Tuesday Bird Droppings: Where the Orioles took a step back

Hello, friends.

Another day has dawned with the Orioles in third place in the American League East. They are seven games behind the division-leading Red Sox, and although manager Buck Showalter says he's trying to chase them down, that isn't a very realistic goal with just 24 games left to play.

What is more realistic is the Orioles wild card chances, as the team still sits just 1.5 games back of the Twins for the second wild card spot. Though they dropped a bummer of a game on Labor Day, the Twins lost too. The O's now also have the Angels to pass on the way to claim a playoff spot. ESPN gives their playoff odds as 8.4%, or about the odds of hitting a two outer on the river in Texas Hold'em.

If you weren't paying attention to yesterday's loss to the Yankees, you're probably happier for it. But if you want to find out what you missed, make sure to check out Joe Wedra's recap of the game.

A Jeremy Hellickson outing awaits the Orioles tonight. If you feel good about this, well, more power to you, because his 2017 track record to date gives no reason to feel good about Hellickson facing off against the second-most prolific run-scoring offense in the AL. Yet the O's must find a way to win. They can't give many more games away.

Around the blogO'sphere

The bullpen, Rodriguez, Sisco, Castillo and Stewart - School of Roch
D.J. Stewart was the Orioles minor league player of the month for August. Getting to a 20 home run, 20 stolen base season will help do that.

O's early lead evaporates in 7-4 loss in series opener (with quotes) - Steve Melewski
An appearance from both Chris Davis and Dylan Bundy in this article.

Orioles' Dylan Bundy struggles with command | MLB.com
Bundy said he was fine physically and just had problems with his command. Does that make you feel a whole lot better?

Orioles play Pedro Alvarez situation perfectly - add a power bench bat for playoff push (Baltimore Baseball)

We have found the third person, along with Alvarez and Alvarez's agent, who can muster some enthusiasm for the Orioles adding Alvarez in September.

Top Orioles pitching prospect Hunter Harvey, finally healthy, ends rehab period strong for Delmarva (Baltimore Sun)

Giving up two runs in a three inning start isn't quite what I would call strong, but maybe I'm grading on a less generous curve.

Birthdays and anniversaries

On this day in 1995, Cal Ripken Jr. tied Lou Gehrig's consecutive games played record by playing in his 2,130th straight game. The Orioles beat the Angels, 8-0, with Scott Erickson tossing a complete game shutout.

There are three former Orioles birthdays today. They are: 2000-02 pitcher Calvin Maduro, 1995-96 pitching prospect Jimmy Haynes, and Tom Patton, who appeared in all of one game for the 1957 Orioles, his only career MLB appearance. Patton turns 82 years old today, so happy birthday to him.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Your birthday buddies for today include: the Sun King Louis XIV of France (1638), outlaw Jesse James (1847), ratings pioneer Arthur Nielsen (1897), funny man Bob Newhart (1929), actess Raquel Welch (1940), and music's Freddie Mercury (1946).

On this day in history...

In 1698, Tsar Peter I of Russia imposed a tax on beards for all men except for those who were peasants or in the clergy. This was an attempt to Westernize the Russian nobility - which seems to have been an ultimate success, if War and Peace tells us anything.

In 1781, during the American Revolution, a French fleet repelled an attacking British fleet in the Battle of the Chesapeake, after which the British were ultimately forced to surrender at Yorktown.

In 1906, the first legal forward pass in football was thrown in a game between St. Louis University and Carroll College of Wisconsin.

In 1914, the First Battle of the Marne began to the northeast of Paris. The battle, famous for the use of Parisian taxi cabs to ferry French troops to the front, ended German hopes of a quick victory via the Schlieffen Plan, though it did not bring a quick victory for the French and British, either.

In 1977, NASA launched Voyager I, which is still flying through space today, still in periodic contact with Earth, and is the farthest man-made object from Earth at approximately 139 AU from the Sun.

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And that's the way it is in Birdland on September 5 - or at least, until something happens later, although nobody says that something is going to be good. Have a safe Tuesday. Go Orioles!