Hello, friends.
Things always feel a little better the day after the Orioles beat the Red Sox, don't they? That's even more true if the Orioles come in and win a game that they probably had no business winning - and the most true if such a win gives them their fifth win in their last six games, as Monday's win did. Now they only need to go 11-8 the rest of the way to secure a .500 record.
If you didn't catch all of last night's game, make sure to check out my recap of the game, in which, I solemnly swear, the most trollish comment is the entirely true reference to David Ortiz as a vandal. Ortiz's moment of vandalism was captured on video and immediately forgiven by the baseball press at large for reasons unknown to me.
Later tonight, the O's will try to make it six wins out of seven games. They'll face Joe Kelly and the rest of the Red Sox.
Around the blogO'sphere
Rapid Reaction: Baltimore Orioles 2, Boston Red Sox 0 - Boston Red Sox Blog - ESPN
The ESPN Boston contingent reacts to the fact that the Red Sox, who are of course losers in a general sense at all times, were also losers specifically of last night's game.
After 2014 ALCS, Orioles' And Royals' Paths Have Diverged In 2015 (Press Box)
Friend of the blog Paul Folkemer writes on Press Box about the ways in which the Orioles and Royals have diverged not unlike two roads in a yellow wood. Unfortunately the Orioles took the road they traveled for 14 straight years.
Orioles rookie Mike Wright helps stranded motorist following Sunday night's game - Baltimore Sun
In which Mike Wright is a handy man and also a really cool dude.
School of Roch: Updating Miguel Gonzalez and more
Here's Roch Kubatko with the latest on Miguel Gonzalez's condition. Some person on Orioles Twitter, I apologize that I don't remember who, mused about whether the team is trying to build up some trade value for Gonzalez over the offseason. This seems unlike the usual Orioles pattern.
Jonathan Schoop Continues Big Power Development | Eutaw Street Report
Our blogO'sphere compatriots over at Eutaw Street Report really like Jonathan Schoop. That makes two of us.
Astronaut Virts delivers Orioles jersey that was in space (USA Today)
Astronaut Terry Virts, the Orioles fan who was in space earlier this year, presented Buck Showalter with the Orioles jersey that Virts wore on the space station. That's pretty dang cool. He also had a Matt Wieters shirt that he wanted to give to Wieters, but, uh... well, read it and see.
Birthdays and anniversaries
On this day in 1987, Cal Ripken Jr.'s streak of 8,294 consecutive innings (still a record) came to an end when he was lifted for Ron Washington ("it's incredibly hard") in the eighth inning of an 18-3 blowout at the hands of the Blue Jays. The Jays hit a major league record ten home runs in this game.
A pair of former Orioles have birthdays today. John Pacella, who appeared in all of six games for the 1984 Orioles, turns 59. Dave Pagan, whose tenure of 20 games pitched for the 1976 Orioles isn't much longer, turns 66.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Along with those former O's, you've got a few departed birthday buddies, including explorer Marco Polo (1254), The Last of the Mohicans author James Cooper (1789), President William Howard Taft (1857), and novelist/playwright Agatha Christie (1890).
Your still-living birthday buddies include baseball Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry (1938), movie man Oliver Stone (1946), professional didn't-have-Marshawn-Lynch-rush-with-the-Super-Bowl-on-the-line guy Pete Carroll (1951), Orioles fan actor Josh Charles (1971), and the top-subscribed female YouTuber, Jenna Marbles (1986).
On this day in history...
In 994, forces from the Fatimid Caliphate won a victory over the Byzantine Empire in the Battle of the Orontes, a river that flows through modern day Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey. As anyone who's ever played Crusader Kings II knows, you will eventually fight the Fatimid.
In 1440, Gilles de Rais, recognized as one of the first known serial killers in recorded history, was taken into custody by the Bishop of Nantes. He was being investigated for kidnapping a priest and then they found out all the rest of the stuff. There are those who believe de Rais was set up so the Duke of Brittany could take all of his land after he was found guilty.
In 1821, all of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica jointly declared independence from Spain.
In 1940, the German Luftwaffe launched its largest-scale bombing attack on Britain yet in the Second World War. The RAF shot down 60 attacking planes in one day of furious fighting, still remembered as Battle of Britain Day up to now.
In 1959, Nikita Khruschev became the first Soviet Union leader to visit the United States.
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And that's the way it is in Birdland on September 15 - or at least, until something happens later. Have a safe Tuesday. Go Orioles!