Orioles take series against Pirates, are 2 games back of AL Wild Card spot

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Baltimore Orioles welcomed the Pittsburgh Pirates to town for a three-game set, and the Birds would ultimately come out on top.

Continue reading “Orioles take series against Pirates, are 2 games back of AL Wild Card spot”

O’s look to continue post-deadline hot streak against Pirates

Written by:

Justin Sutphin

Since trading Trey Mancini and Jorge López, many Baltimore Orioles fans believed GM Mike Elias and the O’s were throwing in the white flag.

Continue reading “O’s look to continue post-deadline hot streak against Pirates”

Texas swept away: O’s sweep Rangers in Arlington for first time since 2013

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

For the first time in team history, the Baltimore Orioles have swept the season series from the Texas Rangers.

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Trade front goes quiet, it’s all about pitching depth

Written by:

Steve Katz

Sometime after Andy MacPhail took over as the Orioles’ President of Baseball Operations in mid-season of 2007, he said one of the first things he told owner Peter Angelos was that in the business of acquiring pitchers, you have to divide by two. Only half of the pitchers you either draft or trade for as minor leaguers, will make it.

Continue reading “Trade front goes quiet, it’s all about pitching depth”

O’s acquire clubhouse-favorite Brett Phillips from Rays

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Baltimore Orioles spent the last two days trading veteran stalwart Trey Mancini and reclamation project Jorge López for a flock of minor league arms.

Continue reading “O’s acquire clubhouse-favorite Brett Phillips from Rays”

Orioles start August with plethora of roster moves

Written by:

Zachary Bucklew

The Orioles as an organization have started August off on many roster changes.

Continue reading “Orioles start August with plethora of roster moves”

Jorge López traded to Twins for 4 minor league pitchers

Written by:

Zachary Bucklew

Reports out of Baltimore have Jorge López heading to the Minnesota Twins for multiple pitching prospects.

Continue reading “Jorge López traded to Twins for 4 minor league pitchers”

Orioles, Rangers set for 3-game series in Arlington

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The last time the Rangers saw the Orioles, the Birds were in the early stages of a 10-game winning streak and taking the baseball world by surprise.

Continue reading “Orioles, Rangers set for 3-game series in Arlington”

Shorebirds have fantastic 5-1 week against Hillcats

Written by:

Zachary Bucklew

The Delmarva Shorebirds are having a not-so-great season. But the team did have a great week, as they had a 5-1 series win over the Lynchburg Hillcats.

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Orioles have back-to-back winning months, finish 16-9 in July

Written by:

Zachary Bucklew

The Baltimore Orioles are one of the hottest teams in baseball.

The month of July was insane to watch as an Orioles fan, with many historic moments and a lot of excitement and potential.

Between the many walk-offs, from Mancini to Mullins, to the 10-game winning streak that we all love. We can once again say the Orioles have another winning month.

Let’s break down the three key players and one key team factor that led the O’s to their best month since 2016:

Ramón Urías:

Ramón Urías had a month like no other. He was an impact out the gate and had a month like we haven’t seen for some time in Baltimore.

In 21 games, he slashed .343/.387/.600 with a team-high .987 OPS. He also had a team-high five home runs and 18 RBIs.

Urías also had a multi-home-run game against the Tampa Bay Rays during the month. He has looked insane, and we hope he continues to be an underrated star on this team.

Adley Rutschman:

Once again, our beloved catcher had a solid month.

Adley has been what we needed him to be thus far since his May 21st debut. In the month of July, he slashed .290/.425/.478 with a .903 OPS.

He also had a team-high 15 walks. Include that with his amazing defensive skills behind the plate and heads up base running, our star in the making gets better by the month.

Spenser Watkins:

Any Oriole fan knows that the starting rotation is probably the weak point. And honestly, that is not saying too much.

But one guy who had a good month and turned his season around was Spenser Watkins. Starting four games, Watkins had a 2-0 record with a 2.35 ERA in 23 innings.

Striking out 17 batters and only walking four, Watkins had a .241 opponents batting average. Here’s to hoping this is the turn around the 29-year-old.

The “Score-ioles”:

The best way to win games in MLB is to score runs. Now, everyone already knows that, but when it comes to the 2022 Orioles in July, they knew it pretty well.

Only getting shutout one time the entire month, the Orioles had an amazing run differential of 111-92, or a +19. While including three walk-off winners and multiple late-inning comebacks, the Orioles showed absolutely no signs of quitting this month.

All in all, the Orioles had an impressive month of July and finished the month with a 16-9 record and a season record of 51-51. The O’s are staying hot, as they are currently just three games out of the last AL Wild Card spot.

Who stood out to you for the O’s in the month of July? Let us know in the comments below! And make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook and Twitter, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!

Like Zack’s content? Follow him on Twitter – @Zackattacks8211

Baysox dominate their way to 5-1 series win against Altoona

Written by:

Zachary Bucklew

The Bowie Baysox have been on a tear in the second half of the Eastern League season, and they continued their amazing streak with a 5-1 record over the Altoona Curve this week.

Led by hot bats and lights-out pitching, the Baysox are currently holding a one-game lead over the Erie Seawolves in the second half.

When talking about this series, however, the first name that comes to mind is outfielder and O’s No. 3 prospect, Colton Cowser.

During this series, Cowser slashed .524/.557/.952 with an OPS of 1.529. He also carried the team with 11 total hits through the series, including two home runs and nine RBIs.

Cowser finished out an incredible July and first month with the Bowie Baysox where he slashed .324/.446/.649 with an OPS of 1.095.

Speaking of hot bats, let’s talk about one of the more underrated prospects in Joey Ortiz. The O’s No. 13 prospect decided to break out this month and ended July with an amazing series.

Slashing an impressive .519/.536/1.000 with an OPS of 1.536 during the series, Ortiz tallied a team-high 14 hits and 11 RBIs. He also hit three monster home runs, and best of all, had only three strikeouts in 27 at-bats.

Ortiz finished out July slashing .404/.438/.674 with an OPS of 1.112 and recorded an impressive 36 hits and, once again, only 11 strikeouts in 89 at-bats. Obviously, he should be Player of the Month, right?

We talked about two of the great hitters, but now it’s time to talk about the offensive production overall in this series.

First, let’s talk about the run differential. The Baysox scored 56 combined runs in this series, averaging 9.3 runs a game.

The Curve scored a combine 25 runs and averaged a combine 4.16 runs per game, meaning that not only did the Baysox double Altoona’s total runs scored, they had a run differential of 31 runs, averaging just over five more runs than the Curve.

We also have to mention that the Baysox had a hit total of 68, averaging just over 11 hits a game. Altoona’s hit total was 41, and they averaged just under seven hits per game.

All in all, the Baysox had a incredible series against the Curve. As stated earlier, they do have a one-game lead over the Erie Seawolves, as Bowie moves to a 18-8 record in the second half.

The Baysox will begin a series against the Harrisburg Senators on the road starting Tuesday.

Who stood out to you in Bowie this week? Let us know in the comments below! And make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook and Twitter, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!

Like Zack’s content? Follow him on Twitter – @Zackattack8211

O’s drop series to Reds, fall back to .500

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Orioles came into Cincinnati riding a series victory and winning home stand, ready to take on the last play Reds in a three-game set.

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Orioles fly high to Cincinnati for 3-game interleague series

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Baltimore Orioles have gone from an expected 100 losses to one of the most talked about teams in the last couple months.

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O’s take 3 of 4 from Rays, even season series

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

A season ago, seeing the Tampa Bay Rays was considered an automatic loss for the Baltimore Orioles.

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Case for & against O’s trading Trey Mancini

Written by:

Steve Katz

Trey Mancini has gotten a lot of mileage out of the fact that he was probably the best player on the team between his arrival in Baltimore and being forced to miss a year with cancer two years ago.

Continue reading “Case for & against O’s trading Trey Mancini”

Low Tide: Bulls Sweep Tides in shortened series

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Norfolk Tides seem to struggle when they get closer to .500. A team with a lot of talent, they came off the long break to a three-game series with the Durham Bulls.

Continue reading “Low Tide: Bulls Sweep Tides in shortened series”

Shorebirds suffer 3-game sweep in shortened series

Written by:

Justin Sutphin

Over the past weekend, the Delmarva Shorebirds faced off against the Fredericksburg Nationals. And much like their previous meetings, the Nationals left victorious.

Continue reading “Shorebirds suffer 3-game sweep in shortened series”

O’s host Rays for 4 games from OPACY

Written by:

Justin Sutphin

After a disheartening series loss to the New York Yankees, the Orioles will host yet another AL East team, this time the Tampa Bay Rays.

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Baysox bring broom, fritter away chance for weekend sweep

Written by:

Steve Katz

The Baysox coughed up a 6-0, second-inning lead and never scored again, losing a 7-6 game to the Richmond Flying Squirrels yesterday, a blemish on a weekend featuring victories Friday and Saturday.

Continue reading “Baysox bring broom, fritter away chance for weekend sweep”

O’s fall short against Yankees in weekend battle

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The second half is under way for the Orioles. Their first second half series was against the vaunted New York Yankees, and up until game three, this was a series that showed the Orioles are no longer pushovers.

Continue reading “O’s fall short against Yankees in weekend battle”

O’s open second half against Yankees

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The All-Star break is over, newly drafted No. 1 overall pick Jackson Holliday has signed and the Orioles are set to start the second half with a series against the division rival New York Yankees.

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O’s draft selections: Day 3

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Baltimore Orioles have been looking to develop pitching in the minor league system for sometime now.

Continue reading “O’s draft selections: Day 3”

O’s draft selections: Day 2

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The first day of the MLB Draft saw the Orioles welcome new overall No. 1 pick, shortstop Jackson Holliday, to the organization, along with three college bats.

Continue reading “O’s draft selections: Day 2”

BlueClaws ground IronBirds in 4-2 series

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Aberdeen IronBirds came into the week as one of the top teams in the league. A strong first half and a good start to the second half had them fighting for first place.

Continue reading “BlueClaws ground IronBirds in 4-2 series”

Baysox absorb 9-0 loss, go 4-1 against Akron

Written by:

Steve Katz

The week that was ended with a resounding thud at Prince George’s Stadium this weekend, as a Saturday rainout and a 9-0 loss Sunday followed a four-game Baysox winning streak over the Akron RubberDucks.

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O’s Draft Day selections: Day 1

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

Draft day has come and gone, and with all the excitement of who might go first overall, Birdland was waiting with anticipation to find out who the newest Baby Birds would be.

Continue reading “O’s Draft Day selections: Day 1”

Rays stop red hot Orioles: O’s .500 at break

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Orioles came into Tropicana Field riding a 10-game winning streak. At the same time, they were riding a 10-game losing streak at the Trop. Something was going to give.

Continue reading “Rays stop red hot Orioles: O’s .500 at break”

3 contributing factors to Orioles 10-game winning streak

Written by:

Zachary Bucklew

Well, one small part of a big season unfortunately came to a end Friday July, the O’s 10-game winning streak that put them over .500.

Continue reading “3 contributing factors to Orioles 10-game winning streak”

Orioles announce Minor League Players of Month for June

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Baltimore Orioles have announced their June Minor League Players of the Month, right-handed pitcher Peter Van Loon and outfielder Heston Kjerstad.

Continue reading “Orioles announce Minor League Players of Month for June”

O’s look to extend winning streak against Rays

Written by:

Justin Sutphin

Following their third straight series sweep, the red hot Baltimore Orioles travel to Tropicana Field to face the Tampa Bay Rays for three games.

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Windy City gets Charmed, O’s sweep short series to 10th straight win

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Chicago Cubs are stuck in a rebuild. As fans of the Baltimore Orioles know, there are some tough times ahead, but the light does grow brighter.

Continue reading “Windy City gets Charmed, O’s sweep short series to 10th straight win”

O’s are at .500: Where to go from here

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Baltimore Orioles are in the midst of a nine-game winning streak, their longest since 1999 when they won 13 straight.

Continue reading “O’s are at .500: Where to go from here”

Pitching provides most highlights in Bowie’s 2-4 week; home twin bill Thursday

Written by:

Steve Katz

Bowie survived a late rally by the Somerset Patriots and broke ahead late for a 3-2 win Saturday night in Bridgewater, NJ.

Continue reading “Pitching provides most highlights in Bowie’s 2-4 week; home twin bill Thursday”

Orioles look to continue winning streak from Wrigley Field

Written by:

Justin Sutphin

Orioles Magic is alive and well, as the Baltimore Orioles are winners of their last eight games, with a chance to extend their streak in Chicago against the Cubs.

The Cubs and Orioles have met once this season, only playing one game so far. Game two of the first series in Baltimore was postponed due to inclement weather.

In that one matchup, the O’s matched their season-high in home runs with five and ended that rainy evening with a 9-3 victory.

This time around, the Orioles have a bit more to play for with their eight-game win streak on the line. Luckily for the Birds, they will get two hot arms on the mound in Jordan Lyles and Spenser Watkins.

Between Lyles and Watkins’ previous two starts each in July combined, they have allowed a low total of four runs over 25 innings. That duo has also collected two wins in their four combined starts.

The offense has been scorching hot during this winning streak. They have scored five or more runs in four of those games, with three of them seeing seven or more cross the plate. There was also one game the O’s put up 10.

❌-FACTOR:

A huge factor going into this series, which leads us into The Baltimore Battery’s ❌-FACTOR, is the bullpen after getting a day off.

During the eight-game winning streak that saw a game played in eight straight days, the bullpen has been used a lot. Jorge López pitched in six out of nine days, while Keegan Akin saw a lot of use, as did Dillon Tate.

Luckily, a day off after Austin Voth was able to deliver five innings is crucial. Eventually, this offense will cool down, and it will be necessary for the bullpen to be at full strength when that happens.

If the bullpen is lights out like usual, even a weaker offensive attack from the Orioles can still bring success.

Game 1 Starting Lineup:

This series begins tonight at 8:05 p.m. EST. You can catch each game on MASN or on your local Orioles Radio Network station.

How do you see this brief two-game series playing out? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook and Twitter! And make sure to use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content to show your Birdland swag!

Like Justin’s content? Follow him on Twitter – @orioles4life96

Orioles claim relief pitcher Louis Head off waivers from Miami

Written by:

Justin Sutphin

So far in 2022, the Orioles bullpen has been the land of misfit toys.

O’s GM Mike Elias has strung together a stellar bullpen that is full of former Rule 5 picks, longtime minor leaguers and a plethora of waiver claims.

On Tuesday, Elias added yet another waiver claim to the bullpen, this one being 32-year-old right-handed reliever, Louis Head.

Head has had a very long road to the majors, one that began in 2012 when he was drafted by the then-Cleveland Indians. Head hovered around Cleveland’s minor league system until 2018. In 2019, Head was a member of the Dodgers system before he landed with Tampa Bay in 2021.

Head’s long-awaited major league debut finally came in 2021 with the Rays. And believe it or not, it was a stellar debut.

In his first season in the bigs, Head pitched 35 innings to a tune of a 2.31 ERA and 32 strikeouts. He was very dominant in that season, as he finished with a WHIP of 0.857 and a 174 ERA+.

He also had a FIP (fielding independent pitching) of 3.11, which measures a pitcher’s efficiency in outcomes he has the most control over. The lower this number, the better. A 3.11 is pretty good and proves he was creating the success himself, not just with the help of a good Tampa Bay defense.

The year 2022 has seen a different side of Head, one that currently holds a 7.23 ERA in 23.2 innings pitched. His numbers are up in literally every category, and it is apparent as to why he was designated for assignment.

However, there is promise in the arm of this right-hander, promise in which a pitching coach like Chris Holt very well may be able to tap into, much like we have seen with Félix Bautista, Austin Voth and Jorge López.

Head is currently on the 15-day IL, and it is assumed he will join the team when that stint ends. He was slated to start his rehab assignment with Miami’s Triple-A affiliate July 12 before being designated for assignment.

Welcome to Birdland, Louis!

What do you think of this waiver claim? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook and Twitter! And make sure to use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content to show your Birdland swag!

Like Justin’s content? Follow him on Twitter – @orioles4life96

Heston Kjerstad makes jump from Low-A Delmarva to High-A Aberdeen

Written by:

Justin Sutphin

The newest promotion within the Orioles’ farm system is one that may bring a little more excitement than most.

Continue reading “Heston Kjerstad makes jump from Low-A Delmarva to High-A Aberdeen”

Jorge López named sole Oriole All-Star representative

Written by:

Justin Sutphin

The Baltimore Orioles truly had a few players who, in a perfect world, could be All-Stars.

Ryan Mountcastle, who had 11 doubles and seven home runs in June alone, Austin Hays with his cycle and seven outfield assists, or even Félix Bautista sporting that 1.77 ERA and 44 strikeouts over 35.2 innings pitched.

Among these breakout first halves is one that trumps all the rest. What Jorge López has done this season is beyond remarkable.

The once failed starter, who came to Baltimore via waivers, also struggled as a starter with the Orioles. Towards the end of the 2021 season, López began throwing out of the bullpen, and has it ever been beneficial.

Entering 2022, López was ready to showcase what he could do as a back end reliever, who could sling a high 90s sinker, along with a devastating slider. And now, he only ever had to see a lineup one time.

To start the season, López only allowed two runs in his first 10 appearances in April. Along that span, he struck out 14 batters over 11.1 innings and also notched four saves that month.

May was much of the same, as López allowed just four runs, while collecting two more saves. However, the best was yet to come.

López in June was a completely different animal. In that month, he allowed only one run off four total hits in 13.2 innings. He struck out 17 batters while only walking one for an entire month. Still up to this point, he hadn’t allowed a home run yet.

July saw the first struggles for the 29-year-old, as he blew two saves in row to start the month and followed those appearances with another home run in his third July game. However, in elite closer fashion, López has bounced back for three saves in three appearances during the Orioles’ eight-game win streak.

At the time he was voted into the All-Star game, López held an ERA of 1.74 with a WHIP under one at 0.97. He is tied for 11th in saves at 16 and has struck out a total of 47 batters to 15 walks in 41.1 innings.

Without a doubt, López deserved an All-Star nod. Not only has he been among the league’s best closers, he has had a hell of a journey to the point he is at now, while being one of the most likable players in baseball.

Congrats, Jorge! You deserve it!

What do you think of Jorge López being selected to the All-Star Game? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook and Twitter! And make sure to use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content to show your Birdland swag!

Like Justin’s content? Follow him on Twitter – @orioles4life96

IronBirds fly through Cyclones to win series

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Aberdeen IronBirds win! This is becoming a common sentence for fans and followers, one that instills hope for tomorrow and brings Birdland much joy.

Continue reading “IronBirds fly through Cyclones to win series”

Undefeated homestand: Orioles sweep Angels, winners of last 8

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

As an Orioles fan, it has been tough sledding since 2018. Enduring three 100-loss seasons in four years, the rebuild was wearing on fans everywhere.

Continue reading “Undefeated homestand: Orioles sweep Angels, winners of last 8”

Gunnar Henderson to represent O’s in Futures Game

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

It’s not often that at 21 years of age, a player is in Triple-A, ranked the second best prospect in an organization and ranked in the top-five prospects in all of baseball.

Continue reading “Gunnar Henderson to represent O’s in Futures Game”

Birds set to battle Halos for 4 games at OPACY

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

Before the season started, many pundits had the Los Angeles Angels as one of the top teams in the league. After all, they had reigning MVP and ttw-way star Shohei Ohtani and arguably the best player in the game, Mike Trout.

Continue reading “Birds set to battle Halos for 4 games at OPACY”

Late night droppings: D.L. Hall is ready for the call

Written by:

Justin Sutphin

Pitching wins baseball games – it’s the tale as old as time that remains true, regardless of the changes to the game.

Continue reading “Late night droppings: D.L. Hall is ready for the call”

How sweep it is: Orioles take all 3 against Rangers

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

When the Baltimore Orioles play the Texas Rangers, a lot of memories surface.

Continue reading “How sweep it is: Orioles take all 3 against Rangers”

Shorebirds suffer 6-game sweep to Nationals

Written by:

Justin Sutphin

Among a season for the Shorebirds that has shown lots of promise for young prospects, it has also featured a lot of losses.

Continue reading “Shorebirds suffer 6-game sweep to Nationals”

Tides rise to take series against Stripers

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Norfolk Tides have been up and down this season, yet have managed to hover near the .500 mark the entire year.

Continue reading “Tides rise to take series against Stripers”

Aberdeen splits series with Winston-Salem

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Aberdeen IronBirds started the second half of their season, and after two series have garnered a victory and split to move to 5-4 (48-27 overall).

Continue reading “Aberdeen splits series with Winston-Salem”

Fortified Baysox open second half with bombast

Written by:

Steve Katz

Bowie’s Baysox survived a rain-shortened, 10-3 clobbering at Richmond’s hands Saturday to take a 5-1 win Sunday, capping a 5-1 week full of hot bats and strong mound performances. The season’s second half has a pulse.

Continue reading “Fortified Baysox open second half with bombast”

Orioles, Fireworks & Rangers: Series Preview 7/4/22 – 7/7/22

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Baltimore Orioles return home after a 5-5 road trip to kick of a seven-game home stand.

Continue reading “Orioles, Fireworks & Rangers: Series Preview 7/4/22 – 7/7/22”

Orioles set to face Twins for final time this season: Series Preview 7/1/22 – 7/3/22

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Baltimore Orioles are coming off a tough series loss against the Seattle Mariners, their only series loss in June.

As they head into July, the Orioles will continue their 10-game, 11-day road trip by visiting the Minnesota Twins, starting tonight. The O’s will look to start July off strong, as they search for back-to-back winning months for the first time since 2016.

The Birds, who lost to the Mariners 9-3 Wednesday, will look to continue their streak of wins. Baltimore will also look to improve on its 17-25 road record.

The Twins will send out Joe Ryan, Sonny Gray and Devin Smeltzer to face an Orioles team that is scoring 4.1 runs per game this season.

The Orioles will counter with Spenser Watkins, Jordan Lyles and Tyler Wells to face a Twins team that counters with 4.51 runs per game.

Tyler Wells had a stellar June, pitching to a 4-0 record in five starts and holding a 3.23 ERA on the season. He has been one of the most reliable starters for the Birds and seems to get better with each outing.

❌-FACTOR:

One of the things that hurt the Orioles most was their inability to take advantage of scoring opportunities. This is why the Baltimore Battery ❌-FACTOR for the series will be the O’s offense with runners in scoring position (RISP).

Against Seattle, the Orioles went 2-for-18 (.111 BA) with RISP for the series. Granted, they scored nine runs in game one, but most of that was aided by five home runs from the offense.

For the Orioles to succeed and win this series against the Twins, they will need to take advantage of scoring opportunities when they arise. Winning the battle here could be the difference between a winning road trip and a losing one.

Game 1 Starting Lineup:

First pitch of this three-game series is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. EST Friday at Target Field. You can catch each game on MASN or on your local Orioles Radio Network station.

How do you see this series playing out? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook and Twitter! And make sure to use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content to show your Birdland swag!

Like Stephen’s content? Follow him on Twitter – @SrHeckman

Orioles make history in June 2022: Breakdown of first winning month in almost 5 years

Written by:

Zachary Bucklew

The Baltimore Orioles have had a season that has brought fans back to happiness.

Even though the Orioles have a 35-42 record heading into July, what they did in the month of June was something special and something Oriole fans have been waiting for – a month with a winning record.

Before June 1, the Orioles had a 21-30 record, and Oriole fans were starting to quickly hit the panic button. Between Adley having a little bit of a struggling time on the offense and the rotation not looking as solid as we would like without John Means, the Orioles were starting to look like the Orioles we have seen in the last four years. But the month of June changed all that one game at a time.

Top Bird-Formers:

Before we go into how the team did as a whole, let’s start with naming a few players that shined throughout the month of June, or as I like to call them, the Top Bird-Formers.

Austin Hays:

We all have a very loving relationship with our star studded outfielder, Austin Hays. And why wouldn’t we?

The 26-year-old has been giving us things to be excited for since the O’s drafted him in 2016. But his month of June was like no other at the plate and in the field.

Hays did not miss a single game in June and slashed a line of .250/.284/.510. He also had a team-high 23 RBIs, and along with his 26 hits this month, 14 of them were for extra bases, including six home runs.

But the most important thing for Hays was what he did June 22, against the Nationals. He would have a 4-for-4 day, which included him hitting for the cycle. He would also walk away with three RBIs.

But his biggest factor has to be what he can do with his glove. Between multiple diving plays and gunning players at the plate, Hays has been able to bring his DRS (defensive runs saved) up to a three and bring his ARM (outfield arm runs above average) up to a 6.6, meaning that he has saved 6.6 runs from scoring based off his arm alone.

Ryan Mountcastle:

Ryan Mountcastle, or “Mounty” for short, had an excellent month that I believe was not talked about enough. Mountcastle, just like Hays, did not miss a single game in the month of June and was able to slash .297/.345/.614.

He also would have a bat powerful enough to lead the team in home runs with seven bombs. Mountcastle would not only be tied for most hits on the team, but he would also lead the team in extra base hits, as 18 of his 30 hits this month went for extra bases.

Cedric Mullins:

Ah, our 30-30 2021 All-Star had an amazing month. Cedric Mullins has been trying to comeback to that 2021 season form, and his month of June helped a ton.

He did end up missing one game but still slashed .303/.352/.424 throughout the month. But not only did he tie with Mountcastle in leading the team in hits, he also did unthinkable things with his glove.

Cedric would have an insane month of diving catches and catching baseballs that even announcers were surprised he caught.

Félix Bautista:

I could honestly pinpoint this as the entire bullpen, but I don’t think anyone in the O’s bullpen had a better June than Félix Bautista.

Big Félix would appear in 12 games, 10 innings, in which he would not give up a single run. His 0.00 ERA and WHIP of 0.80 would be phenomenal. Oh, he also held batters to a .143 average against.

Jorge López:

Once again, with the O’s bullpen being so pinpoint this past month, I could name many pitchers. But Jorge López had, dare I say, a 2016 Zack Britton type of month.

López would appear in 11 games in the month of June and would cover 13.2 innings, while having a 0.00 ERA, a WHIP of 0.37, an opponent’s average against at .087 and would finish 7/7 in save opportunities.

Team Breakdown:

To completely close out this month, we need to discuss the team as a whole.

The Orioles in the month of June would finish with a 14-12 record. Of that 14-12 record, they would have a record of 6-5 at Oriole Park and an 8-7 record on the road. They would also score 124 runs and give up 107 runs, which would give them a run differential of +14.

The Orioles had a month like no other in June 2022, and I personally hope that this continues into the month of July, as we continue to make noise in the Wild Card standings.

What do you think of the O’s month of June? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook and Twitter! And make sure to use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content to show your Birdland swag!

Like Zack’s content? Follow him on Twitter – @Zackattack8211

Orioles come up short in Seattle, take 1 of 3: Series Recap 6/27/22 – 6/29/22

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Baltimore Orioles came to Seattle not having lost a series in the month of June, but they now leave the West Coast with their first series loss for the month.

Continue reading “Orioles come up short in Seattle, take 1 of 3: Series Recap 6/27/22 – 6/29/22”

O’s top prospects promoted to Double-A level

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Aberdeen IronBirds have enjoyed a successful first half, taking the North Division with the help of three young stars: Connor Norby, Coby Mayo and Colton Cowser, who have all been promoted to Double-A Bowie.

Continue reading “O’s top prospects promoted to Double-A level”

Orioles look to stay hot in Seattle: Series Preview 6/27/22 – 6/29/22

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Baltimore Orioles have been turning heads lately, as they have yet to lose a series in the month of June.

Continue reading “Orioles look to stay hot in Seattle: Series Preview 6/27/22 – 6/29/22”

Tides lose series to IronPigs

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Norfolk Tides season has been one of a theme park roller coaster; highs and lows, with some twists and turns in for good measure.

The problem is there haven’t been as many highs as lows, as the Tides still can’t catch a break and get over that .500 mark. With an opportunity to do so against the IronPigs, the Tides came away from the series losing four of the six contests and now are four games under .500.

The offense came to play again, as they scored over four runs in five of the games, with six runs being scored in four games. The problem is, the pitching once again fell short, as the IronPigs scored no less than six runs in each game of the series.

Unfortunately for the Tides, pitching has been a big concern since Grayson Rodriguez was lost for most of the season. With O’s GM Mike Elias and the Orioles paying close attention, pitching will need to step it up in order.to help right the ship going forward.

The Tides offense had an explosion for one game, as they won 10-7 against Lehigh Valley Friday. Norfolk erupted for 21 hits, a season-high, and it’s highest total since April 19, 2016, when they posted 21 as well.

In this game, one of the big stand-outs was Jordan Westburg, who erupted for a career-high five hits in six at-bats. Included in those hits were two doubles and two runs scored.

Of course, the Batman/Robin team continues to assault Triple-A pitching, as Gunnar Henderson would collect three hits in the same game. Henderson would also hit his third Triple-A home run and also score three runs during the game.

If Westburg and Henderson make up Batman and Robin, then Kyle Stowers would be Superman in the Tides’ version of the Justice League, as he would go 4-for-6 in the game, hitting his 13th home run, collecting a double and two RBIs, as well as two runs scored.

Unfortunately, this was the most dominant game from the trio and shades towards how the offense clicks and runs through Westburg, Henderson and Stowers.

In Wednesday’s 7-6 victory, Westburg and Henderson picked up a hit and RBI each, but it was Shed Long Jr. and recent Oriole call-up Jonathan Araúz who both kicked in with a hit and two RBIs a piece.

Mike Baumann had a strong start as the opener in the 10-7 victory. He would pitch three innings, giving up two hits and allowing zero runs and striking out four.

He now has pitched in 10 games for the Tides, compiling an 0-4 record and lowering his ERA to 6.52 across 19.1 innings. He has struck out 25, and his WHIP currently is 1.60.

Beau Susler had a strong showing in Thursday’s 7-6 loss, pitching four innings of scoreless ball, while allowing one hit and striking out three. He threw 53 pitches, registering 31 for strikes.

Susler lowered his ERA to 2.97 across 30.1 innings in nine games. He has struck out 33 and carries a 1.12 WHIP.

Even the best of our pitchers fell short this week. D.L. Hall pitched in two games, garnering starts in both of them. Though he received a decision in one of the two, his line shows the struggles of the week for the entire team.

Hall, across both games, a 10-7 loss Tuesday and a 10-4 loss Sunday, had very poor outings. He went a combined 7.2 innings, allowing 10 hits, 10 walks, 12 runs (nine earned) and struck out five. He threw 178 pitches, with 106 going for strikes (59.6% strike rate).

The Tides will need to figure out their pitching if they intend to be successful going forward. They remain 7.5 games out of first with a 34-38 record and will welcome the Gwinnett Stripers to town Tuesday.

Who stood out to you this week for Norfolk? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook and Twitter! And make sure to use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content to show your Birdland swag!

Like Stephen’s content? Follow him on Twitter – @SrHeckman

Baysox turn page on 27-42 first half, host Richmond Tuesday

Written by:

Steve Katz

Bowie continued a trend of breaking losing streaks this week at Erie, PA, with a 4-0 win over the Erie SeaWolves Friday, their sixth shutout of the season.

Continue reading “Baysox turn page on 27-42 first half, host Richmond Tuesday”

Orioles set to play White Sox from the South Side: Series Preview 6/23/22 – 6/26/22

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Baltimore Orioles wrapped up a 3-2 home stand and now head to the Windy City to face the Chicago White Sox in a series of vastly different teams on the 2022 season.

The White Sox, who were expected to compete for a division title, have been beaten by injuries that have seen their team struggle to play .500 ball. As they slowly are getting healthy, they still have a chance to turn things around and still find themselves in thick of a division race, only 4.5 games back.

For the Orioles, they are starting to show grit and talent in their rebuild and have started turning heads with their competitiveness over the last couple months. The Orioles reached the 30-win plateau after 68 games this season, compared to taking 92 games to accomplish that feat last year.

Separated by 3.5 games between each other, this is a series that means a lot to both teams, even if the baseball world doesn’t see the significance of this four-game match-up.

The Orioles will look to end their losing streak against the Southsiders. The last time the Birds beat the White Sox was May 1, 2019, in the first game of a doubleheader.

The Orioles’ lineup will face Johnny Cueto, Michael Kopech, Lance Lynn and Dylan Cease across the four games, so they will have their task cut out for them. Baltimore will counter with Dean Kremer, Kyle Bradish and Jordan Lyles, with Saturday still yet to have a starter announced.

❌-Factor:

This brings us to The Baltimore Battery ❌-Factor for the series: the O’s starting pitching.

The O’s bullpen has shown its moxy all year long, as they have the seventh best ERA in the majors this season. However, the starting pitching has been a question mark since surprising the league in April.

Lyles and Wells have been pretty consistent at keeping the O’s in ball games and assuring our team doesn’t have a difficult mountain to climb. Kremer has pitched well since his return to the rotation, which has been a huge upside for the team.

The most important thing for our starters to do is to keep the ChiSox from scoring early and limit the walks, which puts extra runners on base. If they keep the walks down and keep Chicago from scoring early, we will have the inside edge on this series.

The first game is tonight, in which Dean Kremer (1-1, 2.35 ERA) will toe the rubber against Johnny Cueto (1-3, 2.95 ERA). First pitch is at 8:10 p.m. EST.

Roster Moves:

As reported by numerous sources earlier this afternoon, the Orioles have traded infielder Pat Dorrian to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for cash considerations.

Dorrian, 25, was acquired by the O’s in 2019 as a part of the Yefry Ramirez trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He hit just .161/.256/.269 with three homers and 15 RBIs for Triple-A Norfolk this season.

Game 1 Starting Lineup:

How do you see this series playing out? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook and Twitter! And, make sure to use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content to show your Birdland swag!

Like Stephen’s content? Follow him on Twitter – @SrHeckman

Baysox come back to soggy earth with 11-inning loss

Written by:

Steve Katz

One of the highlights of a bounceback week for Bowie was an extra-inning win Friday, involving a four-run comeback and another three-run comeback.

Continue reading “Baysox come back to soggy earth with 11-inning loss”

Battle of Beltway kicks off in Baltimore: Series Preview 6/21/22 – 6/22/22

Written by:

Justin Sutphin

The first leg of the “Beltway Series” this season between the Orioles and Nationals begins Tuesday night at Camden Yards.

Continue reading “Battle of Beltway kicks off in Baltimore: Series Preview 6/21/22 – 6/22/22”

SAL North First Half Champ IronBirds continue to fly high

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Aberdeen IronBirds had a week full of triumph.

Continue reading “SAL North First Half Champ IronBirds continue to fly high”

Orioles win second straight series against Rays: Series Recap 6/17/22 – 6/19/22

Written by:

Justin Sutphin

Over Father’s Day weekend, the Baltimore Orioles came back home to face the Tampa Bay Rays, in what was sure to be an exciting AL East matchup.

Continue reading “Orioles win second straight series against Rays: Series Recap 6/17/22 – 6/19/22”

O’s host Rays for 3 games at OPACY: Series Preview 6/17/22 – 6/19/22

Written by:

Justin Sutphin

The Orioles travel back home after their eight-game road trip to face off with another AL East opponent. Over their last eight games on the road, the O’s split the trip 4-4.

Continue reading “O’s host Rays for 3 games at OPACY: Series Preview 6/17/22 – 6/19/22”

Orioles split 4-game series with Blue Jays: Series Recaps 6/13/22 – 6/16/22

Written by:

Justin Sutphin

Over the last four days, the Baltimore Orioles fought neck and neck with the very talented Toronto Blue Jays. Despite a game one meltdown, the Birds evenly matched the Blue Jays in all aspects.

Continue reading “Orioles split 4-game series with Blue Jays: Series Recaps 6/13/22 – 6/16/22”

O’s designate Lowther, claim Araúz from Boston

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

Zac Lowther is a left-handed pitcher that many fans had watched develop into what looked like a top notch starter for the coming years in Birdland.

Continue reading “O’s designate Lowther, claim Araúz from Boston”

Baysox rebound from 5-game skid, play 2 tonight: Weekly Recap 6/7/22 – 6/12/22

Written by:

Steve Katz

The Bowie Baysox returned home with a splash Tuesday night, beating the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, 9-0, at Prince George’s Stadium.

Continue reading “Baysox rebound from 5-game skid, play 2 tonight: Weekly Recap 6/7/22 – 6/12/22”

New faces join Shorebirds, drop 4 of 5 to Fayetteville: Weekly Recap 6/7/22 – 6/12/22

Written by:

Justin Sutphin

Over this past week, the Delmarva Shorebirds matched up with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, an affiliate of the Houston Astros, as they would drop four out of five games.

Continue reading “New faces join Shorebirds, drop 4 of 5 to Fayetteville: Weekly Recap 6/7/22 – 6/12/22”

Aberdeen takes series against Brooklyn: Weekly Recap 6/7/22 – 6/12/22

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

So far, the first half of the season has gone as well as it can for the Aberdeen IronBirds.

Continue reading “Aberdeen takes series against Brooklyn: Weekly Recap 6/7/22 – 6/12/22”

Tides rise against Nashville: Weekly Recap 6/7/22 – 6/12/22

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Norfolk Tides saw their squad lose Richie Martin and Tyler Nevin to the bigs and ended the week with news of Kyle Stowers ready to make his MLB debut.

Continue reading “Tides rise against Nashville: Weekly Recap 6/7/22 – 6/12/22”

Orioles, Blue Jays finally meet for 4 games: Series Preview 6/13/22 – 6/16/22

Written by:

Justin Sutphin

So far in 2022, the Orioles have played 24 games against AL East opponents. Zero of those 24 games have been against the Toronto Blue Jays, until now.

Continue reading “Orioles, Blue Jays finally meet for 4 games: Series Preview 6/13/22 – 6/16/22”

O’s, Royals split series from Kauffman Stadium: Series Recap 6/9/22 – 6/12/22

Written by:

Justin Sutphin

Looking to start this road trip on a high note, the Orioles came to Kansas City to take on the Royals, who were in the midst of their hottest four-game stretch of the year.

Continue reading “O’s, Royals split series from Kauffman Stadium: Series Recap 6/9/22 – 6/12/22”

O’s begin road trip with 4 games in Kansas City: Series Preview 6/9/22 – 6/12/22

Written by:

Justin Sutphin

The Orioles will play four games against the Kansas City Royals from Kauffman Stadium starting Thursday to begin an eight-game road trip.

Continue reading “O’s begin road trip with 4 games in Kansas City: Series Preview 6/9/22 – 6/12/22”

O’s top prospects Westburg, Henderson moving up to Triple-A

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

Being a Baltimore Orioles fan has come with some frustration over the past couple years.

Continue reading “O’s top prospects Westburg, Henderson moving up to Triple-A”

Shorebirds get back on track, take 5 of 6 from Nationals: Weekly Recap 5/17/22 – 5/22/22

Written by:

Justin Sutphin

The Delmarva Shorebirds had a fiery week, taking five of six games from the Fredericksburg Nationals.

Continue reading “Shorebirds get back on track, take 5 of 6 from Nationals: Weekly Recap 5/17/22 – 5/22/22”

Tides slay Knights in near sweep: Weekly Recap 5/17/22 – 5/22/22

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Norfolk Tides came into their series against the Charlotte Knights needing to get things back on track and regain their form that would make them one of the most exciting teams in the minors.

Continue reading “Tides slay Knights in near sweep: Weekly Recap 5/17/22 – 5/22/22”

Prospects receive promotions in big minor league day for O’s

Written by:

Justin Sutphin

There were a few names within the Orioles organization that everyone knew deserved promotions. As of today, a few of those names received the call that we were hoping for.

Continue reading “Prospects receive promotions in big minor league day for O’s”

Orioles meet Yankees for 3 in Bronx: Series Preview 5/23/22 – 5/25/22

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Baltimore Orioles are headed up the Eastern Seaboard to New York to face the Yankees for a three-game set in the Bronx.

Continue reading “Orioles meet Yankees for 3 in Bronx: Series Preview 5/23/22 – 5/25/22”

Usual power sources come through in series Bowie would rather forget: Weekly Recap 5/17/22 – 5/22/22

Written by:

Steve Katz

A recap of the week that was in Bowie baseball fits a pattern again today.

Continue reading “Usual power sources come through in series Bowie would rather forget: Weekly Recap 5/17/22 – 5/22/22”

Aberdeen loses first series of season to Rome: Weekly Recap 5/17/22 – 5/22/22

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Aberdeen IronBirds started the week without a series loss on the year, sporting the best record not only in SAL but across the entire minor leagues.

Continue reading “Aberdeen loses first series of season to Rome: Weekly Recap 5/17/22 – 5/22/22”

Scrappy O’s walk-off Rays twice in series win: Series Recap 5/20/22 – 5/22/22

Written by:

Stephen Heckman

The Tampa Bay Rays were in town for a three-game set, and if you wanted fireworks, surprises and the unexpected, this was the series to be at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Continue reading “Scrappy O’s walk-off Rays twice in series win: Series Recap 5/20/22 – 5/22/22”

No. 1 prospect Adley Rutschman gets call to majors; Bemboom designated for assignment

Written by:

Justin Sutphin

Ladies and gentleman, the day we have all been waiting for has arrived.

Continue reading “No. 1 prospect Adley Rutschman gets call to majors; Bemboom designated for assignment”

Orioles host Rays for hot weekend set: Series Preview 5/20/22 – 5/22/22

Written by:

Justin Sutphin

Following an exciting walk-off victory to avoid a sweep, the Baltimore Orioles now host another AL East opponent, this time the Tampa Bay Rays.

Continue reading “Orioles host Rays for hot weekend set: Series Preview 5/20/22 – 5/22/22”

Vespi, Gillaspie finally get call, will debut with O’s

Written by:

Justin Sutphin

Among the plethora of players in the Orioles’ minor league system who have made a statement this year, it’s possible none of them have been of the magnitude of Nick Vespi, a left-handed reliever for the Norfolk Tides.

Continue reading “Vespi, Gillaspie finally get call, will debut with O’s”