Tuesday Bird Droppings: Where the Orioles are finally .500 again

Hello, friends.

Another day has dawned with the Orioles in fourth place in the American League East. With their Monday win over the Angels, the Orioles gained a half game on the idle teams above them, including the division-leading Red Sox. They're now seven games back there.

Of more immediate significance for the 2017 O's is that their win, combined with a Royals loss, brought the O's to 1.5 games back of the second wild card spot. It seems crazy that the Orioles could be just .500 and so close to a playoff spot, but it's true. There are still three teams to pass.

The Orioles are .500 again for the first time since June 27, when they were 38-38. You don't get any prizes for being .500 on August 8, but hopefully, this is a step in a better direction for the remainder of the season. For a while there, it looked like they were never going to reach .500 for the whole rest of the season, and now, here they are.

They have clawed back. It's not over yet. If Manny Machado wants to keep hitting clutch grand slams and if Dylan Bundy wants to keep spinning seven inning gems, August and September may yet hold some interest for Orioles fans.

But let's not get carried away. If they don't beat the Angels again in another 10 o'clock contest tonight, they'll be right back below .500. Jeremy Hellickson will be getting his second Orioles start in this game, opposed by former Oriole Parker Bridwell.

Around the blogO'sphere

Remembering former Orioles outfielder Don Baylor (Baltimore Baseball)

Don Baylor was before my time, but he was right on time for Baltimore Baseball's Dan Connolly.

Former Orioles pitcher Parker Bridwell taking advantage of 'clean slate' with Angels (Baltimore Sun)

For a variety of reasons, I am dreading the matchup against Bridwell that's coming later tonight.

Beckham named AL Player of the Week - School of Roch
Hard to make much better of a first impression than this.

Farm news: Wells, Breazeale honored, plus other notes - Steve Melewski
The Orioles had two different low minors players honored as Player of the Month for July in their respective leagues. That doesn't suck.

A young fan in Baltimore acquired a baseball, but was ready to trade it for some chicken tenders | MLB.com
I mean, it's not like it was an Orioles player who hit the ball.

Birthdays and anniversaries

There are two former Orioles with birthdays today: the late Johnny Temple, 1962 Orioles second baseman, and the late Marlin Stuart, a reliever on the inaugural 1954 Orioles. They both passed away in 1994.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Your birthday buddies for today include: Cecil Calvert, the 2nd Baron Baltimore and first governor of the Maryland colony (1605), Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bob Smith (1879), PlayStation creator Ken Kutaragi (1950), U2 guitarist The Edge (1961), 98 Degrees crooner Drew Lachey (1976), tennis legend Roger Federer (1981), and Princess Beatrice of York (1988).

On this day in history...

In 1503, King James IV of Scotland married Margaret Tudor, the daughter of England's King Henry VII. This James is noteworthy for dying in battle a decade later, the most recent monarch in all of Great Britain to be killed in battle. James IV's great-grandson James VI ultimately became King James I of England - the Bible version King James.

In 1876, Thomas Edison received a patent for the mimeograph.

In 1918, in World War I, the Battle of Amiens got underway. This was the start of the Allied Hundred Days Offensive that ultimately ended the war.

In 1969, photographer Iain Macmillan took a photo of The Beatles crossing the street in London. This later became the cover of their album, Abbey Road.

In 1974, President Richard Nixon went on television to announce his resignation, which became effective at noon the next day.

In 1990, Iraq occupied Kuwait and annexed its territory. The annexation did not last: Five months later was Operation Desert Storm.

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And that's the way it is in Birdland on August 8 - or at least, until something happens later, which it surely will, although since the Orioles are out on the west coast, it probably won't be until much later. Have a safe Tuesday. Go Orioles!