Diplomatic Immunity

Ravens 38, Browns 6 : Week 1 – Recap & Grades : Offense – Lamar Jackson throws 3 TD’s passes, 2 to Mark Andrews & Hollywood Brown grabs 5 passes for 101 yards. The Ravens also rush for 107 as a team, led by 45 from Jackson.
Grade : A
Defense – This unit gets gashed the ground, giving up 138 total rushing yards, as Kareem Hunt gets 72 on 13 carries. They do harass Baker Mayfield all day though, forcing him into a 33.3 QBR, sacking him twice & grabbing an interception.
Grade : A-
Special Teams – Justin Tucker connects on his only FG attempt & Sam Koch boots it away 3 times for 125 yards. Devin Duvernay registers 64 yards on 2 kick returns & James Proche has 26 on 2 punt returns.
Grade : A
Coaching – The entire coaching staff deserves a round of applause. The game plan was spot on, they took advantage of a battered Browns secondary & everybody seemed to be on the same page from the jump. This team was ready to play from the tunnel.
Grade : A
Overall Grade : A
GO RAVENS!!
#MoreOfTheSame

Ravens 38, Browns 6 : Payback Music – The Ravens get out to a fast start & never look back as they rout the Browns in their home opener to get some much needed payback from last years blow out loss @ home. Reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson throws 3 TD passes, his first one to Mark Andrews for 5 yards after CB Marlon Humphrey picks off Baker Mayfield to put the Ravens ahead early 7-0. Justin Tucker kicks a 41 yard FG to make it 10-0 in the 1st, but the Browns cut it to 10-6 after a 1 yard TD pass from Mayfield to TE David Njoku. J.K. Dobbins runs it in from 3 yards out in the 2nd to put the Ravens ahead 17-6, capping off a 10 play, 99 yard drive & Jackson hits Andrews again, this time on a 9 yard TD pass just before the half to make it 24-6. Willie Snead hauls in a 19 yard TD pass from Jackson in the 3rd & Dobbins runs it in for the 2nd time to make it 38-6 in the 4th. Baltimore will now hit the road & head to Houston for Week 2.
Bal (1-0) @ Hou
Cle (0-1) vs Cin
GO RAVENS!!
#Ravengers

Game 1 : Yankees 6, Orioles 0 (Doubleheader Game 1) – D.J. LaMahieu homers (#6) to lead off the 1st inning & Gerrit Cole allows just 2 hits in 7 shutout innings, walking just 1 & striking out 9 as the Yankees beat the Orioles in the opener of a doubleheader in New York. The Yankees homer 3 times as a team as Brett Gardner (#4) & Kyle Higashoika (#1) also homer off of O’s starter Alex Cobb, who allows 5 runs on 7 hits in 4 innings, walks 1 & strikes out 5.

Bal (20-23) NYY (23-21)

WP : Cole (5-3)
LP : Cobb (1-4)

Game 2 : Yankees 10, Orioles 1 (Doubleheader Game 2) – Luke Voit hits a pair of 3-run homers (#15 & #16) & Miguel Andujar adds a 2-run double to back the 5 innings of work from Masahiro Tanaka. Tanaka allows a homer to DJ Stewart (#6) for the 2nd straight outing, but only allows 3 hits in the game, strikes out 5 & walks none to help the Yankees sweep the doubleheader. Keegan Akin is shelled for 4 runs on 3 hits in just 2/3 of an inning.

Bal (20-24) NYY (24-21)

WP : Tanaka (2-2)
LP : Akin (0-1)

Game 3 : Yankees 2, Orioles 1 (10 innings) – Luke Voit hits a walk off sacfly in the bottom of the 10th off of O’s reliever Hunter Harvey as the Yankees beat the Orioles for the O’s third straight time to win the series. Dean Kremer battles Yankees starter Jordan Montgomery for 5 innings, striking out 7 & walking 3, while allowing just a run on 3 hits. Montgomery gives up an unearned run in 5 2/3, while walking 1 & striking out a career high 9.

Bal (25-21) NYY (25-21)

WP : Holder (3-0)
LP : Harvey (0-2)

Game 4 : Yankees 3, Orioles 1 – Gleyber Torres hits a 2-run pinch hit double in the 8th for his first career pinch hit, to give the Yankees the 4 game sweep of the Orioles in the Bronx. Lefties John Means & J.A. Happ battle for 5+ innings, as Means goes 5 & Happ goes 6. Tyler Wade homers (#4) for the Yankees & Renato Nunez homers (#11) for the Orioles who lose for the 5th time in a row.

Bal (20-26) NYY (26-21)

WP : Britton (1-2)
LP : Tate (1-1)
S : Chapman (2)

The Orioles are swept away in New York & lose 5 of 6 including the series w/ the Mets to fall from 1.5 to 5.5 games back in the AL Wild Card race. They will now host Atlanta as they look to snap their skid & get back in contention.

GO O’S!!

#StillBreathing

Game 1 : Orioles 11, Mets 2 – The Orioles homer 4 times as they rout the Mets in New York, John Means allows just a run on 3 hits, walks 1 & strikes out 5 to pick up his 1st win of the season as the O’s run thier winning streak to 4 in a row. DJ Stewart (#4), Ryan Mountcastle (#4), Rio Ruiz (#8) & Pat Valaika (#6) all homer for Baltimore & Cedric Mullins goes 3-4 & drives in a run. Jake Marisnick homers (#2) for New York in the loss.

Bal (20-21) NYM (19-24)

WP : Means (1-3)
LP : Wacha (1-3)

Game 2 : Mets 7, Orioles 6 – Pete Alonso hits a go ahead homer (#11) on the first pitch he sees in the 8th to put the Mets ahead for good & help the Mets win a tight one against the O’s. Jeff McNeil homers (#4) & drives in 3, Michael Conforto (#8) & Andres Gimenez (#2) homer as the Mets get the split, Conforto also robs Rio Ruiz of a 3-run double in the 6th that might have saved the the game for New York. Ruiz doubles home 2 runs & DJ Stewart homers for the 4th straight game (#5) for the O’s in the loss.

Bal (20-22) NYM (20-24)

WP : Familia (2-0)
LP : Harvey (0-1)
S : Diaz (3)

After finishing up in one part of New York, the Orioles will now stay in the state & play the Yankees, AGAIN! This will be a huge 4 game series which could determine the season.

GO O’S!!

#TheRottenApple

Game 1 (Doubleheader Game 1 / 9 innings) : Yankees 6, Orioles 5 – Miguel Andujar singles home the go ahead run in extras as the Yankees win in Baltimore for the 18th consecutive time. Gary Sanchez homers (#7) & Brett Gardner adds a 2-run single for New York. Cedric Mullins (#2), Rio Ruiz (#7) & Renato Nunez (#10) all homer for the Orioles, who lose their 19th consecutive game to the Yankees.

Bal (16-21) NYY (21-16)

WP : Holder (2-0)
LP : Lakins (2-2)
S : Green (1)

Game 2 (Doubleheader Game 2) : Orioles 6, Yankees 3 – Ryan Mountcastle goes 3-3, including a homer (#3), scores twice & drives in 3 & Pat Valaika adds a 2-run double as the Orioles snap a 19 game losing streak to the Yankees & an 18 game losing streak to them @ Camden Yards. Jorge Lopez allows 3 runs on 3 hits in 5 innings, walks 1 & strikes out 2. New York’s streak of 22 consecutive games w/ a HR against the Baltimore is snapped.

Bal (17-21) NYY (21-17)

WP : Lopez (1-0)
LP : Garcia (0-1)
S : Valdez (1)

Game 3 : Orioles 6, Yankees 1 – Keegan Akin tosses 5+ shutout innings in only his 2nd career start. He allows just 3 hits, walks 4 & strikes out 8 as the O’s take their 2nd game in a row against the Yankees. DJ Stewart homers twice (#1 & #2), Ryan Mountcastle adds a 2-run single & Rio Ruiz delivers a 2-run double to lead the way against Yankees starter Gerrit Cole who unravels in the 5th.

Bal (18-21) NYY (21-18)

WP : Tate (1-0)
LP : Cole (4-3)

Game 4 : Orioles 5, Yankees 1 – Dean Kremer allows just 1 hit over 6 innings in his major league debut, he strikes out 7 & walks 3 to also earn his first career win. DJ Stewart hits a 2-run shot (#3), Bryan Holaday walks w/ the bases loaded & Ryan Mountcastle drives in another on a sacfly as the Orioles take 3 out of 4 from the Yankees & take the series. Miguel Andujar goes 3-4 for New York in the loss.
Bal (19-21) NYY (21-19)

WP : Kremer (1-0)
LP : Tanaka (1-2)

The Orioles came in to this series losers of 18 in a row against the Yankees & then promptly take 3 of 4. They will now play the Mets for 2 in New York after a day off Monday.

GO O’S!!

#NewYorkStateOfMind

Game 1 : Orioles 9, Mets 5 – Renato Nunez homers twice (#8 & #9) & drives in 4, Anthony Santander homers (#11) drives in 3 & Pat Valaika goes 4-4 for his 1st career 4 hit game & drives in another as the Orioles pound out 15 hits as a team. The first 4 hitters in the Baltimore order all have 2 hits a piece & Asher Wojciechowski goes 5 solid innings as the Orioles win their 2nd in a row. Mets starter Ariel Jurado is shelled for 5 runs on 9 hits in just 4 innings – Robinson Cano (#7) & Andres Gimenez (#1) both homer for New York in the loss.

Bal (16-19) NYM (15-21)

WP : Eshelman (3-0)
LP : Kilome (0-1)

Game 2 : Mets 9, Orioles 4 – Michael Conforto goes 4-5 w/ a homer (#6) & drives in 5 runs & Pete Alonso also hits a long homerun (#7) as the Mets split the short series w/ the Orioles @ Camden Yards. Michael Wacha allows 2 runs in just 3 innings, strikes out 2 & walks 1, but David Peterson tosses 4 shutout innings in relief for New York. O’s starter John Means is hit up for 4 runs on 8 hits in just 5+ innings, he walks 1 & strikes out 1 in another rough outing & Ryan Mountcastle has 2 hits, also drives in a run for the Orioles in the loss.

Bal (16-20) NYM (16-21)

WP : Peterson (4-1)
LP : Means (0-3)

The Orioles remain home to host the other New York team, as they look to snap an 18 game losing streak against the AL East rival Yankees. They will open the 4 game weekend series w/ a doubleheader on Friday.

GO O’S!!

#SplittingImage

Game 1 : Blue Jays 5, Orioles 4 (10 innings) – Randal Grichuck hits a walk off 2-run homer (#9) in the bottom of the 10th as the Blue Jays take the opening game. Vladimir Guerrero Jr homers (#5) & scores on a wild pitch, Toescar Hernandez homers (#12) & Hyun-Jin Ryu goes 6 solid innings for the Jays. Ryan Mountcastle has 2 hits & drives in a run & Renato Nunez homers (#7) for the Orioles in the loss.

Bal (14-17) Tor (16-14)

WP : Dolis (1-1)
LP : Sulser (1-3)

Game 2 : Blue Jays 5, Orioles 0 – Tijuan Walker pitches 6 shutout innings in his Blue Jays debut, he allows just 4 hits, walks 3 & strikes out 4. Vladimir Guerrero Jr & Cavan Biggio each add 2-run singles for the Blue Jays in the shutout win. Anthony Santander & Jose Iglesias have 2 hits each for Baltimore who drops to 0-5 against Toronto this season.

Bal (14-18) Tor (17-14)

WP : Walker (3-2)
LP : Cobb (1-3)

Game 3 : Blue Jays 6, Orioles 5 – Toescar Hernandez singles in the bottom of the 9th to bring home the tying & game winning runs as the Blue Jays walk it off again against the O’s. Cavan Biggio, Randal Grichuck, Vladimir Guerrero Jr & Rowdy Tellez each drive in a run a piece for the Blue Jays. Ryan Mountcastle homers twice (#1 & #2) for his first 2 career homeruns & Pedro Severino adds another on an RBI single for the O’s who have now lost 6 in row against the Jays this season.

Bal (14-19) Tor (18-14)

WP : Bass (2-1)
LP : Sulser (1-4)

Game 4 : Orioles 4, Blue Jays 3 (11 innings) – Jose Iglesias & Bryan Holaday each double in a run in the top of the 11th, Iglesias drives in 2 & also throws out the tying run @ homeplate in the bottom of the 11th. Keegan Akin goes 4+ shutout innings in his 1st major league start, as the Orioles hang on in extras to avoid the sweep & beat the Blue Jays for the first time this season. Lourdes Guirrel Jr has 3 hits & drives in a run for Toronto, but is also thrown out @ home to end the game.

Bal (15-19) Tor (18-15)

WP : Valdez (1-0)
LP : Bass (2-2)

The Orioles play 2 extra inning games & nearly take 3 out of 4, despite losing 3 out of 4 in a hard fought 4 game series. The O’s now head home to host the New York Mets.

GO O’S!!

#BirdFightRoundTwo

Game 1 : Rays 4, Orioles 2 – Tyler Glasnow strikes out a career high 13 in 7 strong innings, allowing just 2 runs on 5 hits, while walking just 1 & the Rays bats give him just enough offense to pick up the win. Hunter Renfroe (#5) & Miguel Margot (#1) hit back to back homeruns off of O’s starter Tommy Milone in the 2nd, Renfroe drives in 2. Renato Nunez homers (#6) & Ryan Mountcastle singles to drive in his first career run for the Orioles in the loss.

Bal (14-15) TB (20-11)

WP : Glasnow (1-1)
LP : Milone (1-4)
S : Diaz (1)

Game 2 : Rays 4, Orioles 3 – Michael Perez hits a go ahead homer (#1) off of reliever Mychal Givens in the 8th as the Rays hang on to beat the Orioles again. Trevor Richards goes 4+ innings, the bullpen picks him up the rest of the way & Brandon Lowe hits a 2-run shot (#10) for Tampa Bay.
Cedric Mullins & Ryan Mountcastle have 2 hits a piece, Anthony Santander singles home a run for Baltimore in the loss.

Bal (14-16) TB (21-11)

WP : Sherriff (1-0)
LP : Givens (0-1)
S : Castillo (1)

Game 3 was postponed due to protests against Police brutality & racial injustice, no makeup date has been set yet. The Orioles now head to Buffalo to play round 2 against their division rival Blue Jays.

GO O’S!!

#Quickie

Game 1 : Red Sox 7, Orioles 1 – Nathan Eovaldi tosses 7 solid innings, allowing just a run on 5 hits, walks 1 & strikes out 6 to earn the win, Xander Bogaerts hits a solo shot (#5) & Mitch Moreland adds a 3-run shot (#7) as Boston wins their 2nd in a row. Pat Valaika homers (#3) for the lone Orioles run of the game as the O’s extend their losing streak to 5 in a row.

Bal (12-13) Bos (8-18)

WP : Eovaldi (2-2)
LP : Wojciechowski (1-3)

Game 2 : Red Sox 8, Orioles 5 – Xander Bogaerts (#6), J.D. Martinez (#3) & Rafael Devers (#5) all homer against Orioles starter John Means, who lasts only 3 innings in his return to the rotation, giving up 2 of the Boston homeruns. Pat Valaika (#4), Cedric Mullins (#1) & Chance Sisco (#4) all homer for the Orioles, who drop their season high 6th in a row.

Bal (12-14) Bos (9-18)

WP : Hernandez (1-0
LP : Means (0-2)
S : Barnes (1)

Game 3 : Orioles 5, Red Sox 4 (10 innings) – Pedro Severino singles home the winning run in the 10th inning to give the O’s the walk off win in extras. Pat Valaika homers (#5) for the third straight game, Anthony Santander homers (#10) & drives in 2 for Baltimore, who snaps a 6 game skid w/ the win. Jackie Bradley Jr homers (#1) for Boston in the loss.

Bal (13-14) Bos (9-19)

WP : Castro (1-0)
LP : Barnes (1-2)

Game 4 : Orioles 5, Red Sox 4 – Rio Ruiz goes 2-4 w/ 4 RBI & Thomas Eshelman pitches 4+ shutout innings in relief of Orioles starter Wade LeBlanc, who departs in the 1st inning w/ an injury. Kevin Pillar (#3) & Jackie Bradley Jr (#2) both homer for the Red Sox, who’s late rally falls short.
The Orioles use 6 relievers, the Red Sox use 5.

Bal (14-14) Bos (9-20)

WP : Eshelman (2-0)
LP : Godley (0-3)
S : Scott (1)

The Orioles split a crucial series w/ the Red Sox, they had the day off before starting a 3 game series on the road against Tampa Bay.

GO O’S!!

#BreakingEven

Game 1 : Blue Jays 7, Orioles 2 – Cavan Biggio goes 3-5 w/ 3 RBI’s & scores twice, Randal Grichuck homers (#3) & drives in 4 as they combine for all the Blue Jays offense to back a solid outing from starter Hyun-Jin Ryu. The Toronto lefty goes 6 innings, allowing just a run on 4 hits, walking none & striking out 3 as the bullpen does the rest. Alex Cobb goes 6+, allows 5 runs on 8 hits, walks 1 & strikes out 4. Renato Nunez & Pedro Severino provide RBI singles for the Orioles in the loss.

Bal (12-10) Tor (8-11)

WP : Ryu (2-1)
LP : Cobb (1-2)

Game 2 : Blue Jays 8, Orioles 7 (10 innings) – Travis Shaw scores on a throwing error in the 10th inning by 1B Chris Davis as the Blue Jays beat the Orioles for the 2nd night in a row. Randal Grichuck homers (#4) & drives in 4, Travis Shaw also homers (#3) & drives in 3 for Toronto, while Anthony Santander homers twice (#8 & #9) drives in 3 & Chance Sisco adds a 2-run shot (#3) for the Orioles, who’s rally from a 6-2 deficit falls short. Both starters go 4 innings before turning it over to the bullpens, as each team uses 6 relievers.

Bal (12-11) Tor (9-11)

WP : Bass (1-0)
LP : Sulser (1-2)

Game 3 : Blue Jays 5, Orioles 2 – Randal Grichuck remains hot as he homers twice more (#5 & #6), drives in 3 & scores twice, Lourdes Gurriel Jr adds an insurance run late w/ an RBI single against the Orioles bullpen as the Blue Jays complete the sweep @ Camden Yards. Dwight Smith Jr singles home a run & scores on a single by Pat Valaika but the Orioles can’t muster anymore offense against Toronto pitching. Tanner Roark allows 2 runs on 9 hits, walks 1 & strikes out 5 & the bullpen tosses 4 shutout innings as the Jays complete the sweep.

Bal (12-12) Tor (10-11)

WP : Roark (2-1)
LP : Milone (1-3)
S : Solis (1)

Baltimore has now lost 4 in a row. They will remain home to host the AL East rival Boston Red Sox for 3 as they look to snap their skid & right the ship.

GO O’S!!

#BirdFightRoundOne