Sunday Bird Droppings: Trying to forget yesterday’s Orioles loss

Hello, friends.

The Orioles played one of those games yesterday where it would be nice if you could forget about it quickly. It was dumb at the beginning, middle, and end, and for all that, the Orioles had a good chance to win it, until suddenly it was over and in the loss column. Check out my recap of the game for more of the not-so-lovely totals.

After yesterday’s loss, the Orioles are 8-7 so far this season. That’s a pace to win 86 games across a 162-game schedule. This win total was good enough for an AL wild card spot last year, although I have my doubts that it will be again. There are some messes that need to be fixed, including some bullpen spots, fielding issues, and from yesterday’s game, an almost total lack of clutch hitting. It’s impressive in a way that the Orioles scored six runs when they were 1-14 with RISP, but they still lost.

Things will not get any easier today as the Orioles try to find a way to come out of Chicago with a series win. They’re set to face off against last year’s AL Cy Young runner-up, Dylan Cease, in today’s 2:10 finale. Cease has a 0.796 WHIP through his first three starts this year. About all that can be said that is good for the Orioles is that Cease is only averaging about 5.1 innings per start so far and the White Sox bullpen is still not good.

We’ll see if whatever lineup is fielded today is up to the task of giving the Orioles a good chance to win. Of course, it’s also going to be up to Grayson Rodriguez, making his third MLB start, to give the Orioles a good chance to win. The rookie had to go opposite Jacob deGrom in his first game and now this. No pressure.

Rodriguez has shown at times why he belongs in MLB and also at times why the Orioles sent him to Norfolk to start this season. It remains to be seen what the Orioles will decide to do with the rotation once Kyle Bradish returns from the injured list. If Rodriguez has a good outing today, keeping him will be an easier choice. If he’s lit up, then he might be getting his next work in with the Tides.

Around the blogO’sphere

Every Orioles game is an adventure (Defector)
“For a while you’ll think, “Whoa, the O’s might really have something here” and then an inning later you’ll wonder if they just learned the rules of baseball nine days ago.”

Orioles encouraged by Bradish’s start in Bowie, Watkins ready for long relief role (School of Roch)
Spenser Watkins has not pitched since being recalled, but I’d rather see him in a long relief spot than Austin Voth, so hopefully he is summoned for the next opportunity. On the other hand, I hope he isn’t needed as Rodriguez pitches today.

Orioles want Irvin to get his confidence, command back at Triple-A (Baltimore Baseball)
Still kind of amazed the Orioles sent Irvin to Norfolk after so few starts, but then, they were all pretty bad and that seems to point to something being wrong.

Mountcastle’s next gig: Singer for All Time Low? (Orioles.com)
The Orioles first baseman is using a song by the Baltimore area-formed rock band as his walkup music this year. I’ve enjoyed a few All Time Low songs but when I heard Mountcastle’s walkup music last week I thought it was Taking Back Sunday, which I don’t count as a complimentary comparison.

Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries

There are a pair of former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2017-20 reliever Richard Bleier, and 1972-73 reserve catcher Sergio Robles. Today is Robles’s 77th birthday, so an extra happy birthday to him.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: Revolutionary War loser Henry Clinton (1730), aviation pioneer Wilbur Wright (1867), actor Charlie Chaplin (1889), baseball Hall of Famer Paul Waner (1903), basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1947), Tejano musician Selena (1971), and actress Anya Taylor-Joy (1996).

On this day in history...

In 1746, the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart were defeated by the British in the Battle of Culloden. After the battle, a number of measures of reprisal were taken against Scottish highlanders, who had supported Stuart.

In 1945, the Soviet Army launched what proved to be one of the final battles of the European theater of World War II with the beginning of the four-day Battle of Seelow Heights. Over a million men were involved in the battle - Soviets outnumbering German defenders about 9-1 - which resulted in Berlin being surrounded.

In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. penned his famous Letter from Birmingham Jail. A college professor of mine once summarized the letter as being written in response to critics who asked, “Why are you in there?” with King’s reply amounting to, “Why aren’t you in here with me?”

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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on April 16. Have a safe Sunday. Go O’s!