Sunday Bird Droppings: California dreamin’ of a series win

Good morning, Birdland!

I admit that I am one of the weak ones that was unable to stay up for the Orioles 4-0 loss to the Giants on Saturday night/Sunday morning. But it doesn’t sound like it went great!

Kyle Bradish gave up seven hits and a walk in just four innings, the offense had only five total hits an no walks, and Gunnar Henderson had to leave early with back discomfort. That certainly isn’t an ideal combination of events.

As difficult as the season has been for Henderson so far, his absence would be a big blow for an offense that is still adjusting to the short-term loss of Cedric Mullins. They would be without two of their best on-base threats just days apart.

Of course, the club does have options. Jordan Westburg looks more than ready down in Triple-A Norfolk. He could come up if everyday playing time is available. Or they could simply bring back Joey Ortiz to plug any holes.

The most likely outcome (for now) is that Henderson takes it easy on the bench for a few days and Ramón Urías steps in as the starting third baseman. The team does have an off day on Monday to reassess things, but it’s not like Urías is a bad choice. The veteran has a Gold Glove in his pocket and has been an above-average hitter for his entire big league career. He would already be starting on many other teams in the league.

Links

Orioles’ Colton Cowser: Returns to action Saturday | CBS Sports
This is potentially a big deal for the Orioles. Cedric Mullins will remain on the IL for a few more weeks, so a promotion of Cowser could be a perfect injection of production for a team that has seen its performance dip in recent days. He will need to prove he is healthy himself before that can really be on the table though.

This, that and the other | Roch Kubatko
Included are some quotes from Mike Elias on Heston Kjerstad. The outfielder is having a rather absurd season (153 wRC+) at Double-A Bowie, and he just might be putting himself into the conversation for a late-season big league promotion if he keeps ascending.

Orioles starters believe Grayson Rodriguez will bounce back from his demotion. They’ve done it themselves. | The Baltimore Sun
This is a nice reminder that big league baseball is really, really hard. It’s nearly expected that some/most players will struggle initially. It’s an almost necessary part of learning how to pitch at the highest level. Rodriguez will be back in Baltimore sometime this summer, and he will be better for it.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

• Cla Meredith turns 40 today. The side-arming reliever spent two seasons with the Orioles in 2009 and 2010.
• J.C. Romero is 47. After a long career that saw him bounce around the league, the lefty wrapped up his big league experience with five games on the 2012 O’s.
• Ricky Jones celebrates his 65th. The 16 games played for the 1986 Orioles was the infielder’s only MLB experience.
• Terry Kennedy is 67 years old today. The backstop spent two seasons in Baltimore from 1987 through ‘88. That included an all-star season in ‘87.
• Billy Hunter turns 95. One of the original Orioles, Hunter came with the organization from St. Louis and then played in 125 games for the ‘54 Orioles before he was dealt to the Yankees.

This day in O’s history

1967 - The Orioles play the longest game in the team’s modern history, beating the Washington Senators 7-5 in 19 inning.

1972 - An MLB record eight shutouts are pitched in the 16 games played on the day. That includes the Orioles losing 2-0 twice in the same day to the Oakland Athletics.

1997 - The Orioles win their seventh straight game, beating the Yankees 9-7 on a Rafael Palmeiro base hit for the second consecutive day. That win increases their lead in the AL East to 9.5 games.

2006 - Former O’s hurler Scott Erickson, now pitching for the Yankees, gets knocked around by his old team as part of an Orioles 11-2 win.

2008 - The Orioles allow two runs to score on a sacrifice fly, the first time that has happened since 2001. Adam Jones catches a Joe Mauer fly ball, but falls when trying to throw it in, allowing both Nick Punto and Carlos Gomez to score.

2010 - Dave Trembley is dismissed as Orioles manager after starting the season at 15-39, the worst record in baseball. He is replaced by third base coach Juan Samuel on an interim basis.

2019 - Pedro Severino hits three home runs and Dwight Smith Jr. drives in six runs as the Orioles beat the Rangers 12-11.