Hello, friends.
The Orioles played the kind of game last night that they’ve played periodically this season, where even though they ended up losing you can (if you’re so inclined) really believe there are some sparks of hope for a better future. Battling back from a five-run deficit to tie up the game, in part thanks to Ryan Mountcastle’s two home runs and Adley Rutschman getting his first big league RBI with a home run, was encouraging.
Alas, the Orioles still lost, because it’s hard to win when your starting pitcher gives up six runs in 4.2 innings. Bruce Zimmermann’s early season fun times seem to have ended, and perhaps they will never come back again. When this team was getting good results from the rotation, it was easier to believe in better times. Right now it’s a bit tougher, but it’s encouraging to see such resilience from the offense anyway. Grayson Rodriguez, get well soon!
Check out Alex Church’s recap of the 10-inning walkoff loss for some not-so-lovely totals, which come along with a couple of armchair manager-worthy decisions by the Orioles in the tenth. Was it a good decision to have Jorge Mateo drop a sacrifice bunt to lead off extra frames? Should the Orioles have just automatically intentionally walked Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who ended up smoking a walkoff single on the second pitch he saw? My answer to both of these questions is no, though I understand a “yes” answer for the second one.
Yesterday saw the Orioles issue another statement from an Angelos family member regarding the lawsuit filed by the younger son of Peter Angelos, Louis. Georgia Angelos, wife of Peter for 56 years, put out a statement through the team indicating that she has the sole authority within the family to manage assets and make decisions, and using that authority, she appointed her older son, John, as chairman and managing partner of the Orioles.
Responding specifically to the speculation in Louis Angelos’s lawsuit that his brother John might choose to relocate the Orioles franchise to Nashville, Georgia Angelos’s statement emphasized her life-long Baltimore and Orioles ties, going back to the first Opening Day at Memorial Stadium in 1954, and said, “Any suggestion that Peter, John, or I would explore moving the Club is false and intentionally divisive.”
The lawsuit will not disappear simply because first John and now Georgia Angelos have issued these public statements. It does seem like these statements should quiet the concerns if any Orioles fans were feeling anxiety about this whole situation.
There was some actual Orioles roster news mixed in yesterday as well. The team announced on Wednesday afternoon that they had claimed infielder Jonathan Araúz on waivers from the Red Sox. Boston had designated the 23-year-old for assignment days earlier. In a corresponding move, the O’s made their own DFA, sending Zac Lowther packing from the 40-man roster the day after Lowther allowed 10 runs in 3.2 innings for Triple-A Norfolk.
Araúz was originally signed by the Astros back in 2014 before being traded to the Phillies in the Ken Giles trade. Astute observers may recall that Orioles GM Mike Elias was in the Astros front office at this time, so he may have some distant familiarity with Araúz.
The Panama native has played in 59 games across parts of the last three seasons, batting .204/.280/.320. He’s played mostly second base and shortstop in his pro career, with a little third base mixed in. The Orioles optioned Araúz to Norfolk after being awarded the waiver claim.
The O’s close out the four-game set against the Blue Jays this afternoon with a scheduled 3:07 start. They need a win to split the series and to get back to .500 for the month of June. Tyler Wells is set to start for the O’s, with former Oriole Kevin Gausman pitching for the Jays.
Around the blogO’sphere
Injury updates on Mancini and Krehbiel (School of Roch)
Mancini was hit by a pitch while striking out earlier in the series. He remains day-to-day, but today is supposed to be the last day. Joey Krehbiel thinks he’ll be back when eligible to return on Saturday.
Kyle Bradish is a young Oriole trying to get outs (FanGraphs)
My life-long nerdy interest leaves no response to this headline other than Yoda’s classic, “Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try.”
Could any baseball feat today match The Streak? (The Athletic)
Every Orioles fan knows the answer to this question is no. The Athletic’s Jayson Stark delivers an appreciation of The Streak before moving on to some lesser pursuits that may still garner some interest.
Adley Rutschman’s arrival signals new era for Orioles (Press Box)
Or at least O’s fans all sure hope this is the case. The starting rotation hasn’t quite showed up for the new era yet.
Props for Hays and Mountcastle from Hyde’s pregame presser (Steve Melewski)
Mountcastle’s 424 foot home run last night was mighty impressive. His manager was impressed even before that.
Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries
Today in 2015, the Orioles set a team record by hitting eight home runs as they pummeled the Phillies, 19-3. Manny Machado hit a pair of home runs. So did Chris Parmelee, who you may remember a bit less well. This was the team’s tenth victory in its previous twelve games.
One year after that is the most recent Orioles victory on June 16. Adam Jones drove in three runs out of the leadoff spot as the 2016 team beat the Red Sox, 5-1, to improve to 38-27 on the season and move into sole possession of first place in the AL East. Alas, we’ll never know what this team might have done if it had a starting rotation.
A few former Orioles were born on this day. They are: 2012/14 pitcher Joe Saunders, 2005-07 infielder Chris Gomez, and 1959 reliever Ernie Johnson.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: author Joyce Carol Oates (1938), golfer Phil Mickelson (1970), rapper Tupac Shakur (1971), and actor John Cho (1972).
On this day in history...
In 1487, Henry VII led an army against a last Yorkist uprising supporting a pretender to his throne. Henry’s decisive victory in the Battle of Stoke Field marks the true final battle of the Wars of the Roses period of English history.
In 1858, then-US Senate candidate Abraham Lincoln delivered his “House Divided” speech, in which he warned, “This government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. ... It will become all one thing or the other.”
In 1963, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova went into space on the Vostok 6 mission, making her the first woman in space. Her solo mission spent close to three full days in space.
**
And that’s the way it is in Birdland on June 16. Have a safe Thursday. Go O’s!
Loading comments...