, I concluded the game recap by saying, “We might just have a real goddamn baseball team on our hands here.”

You don’t have to go all the way back to 2012 to find an Orioles win on May 6, though. They won the last time they played a game on this day. That was in 2019, when the team rode one four-run inning to a 4-1 win over the Red Sox. John Means got the win after seven innings allowing just one run. Jonathan Villar’s grand slam accounted for 100% of the Orioles runs.

There are a few former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2015 outfielder Gerardo Parra, 2000-01 reserve Mike Kinkade, 1994 reliever Tom Bolton, and 1958-59 twelve gamer Leo Burke. The Hagerstown-born Burke turns 88 years old today, so an extra happy birthday to him.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: French Revolution figure Maximilien Robespierre (1758), The Phantom of the Opera author Gaston Leroux (1868), movie man Orson Welles (1915), baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays (1931), actor George Clooney (1961), and hockey goaltending legend Martin Brodeur (1972).

On this day in history...

In 1527, the city of Rome was sacked by mutinying troops belonging to the Holy Roman Empire. Historians recognize this event as the end of the Renaissance era.

In 1889, the Eiffel Tower officially opened to the public.

In 1937, the zeppelin Hindenburg caught fire while attempting to dock in New Jersey. 35 of the passengers and crew plus one unlucky person on the ground were killed. Somehow, 62 passengers/crew survived.

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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on May 6. Have a safe Friday. Go O’s!