Saturday Bird Droppings: Three games is a win streak

Happy Saturday, Camden Chatters! I hope you’re doing something fun this weekend. If you like daytime baseball, the Orioles have got it for you. Both today’s and tomorrow’s games out in Minnesota are taking place at 2:10 Eastern time. Today’s game has the pitching matchup of Tyler Wells and Sonny Gray, which is a pretty good one.

After their 14-run explosion in New York on Thursday, the Orioles were back to their non-scoring ways in last night’s game. They scored just one run against the Twins’ starter, Bailey Ober. But Ober was matched by starter Cole Irvin, and the teams went into extra innings with the game tied at one. The Orioles prevailed in the 10th, which was a lot of fun. You can get the full game details in Paul Folkemer’s recap.

With the Rays’ loss last night, their sixth in a row, the Orioles now sit just three games out of first place in the AL East. If that doesn’t sound good enough, it’s just ONE game in the loss column. Incredible.

And thanks to the Yankees losing again, they are now in fourth place behind the Toronto Blue Jays. You hate to see it.

In case you missed the news, Austin Hays is starting the All-Star Game! He made the team as a reserve and was named to the starting lineup due to Mike Trout being injured. This is pretty exciting, although it does give me pause considering Hays hasn’t played since he exited early on July 2nd after a collision at first base.

I love the idea of our guys getting named to the ASG, but if can’t even play in the last series of the first half, maybe it makes more sense for him to rest. Brandon Hyde did say before last night’s game that he’s doing better, so maybe he was getting one more day on the bench to be sure. If he’s not in the lineup today, that will be officially fishy as to his ASG starting status.

Links

Orioles trying to strike a balance on possible umpiring changes - BaltimoreBaseball.com
Do you welcome our strike-calling robot overlords? The O's clubhouse is mixed.

Adley Rutschman’s throws are one small part in Orioles quest to stop steals - The Baltimore Banner
It’s been a rough go for Adley this year, but as always there is more to the story.

An Orioles fan’s guide to MLB All-Star Week in Seattle - Baltimore Sun
There's a lot going on! I'm partial to the celebrity softball game.

Could this blockbuster trade put the Orioles in the World Series conversation? - Birds Watcher
It's getting into trade season which means it's time to get wacky! Who would you trade for Dylan Cease, Lucas Giolito, and Eloy Jimenez? Yes, the author of this article thinks it's realistic to get them all. No, I don’t agree.

Was Boston Red Sox OF Alex Verdugo Taking a Shot at Mariners OF Julio Rodriguez or O’s OF Austin Hays? - Fastball
Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo is not happy that he didn’t get chosen for the All-Star Game and also is a crybaby.

Birthdays and History

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have three Orioles’ birthday buddies who played in a combined 41 games for the team. Danny Ardoin (49) played in five games for the 2006 team. Jerome Walton (58) appeared in 26 games for the Orioles in 1997. And John Powers (b 1929, d. 2001) got into 10 games with the Orioles in 1960.

It’s also a very special birthday in my family as my grandfather is turning 100 years old today. In our younger days, Granddad and I disagreed quite a bit about the Orioles. He always had faith, always saw the glass as half full, and every spring believed that this was the year for our guys. I...was the opposite. I wouldn’t be the Orioles fan I am today without all the years I spent talking about and watching the team with him. So happy birthday, Granddad!

On this day in 1969, Mike Cuellar pitched a complete game three-hitter against the Yankees in a 4-1 win.

In 1970, the Orioles came back from an 8-6 deficit with three runs in the 9th inning to defeat the Yankees 9-8. The runs came in on a Frank Robinson home run and RBI single from Don Buford.

In 1982, the Orioles were the victims of the hidden ball trick! Bruce Bochte of the Mariners tricked Rich Dauer in the 4-3 Mariners’ win.

In 2011, David Ortiz charged the mound after Kevin Gregg brushed him back in a game where the Red Sox were winning big. Gregg attempted to throw a punch and missed, but many Orioles fans felt it was the most endearing thing he did in his time with the Orioles.