Tuesday Bird Droppings: The first-place lead has stretched to 2.5 games

Happy Tuesday, Camden Chatters! And a happy Tuesday it is indeed because the Orioles won another game! As is their custom, the game was too close for comfort and featured a blown lead and a late comeback. The end result was a 3-2 win over the Phillies for the O’s 62nd win of the year. You can check out the lovely totals in Mark Brown’s game recap.

Dean Kremer really stepped up, pitching seven strong innings. He did a good job limiting the bullpen’s exposure and boy did they need it. Can we get some relief pitchers, please? With Félix Bautista and Yennier Cano sitting out (at least) last night, the remaining members of the bullpen need to get their acts together.

The offense didn’t do the team any favors last night anyway. If they could have even scored just five runs everything would have been a lot smoother. But we did see some fun stuff from the young guys. Jordan Westburg hit his first major league home run. Colton Cowser got the go-ahead hit and his first extra-base hit (with an assist from Phillies’ “outfielder” Kyle Schwarber).

It was a nail-biter, for sure. But when all was said and done the Orioles won a game while getting Adley Rutschman, Cano, and Bautista a full day’s rest. That’s big. I’d love it if Cano and Bautista could also get through tonight without pitching as well. But a lot of that will depend on starter Kyle Gibson, the offense, and what remains of the Orioles’ bullpen.

With the Tampa Bay Rays off yesterday, the Orioles gained a half-game on them in the standings and now are 2.5 games up in the division. Tonight, as the Orioles continue their series with the Phillies, the Rays start a two-game set with the struggling Marlins.

The win last night ensures that the Orioles will go at least 72 straight series without being swept. Pretty cool!

Links

MLB trade rumors: Orioles have asked Angels about Ohtani’s availability - Camden Chat
WHAT! I still don't believe that Shohei Ohtani could end up here. But...what if he did?

MLB Power Rankings: D-Backs drop, Orioles soar; trade deadline needs for every team - The Athletic
Both The Athletic and MLB.com moved the Orioles up to the second spot in their MLB power rankings after their big series win over the Rays. The Athletic identifies another starting pitcher as the Orioles' biggest need at the trade deadline, but I don't know. I'd go for relief.

Are the Orioles truly trying to win the World Series this year? Well, we’re about to find out. - The Baltimore Banner
Jon Meoli wonders how far the Orioles are willing to go to get success this year. We'll know more at the trade deadline.

Orioles reset: Baltimore leaves impression on Rays after taking top spot in AL East: ‘They’re no longer rebuilding’
The Rays are impressed with the Orioles. Probably because they just got beaten by them.

Orioles have been most profitable MLB team to bet on in 2023 - Birds Watcher
If you're a degenerate gambler, I sure hope you've been betting on the Birds.

Birthdays and History

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have three Orioles birthday buddies. Doug Drabek, who finished his 13-season career with the Orioles in 1998, turns 61. Also born on this day are Mickey Scott (b. 1947, d. 2011) and Whitey Lockman (b. 1926, d. 2009). Scott played for the Orioles in 1973 and Lockman in 1959.

On this day in 1999, Albert Belle hit three home runs in an Orioles’ 8-7 victory over the Angels. Belle had six RBI.

In 2019, Stevie “Dr. Poo Poo” Wilkerson became the first position player to earn a save when he pitched a perfect 16th inning in the Orioles’ 10-8 win over the Angels. It was the team’s first win of the year when trailing after 7 innings; they had been 0-62 in that situation. Times have changed!