Diplomatic Immunity

The O’s drop 3 out of 4 in Boston in a Series they had to win & watch their Playoff hopes slip away in the process. They go from having a winning record against Boston for almost the entire season to dropping the last 3 after winning the opener & lose the season Series 10-9 to the Red Sox.

Game 1 : Orioles 14, Red Sox 8 – Cedric Mullins homers on the 2nd pitch of the game, Anthony Santander homers from both sides of the plate & the Orioles outslug the Red Sox to gain some ground in the AL Wild Card race & keep their season alive. Mullins hits a solo shot off of Boston starter Connor Seabold in the 1st, his 16th career lead off homer & his 5th of the season. Jorge Mateo doubles to right to score Rougned Odor in the 2nd & scores along w/ Rookie Kyle Stowers on a triple by Mullins who then scores on a wild throw on a pick off attempt by C Reese McGuire to cap the scoring in a 4-run inning. J.D. Martinez hits a solo shot for the Red Sox in the 2nd & Kike Hernandez singles to score Rookie Triston Casas against O’s starter Jordan Lyles who goes 2 innings, allows 5 runs on 5 hits, walks 1 & strikes out none – he doesn’t come out to start the 3rd after a 1 hour & 40 minute rain delay & is relieved by Spenser Watkins. Stowers triples to score Austin Hays off of reliever Tyler Danish who comes on to start the 3rd in relief of Seabold who allows 5 runs but only 4 earned on 5 hits, he strikes out 2 & walks 2 in his 2 innings before the delay. Hernandez singles to score McGuire & Rob Refsnyder & scores on a single by Rafael Devers to cut the lead to 1 against Watkins in the 4th. Odor singles to score Mountcastle & Stowers singles to score fellow Rookie Gunnar Henderson off of Rookie Zach Kelly after Danish loads the bases in the 5th. Santander hits a solo shot off of Lukas Ort who then walks Mountcastle & Henderson tees off on a 2-run shot off of the Rookie. Santander adds another 2-run blast off of Franklin German to increase the O’s lead in the 7th to 8. Rob Refsnyder launches a 3-run shot off of Conner Gillaspie who comes on in relief of Watkins in the bottom of the inning, Watkins allows 4 runs on 8 hits in 4 1/3, he strikes out 2 & walks 2. Austin Hays adds a solo shot off of Eduardo Bazardo for the final O’s run of the night in the 8th & Gillaspie finishes the game, throwing 2 2/3 innings of relief. Baltimore moves to 3.5 games behind Seattle who was idle, they snap a 2-game losing streak & reach win number 80, needing only 1 more to secure a non-losing season for the first time in 5 years. Boston loses it’s 6th in a row, 1 night after being eliminated from Playoff contention & can secure a losing season w/ just 1 more loss, they trail the season Series w/ Baltimore 9-7.

Bal (80-73) Bos (72-81)

WP : Watkins (5-6)
LP : Seabold (0-4)

Game 2 : Red Sox 13, Orioles 9 – The Orioles homer 4 times, including 2 by Anthony Santander but it goes for not as the Red Sox pound out 13 runs on 11 hits, 1 night after allowing 14 runs to the Orioles & snap a 6 game losing streak while keeping Baltimore from gaining any ground in their chase for the 3rd & final AL Wild Card spot. Ryan Mountcastle singles to score Santander in the 1st off of Boston starter Michael Wacha but Boston Rookie Tristan Casas hits a 2-run shot off of O’s starter Kyle Bradish in the 2nd to put Boston ahead. Adley Rutschman & Santander go back-to-back off of Wacha in the 3rd as the O’s take the lead back but Bradish hits Rob Refsnyder w/ the bases loaded to force home Alex Verdugo, walks Rookie Connor Wong to force home Casas, then departs in the 3rd after allowing 7 runs on 4 hits, he strikes out 4 & walks 3 in just 2 1/3 innings. Tommy Pham singles to score Kike Hernandez & Refsnyder off of reliever Joey Krehbiel, Bogaerts walks to force home Wong & Verdugo hits a sac fly to score Pham & cap the scoring on a 6-run 3rd inning for the Red Sox. Ramon Urias hits a solo shot off of Wacha in the 4th, he goes 3-3-3 & leaves w/ a knee injury, needing only a double for the cycle & Rougned Odor singles & comes around to score on a triple by Austin Hays as the O’s cut the lead to 3. Wacha leaves the game after striking out the next batter, Rookie Kyle Stowers, he goes 3 1/3 innings, allows 6 runs on 8 hits, strikes out 3 & walks none. Cedric Mullins singles to score Hays off of reliever Matt Strahm & Santander hits his 2nd HR of the game, a 2-run shot off of Strahm to tie it in a 5-run 4th of their own. Santander homers from both sides of the plate for the 2nd straight night & 4th time this season, he ties Ken Caminiti for the major-league record that he set in 1996 w/ San Diego & has 6 HR’s in his last 4 games. Casas scores on a fielders choice by Wong, Pham is hit by a pitch from reliever Jake Reed to force home Refsnyder, Rafael Devers singles to score Hernandez & Wong of of DL Hall & Pham scores on a fielders choice by Bogaerts as Boston responds w/ 5 more in the bottom of the 4th but are also helped out by 2 Odor errors. Jorge Mateo doubles & scores on a single by Odor who redeems himseldf off of John Schrieber in the 7th but the Orioles can get no closer. Ryan Brasier works the 8th & Matt Barnes pitches the 9th despite loading the bases but gets Hays to ground into a doubleplay to end it. Baltimore loses for the 3rd time in their last 4 games & misses a golden opportunity to make up ground, remains 3.5 games behind Seattle who lost to Texas for the 3rd AL Wild Card spot w/ just 8 games left to play. Boston wins for the 1st time in their last 7 games, they trail the season Series w/ the Orioles 8-7 w/ 2 games left to play.

Bos (73-81) Bal (80-74)

WP : Strahm (4-4)
LP : Krehbiel (5-5)

Game 3 : Red Sox 3, Orioles 1 – Rich Hill continues his domination over the Orioles as he tosses 6 scoreless, Abraham Almonte & Alex Verdugo homer as the Red Sox beat the Orioles for the 2nd time night in a row & all but bury Baltimore in the AL Wild Card race. Alex Verdugo singles to score Rafael Devers in the 1st off of O’s starter Dean Kremer as the Red Sox take the lead & never look back, Almonte his first HR of the season, a solo shot off of Kremer in the 3rd & Verdugo adds another solo blast off of Kremer in the 6th. Kremer allows 3 runs (all on solo homers) on 6 hits, strikes out 2 & walks 4 in 5 innings of work. Hill allows 5 hits, strikes out 9 & walks just 1 in 6 shutout innings, he also tossed 5 scoreless against the Orioles in a win in Baltimore on September 11. He also becomes the 21st pitcher in MLB history to make at least 25 starts in a season at the age of 42 or older. Ryan Brasier works a scoreless 7th & Robinson Chirinos gets the O’s on the board w/ a solo shot off of Rookie  Kaleb Ort in the 8th. Matt Barnes closes it out despite allowing 2 baserunners in the 9th. Anthony Santander goes 0-4 w/ 2 strikeouts for Baltimore, 1 night after homering from both sides of the plate, he was 8-20 w/ 6 HR’s & 9 RBI in his previous 4 games. Baltimore loses for the 4th time in their last 5 & slips to 4.5 games behind Seattle for the final AL Wild Card spot w/ only 7 games to play. Boston wins for the 2nd time in a row after a 6-game losing streak, they tie the season Series w/ Baltimore 9-9.

Bos (73-81) Bal (80-75)

WP : Hill (8-7)
LP : Kremer (8-6)

Game 4 : Red Sox 5, Orioles 3 – The Orioles lose for the 3rd time in a row after taking the opener of this crucial 4-game Series as J.D. Martinez homers, Nathan Eovaldi pitches into the 5th inning & the Red Sox bullpen puts the clamps on Baltimore as they win this matinee & all but end the O’s Playoff hopes. The O’s score twice in the 3rd as Rookie Kyle Stowers scores on a groundout by fellow Adley Rutschman who had doubled to break Cal Ripken’s Rookie record of 33 set in 1982 & ties Javy Lopez in 2004 for most doubles by an Orioles C. Jorge Mateo then scores on an error by Rookie 1B Triston Casas but Casas makes up for his blunder as he doubles home J.D. Martinez & scores on a single by Kike Hernandez in a 2-run 4th inning against O’s starter Mike Baumann. Baumann allows 2 runs on 6 hits in 4 innings of work, he strikes out 2 & walks none. Eovaldi pitches 4 2/3, allows 2 runs on 5 hits, strikes out 3 & walks none in his first appearance since going on the IL on August 23. Alex Verdugo scores on a groundout by Christian Arroyo to give Boston the lead in the 6th against reliever Cionel Perez but Stowers hits a game-tying solo blast off of reliever Matt Strahm as the O’s desperately fight to keep their Playoff hopes alive. Martinez then puts a nail in the O’s coffin w/ a 2-run shot over the Green Monster off of Dillon Tate to give Boston the lead for good in the 8th. Martinez has 2 hits, 2 RBI & 2 runs scored & Casas has 2 hits & drives in 1 & scores 1. Rookie Zac Kelly works a scoreless 8th earn his first career win & Rookie Kaleb Ort closes it out in the 9th for his 1st career save. Boston beats Baltimore for the 3rd game in a row after losing 5 in a row coming into this Series & dropping the opener. They are still just 1 loss away from a losing season but have once again put that on hold for another day. Baltimore has lost 5 of their last 6 & loses 3 out of 4 to Boston in a must win Series while watching as their AL Wild Card hopes crumble in the process & Toronto clinches a Wild Card spot. They trailed Seattle by just 3.5 games after winning the opener but will need to overcome a 5 game defecit w/ 6 to play. They also lose the season Series to Boston (10-9) for the 5th straight year, after leading for most of the season.

Bos (74-81) Bal (80-76)

WP : Kelly (1-0)
LP : Tate (4-4)
S : Ort (1)

Baltimore loses 3 out of 4 in their most crucial Series of the season to an AL East hated rival but will have no time to pout. Next up, the Yankees in New York for 3 & home to close out the regular season against Toronto. They are 5 games out of a Playoff spot w/ 6 to play & their magic number is 1.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#OutOfGas

The Orioles take the first 2 games of a crucial 4 Game Series w/ the Astros but lose their grip on a lead in Game 3 & let the finale slip right through their grasp, can only earn a split in a Series they could have possibly swept as they race against time for an AL Wild Card spot.

Game 1 : Orioles 2, Astros 0 – Kyle Bradish tosses 8 2/3 shutout innings to come within 1 out of a complete game shutout & out duel Justin Verlander as the Orioles beat the Astros for the 3rd time in 4 games this season & remain 4 games behind Seattle for the final AL Wild Card spot. Ryan Mountcastle & Rookie Terrin Vavra hit back-to-back singles w/ 1 out, move up a base on a groundout by Rookie Kyle Stowers & both come around to score on a 2-out single by Rougned Odor off of Verlander as the O’s take the lead for good. Verlander goes 6 innings, allows 2 runs on 6 hits, strikes out 4 & walks 1 in his 2nd game back from a calf injury suffered against the Orioles in Houston last month – he still leads the majors w/ a 1.82 ERA. The Orioles almost had another run in the 5th when Cedric Mullins doubles & goes to 3rd on a throwing error by RF Kyle Tucker but is waved home on the play & thrown out at home by 3B Alex Bregman. The 2 runs off of Verlander would be all Bradish would need as he strikes out the side in the 3rd & takes a perfect game into the 6th inning before Mauricio Dubon singles w/ 2 outs. It’s the only baserunner allowed by Bradish until the 9th when Rookie Jeremy Pena singles w/ 2 outs after Bradish strikes out the first 2 to start the inning but the O’s call on closer Felix Bautista who strikes out Aledmys Diaz swinging w/ the tying run on base & pick up the 1 out save. Bradish goes 8 2/3 scoreless, allows just 2 hits, strikes out 10 & walks none – it’s the 4th time in his last 6 starts that he has allowed 2 or fewer hits while going at least 7 innings. He threw 8 innings of 2-hit ball in Houston on Aug 26. Trey Mancini goes 0-3 in his return to Camden Yards since being traded by the Orioles to the Astros on August 1. Baltimore wins for just the 3rd time in their last 7 games but defeats Houston for the 3rd time in their last 4 while allowing just 4 runs in the 4 games they have played, including 2 shutouts. Houston still has the best record in the major-leagues & has clinched the AL West, they lose for only the 2nd time in their last 12 games & are in position to be the #1 seed in the AL Playoffs.

Bal (78-71) Hou (99-52)

WP : Bradish (4-7)
LP : Verlander (17-4)
S : Bautista (15)

Game 2 : Orioles 6, Astros 0 – Dean Kremer pitches a 4-hit, complete game shutout, the 2nd complete game in the last 3 starts, Adley Rutschman has 3 hits, including a homer & drives in 2 as the Orioles win for the 4th time in 5 games against the Astros this season & move within 3 games of the of  Seattle for the final AL Wild Card spot. Rutschman hits a solo shot off of Astros starter Jose Urquidy in the 4th, Urquidy goes 5 1/3, allows 1 run on 3 hits, strikes out 6 & walks 1 before he is relieved by Bryan Abreu. Urquidy duels w/ Kremer into the 6th who makes 1 run stand up until his bats finally give him some more run support w/ a 5-run 7th inning against the Houston bullpen. Rookie Terrin Vavra singles to score Kyle Stowers, Cedric Mullins singles to score Austin Hays & Vavra against reliever Hector Neris who departs after allowing 4 runs on 4 hits without recording an out in the 7th. Rutschman doubles home Mullins & Mountcastle singles to score Rutschman off of Will Smith to cap the 5-run outburst. Kremer allows a leadoff double to Jose Altuve to lead off the game but Altuve is gunned down at third trying to stretch it to a triple & the Astros get only 1 man to second the rest of the game. Kremer walks 2, strikes out 6 & doesn’t allow a runner past second base in his first career complete game, the third straight impressive performance by an Orioles starter after Jordan Lyles 3-hit complete game against Detroit & Kyle Bradish pitching 8 2/3 innings the night before. The Orioles have 15 shutouts this season, their most since 1992, including 3 against Houston. Baltimore has outscored Houston 14-4 in 5 games this season & is 4-1 against them this season, they have now won 2 in a row after losing 4 of their last 6 coming in to this game. Houston is still stuck on 99 wins but has already clinched the AL West & possibly the best record in the AL despite being shutout 3 times against Baltimore while only winning 1 out of 5. They are still 10-3 in their last 13 games.

Bal (78-71) Hou (99-52)

WP : Kremer (8-5)
LP : Urquidy (13-8)

Game 3 : Astros 11, Orioles 10 – Yuli Gurriel hits a huge 2-run single in a 4-run Astros 9th as Houston rallies to beat the O’s & give manager, Dusty Baker his 100th win in the AL for the first time. Baker has to really earn it in a wild game that the Birds lose after being on the brink of winning & gaining much needed ground in the AL Wild Card race. Jose Altuve hits a 2-run shot off of O’s starter Michael Baumann in the 3rd but Roughned Odor singles to score Adley Rutschman & Ramon Urias off of Astros starter Framber Valdez to tie it in the 4th & the O’s score 3 more times in the inning against the All-Star lefty. Jorge Mateo grounds out to Valdez but Austin Hays scores to give the O’s the lead & Cedric Mullins drills a 2-run shot to give the O’s a 3-run lead in the 4th. Baumann goes 4 innings, allows 2 runs on 3 hits, strikes out 2 & walks 2 but the Astros rally to score 4 times in the 5th against reliever Joey Krehbiel. Rookie Jeremy Pena doubles to score Chas McCormick & Martin Maldonado to cut it to 1, Yordan Alvarez singles to score Jose Altuve & Alex Bregman hits a sac fly to score Pena as Houston takes the lead again. Krehbiel allows 4 runs on 3 hits & walks 1 in just 1/3 of an inning. Anthony Santander hits a solo shot off of Valdez to tie it in the 5th & Ryan Mountcastle singles to score Mateo & give the Orioles the lead back while ending Valdez’ evening as well. Valdez goes 5 1/3, he allows 7 runs on 11 hits, he strikes out 6 & walks 1, the first time in 26 starts since April 19 that he has failed to give at least 6 innings. Gurriel doubles to score Alvarez off of closer Felix Bautista in the 8th who comes on relief of Dillon Tate but struggles, allowing 4 runs in 1 1/3 innings of work & snapping a streak of 13 saves in a row. Mountcastle singles off of reliever Rafael Montero & Santander blasts a 2-run shot off off the Houston reliever, his 2nd of the night to give the Orioles the lead again – the 6th lead change of the game. Alex Bregman grounds into a fielders choice to score Christian Vasquez & cuts the lead to 1, Kyle Tucker doubles w/ 2 outs to score Altuve, tying the game & Gurriel singles to score Bregman & Tucker to give the Astros the lead back – the 7th & final lead change of the game. Rougned Odor hits a solo shot off of closer Ryan Pressly in the 9th to cut it to 1 but Pressly records the next 3 outs to close it out & earn his 31st save, Odor goes 4-8 w/ a HR, 5 RBI & 2 runs scored in the first 3 games of this Series (playing only 2). Baker joins Sparky Anderson, Tony LaRussa & Whitey Herzog as the only managers in major-league to win 100 games in both leagues. He won 103 w/ San Francisco in 1993 but never reached triple digits again until this season. Houston wins for the 11th time in their last 14 games, they defeat the Orioles for just the 2nd time in 6 games this season & win their 100th game, as their manager reaches a milestone. Baltimore is 4-5 in their last 9 games & 4-2 against the Houston, they now sit 4 games behind Seattle for the final AL Wild Card spot.

Hou (100-53) Bal (79-72)

WP : Montero
LP : Bautista (4-4)
S : Pressly (31)

Game 4 : Astros 6, Orioles 3 (11 innings) – Christian Vasquez hits a bases loaded single to cap a 4-run 11th inning for the Astros who bounce back from back to back shutouts to start this Series by winning the final 2 games & earning the split against the O’s as Baltimore watches it’s Playoff hopes start to fade away. Mauricio Dubon hits a sac fly to score Vasquez in the 3rd off of O’s starter Austin Voth the only run allowed by Voth in 5 innings of work, he strikes out 6 & walks none. Astros starter Christian Javier tosses 6 1-hit innings, strikes out 8 & walks none as he keeps the Oriole bats off balance all day. It’s his third straight scoreless outing, he retires the first 13 batters he sees & faces the minimum until Ryan Mountcastle singles w/ 1 out in the 5th, the only baserunner allowed by Javier who wipes out Mountcastle on a doubleplay grounder. Javier exits after a 46 minute rain delay following the 6th & Will Smith takes over for him in the 7th. Mountcastle doubles in the 8th off of reliever Ryne Stanek, moves to 3rd on a sac fly by Austin Hays & scores on a long single off the wall in right by Odor, who narrowly misses a HR but drives in his 6th run of the Series as the O’s tie it against the Houston bullpen but leave the bases loaded & the teams play on to extra innings. Gurriel begins the 10th on second moves to third on a sac fly by Vasquez & scores on a wild pitch by Dillon Tate to put Houston ahead but Austin Hays singles moves to second on a wild pitch by reliever Hector Neris & scores on a single by Odor to tie it again, the 7th RBI in 3 games for Odor in this Series. Yordan Alvarez puts Houston ahead again on a sac fly in the 11th to score Rookie Jeremy Pena against reliever Keegan Akin who then walks Kyle Tucker w/ the bases loaded & Vasquez puts the game away w/ a 2-run bases loaded single off of Joey Krehbiel. Cedric Mullins singles to score Jorge Mateo in the bottom of the inning but Montero gets Rookie Gunnar Henderson swinging to end the game.
Houston salvages the last 2 games of this Series in their last at bats as they try to lock in their #1 seed in the AL for the Playoffs but is outscored 28-21 by the Orioles on the season. Baltimore is 4-6 in it’s last 10, they win the season Series 4-3 against the Astros but fail to make up any ground on Seattle who blows a 9-run lead to Kansas City & still sits 4 games behind the Mariners w/ 10 games to play.

Hou (101-53) Bal (79-73)

WP : Neris (6-4)
LP : Akin (3-3)

Baltimore will now head to Boston for 4 & the Bronx for 3 before returning home to host Toronto for 3. 10 games left & 4 games back in the AL Wild Card. This team is going to need some help to get in the Playoffs unless they can run the table & even then they might still need some help or a few things to go their way. All they can do is keep playing & let the cards fall where they may.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#TimeIsOfTheEssence

Ravens 37, Patriots 26 : Week 3 – Ravens Recap & Grades :

Offense – This group once again lit up the scoreboard to the tune of 5 TD’s, all by Lamar Jackson as the QB rushes 107 yards on 11 carries, an average of 9.7 yards per rush, including a 9-yard TD run to cap a 7-play, 73 yard drive that closes out the game & Justice Hill runs for 60 yards on 10 carries an average of 10.0 yards per carry. They rush for 188 as a team on 26 carries, an average of 7.2 yards per carry, including 23 yards on 7 carries for J.K. Dobbins, an average of 3.3 yards per carry in his first game back in over a year. Jackson goes 11-29 for 218 yards & 4 TD’s as he hits TE Mark Andrews twice, WR Devin Duvernay & TE Josh Oliver, who hauls in his first career TD, also throws 1 interception to CB Jonathan Jones & is sacked 4 times on the day. Andrews hauls in 8 passes for 89 yards & 2 TD’s, an average of 11.1 yards per catch & Rashod Bateman catches 2 passes for 59 yards, an average of 29.5 yards per catch but turns the ball over on a huge fumble in the 4th. Lamar becomes the 1st player in the Super Bowl era to throw 3 or more TD passes & rush for 100+ yards in back to back games after a 2 amazing performances in consecutive weeks despite an offensive line that is beat up & struggling to run block & pass protect. Speaking of the offensive line, this was the bad part of this group as they allow 4 sacks, all in the 1st half, including 3 by DE Deatrich Wise, they also lose 3rd string LT, Patrick Mekari to an ankle injury that forces Rookie, Daniel Faalele to step in & once again still has problems opening up running lanes for the backs. This group plays much better in the 2nd half as they do not allow a sack but there are still major issues to fix, the biggest one being LT. Overall, a good day for a slightly makeshift group that tallies 394 total yards & 5 TD’s, scoring points has definitely not been a problem so far.
Grade : A

Defense – This group got shredded again despite making some key plays to close the game out & still seems to be trying to find its footing while it works to get guys on the same page. They allow 447 yards of total offense, including 145 yards on the ground, 73 by Rhamondre Stevenson on 12 carries, an average of 6.1 yards per carry & a TD, Damien Harris rushes for 41 yards on 11 carries, an average of 3.7 yards per carry & a TD as well. QB Mac Jones rushes for 31 yards on 5 carries, including a TD run, an average of 6.2 yards per carry & throws for 321 yards but also tosses 3 picks. Davante Parker hauls in 5 passes for 156 yards, an average of 31.2 yards per catch as this secondary is once again torched by the opposing QB but still makes some big plays on consecutive drives late in the game to close it out. LB Josh Bynes picks off Jones in the 3rd quarter which leads to a FG, Marlon Humphrey picks off Jones in the end zone after a fumble by Bateman gave New England the ball in the 4th, Rookie Kyle Hamilton forces a fumble by WR Nelson Agholar after a 28 yard catch & run which leads to a TD & Marcus Peters picks off Jones for the 3rd time to seal it while Jones limps off w/ an ankle injury. The pass rush is average & is something that needs drastic improvement, it’s one of the reasons the secondary has been so exposed as well – they do register 3 sacks as ILB Patrick Queen, DE Justin Madubuike & newly acquired OLB Brandon Copeland each get to Jones once but the need for more edge rushes is huge & just got thinner as OLB Justin Houston also left this game w/ a groin injury as well as DT Michael Pierce leaving w/ an arm injury. DC Mike MacDonald is still tinkering w/ what works & what doesn’t while learning about what life as an NFL DC is like as opposed to the NCAA. Lots of things to clean up w/ this group but they are starting to show signs of improvement.
Grade : C-

Special Teams – This was once again a bright spot despite a few small hiccups as they continue to be the backbone of this team week in & week out. Devin Duvernay totals 80 return yards – 25 yards on 1 kick return, an average of 25.0 per return & 55 yards on 2 punt returns, an average of 27.5 per return while the coverage is solid all day, allowing just 58 return yards – 45 to CB Marcus Jones on 2 kick returns, an average of 22.5 yards per return & 13 to CB Myles Bryant on 2 punt returns, an average of just 6.5 yards per return. Justin Tucker hits in a FG from 56 yards out, the 50th FG of 50 yards or more in his career & hits on 4 of his 5 extra point tries, missing the extra point, (which is a very rare occurrence) on the final TD run by Jackson as it clanged off the left upright. Rookie, Jordan Stout punts it away 3 times for 133 yards, an average of 44.3 yards per punt as he has filled in for the legendary Sam Koch & the production hasn’t missed a beat. This group does well every week despite some of the staples being gone but that’s to he expected when your HC is cut from a Special Teams cloth & emphasizes the importance of it to his staff. The coverage is solid, the kicking is solid & the return game is always a threat to break one, Duvernay & Tucker headline this group & the 2 Pro-Bowlers lead one of the best ST groups in the league. Never really any complaints or things to work on w/ this unit because they are always so good, so good that Tucker’s missed extra point was a complete shocker as he has been so automatic that any mistake comes as a surprise. Overall, another great performance by this group.
Grade : A

Coaching : The coaching staff redeemed themselves after a terrible performance the week before but this was still a game that pitted Harbaugh against Belichick once again & highlighted the Ravens – Patriots rivalry that has lost it’s luster due to losing most of it’s star power. Belichick had a plan early but Lamar’s athleticism nixed all of it, the Ravens coaching staff stuck to their game plan as well & even made adjustments as Lamar was sacked 4 times & under constant pressure in the 1st half but wasn’t sacked at all in the 2nd half despite missing his LT. They also figured out the running game in the 2nd half, going w/ Justice Hill & seeing some success. This staff still needs to give this team an identity, it’s just Lamar ball right now & that strategy will not cut it going forward nor is it sustainable. The coaches need to give this team their identity, is it an offensive team built to outscore teams or will they get back to the defensive mentality that this team was known for since they came into existence? Mike MacDonald needs to toughen up his group too, they need to at least be a bend but don’t break Defense if they can’t be counted on to get critical stops. Greg Roman has to figure out the running game issues & put an emphasis on the offensive line coaches to get it right too, accountability, communication & attention to detail are the things that make up a great staff, John Harbaugh is the first in line & needs to know that he can trust his staff in critical situations since he can’t take over any of the play calling. Overall, a good performance by this staff to pick up the first Ravens win in New England in their last 7 tries, they did well to get some things figured out mid-game this time but they still have more work to do.
Grade : B-

Overall Grade : B-

🏈🏈🏈
GO RAVENS!!
#WorkInProgress

The Orioles lose 2 out of 3 to the Tigers in a Series that they had to have, winning the finale to avoid the sweep & pick up their only win of the season against Detroit as their Playoff hopes start to slip away.

Game 1 : Tigers 11, Orioles 0 – Tyler Alexander tosses a No-Hitter into the 7th inning, Rookie Ryan Kriegler drives in 3 runs & the Tigers completely inialate the Orioles in the opener to play spoiler to Baltimore’s Playoff hopes & stun the home crowd. Miguel Cabrera gets it all started when he singles to score Javier Baez as the Tigers grab the lead in the 1st against O’s starter Tyler Wells & Cabrera singles to lead off the 4th, then scores on a bases loaded walk by Kriedler as Wells departs after 3 innings & allows 5 runs on 4 hits, strikes out 3 & walks 3. Spencer Torkelson scores on a wild pitch by Rookie reliever DL Hall, Akin Badoo singles to score Jonathan Schoop & Kriedler, then scores on a double by Rookie Riley Greene in a 5-run Detroit 4th inning to break the game wide open. Alexander allows just 2 baserunners over the first 6 innings, both on walks before Ryan Mountcastle singles in the 7th & Anthony Santander also singles but Alexander strands both runners. He ties a career-high w/ 7 innings pitched, allows just 2 hits, strikes out 4 & walks 2, he was winless in his last 4 starts since August 20. Will Vest works the 8th & Jose Cisnero closes it out in the 9th. Greene doubles home Kriedler in the 6th off of Jake Reed & Kriedler singles to score Spencer Torkelson in the 7th – Kriedler drives in 3 & scores twice on the night on only 1 hit. Jonathan Schoop hits a sac fly to score Rookie Kerry Carpenter in the 9th & Kriedler hits a sac fly to score Spencer Torkelson for the final Detroit run & his 3rd RBI of the night. Detroit came in losers in 6 of their last 7 prior to this game but the last place Tigers have now beaten the Orioles in all 4 games they have faced them this season. Baltimore is shutout for the 10th time this season & has now lost 8 in a row against Detroit dating back to last season & falls to 5 games back of Seattle or the final AL Wild Card spot w/ 16 games left & Mariners own the tiebreaker between the 2 teams after winning the season Series.

Det (56-91) Bal (76-70)

WP : Alexander (4-10)
LP : Wells (7-7)

Game 2 : Tigers 3, Orioles 2 – Joey Wentz takes a shutout into the 6th inning, Akil Badoo & Kerry Carpenter homer as the Tigers take the Series against the fading O’s & remain unbeaten against them this season. Badoo hits a 2-run shot in the 3rd to give the Tigers the lead for good against O’s starter Austin Voth who goes 5 innings, allows 2 runs on 6 hits, strikes out 3 & walks none but gets no help from his bats. Wentz allows just 2 hits over 5 2/3 shutout innings, strikes out 4 & walks 2 – it’s the 3rd time in 5 major-league starts that the Rookie has held the opposition scoreless. Carpenter hits a solo shot in the 7th off of reliever Joey Krehbiel to add a huge insurance run that Detroit would desperately need because Rookie Gunnar Henderson launches a 2-run shot off of reliever Joe Jimenez to cut the lead to 1, it’s the first Orioles runs of the entire Series. Mountcastle singles off of Jimenez to knock him out of the game & Andrew Chafin walks Anthony Santander before he strikes out Rookie Adley Rutschman to end the inning. Gregory Soto works a perfect 9th to close it out & earn his 26th save in 28 tries. Jeimer Candelario has 4 hits & Badoo has 2 hitting in the 8th & 9th holes for Detroit who wins their 2nd in a row after losing 6 out of 7 & moves to 5-0 against the Orioles this season. Baltimore has lost 4 out of 5 & 9 in a row against Detroit dating back to last season, they came into the game trailing Seattle by 5 games for the final AL Wild Card spot.

Det (57-91) Bal (76-71)

WP : Wentz (2-2)
LP : Voth (5-3)
S : Soto (26)

Game 3 : Orioles 8, Tigers 1 – Jordan Lyles tosses the 2nd complete game of his career, Kyle Stowers homers & drives in 3 & the Orioles avoid their first ever season sweep by the Tigers as they pick up a huge win to remain in the hunt in the AL Wild Card race. The O’s score 3 times in the 3rd against Detroit starter Matt Manning as Adley Rutschman grounds into a fielders choice to score Ramon Urias, Rookie Gunnar Henderson doubles to score Cedric Mullins & Ryan Mountcastle hits a sac fly to score Rutschman to give the Orioles their first lead of the season against the Tigers. Henderson has 2 hits in this game & at least 1 in 15 of his first 20 games. Stowers drills a 2-run shot off of & Manning who departs after a walk to the next batter, Ramon Urias & is replaced by Daniel Norris. Manning goes 5 1/3, he allows 5 runs but only 3 earned on 4 hits, he strikes out 4 & walks 5 to tie a career-high. Carpenter hits a solo shot in the 7th to end the shutout, it ends a streak of 14 in a row retired by Lyles & is the 6th HR in 28 games for Carpenter. The Birds get 3 more back in the 8th when Stowers singles to score Mateo, Robinson Chirinos singles to score Austin Hays & Rutschman singles to score Stowers against reliever Jason Foley as the O’s pull away. Lyles allows 1 run on 3 hits, strikes out 6 & walks none, including a perfect 9th inning. His previous complete game was September 30, 2012 for Houston against Milwaukee & now 10 years later he adds his 2nd. Detroit loses for the 7th time in their last 10 games but for only the first time against the Orioles in 10 games dating back to last season. Baltimore wins for just the 2nd time in their last 6 games including for the first time in their last 10 against Detroit as they snap 9 game losing streak against them dating back to last season.

Bal (77-71) (57-92)

WP : Lyles (11-11)
LP : Manning (2-3)

Baltimore wastes a golden opportunity to gain ground in the AL Wild Card race & will now host Houston for 4 who comes in w/ the best record in the AL but they are still the same team that the Orioles took 2 out of 3 from last month.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#BarelyBreathing

The Orioles head up to Toronto in need of a Series win but lose 2 out of 3, salvaging the finale to avoid the sweep but lose crucial ground in the Playoff race as time starts to run out on their Postseason hopes.

Game 1 : Blue Jays 6, Orioles 3 – Matt Chapman homers twice, George Springer adds a 3-run shot & the Blue Jays hold their position AL Wild Card race as they take the opener to increase their lead to 5.5 games after their AL-leading 39th comeback win.
Chapman goes 3-4 w/ 3 RBI as he cracks a solo shot in the 2nd off of O’s starter Jordan Lyles, his first since August 20, ending a season long 25-game drought. It is the 10th multi-homer game of his career. Adley Rutschman’s 2-run shot off of Jays reliever Yusei Kikuchi gives the O’s the lead in the 4th – his first career HR off a lefty. Kikuchi goes 2 innings, allows 2 runs on 2 hits, strikes out 4 & walks none in relief of opener Trevor Richards who strikes out the side in the 1st & reliever Julian Merryweather who goes 2 innings & Tim Mayza, Adam Cimber & Anthony Bass each pitch a scoreless inning in relief. Springer drills a 2-out, full count into the second deck, a 3-run shot in the 5th off of Lyles, who allows 4 runs on 5 hits, strikes out 5 & walks 1 & Chapman adds a 2-run shot in the 6th off of reliever Joey Krehbiel to put the Jays up 4. Rookie, Gunnar Henderson drills a solo shot in the 9th off of Yimi Garcia to cut the lead to 3 but the O’s can get no closer. Toronto is now 12-4 in the month of September & improves to 34-17 when hitting 2 or more HR runs in a game this season, they also move to 1 1/2 games on front of Tampa Bay in the AL Wild Card race. Baltimore finishes w/ just 3 hits & is unable to gain any ground on all 3 teams sitting in front of them – Toronto, Tampa Bay & Seattle & falls to 1-5 in their last 6 games against the Blue Jays, who they have split 14 meetings w/ this season.

Tor (82-63) Bal (75-68)

WP : Kikuchi (5-7)
LP : Lyles (10-11)

Game 2 : Blue Jays 6, Orioles 3 – Ramiel Tapia hits a 3-run double, George Springer has 2 hits & 2 RBI & Jose Berrios pitches 6 innings to remain unbeaten against the O’s & the Blue Jays put a stranglehold on their Playoff position as they win the Series. Matt Chapman drives in his 4th run in 3 days w/ a sac fly to score George Springer off of O’s starter Kyle Bradish in the 1st & Springer doubles to score Santiago Espinal & Cavan Biggio in the 2nd as the Jays give Berrios some run support. Rookie, Gunnar Henderson singles to score Cedric Mullins & Anthony Santander in a 2-run O’s 2nd against Berrios, Henderson’s 2nd & 3rd RBI’s in the last 2 games. It would be the only runs allowed by Berrios on the day as he pitches 6 innings, allows 2 runs on 7 hits, strikes out 3 & walks 2 to win his 3rd straight decision. He is 8-0 w/ a 3.04 ERA in in 11 career starts against Baltimore. Toronto puts 2 on w/ 2 out against Bradish on an error & a walk & reliever Jake Reed walks Teoscar Hernandez to load the bases before Tapia clears them w/ a double down the line in right to score Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Teoscar Hernandez & Chapman & give the Jays a 4-run lead. Bradish goes 4 2/3, he allows 5 runs on 6 hits, strikes out 3 & walks 1 in his 2nd straight loss. Terrin Vavra singles to score Henderson in the 8th against reliever Yimi Garcia to cut the lead on half but Jordan Romano closes it out in the 9th as the Jays take the Series. Toronto is now 13-4 in the month of September & have now won 6 of their last 7. Baltimore has lost 6 of their last 7 against Toronto after winning 6 of their first 8 earlier in the season & are now 5.5 games behind Toronto for the final AL Wild Card spot w/ only 4 games left to play against the Blue Jays.

Tor (83-63) Bal (75-69)

WP : Berrios (11-5)
LP : Bradish (3-7)

Game 3 : Orioles 5, Blue Jays 4 – Adley Rutschman singles home 2 runs in the 9th, the Orioles turn their 15th triple play in team history & beat the Blue Jays in the finale to avoid the sweep & pick up a much needed game in the AL Wild Card race. Bo Bichette singles to score Springer in the 3rd against O’s starter Dean Kremer but Jorge Mateo doubles to score Terrin Vavra against Jays starter Alek Manoah to tie the game in the 4th. Danny Jansen hits a solo shot off of Kremer in the bottom of the inning to give Toronto the lead back & Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hits a solo blast off of reliever Dillon Tate to push the Jays lead to 2. Kremer goes 5 2/3 innings, allows 2 runs on 4 hits, strikes out 3 & walks 5 on the day & benefits from a huge triple play to get him out of a jam in the 3rd, the first O’s triple play since August 3, 2017 against Detroit. Manoah goes 6 innings, allows 1 run on 4 hits, strikes out 5 & walks 4 – he was 3-1 2/ a 3.07 ERA in 7 career games against Baltimore. Jesus Aguilar hits a solo blast off of reliever Adam Cimber in the 8th to cut the lead to 1 & Rutschman delivers w/ the clutch, bases loaded single to score Rookie, Kyle Stowers, Ramon Urias as the Birds take the lead for good in the 9th. Aguilar singles home Cedric Mullins to add a huge insurance run as Jays closer Jordan Romano is tagged for 3 runs, 4 hits & 2 walks, the first time he has allowed a run in 15 appearances. Joey Krehbiel pitches a pefect 8th to pick up the win & Felix Bautista picks up his 14th save in 15 chances despite George Springer’s RBI double to score Cavan Biggio which cuts the lead to 1 in the bottom of the 9th.
Baltimore wins for just the 2nd time in their last 8 games against Toronto & has it’s highest win total since finishing 89-73 in 2016 as a Wild Card. Toronto is 6-2 in their last 8 games against Baltimore & sits atop the Playoff race as the top Wild Card seed.

Bal (75-69) Tor (83-63)

WP : Krehbiel (5-4)
LP : Romano (5-4)
S : Bautista (14)

Baltimore avoids the sweep but fails to handle their own business 7& will now need some help along the way if they have Playoff aspirations. They have come so far & this season has been so beneficial to the young guys. Next up, Detroit for 3 in what will become a must win Series @ home.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#TakingTheirLumps

Dolphins 42, Ravens 38 : Week 2 – Recap & Grades :

Offense – This group looked great early on, scoring 28 1st half points & scoring on 3 of their first 4 drives w/ the exception of a fumble by Lamar Jackson on the goal line. Then it sputters in the 2nd half as they are unable to run the ball all day, which allows Miami to get right back in the game & come back to win. They rush for 155 yards on the ground on 25 attempts, an average of 6.2 yards per carry. Jackson leads the way w/ 119 yards on 9 rushes, an average of 13.2 yards per carry, including a 79 yard run for a TD, while rushing for 100 yards for the 11th time in his career to pass Michael Vick for the most all time. He also passes for 318 yards & 3 TD’s, becoming the first QB in NFL history to pass & run for TD’s of 75+ in the same game. Rashod Bateman hauls in 4 receptions for 108 yards, an average of 27.0 yards per reception, including a 75 yard catch & run for a TD & Mark Andrews grabs 9 passes for 104 yards & a TD, an average of 11.6 yards per catch. The Offensive line is once again decent but not great as Lamar isn’t sacked once on the day, great improvement from last season when he seemed to be sacked almost every game. While they were great in pass protection, the run blocking left a lot to be desired, they continue to struggle opening up running lanes & are getting beat at the line of scrimmage way too much. Patrick Mekari is playing well at LT but the need for a true LT is still clearly evident. A couple huge drops also played a part in this one as well as the lack of a running game was the main reason for the Dolphins comeback as the Defense was tired & this group failed to be able to kill the clock & close the game out. This team needs to get back to their real identity of running the football & dominating the time of possession but if the Offensive line struggles to run block like they have, it’s gonna be a long season for them.
Grade : B-

Defense – A tale of 2 halfs, this group that had been the trademark of the Ravens since they came into existence has taken a major step back in years past but it all came to a head in this game. They looked good in the 1st half, allowing just 7 points & shutting down the main Dolphins recievers, Tyreek Hill & Jalen Waddle, while taking care of business & getting spotted a 21 point lead. The 2nd half was absolutely abysmal, as they allow Hill & Waddle to run free time & time again & can’t stop anything through the air. They allow just 86 yards rushing on 18 carries, an average of 4.8 yards per carry as the Defensive line plays well all game, they are one of the lone bright spots on the day, sacking Tua once (Justin Houston) but not generating much pressure against a Miami line tat wasn’t even at full strength. The secondary forces him to throw 2 interceptions, both to FS Marcus Williams, who could of had a third that sealed the game but dropped it & the Dolphins scored on the same drive. However, that same secondary allows 469 yards through the air (Tua’s first career 400 yard passing game) & 6 TD’s, they allow 22 receptions for 361 yards & 4 TD’s to Hill & Waddle combined as this group just ran out of gas & couldn’t make the 1 final stop that they needed. Allowing 28 points in the 4th quarter is absolutely unacceptable & should NEVER happen to any team, let alone a team that used to pride itself on Defense although we can see that those days are long gone. Time to look in the mirror & figure some things out because this group is getting shredded like swiss cheese. Way too many deep balls allowed over their heads & way too many recievers getting behind the DB’s which means there was lots of miscommunication which was blatantly obvious & absolutely unaccaptable.
Grade : D-

Special Teams : Once again, a great performance by this unit as Devin Duvernay returns the opening kickoff 103 yards for a TD & totals 108 return yards on the day, also returning a punt for 5 yards. The kick coverage is solid all day as they allow just 26 yards total, 18 to TE Durham Smythe on a kick return & 8 to Devon Holland on a punt return. Justin Tucker connects on his only FG attempt from 51 yards out & Rookie P Jordan Stout punts it away 2 times for 81 yards, an average of 40.5 yards per punt. The coverage continues to be solid w/ a few new faces in the mix & guys learning how to play their parts, the injury to Josh Ross is huge as he was just carving out a niche for himself & will now have a setback to start his career. The return game is doing great, as well as the kicking game as both are led by Pro-Bowlers Devin Duvernay & Justin Tucker. This aspect has been the most consistent part of this team, year in & year out, some of the faces may change but the same results still occur. HC John Harbaugh’s expertise as a former ST coach have shown up when they need to & this group continues to shine no matter who is out there. The only aspect missing from this unit it is blocks but those are no easy task & players like Ed Reed no longer are around to help out & give that game changing aspect to this phase. Overall, a pretty solid around performance that was wasted in the loss as plays like Duvernay’s kick return to start the game & Tucker’s 51 yard FG to put the team ahead late go for not. This group remains the backbone of this team & the most consistent week in & week out.
Grade : B+

Coaching – This loss is absolutely on the entire coaching staff. They had this team ready from the beginning but there was a serious drop off in the 2nd half, they were all outclassed, outcoached & outschemed by the Miami staff. The Dolphins coaching staff made adjustments & the Ravens staff didn’t, simple & plain. Greg Roman is responsible for the lack of a run game which led to the Defense being tired, DC Mike McDonald’s NCAA scheme has been very ineffective so far against the pass & HC John Harbaugh is responsible for allowing them to continue doing the same thing without making any adjustments, they all 3 go hand in hand & played a factor in why Miami was allowed to come back. No adjustments were made, no creativity Offensively or Defensively to keep the opposition guessing & no leadership on the field. This team is in desperate need of leadership & guidance when they start reeling, too much youth out there w/ no one to show them the ropes, which falls on the coaching staff to do so. There will be lots of pressure on new DC Mike MacDonald to get it right Defensively & OC Greg Roman to finally open up a running game when his starters come back. The most pressure & responsibility will mainly fall on HC John Harbaugh to make sure his staff is able to make in game adjustments going forward. They got too comfortable w/ a 21 point lead & never kept the pressure on. The accountability has to fall on the HC because he is responsible for how his players & his staff perform. Things need to get fixed & they need to get fixed soon.
Grade: C-

Overall Grade : D

Now a trip to Foxboro to play the Patriots for the 3rd time in the last 4 seasons.
🏈🏈🏈
GO RAVENS!!
#ChokeCity

The Orioles sweep the short, 2-game Series in D.C. from the lowly Nationals by coming from behind in both games as they continue to try to keep pace in the AL Wild Card race while reaching the 75 win mark for the first time in 5 years.

Game 1 : Orioles 4, Nationals 3 – Ryan Mountcastle homers off of his former roommate & former Oriole, Hunter Harvey after telling him he would do so over dinner the night before & the Orioles win a huge game that they had to have. Rookie, Gunnar Henderson singles back up the middle w/ 2 outs against Nationals starter Corey Abbott, it scores Adley Rutschman & gives the O’s the early lead. Luis Garcia doubles home Rookie, Joey Meneses in the bottom of the 1st against O’s starter Dean Kremer to tie it, Luke Voit singles to score Ildemaro Vargas & Garcia grounds out to score Lane Thomas as the Nats take the lead in a 2-run 3rd against Kremer. Abbott goes only 3 innings, he allows 2 runs on 5 hits, strikes out 3 & walks 2 but allows Austin Hays & Jorge Mateo to reach leading off the 4th before he is relieved by Harvey. Cedric Mullins grounds into a doubleplay scoring Hays to cut the lead to 1 & Mountcastle leads off the 5th w/ the solo shot off of Harvey to tie the game as Harvey smiles while Mountcastle rounds the bases & the 2 friends share a moment. Henderson doubles for the 2nd of his 2 hits & scores on a double by Hays that puts the Birds ahead for good & knocks Harvey from the game. Kremer goes 5+ innings, allows 3 runs on 8 hits, strikes out 1 & walks 1 to earn the win Dillon Tate works an inning & 1/3, Cionel Perez goes 1 2 /3 & Felix Bautista works around a lead off walk in the 9th to close the game out & pick up his 13th save in 14 tries. He has retired 33 of the 38 hitters he has faced since giving up a HR to Boston’s Xander Bogaerts on August 21. Baltimore wins for just the 5th time in it’s last 11 games & is now 5 games back of Tampa Bay for the 3rd & final AL Wild Card spot. Washington has lost 4 in a row & 6 of their last 7 to fall a season-high 44 games below .500 & has the league’s worst record.

Bal (74-67) Wsh (49-93)

WP : Kremer (7-5)
LP : Harvey (1-1)
S : Bautista (13)

Game 2 : Orioles 6, Nationals 2 – Rookie, Gunnar Henderson drives in a career-high 4 runs, Jorge Mateo homers & the Orioles rally to take care of business in the nation’s capital as they sweep the 2-game Series from the Nationals & gain some ground in the AL Wild Card race. Henderson grounds to 3rd in the 2nd against Washington starter Patrick Corbin to score Ramon Urias as the O’s take the lead after 3 straight singles to lead off the inning w/ nobody out but disappointingly come away w/ just 1 run against the veteran southpaw. Riley Adams & Luke Voit each hit solo homers in the 3rd & 4th innings against O’s starter Tyler Wells as the Nats take the lead for the second night in a row. Wells allows 2 runs on 2 hits in 4 innings of work, as both longballs accounts for all of Washington’s runs, he strikes out 4 & walks none. Corbin goes 6 innings, allows just 1 run on 4 hits, strikes out 4 & walks none. Henderson triples to score pinch-runner, Terrin Vavra & pinch-hitter, Cedric Mullins against reliever Mason Thompson in the 7th & comes all the way around to score after LF Luis Garcia, playing LF for just the 4th time in his 10-year career, loses his grip on the throw & drops the ball as the O’s take the lead for good on Henderson’s Little League HR. Jorge Mateo takes the next pitch over the wall in left as the O’s increase the lead to 4 in the blink of an eye against Thompson who allows 4 runs on 4 hits & walks 1 in just 1/3 of an inning. Henderson adds a double to score Mullins for his 4th RBI of the night in the 8th against reliever Paolo Espino who gives up 3 hits & strikes out 2 in an inning of work. The Orioles use 5 relievers as DL Hall, Austin Voth, Cionel Perez, Jake Reed & Bryan Baker each go an inning in relief of Wells to close it out & complete the sweep, including a perfect 9th from Baker. Baltimore is now 6-6 in it’s last 12 games & pulls within 4 games of Tampa Bay for the final AL Wild Card spot. Washington goes 0-5 w/ runners in scoring position in this game & has now lost 5 in a row & 7 of their last 8. They are now 45 games under .500 & own the majors worst record in the league,

Baltimore now has Thursday off as they head up to Canada one last time this season for 3 w/ the Blue Jays while trailing AL East rival Toronto by 5.5 games. They also now trail fellow AL East rival Tampa Bay by 4 as they look to find any avenue they can to the Postseason.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!
#StillFighting

The Orioles lose 2 out of 3 to the Red Sox, including an absolute blowout in Game 2 & a shutout in the Series finale to finish up one of their worst homestands of the season, as they go 4-6 in the crucial 10-Games & see their Wild Card hopes start to fade away in the process.

Game 1 : Orioles 3, Red Sox 2 – The O’s rally to score 3 times in the 6th as Gunnar Henderson has 2 hits in the game, including the go ahead 2-run single as the O’s take the lead for good & hold off the Red Sox to remain in the hunt in the final AL Wild Card spot. Xander Bogaerts hits a 2-run shot in the 3rd off of O’s starter Austin Voth to give Boston the lead early & Red Sox starter Brian Bello makes it stand up for the next 5+ inning. The Rookie is smooth all night, taking a shutout into the 6th for the 2nd straight start but things fall apart for him in that inning as Cedric Mullins singles w/ 1 out (1 of his 3 singles on the night) Adley Rutschman & Anthony Santander walk to load the bases as Bello departs as Kaleb Ort comes in. Cedric Mullins then scores on a wild pitch by Ort & Ryan Mountcastle walks w/ the bases loaded to cut the lead to 1 before Henderson singles to score Rutschman & Santander to give the O’s the lead for good. All 3 runs are charged to Bello, who goes 5 1/3 innings, allows 3 runs on 3 hits, strikes out 7 & walks 4. Voth goes 4 innings, allows 2 runs on 5 hits, strikes out 5 & walk 2. 5 relievers combine shutout the Red Sox the rest of the way as DL Hall & Jake Reed each go 1 1/3, Cionel Perez works 1/3, Bryan Baker goes 2/3 & Dillon Tate goes 1 1/3 to pick up the 4 out save. Bogaerts has 3 hits including his HR to raise his AL-leading batting average to .318 in the loss for the Red Sox. Boston has now lost 3 in a row is 7-9 in their 16 games as they continue to try to play spoiler w/ their season all but over. Baltimore wins for just the 4th time in their last 8 games but moves to within 4 games of Seattle for the the final Wild Card spot in the AL.

Bal (73-65) Bos (67-72)

WP : Reed 2-0
LP : Bello (1-0)
S : Tate (4)

Game 2 : Red Sox 17, Orioles 4 – Rafael Devers connects for a Grand Slam before the Red Sox even make an out, Kike Hernandez collects 4 hits & the Red Sox absolutely punish the Orioles in Game 2 to even the Series & knock the O’s even further back in their race for an AL Wild Card spot. Devers takes O’s starter Jordan Lyles deep in the 1st after Lyles loads the bases on a walk, a single & a hit batter as the Red Sox ambush him & never let up. Cedric Mullins hits a solo shot off of Red Sox starter Michael Wacha in the 3rd but Boston puts the game away in the 4th, scoring 4 more times as Kevin Plawecki doubles to score Kike Hernandez & scores on a single by Verdugo who scores on a single by Devers & Trevor Story singles to score Xander Bogaerts. Lyles is rocked for 7 runs on 8 hits in 3 2/3 innings, strikes out 1 & walks 1 while losing his first start of the month due to an illness & loses for the 5th time in his last 7 outings. Christian Arroyo hits a 2-run shot off of reliever Keegan Akin in the 6th & after a sac fly by Jorge Mateo scores Gunnar Henderson & Mullins singles to score Ramon Urias in the bottom of the inning. Wacha goes 6 innings, allows 3 runs on 6 hits, strikes out 5 & walks none to earn his 11th win in a row. It is also his 4th start in a row w/ 6 innings pitched & between 2 & 4 runs allowed. Story singles home Abraham Almonte for his 3rd run of the night against newly acquired Yennier Cano on his 2nd hit of the game, 1 of 21 on the night for Boston. Ryan Mountcastle singles to score Ryan McKenna in the 8th against reliever Matt Strahm but Cano is shelled in the 9th as the Red Sox score 7 times – Almonte singles to score Kike Hernandez, Rookie Connor Wong reaches on an infield single that scores Kevin Plawecki, Story walks w/ the bases loaded to score Almonte, J.D. Martinez walks w/ the bases loaded to score Rookie Tristan Casas, Arroyo singles to score Wong & scores on a single by Hernandez as the 9th inning ends w/ OF Ryan McKenna on the mound recording the last 2 outs for Cano, who allows 7 runs on 6 hits, he strikes out 3 & walks 3. Boston snaps a 4-game losing streak, improves to 8-9 in their last 17 games & will look to win their first Series against the Orioles this season in the finale. Baltimore loses for the 5th time in their last 9 games & slips to 5 games back in the AL Wild Card race.

Bos (68-72) Bal (73-66)

WP : Wacha (11-1)
LP : Lyles (10-10)

Game 3 : Red Sox 1, Orioles 0 – Rich Hill pitches 5 scoreless, Xander Bogaerts drives home the only run of the game on a sac fly & the Red Sox win their first Series of the season against the fading Orioles in a game delayed for an hour & 12 minutes by rain. Tommy Pham singles & steals 2nd against O’s starter Kyle Bradish in the 1st, goes to 3rd on a groundball by Alex Verdugo & scores on a sac fly by Bogaerts to put the Red Sox ahead. It would wind up being the only run of the game as O’s starter Kyle Bradish duels w/ Hill for most of the game. Hill, a former Oriole, pitches 5 scoreless innings, allows 2 hits, strikes out 7 & walks 3. He is now 4-1 w/ a 2.80 ERA in 18 career appearances against the Orioles. Bradish departs after 7, he allows just the 1 lone run on only 2 hits, strikes out 3 & walks 2 but becomes the hard luck loser. He has a 1.44 ERA over his last 4 starts & has lowered his ERA from 6.25 to 5.01 in that span. John Schrieber, Matt Strahm, Garrett Whitlock & Matt Barnes each pitch an inning of scoreless relief for Boston w/ Barnes picking up the save after a 1-2-3 9th, including getting Adley Rutschman to fly out as a pinch-hitter for the final out. The O’s have scored just 8 runs in their last 4 games & muster just 3 hits on the day while the Red Sox muster just 4, 1 day after pounding out 21 the night before. Baltimore goes 0-7 w/ runners in scoring position in one of thier biggest games of the season. They have now lost 8 of their last 10, all at home & are now 5 games out of the final AL Wild Card spot after being just 1.5 games out on September 4.

Bos (69-72) Bal (73-67)

WP : Hill (7-6)
LP : Bradish (3-6)
S : Barnes (5)

Baltimore loses 6 of 10 on a crucial homestand & are starting to watch their Playoff hopes fade away. They will now head to D.C. for a short 2-game set before heading up North to Toronto for the last time in what will be the BIGGEST Series of the season.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#LifeSupport

Ravens 24, Jets 9 : Week 1 – Recap & Grades :

Offense – The running game never really gets going as this unit rushes for just 63 yards on the ground on 21 attempts, an average of 3.0 yards per carry. Kenyan Drake leads the way w/ 31 yards on 11 carries, an average of 2.8 yards per carry but has his longest run of the day, a 12- yard sweep, wiped out by a holding penalty. Lamar Jackson rushes for 17 yards on 6 carries & passes for 213 yards, 3 TD’s & 1 INT to Jets CB D.J. Reed, who makes a great play on a pass down the sidelines. All 3 of Jackson’s TD passes come from over 20 yards or more through the air. He is sacked twice & puts up a QB rating of 98.4. Devin Duvernay hauls in 4 passes for 54 yards, an average of 13.5 yards per reception & grabs 2 of Jackson’s 3 TD’s, Rashod Bateman has 2 catches for 59 yards, an average of 29.5 yards per catch & hauls in a beautiful 55 yard bomb for a TD from Lamar that puts the game away. The Offensive line takes a hit w/ the season ending injury to Ju’Waun James & the pass protection has to be better overall. They failed to really open up any holes for the RB’s & got beat in the trenches a for most of the 1st half. The Jets dominated against the run & won at the line of scrimmage on almost every snap when the ball was handed off. Overall a pretty good performance considering this unit was missing numerous starters but the running game has to improve.
Grade : B-

Defense – This group was the highlight of the day, they got constant, relentless pressure  on Joe Flacco & were able to shut down the Jets Offense for most of the day. They allow 60 yards on 10 carries from Michael Carter, an average of 6.0 yards per carry. They also allow just 83 total rushing yards on 17 carries but the Jets rush for an average of 4.9 yards per carry as the Offensive line plays well, winning in the trenches to open up run lanes against this front 7. This group has to get better at stopping the run, going forward but they are showing a knack for creating turnovers as they force 2 on the day. Marcus Williams comes up w/ his 1st INT as a Raven & Chuck Clark forces Rookie RB Breece Hall to fumble & Marlon Humphrey comes up w/ the recovery. They register 3 sacks & get constant pressure as mentioned before – Calais Campbell & Justin Houston each register a sack, Patrick Queen & Justin Madubuike combine for 1 by getting a .5 sack each. This Defense looked way more aggressive & physical then Wink Martindale’s groups did as new DC Mike McDonald impresses in his debut. Overall a pretty good day for this group as some of the starters play for the first time after not playing in the Preseason. 3 sacks & 2 forced turnovers had this Defense looking a little like the throwback, vintage Ravens Defense of old.
Grade : A-

Special Teams – This unit continues to be the backbone of this team, as Justin Tucker connects on his only FG attempt from a short 24 yards out & Rookie Punter Jordan Stout punts it away 6 times for 291 yards, an average of 48.5 yards per punt in his best Sam Koch impersonation. Devin Duvernay returns 2 Punts for 17 yards, an average of 8.5 yards per return & the coverage is pretty solid all day long despite allowing almost 80 yards on 4 returns. Jets return man, Braxton Berrios totals 78 total yards, as he returns 2 kicks for 30 yards, an average of 15.0 yards per return & 2 punts for 48 yards, an average of 24.0 yards per return. Rookie Josh Ross makes a huge tackle on the opening kickoff to set the tone for this group & a few others step up to make an impact on this unit right away. Not much action in the return game but lots of chances for some of the younger guys to make themselves known right away. Some of the older & familiar faces are gone but this is a new era for this group, 2/3 of the Wolfpack are new, Morgan Cox & Sam Koch are now both gone, along w/ Co-Captain Anthony Levine & gunner, Jordan Richards, so this group will be tested but the departed have left it in good hands. Overall a great job by all of the guys on this unit & this should be a continuing theme throughout the season.
Grade : A

Coaching – This season will be a prove it year for almost the entire coaching staff as John Harbaugh, Greg Roman, new DC Mike MacDonald & even GM Eric DeCosta will all be under pressure to get this team back to the Playoffs. All the coaches impressed in this game though as Harbaugh had this team ready to go despite the 9/11 vibes & hostile environment, Roman opened up  the passing game w/ his usually great running game struggling & MacDonald had the Defense dialed up from the beginning. The preparation was there, there were no head scratching decisions & you can tell there is a different vibe about this staff after a bitter season last year. Great communication & cohesiveness all across the board, all 3 phases looked pretty sound despite a few early struggles in some areas. It will be up to the coaching staff to continue to adjust & build as the season progresses. How they can adjust on the fly or make critical decisions will be the biggest test as they will be responsible for how this team is prepared & ready to go from week to week. The discipline has been a huge issue the last few years & if this team can clean up the penalties, it will be even better. They had 5 penalties for 29 yards in this one, not terrible but still room for improvement. The decision to have Kyle Fuller in the game late in the 4th, resulting in his torn ACL could be questioned but it’s really just hindsight as he was pushed off of by Jets WR, Elijah Moore, still a tough blow for a player who might not have needed to be out there. Overall this was a pretty good job by all the coaches to have this team ready to go despite the opponent, there was no let down at all, this team took care of business & got out of town.
Grade : A-

Overall Grade : A-

Next up, the home opener against the Dolphins & time for some much needed payback after last seasons ambush in rainy Miami left them stunned.
🏈🏈🏈
GO RAVENS!!
#TakingCareOfBusiness

The O’s lose 3 out of 4 to Toronto in their most pressure filled Series of the season, including getting swept in a Doubleheader to open the Series & fall to 4.5 games behind the Blue Jays w/ 25 games left to play,

Doubleheader Game 1 : Blue Jays 7, Orioles 3 – Kevin Gausman pitches 6+ innings in his triumphant return to Camden Yards, Teoscar Hernandez homers & the Blue Jays win the opener of the Labor Day Doubleheader & 4-game set. Anthony Santander hits a solo homer batting left-handed off of Gausman in the 1st to give the O’s the early lead but the Jays would score 3 unanswered against O’s starter Mike Baumann to take the lead. Serving as the 29th man for the Doubleheader, Baumann allows 3 runs on 5 hits in his first major-league start – he strikes out 2 & walks none. Matt Chapman doubles & scores on a single by Cavan Biggio in the 2nd, Alejandro Kirk’s fielders choice groundball scores George Springer & the Jays manufacture another run on a grounder to 2B by Bichette. Ryan Mountcastle doubles to score Adley Rutschman in the 6th to cut the lead to 1 against Gausman, who goes 6 2/3, allows 2 runs on 7 hits, strikes out 6 & walks none, he wins consecutive starts for the first time since May. Hernandez hits a solo shot off of reliever Bryan Baker to push the lead back to 2 but Santander hits his 2nd HR of the game, this time going deep on a solo shot from the right side of the plate to cut the lead back to 1 against reliever Tim Mayza in the 8th, his 7th career multi-homer game. Toronto scores 3 times in the 9th to put the game away as Springer singles to score Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singles to score Santiago Espinal & Bichette singles to score Springer against Rookie DL Hall who is shelled for 3 runs on 4 hits, walks 1 & strikes out none in 1/3 of an inning. Former Oriole, Zach Pop works the 9th to wrap it up as the Jays win the opener. Toronto wins their 4th in a row & increases it’s lead over the Orioles to 3 1/2 games in the AL Wild Card race. Baltimore has lost 2 in a row after a 4-game winning streak, will play Toronto 10 more times w/ a 3.5 game deficit to overcome, including Game 2 of the Doubleheader to follow.

Tor (74-59) Bal (71-63)

WP : Gausman (11-9)
LP : Baumann (1-3)

Doubleheader Game 2 : Blue Jays 8, Orioles 4 – Bo Bichette homers a career-high 3 times, drives in a career-high 5 runs as the Blue Jays sweep the Labor Day Doubleheader @ Camden Yards, increase their lead over the O’s in the AL Wild Card race. Roughed Odor gets the O’s going early w/ a solo shot off of Blue Jays starter Jose Berrios in the 1st but it would be short lived as Bichette drills a 3-run shot off Nick Vespi in the 3rd to put Toronto ahead & they would never look back. Vespi came on in reliever of opener Keegan Akin, who was starting in place scheduled O’s starter Jordan Lyles. Akin goes 2 1/3, allows 2 runs on 2 hits, strikes out 4 & walks 1. Bichette & Cavan Biggio each hit solo homers & Jackie Bradley Jr. doubles to score Danny Jansen in a 3-run 6th against reliever Bruce Zimmerman who gives up 5 runs on 8 hits, strikes out 3 & walks 1 in 6 innings of work that helps take the workload off an already overtaxed & short-handed bullpen. Berrios goes 6 innings, allows 3 runs on 8 hits, strikes out 2 & walks 2. Adley Rutschman’s fielders choice is 1 of 2 Oriole runs in the 7th & his solo shot off of Julian Merryweather in the 9th cuts the lead to 4 but the O’s can get no closer. Bichette has 6 hits & 7 RBI in the Doubleheader & is batting. 400 (24-60) during his last 15 games – he becomes the first AL SS to record 6 hits & 3 HR’s on a single day. It is Bichette’s 8th multi-homer game of his career, he also becomes the first Blue Jays player to have a 3 HR game since Vladimir Guerrero Jr. April 13 against the Yankees, they are the second pair of American League teammates under age 25 to have 3 HR games in the same season, matching Lou Gehrig & Tony Lazzeri of the 1927 Yankees. Toronto has now won 5 in a row & increases it’s lead over the Orioles to 4 1/2 games as they start to pull away in the AL Wild Card race. Baltimore loses it’s 3rd in a row, it’s longest streak since June 28 – July 2, after a 4-game winning streak & is starting to slip out of contention in the AL Wild Card race. They now have 8 games left w/ Toronto, starting w/ the 3rd game of this Series tommorow night.

Tor (75-59) Bal (71-64)

WP : Berrios (10-5)
LP : Akin (3-2)

Game 3 : Orioles 9, Blue Jays 6 – Adley Rutschman doubles w/ the bases loaded as the Orioles erupt for 5 runs in the 3rd inning to rebound from getting swept in a Doubleheader the day before & trim a game off their deficit in the Playoff race. Matt Chapman singles to score Alejandro Kirk in the 2nd against O’s starter Kyle Bradish & Bo Bichette hits a 2-run solo shot in the 3rd, his 4th HR in the first 3 games of this Series as the Jays take a 3-run lead against Bradish who allows 3 runs on 6 hits in just 3 innings of work, he strikes out 3 & walks 2. The Orioles load the bases on 2 walks & a hit by pitch against Toronto starter Mitch White in the 3rd & Rutschman doubles down the line in left to score Rougned Odor & Jorge Mateo to cut the lead to 1. Anthony Santander grounds out to 2B to score Mullins, Ryan Mountcastle singles to score Rutschman & White departs after a walk to Ramon Urias – he goes just 2 1/3, he allows 5 runs on 3 hits, strikes out 2 & walks 3. Rookie Gunnar Henderson singles against reliever Julian Merryweather to score Mountcastle & cap the 5-run outburst in the 3rd for the O’s & give them the lead for good. The Jays cut it back to 1 in a double by Bichette who scores on a double by Matt Chapman off of reliever Dillon Tate in the 6th but Mullins puts the O’s back on top by 2 w/ a single to score Mateo off of reliever Yusei Kikuchi. Tempers flare after Bryan Baker gets into it w/ the Blue Jays dugout after getting Teoscar Hernandez to ground into a double that scores Bichette & striking out Matt Chapman in the 7th & both benches clear before some minor pushing & shoving. Santander walks w/ the bases loaded & Ryan Mountcastle singles to score Mullins & Rutschman (who is called out but the call is reversed after review & C Alejandro Kirk is called for blocking the plate) against reliever Trevor Richards in the 8th as the O’s build their lead to 4. Kirk singles to score Bo Bichette in the 9th against closer Felix Bautista who then strikes out Hernandez to end the game & pick up the save. Toronto has their 5-game winning streak snapped & their lead is reduced to 3.5 games in the AL Wild Card race. Baltimore snaps a 3-game losing streak, it’s longest since June 28 – July 2 & closes within 3.5 games in the AL Wild Card race w/ 26 games left to play, including 7 more against Toronto. The will look to pick the split in the Series finale.

Bal (72-64) Tor (75-60)

WP : Tate (4-2)
LP : White (1-6)
S : Bautista (13)

Game 4 : Blue Jays 4, Orioles 1 – Alek Manoah pitches 8 strong innings, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alejandro Kirk & Lourdes Gurriel Jr. each drive in a run a piece & the Blue Jays take 3 out of 4 from the O’s to win the Series & increase their lead over them in the AL Playoff race. Ryan Mountcastle doubles to score Anthony Santander in the 1st but Manoah settles down after that as the All-Star retires 22 of his final 23 hitters, including 14 in a row at one point & doesn’t allow another baserunner until the 6th. He goes 8 innings, allows just 1 run on 3 hits, strikes out 5 & walks 1. is Reinstated from the IL Tyler Wells opens for the Orioles & goes 2 innings, allows 1 run on 2 hits, strikes out 2 & walks 1 – Lourdes Gurriel Jr. grounds into a fielders choice to SS, scoring Alejandro Kirk to tie it & the Blue Jays score 3 more times in the 5th against Dean Kremer. Santiago Espinal & Jackie Bradley Jr. both single, Espinal takes 3rd on a sac fly by George Springer & scores on a grounder to 2B by Guerrero Jr., Kirk singles to score Bradley Jr. for 1 of his 3 hits on the night & Bichette scores on a wild pick off attempt by C Adley Rutschman but Kirk is picked off 2B in the process. Kremer goes 5+ innings, allows 3 runs on 6 hits, strikes out 3 & walks 2, Joey Krehbiel goes 2/3 of an inning & newly acquired Jake Reed works the 9th for the O’s. Jordan Romano works the 9th & strikes out 2 of the 3 hitters he faces to close it out for the save & wrap up a huge Series win for Toronto as the Blue Jays leave Camden Yards feeling pretty good. Baltimore has lost 3 of their last 4 after a 4-game winning streak coming into this Series & slips to 4.5 games behind Toronto in the AL Wild Card race w/ just 25 games left to play. They still have 6 more games left w/ the the Blue Jays but time is of the essence. Toronto has now won 5 of their last 6, increased their lead to 4.5 games in the AL Wild Card race & is now breathing down the necks of Seattle for the 2nd AL Wild Card spot.

Tor (76-60) Bal (72-65)

WP : Manoah (14-7)
LP : Kremer (6-4)
S : Romano (31)

Baltimore misses a golden opportunity to close in on the team in front of them & will now have to rely on some much needed help along the way. They now host Boston for 3 in another crucial Series that they have to win to keep pace in the AL Wild Card race while Toronto goes to Texas for 3 & Seattle hosts Atlanta for 3.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#BirdFighting