The Baltimore Orioles were due to open a series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, but inclement weather forced a rain out.
This gave the O’s an extra day of rest, and the make-up game is scheduled as part of a doubleheader on July 29.
The Birds are coming off a 2-4 road trip in which the offense continues to sore when it’s on and crash and burn when it’s off.
In the two victories, the Orioles scored a combined 13 runs, while in the losses, they combined to score six runs. There seems to be a lack of consistency in the daily lineups, which might be contributing to the roller coaster ride on offense.
Birdland is growing impatient with the inconsistency, and many outside the organization seem to have thoughts on how to fix the issues. Whilst everyone tries to figure out what the brass of the Birds needs to do to bring it together, let’s delve in and look into what happened this past week.
It’s time to crack open the cooler and see what the Battery Six Pack has in store this week.
Eflin joins the IL
This isn’t as big of news as most already know, but the relevance is important for a few reasons.
First, it places the Orioles’ third rotation option on the IL, as Zach Eflin (right alt strain) joins Grayson Rodriguez and Albert Suárez as the arms to make an appearance on the injured list early this year.
The second reason is that the O’s rotation will receive a little shake up with a possible new arm, or, with Monday off, an extra day of rest and possibly skipping Elfin’s turn.
The new arm possibilities would be Kyle Gibson, who has started facing batters in games with Triple-A Norfolk, or O’s No. 19 prospect Brandon Young, who has started the season strong for the Tides.
The Orioles have not announced any starters for the Cleveland series as of yet, so the news on who the possible arms could be, will have to wait until either Sunday night or Monday.
Grayson progressing nicely
As Birdland awaits to unleash the gas can power, any news of progression with Grayson Rodriguez is a reason to start dusting off the red cans.
Rodriguez’s most recent bullpen featured a series of controlled fastballs and changeups with no reported setbacks. This would maintain the early expectations of a return by the end of April or the beginning of May.
Keep in mind that Rodriguez still needs to face live batting and get into a couple of minor league games before taking his spot towards the front of the rotation.
Side Note: Kyle Bradish and Andrew Kittredge have started throwing bullpen sessions. Bradish appears to be further ahead than Tyler Wells in recovery, as Wells has not thrown off a mound. Wells just returned to Baltimore as he welcomed a new daughter to the family.
Safe on the base paths
Going into the season, Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said the team would be more aggressive on the base paths.
The good news about that statement is that the Birds have been successful in 80% of their stolen bases attempts. On the flip side, the O’s have only attempted 11 steals.
To add to the confusion of the lack of aggression on the base paths, the Orioles are also one of nine teams without a sacrifice bunt for the year.
These small details are the reason the Orioles are league average in runs scored and yet remain two games under .500.
Surprise stat among league leaders
One of the things many fans, especially this writer, have complained about in the past has been the Orioles’ ability to capitalize with runners on base, especially in scoring position.
Last season, the Orioles were ranked 17th in the league with a .251 average with RISP, yet they still managed to be a postseason contender. This season, amongst the club’s offensive woes, the Birds are surprisingly better with RISP to start the year.
This season, the Orioles have increased their average with RISP by .010 points (.261), which places them as the eighth best team with RISP.
EBJ’s season slowed down
Enrique Bradfield Jr., the Orioles’ No. 3 prospect, has been one of the best hitters in the minors this season and proving he is everything the organization envisioned when drafted.
In six games this season, Bradfield Jr. is slashing .389/.476/.556/.1.032 with a double, triple, an RBI and three stolen bases. A big improvement also is Bradfield Jr. batting .467 with balls in play.
Unfortunately for the Chesapeake Baysox, EBJ was removed from Thursday’s game and placed on the seven-day IL with a hamstring strain. He is due to undergo more testing, which will determine the extent of the strain and provide a better timeline for his return.
To save or not to save
The Orioles have started out as an enigma this season, leaving many to try and figure out how this team and all its talent is struggling to figure things out.
To add to the abnormal offensive woes, the Orioles had not encountered a save opportunity through the first 13 games of the season.
The 13 games without a save opportunity to start the season was the second longest streak in Orioles’ history. They went 21 games without a save during the infamous start to the 1988 season.
Of course, the Orioles’ first opportunity that season came in a 9-0 victory against the Chicago White Sox, when reliever Dave Schmidt worked the final three innings to pick up the nine-out save.
The Birds finally put an end to their save-less and save attempt streak by securing their first on Saturday evening against the Toronto Blue Jays. In expected fashion, Félix Bautista locked down the game in the ninth, a 5-4 come-from-behind victory.
That wraps up this week’s edition of Battery Six-Pack, with the Birds set to face the Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Guardians and the Cincinnati Reds during their eight-game home stretch.
What interesting tidbits and updates will come about this week? Be sure to come back next week when the next six-pack will be ready to take out of the cooler.
What are your thoughts on these updates? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, X, Bluesky and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
Represent The Baltimore Battery and show off your fandom with our official merchandise! Reasonably-priced attire made just for you! Visit our official shop site by clicking here!
Like Stephen’s content? Follow him on X – @SRJHeckman, and listen to the official podcast of The Baltimore Battery, The Final Strike, anywhere you get your podcasts!
THE BALTIMORE BATTERY 
Leave a comment