Orioles lineup vs. Nationals: 8/7/20

The Orioles look to get back in the win column (cue Joe Angel voice), as they face off against the World Series Champion Washington Nationals.

Tommy Milone (0-1, 4.76 ERA) will face off against Aníbal Sánchez (0-1, 7.20 ERA) tonight in game one. The veteran lefty is coming off a no-decision, in which he pitched five innings, struck out eight batters and allowed one run.

Rio Ruiz is back in the lineup, playing third base and batting seventh, and Austin Hays drops all the way down to the ninth spot, playing center field.

Here is tonight’s starting lineup:

1. Hanser Alberto 2B
2 Anthony Santander RF
3. José Iglesias SS
4. Renato Núñez DH
5 Dwight Smith LF
6. Pedro Severino C
7. Rio Ruiz 3B
8. Chris Davis 1B
9. Austin Hays CF
Tommy Milone LHP

Tonight’s game is available on MASN2 and the Orioles Radio Network. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. EST.

Orioles offense goes missing in sweep from Marlins: Series Recap 8/4/20-8/6/20

The Orioles came out of the three-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays with heads held high. However, the Miami Marlins would come to town and shake that all up.

Continue reading “Orioles offense goes missing in sweep from Marlins: Series Recap 8/4/20-8/6/20”

Orioles lineup vs. Marlins: 8/6/20

The Orioles will look to avoid the four-game sweep against the Miami Marlins, as both teams will face off tonight at Camden Yards. Game time is set for 7:35 p.m. EST and will be aired on MASN. The O’s are still the away team due to these games being rescheduled from their previous matchups in Miami.

Continue reading “Orioles lineup vs. Marlins: 8/6/20”

Orioles lineup vs. Marlins: 8/5/20

The Orioles’ bats that lead them to five wins in their first eight games went silent last night, as the Marlins blanked the O’s 4-0. The Orioles get a chance to get that game back, plus one, with a twi-night doubleheader begining at 5:05 p.m.

Continue reading “Orioles lineup vs. Marlins: 8/5/20”

Orioles complete sweep of Rays, improve to 5-3: Series Recap 7/31-8/2

Baltimore improved to 5-3 after defeating the Rays by a score of 5-1 on Sunday afternoon. Following a tough two-game series loss to the Yankees, the O’s responded well in the team’s first series sweep since the 2018 season.

Continue reading “Orioles complete sweep of Rays, improve to 5-3: Series Recap 7/31-8/2”

Orioles lose heartbreakers against Yankees: Series Recap 7/29-7/30

Following the postponement of the Orioles home opener against the Miami Marlins, the Orioles held their opener on Wednesday instead, hosting the powerhouse New York Yankees.

Continue reading “Orioles lose heartbreakers against Yankees: Series Recap 7/29-7/30”

Stevie Wilkerson suffers fractured ring finger during diving catch

During the Orioles’ first exhibition game of this revamped spring training, Stevie Wilkerson picked up where he left off last season; making incredible catches in the outfield.

Continue reading “Stevie Wilkerson suffers fractured ring finger during diving catch”

MLB announces shortened 2020 schedule

Major League Baseball released the shortened 2020 schedule that sets the Baltimore Orioles up for a July 24 opener at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox. The O’s play the Miami Marlins on July 29 at Camden Yards in the team’s home opener.

Continue reading “MLB announces shortened 2020 schedule”

MLB agrees to shortened 60-game season starting July 23 or 24

After months of disagreement, Rob Manfred has finally announced that the MLB will hold a shortened season starting July 23-24. Teams are to report to Spring Training 2.0 on July 1.

Continue reading “MLB agrees to shortened 60-game season starting July 23 or 24”

Orioles add 2 college bats and 2 high school prospects: Day 2 of MLB Draft

The Baltimore Orioles certainly turned some heads on day one of the 2020 MLB Draft by taking Heston Kjerstad in the first round, a move that many thought was made to, at least in part, free up some bonus slot money later in the draft.

Continue reading “Orioles add 2 college bats and 2 high school prospects: Day 2 of MLB Draft”

Keeping up with former Orioles in KBO

With the entire world coming to an abrupt stop due to the Coronavirus pandemic, sports fans have had little to get excited about. Right now, the O’s should be taking the field at Camden Yards on a warm spring day! While us fans miss the action, the issues at hand are much bigger than sports.

Continue reading “Keeping up with former Orioles in KBO”

Former Orioles Mark Reynolds and Steve Pearce call it quits

Now into mid-April with no baseball seen in the near future, two former Orioles decided to hang up their cleats. Mark Reynolds and Steve Pearce were short term residents here in Baltimore, but both assisted in playoff runs that we will never forget.

Continue reading “Former Orioles Mark Reynolds and Steve Pearce call it quits”

Top 5 Orioles Opening Day memories

As we approach what would have been Opening Day 2020, we are forced to relish in memories of former Opening Days. For the Baltimore Orioles, there are many fond memories of Opening Day, and we at The Baltimore Battery have decided to show you our top 5 memories.

5. 1954: The Orioles first Opening Day

After moving to Baltimore from St. Louis, 1954 marked the first Opening Day game for the Baltimore Orioles. A 3-0 loss was the result of this game that was started by pitcher Don Larsen. Although a minimal memory on our list, it was impossible not to include the first Opening Day game from 66 years ago.

Baltimoresun.com

4. Snow-filled Opening Day in 2003

Maryland is famous for its unpredictable weather, but sometimes it still surprises us. Much the case in 2003, Oriole fans were shocked to witness an Opening Day game delayed because of snow. March 31 is normally a time when spring starts rolling around. However, the Orioles played on this day in 2003 during snow flurries.

MASNsports.com

To make this game even more memorable, the Orioles rallied back from a 4-1 deficit to claim a 6-5 victory off a Gary Matthews RBI single in the 13th inning for the Orioles.

3. Orioles win three straight Opening Day games by a score of 3-2 walkoffs

Walkoff wins are always exciting, especially when it’s done on Opening Day. Luckily for Oriole fans, we all were able to witness this three years in a row from 2016-2018, while all three of the games resulted in 3-2 victories. Weird.

In 2016, heading into the ninth tied with the Minnesota Twins 2-2, Matt Wieters hit the RBI single that would give the Orioles the 3-2 victory.

In 2017, following a heart-breaking Wild Card loss to the Blue Jays, the Orioles had some room for revenge on Opening Day. Again tied 2-2 in the 11th inning, just like in the Wild Card Game, the Orioles this time had the chance for a walkoff. Mark Trumbo blasted a solo home run, giving the Orioles the victory.


Now in 2018, we saw one of the most memorable moments in Orioles Opening Day history, and ultimately the reason this selection made the list.

In what would be his final Opening Day start in Baltimore, The Captain Adam Jones came to the plate in the 11th inning with the game tied at two. Jones sent the Minnesota Twins home with a walkoff loss for the second time in three years with a game-ending home run.

MASNsports.com

2. The Orioles open the season as defending champs for the first time

Opening Day in 1967 for the Baltimore Orioles was the first of only three times the Orioles could open a season as the defending champs.

We put 1967 on this list as it was the first championship defense the Orioles have ever had. With a team highlighted by Hall of Famers Brooks and Frank Robinson, the Orioles opened their championship defense with a 6-3 victory.

Baltimoresun.com

A full Memorial Stadium welcomed back the 1966 World Champions and showed the city what winning baseball can do for the people.

1. The first Opening Day at Camden Yards

Anyone who knows baseball knows how important and pivotal Oriole Park at Camden Yards was to the game.


April 6, 1992, is often said to be the start of the new era of Major League Baseball. This was because of the unveiling of a brand new Camden Yards. Still in 2020, stadiums are built and designed with the blueprint that Camden Yards created for what a baseball stadium should be.

Twitter.com

With Eutaw street and the warehouse looking over the new stadium with an attendance of 44,568 fans, the Orioles won their first game in their new stadium 2-0 over the Cleveland Indians, to mark a new beginning in Orioles baseball.


What do you think about our list? Be sure to let us know in the comments, and make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

Battery Q&A: Edition 2

Welcome to another edition of Battery Q&A! We would like to say thank you to our Battery Family for sending in questions to make this series possible!

Let’s get right into it!

I have a question about Hunter Harvey! I saw that he threw 100 mph in a game. But because of the fact that he underwent elbow surgery in the past, I am a bit curious that he can stay in good condition during the season. Also, I wonder if he can be our future closer! – from Philip Yang

Hello to you, Philip! Thank you for supporting us all the way in South Korea!

You saw correctly. Hunter Harvey has reached over 100 mph on his fastball multiple occasions. That’s what makes him such a valuable, young piece to the Orioles bullpen during this rebuild.

You’re also correct about Harvey having Tommy John surgery back in 2016. The surgery forced Harvey to go from starting games to coming out of the bullpen during the season last year.

But do I think his past will affect his future in any way? I do not.

Harvey is going to be a force to be reckoned with for the Orioles. Appearing in seven games last season, Harvey gave up just one earned run in 6.1 innings, while striking out 11 batters. He also finished the year with a 1.42 ERA.

Harvey got off to a late start this spring due to an illness, but appeared in four games, giving up two earned runs and striking out five in 3.2 innings.

Whenever the season begins, manager Brandon Hyde will look to find what role Harvey will play in the O’s bullpen. I believe he will be the future closer, but I expect him to be in a setup role to start things out.

What position players did you think would make the roster as backups? – from Timothy Stahm

The Orioles had no shortage of players fighting for a utility or bench role for the 2020 season.

Pat Valaika was putting on a show this spring, after being claimed twice by the O’s.

In 11 games, Valaika slashed .333/.379/.704 with three homers and five RBI. He played games all around the diamond, including first, second, shortstop, and the outfield.

Other names like Stevie Wilkerson, Richard Ureña, Andrew Velazquez, and José Rondón fought for a bench position, but with the nasty Coronavirus ending Spring Training early, their chances were cut short.

As I see it currently, I would predict that Pat Valaika, Stevie Wilkerson, José Rondón, DJ Stewart, and Chance Sisco would be the Orioles bench to start the season.

How is Trey’s Recovery and prognosis? – from Karl Kalbach

Trey Mancini is currently in good spirits after having surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his colon.

Manager Brandon Hyde texted Mancini a few days ago to wish him a happy birthday and says that he is uplifting him, which is typical Mancini.

Orioles GM Mike Elias said last week that Mancini is out of the hospital, up and walking around, and doing really well.

Elias also stated that Mancini has more appointments and tests to go through, but he’s very pleased about the outcome of the procedure.

That’s all the information we can provide at this time. Let’s all continue to send our thoughts and prayers to Mancini and his family!

That’s it for this week’s edition of Battery Q&A! If you have a question you want answered, just contact us on our social medias!

Make sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for all the latest updates!

Top 5 awkward Baltimore Oriole moments

With coronavirus suspending spring training and pushing back Opening Day, it’s safe to say this is a very awkward situation for the Orioles. Inspired by these events, The Baltimore Battery has decided to talk about our top 5 most awkward moments ever in Orioles baseball!

Without further ado, let the awkwardness begin!

5. Brian Matusz get ejected for foreign substance on right arm.

In a game against the Miami Marlins on Saturday, May 23, 2015, a very awkward moment came to life by the actions of relief pitcher, Brian Matusz.

Entering the game in the 12th inning amidst a 0-0 tie, Matusz came in and made quick work of the first two batter, resulting in the first two outs.

ESPN.com

It was after the second out that Marlins manager, Dave Jennings, went out to speak to home plate umpire, Jordan Baker.


When Baker and crew chief Paul Emmel found a foreign substance on Matusz’s right arm, Matusz was ejected and handed an eight-game suspension.

4. Empty Stadium game

On April 29, 2015, the Baltimore Orioles hosted the Chicago White Sox in MLB’s first ever empty stadium game. Due to civil unrest during the Baltimore riots, fans were unable to attend the game.

The most awkward part of this situation was watching the game on TV and hearing and seeing no fans and their reactions. It was like watching a simulated game after batting practice during the offseason.

Time.com

The Orioles made up for the lack of crowd noise with their bats, with home runs from Chris Davis and Manny Machado. The Orioles scored five runs in the first inning of the game and won 8-2.

The Chicago White Sox went home following that game more quiet than the empty stadium they had just left.

3. Manny Machado’s feud with Josh Donaldson

Our next awkward Orioles moment is one fans wanted to forget immediately.
2014 was the most magical Orioles season in recent memory, yet features one of the worst Orioles moments; Manny Machado and Josh Donaldson’s feud.

In a game on Friday June 6, 2014, Manny Machado was advancing to third base. Oakland Athletics third baseman, Josh Donaldson, applied the tag on Machado. Machado thought the tag was dirty and applied too hard and jumped up and started screaming in the face of Josh Donaldson.

Sportingnews.com

What makes this moment so awkward was Manny Machado’s retaliation. Later in that same series, Manny Machado disliked two inside pitches thrown near him and flung his bat down the third base line on his next swing.
An amazing season was tainted by sheer immaturity on the part of 21 year old Manny Machado.

2. Coronavirus suspending spring training and delaying Opening Day

The number two selection on our list is the situation we are currently experiencing. Only two weeks away from Opening Day, MLB decided to suspend spring training and push back Opening Day due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

What’s so awkward about this is the team, over the last two weeks of spring training, was working on cutting the roster down to 26 players, and now they cannot.

Baltimorebaseball.com

Even more awkward is the uncertainty of when baseball will even return. Among all the major sports being suspended, MLB being suspended is arguably the worst because all fans who have been waiting for months for the season to come around, are now left with only a tease.

1. Zack Britton riding the bench in the 2016 Wild Card game.

In the most recent playoff game the Orioles have participated in, one of the most head-scratching moments in all of sports happened.

Going into the 11th inning of a 2-2 tie in the single elimination Wild Card Game against the Toronto Blue Jays, manager Buck Showalter elected to bring in Ubaldo Jimenez to pitch.

All Oriole fans know the pain and suffering caused by Ubaldo Jimenez. To make things worse, Jimenez was brought into pitch instead of the league-leader in saves that year, closer Zack Britton.

Throughout the late stages of the game, all Oriole fans were wondering when their Cy Young candidate closer would enter the game. To all of our dismays, Britton would never enter the game.

Foxsports.com

In the home half of the 11th inning, Jimenez allowed two quick base runners, which was followed by the worst single swing in Orioles history.

As the third batter of the inning, Blue Jays DH Edwin Encarnacion launched the first pitch over the left field wall, ending the Orioles season. Besides just ending the Orioles season, the decision to pitch Jimenez over a man who held a minuscule 0.54 ERA ultimately closed the Orioles window of opportunity for a World Series.


What are your thoughts on our top 5 awkward Oriole moments? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

Spring training suspended; Opening Day pushed back at least 2 weeks

Amid the frenzied madness caused by the recent rise of the Coronavirus, Major League Baseball has decided to suspend spring training. The league will also push back the start of the regular season by at least two weeks, as said earlier today by Commisioner Rob Manfred.

Continue reading “Spring training suspended; Opening Day pushed back at least 2 weeks”

7 Orioles pitchers to watch in 2020

The Baltimore Orioles are in a rebuild, and the fans, like us, are well aware of this. While the win-loss numbers might not be pretty this year, there are a number of prospects with very exciting futures. Some of the names that give Baltimore fans hope are Adley Rutschman, Ryan Mountcastle, Austin Hays, Yusniel Diaz, etc.

But where is the love for the pitchers?

Here are seven pitchers to look out for this season, who will be putting up numbers at Camden Yards and across the Orioles’ farm system!

Continue reading “7 Orioles pitchers to watch in 2020”

Orioles claim pitcher Hector Velázquez off waivers from Boston

The Boston Red Sox designated right-handed pitcher Hector Velázquez for assignment last week to make room for pitcher Collin McHugh, and the Orioles wasted no time in claiming him off waivers on Sunday, according to Roch Kubatko.

Continue reading “Orioles claim pitcher Hector Velázquez off waivers from Boston”

Orioles send Rule 5 picks Bailey and Rucker back to old teams; other roster moves

The first Friday in March saw a few moves for the Baltimore Orioles, a couple of them questionable. First let’s start with the players moved to minor league camps.

Continue reading “Orioles send Rule 5 picks Bailey and Rucker back to old teams; other roster moves”

Monday Thoughts: Edition 6

Week of February 17, 2020:

It’s Monday, and the entire Baltimore Orioles club has reported to Sarasota for 2020 spring training! What an exciting time to be O’s fans! Let’s kick off this week’s edition of Monday Thoughts with some spring training news!

Continue reading “Monday Thoughts: Edition 6”

Prospect Profiles: No. 2 overall Grayson Rodriguez

On this edition of The Baltimore Battery’s Prospect Profiles Countdown, we’re going to give you an overview of the 11th overall pick of the 2018 MLB Draft, right-handed pitcher and No. 2 overall prospect Grayson Rodriguez.

Continue reading “Prospect Profiles: No. 2 overall Grayson Rodriguez”

Orioles 2020 spring training preview: Corner infielders

Through the Orioles’ rebuild so far, one major trend in the infield is manager Brandon Hyde mixing and matching starting lineups. In 2019, regulars for the O’s moved around from position to position.

Continue reading “Orioles 2020 spring training preview: Corner infielders”

Prospect Profiles: No. 3 overall DL Hall

We’re down to the top three in The Baltimore Battery 2020 Prospect Profiles Countdown! Coming in as the No. 3 overall prospect in the Orioles organization, and up next on our countdown is 21-year-old left-handed pitcher, DL Hall.

Continue reading “Prospect Profiles: No. 3 overall DL Hall”

Prospect Profiles: No. 4 overall Ryan Mountcastle

Up next on The Baltimore Battery Prospect Profiles Countdown is stud corner infielder Ryan Mountcastle! The 22-year-old has a powerful swing and dominant presence at the plate, but can the 2015 first round pick improve his defense and become a regular in the Orioles’ starting lineup?

Continue reading “Prospect Profiles: No. 4 overall Ryan Mountcastle”

Orioles sign left-handed veteran Wade LeBlanc to minor league deal

With the Orioles in a constant pursuit for starting pitching, a deal with the 35-year-old veteran Wade LeBlanc seems to be a valuable signing.

Continue reading “Orioles sign left-handed veteran Wade LeBlanc to minor league deal”

Monday Thoughts: Edition 3

Week of January 20, 2020:

Welcome everyone to Edition 3 of Monday Thoughts! We are just 24 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Sarasota, and the Orioles are eager to begin the 2020 campaign! Let’s get things started with some hopeful news about the future in Baltimore!

Continue reading “Monday Thoughts: Edition 3”

Prospect Profiles: No. 10 overall Zac Lowther

Up next on the Baltimore Battery Prospect Profiles Countdown is left-handed pitcher and the No. 10 overall prospect in the Orioles organization, Zac Lowther. The 23-year-old was drafted by the Orioles in the second round (74th overall) of the 2017 draft out of Xavier.

Continue reading “Prospect Profiles: No. 10 overall Zac Lowther”

Monday Thoughts: Edition 2

Week of January 13, 2020:

Happy Monday, everyone! Welcome to the second edition of Monday Thoughts! Last week, we talked about the Orioles still not having their veteran middle infielder. Well, they found him (about 15 minutes after my posting of Edition 1), and his name is Jose Iglesias! Let’s start this week’s edition with my thoughts on the signing!

Continue reading “Monday Thoughts: Edition 2”

O’s claim Ureña off waivers from Jays; designate Valaika

After agreeing to terms with all four remaining eligible players (Trey Mancini, Mychal Givens, Hanser Alberto, and Miguel Castro), the Orioles have made another move, claiming infielder Richard Ureña off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays.

Continue reading “O’s claim Ureña off waivers from Jays; designate Valaika”

Prospect Profiles: No. 11 overall Keegan Akin

Up next on The Baltimore Battery Prospect Profiles Countdown is left-handed pitcher, No. 11 overall Keegan Akin. The 24-year-old starting pitching prospect was drafted in the second round of the 2016 draft (54 overall) out of Western Michigan.

Continue reading “Prospect Profiles: No. 11 overall Keegan Akin”