Diplomatic Immunity

The Orioles continue stay the course as they take 2 out of 3 from the Pirates @ home, extending their winning streak to 5 in a row before dropping the finale. In a 30 year Anniversary Weekend that featured Oriole greats from years past, this team is carving out it’s own path to greatness as it continues to stay right in the thick of the AL Wild Card race.

Game 1 : Orioles 1, Pirates 0 – Ramon Urias drives in the lone Orioles run, Dean Kremer takes a shutout into the 7th inning & the bullpen does the rest as the O’s win their 4th in row & move a season-high 4 games over .500. Kremer runs into trouble in the 3rd but gets Cal Mitchell to ground into a doubleplay to end the inning & he doesn’t allow a baserunner over the next 4 innings. Anthony Santander doubles & scores on back to back infield singles by Terrin Vavra & Ramon Urias as the Birds break the scoreless tie & grab the lead in the 6th against Pittsburgh starter Mitch Keller. Vavra is now 6 for 13 in his short time in the majors, he also singles in the 2nd to become the first Oriole Rookie to reach safely in 7 straight plate appearances since Jerry Hairston Jr. in 1999. Keller allows just a run on 8 hits, he strikes out 1 & walks 1, he has a 1.74 ERA in his last 5 starts but the O’s also go just 2-15 w/ men in scoring position on the night to help his cause. They get the leadoff man on in the first 4 innings but are unable to cash in, 3 of those times they had a man on 2nd & nobody out but came up empty, as doubleplays in the 1st & 4th innings derailed any scoring chances. Cionel Perez takes over for Kremer in the 7th & goes 1 2/3 before the O’s new closer Felix Bautista allows 2 on in the 9th but is able to close it out. This game was delayed for 109 minutes by rain before it started & the rain continued throughout most of the night. Both teams came into this game coming off of 3-game sweeps as the Pirates swept Milwaukee & the Orioles swept Texas. Pittsburgh has lost 5 of their last 8 but loses for the first time in 4 their last 4 games, they are 31.5 games out in the NL Central & 15.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. Baltimore has now won 31 of their last 47, 6 of their last 7 & are now 32-21 @ home this season.

Bal (55-51) Pit (43-63)

WP : Kremer (4-3)
LP : Keller (3-8)
S : Bautista (4)

Game 2 : Orioles 6, Pirates 3 – Austin Voth pitches 5 innings to earn the win, Ryan McKenna cracks a 2-run pinch-hit double & the Orioles take the 2nd game of the 3 game Series to win their 5th in a row & keep pace in the AL Wild Card race. Terrin Vavra continues his hitting tear as he singles to score Adley Rutschman in the 1st, Jorge Mateo singles to score Roughed Odor & scores on a double by the newest Oriole Brett Phillips in the 2nd against Pirates starter J.T. Brubaker who goes 4 innings, allowing 3 runs on 8 hits, strikes out 6 & walks 2. O’Neil Cruz hits a 2-run shot off of Voth to cut the lead to 1 in the 4th – Voth allows 3 runs on 6 hits, strikes out 5 & walks 1. Ryan McKenna pinch-hits for Phillips in the 5th & drills a 2-out, 2-run double to score Mateo & Ramon Urias as the Birds build their lead against reliever Eric Stout. The Pirates get one back when Ke’Bryan Hayes singles to score Ben Gamel who doubles to lead off the inning & Voth gives way to Keegan Akin in the 6th. Cedric Mullins hits a sac fly off of reliever Chase DeJong in the 7th & the bullpen holds tight the rest of the way as Joey Krehbiel goes 1 inning, Nick Vespi goes an inning an 1/3 & Dillon Tate records the last 2 outs to close it out. The Orioles have gone 5-28 w/ runners in scoring position in the first 2 games of this Series but have avoided paying the price for it so far. Pittsburgh has lost 6 of their last 9, has lost 8 in a row @ Camden Yards & will look to avoid the sweep in the finale. Baltimore has won 21 of their last 28, is 33-21 @ home this season, they are 10-2 all-time against Pittsburgh @ Camden Yards, have now reached their highest win total in 5 years & are within 1 game of a Wild Card spot in the AL.

Bal (56-51) Pit (43-64)

WP : Voth (2-1)
LP : Brubaker (2-10)

Game 3 : Pirates 8, Orioles 1 – Bryse Wilson pitches into the 6th inning, Ke’Bryan Hayes homers & the Pirates use 2 multi-run innings & a shaky outing by the Orioles bullpen to win the finale & avoid the sweep @ Camden Yards. Jorge Mateo hits a solo shot off of Wilson in the 3rd to break a scoreless tie but the O’s would never score again as Wilson goes 5 innings, allows just a run on 4 hits, strikes out 5 & walks none. Pittsburgh scores 3 times in the 5th as Greg Allen singles to score Michael Chavis, Cal Mitchell singles to score Bligh Madris & Jose Godoy grounds into a fielders choice that scores Allen against O’s starter Spenser Watkins. Watkins walks Reynolds to start the 6th, Reynolds steals 2nd while Watkins strikes out Hayes & Watkins departs after that but Michael Chavis singles home Reynolds to make it a 3-run game in the 6th against reliever Bryan Baker. Watkins goes 5 1/3 innings, he allows 4 runs on 4 hits, strikes out 5 & walks 1. Kevin Newman reaches on an infield single that scores Greg Allen, who was initially ruled out but the call is overturned after Orioles C Robinson Chirinos is called for blocking the plate & the run counts which sends O’s manager Brandon Hyde into a rage, resulting in his ejection. Newman comes around to score on a single by Reynolds against Keegan Akin & Reynolds scores on a 2-run homer by Ke’Bryan Hayes off of Beau Sulser in a 4-run Pittsburgh 7th, it’s Hayes’ 2nd HR of the Series. Colin Holderman goes 2 innings in relief of Stout & Yerry De Los Santos works the 9th for the Pirates to close out the game. Baltimore is now 33-22 @ home this season, they are still 21-8 in their last 29 games & have the best record in the major-leagues since the All-Star Break. Pittsburgh wins for just the 4th time in their last 10 games, they snap a 9-game losing streak @ Camden Yards & are now just 2-11 all-time at the park.

Pit (44-64) Bal (56-52)

WP : Wilson (2-6)
LP : Watkins (4-2)

Baltimore wins 2 out of 3 @ home, has won 5 of their last 6 counting the sweep in Texas & will now remain home to host the rival Toronto Blue Jays for 3 in a HUGE Series between 2 teams in the mix for the AL Wild Card. Things are getting very interesting.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#PirateBooty

The Orioles head into Arlington coming off of a tough Series loss to the Reds & having to say Goodbye to teammates Trey Mancini & Jorge Lopez but despite an emotional few days they get right back to business & sweep the Rangers to move within 2 games of a Wild Card spot in the AL.

Game 1 : Orioles 7, Rangers 2 – Cedric Mullins homers to lead off the game, his 14th career leadoff HR & his 3rd leadoff homer of the season, Anthony Santander extends his hitting streak to 12 games & the Orioles win in their first game without Trey Mancini, extending their winning streak to 4 in a row over Texas in the process. Mullins leads off the game w/ the solo shot off of Rangers starter Jon Gray in the 1st & singles to score Rookie Terrin Vavra who led off the 2nd w/ an infield single for his first career hit, goes to 3rd on an RBI single by Anthony Santander that scores Jorge Mateo & scores on a single by Ryan Mountcastle in a 3-run 2nd against Gray. The right-hander leaves after just an inning & a 1/3 w/ discomfort on his left side, he allows 4 runs on 4 hits, strikes out 3 & walks 1. Adley Rutschman doubles to score Mullins in the 4th & scores on a single by Mountcastle as the Birds blow the game open against reliever Garrett Richards who gives up 2 runs on 4 hits in 3 innings of relief, he strikes out 2 & walks 1. Spenser Watkins pitches 6 strong, he allows 1 run on 5 hits, strikes out 5 & walks none – he gives up a solo homer to Corey Seager in the 6th, the only run allowed by Watkins on the night. Nick Solak hits a pinch-hit solo homer in the 8th for Texas off of reliever Keegan Akin who pitches 3 innings in relief to earn the save but this game was already in hand. Texas has lost 5 consecutive home games, matching their longest streak in Globe Life Field, which opened in 2020. They are just 5-7 since the All-Star Break & are starting to fade away in the AL Wild Card race. Baltimore is 17-7 in their last 24 games & 4-0 against Texas this season, they have moved up to 4th place in the AL East & remain right in the thick of the AL Wild Card.

Bal (52-51) Tex (46-56)

WP : Watkins (4-1)
LP : Gray (7-6)
S : Akin (2)

Game 2 : Orioles 8, Rangers 2 – Jorge Mateo homers twice, the first multi-homer game of his career & drives in 5 runs to set a career-high for homers & RBI’s as the Orioles take Game 2 of the Series to remain undefeated against the Rangers on the season. Rangers starter Spencer Howard retires the first 6 batters he faces but hits Ramon Urias leading off the 3rd & walks Rookie Tarrin Vavra before Mateo takes him deep in the 3rd to put the O’s ahead for good. Adley Rutschman hits a ground rule double to score Cedric Mullins & scores on a sac fly by Ryan Mountcastle to cap the scoring as the Birds erupt in the 3rd for 5 runs against Howard who allows 6 runs on 6 hits, strikes out 3 & walks 2 in 4 innings of work. Back to back doubles by Anthony Santander & Adley Rutschman to lead off 5th inning knocks Howard out of the game but Marcus Semien singles to score Meibrys Viloria & gets the Rangers on the board in the bottom of the 5th, it’s the only run allowed by Lyles on the night. The veteran pitches into the 7th inning, going 6 1/3, he allows 1 run on 7 hits, strikes out 7 & walks 1, he is relieved by Dillon Tate. Mateo hits his 2nd homer, a 2-run shot off of reliever Dennis Santana in the 9th for his 4th & 5th RBI’s of the game as the O’s pull away late to win their 2nd in a row @ Globe Life. Viloria hits a solo shot w/ 2 outs in the 9th off of Nick Vepsi (he goes 3-4 w/ a HR, an RBI & 2 runs scored) but Felix Bautista comes on to record the final out as he strikes out Leody Taveras to end the game. Texas is now 5-8 since the All-Star Break, 0-5 against the Orioles & have lost 6 games in a row @ home. Baltimore is 18-7 in their last 25 games & remains undefeated against Texas, they are 14-9 against the AL West this season, while sitting right in the thick of the AL Wild Card race while effectively ending any hopes the Rangers had of getting a Playoff spot.

Bal (53-51) Tex (46-57)

WP : Lyles (8-8)
LP : Howard (2-3)

Game 3 : Orioles 6, Rangers 3 – Terrin Vavra hits the tiebreaking RBI double for his first career RBI after a disputed stolen base by Jorge Mateo & Kyle Bradish pitches 5 innings of 1 run ball as the Orioles pull off the season sweep of the Rangers to move a season-high 3 games over .500. Adolis Garcia singles to score Corey Seager in the 1st against O’s starter Kyle Bradish but the young right hander settles down the rest of the way & gets some help from his bats as Ryan McKenna hits a solo shot to tie it off of Rangers All-Star starter Martin Perez in the 2nd. Bradish allows just 1 run on 3 hits, in 5 innings, he strikes out 5 & walks 3 but gets a no decision as both starters duel all night. Perez allows 1 run on 5 hits, he strikes out 9 to match a career-high & walks 3 in 5 innings as well, setting the Franchise record for starts without a loss w/ 19 as he also earns the no decision. Robinson Chirinos hits a solo shot off of reliever Matt Moore in the 7th but the Rangers tie it when Jonah Heim hits a solo shot off of Dillon Tate in the bottom of the inning. Vavra pinch-hits for Tyler Nevin in the 8th & doubles to score Jorge Mateo who swipes 2nd controversially & scores on a single by Chironos, his 3rd hit of the night as the O’s add a huge insurance run. Anthony Santander pads the lead even more when he doubles to score Adley Rutschman in the 9th & scores on a wild pitch by reliever Jonathan Hernandez – Santander’s hit streak is now up to 14 games. Marcus Semien hits a solo shot off of Felix Bautista in the 9th but Bautista still closes it out for the save as the Orioles pull off their first ever season sweep of the Rangers. Texas loses it’s 7th in a row @ home & slides to a season-worst 12 games under .500, they are 5-9 since the All-Star Break & have now  swept in a Series of at least 3 games for the 4th time this season, all of them coming after the All-Star Break. Baltimore has won 19 of their last 26, has already won 2 more games then it did last season & is only 1.5 games back in the AL Wild Card race.

Bal (54-51) Tex (46-57)

WP : Perez (6-1)
LP : Leclerc (0-1)

Baltimore is starting to heat up again as they have now won 3 in a row, have swept Texas for the 2nd time this season & moves a season-high 3 games over .500. They will now return home to host the Pittsburgh Pirates for 3 w/ a chance to increase their win total & gain some ground in the AL Wild Card race.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#FootOnTheGas

The O’s head into Cincinnati on the heels of a winning homestand against the Yankees & Rays but run into a buzzsaw as they embarrassingly lose 2 out of 3 to the Reds & lose some ground in the AL Wild Card race as well.

Game 1 : Orioles 6, Reds 2 – Kyle Bradish fans 7 in 5 innings & the O’s score 4 times in the 9th inning, including a Cedric Mullins 2-run go-ahead single as they take Game 1 in Cincinnati. Joey Votto hits a 2-run shot off Bradish in the 1st to give the Reds the early lead but the O’s starter settles down as he goes 4 scoreless the rest of the way, he allows 2 runs on 5 hits, strikes out 7 & walks none in his first start since June 18 after a stint in the IL w/ right shoulder inflammation. Anthony Santander hits a 2-run shot in the 6th off of Reds starter Mike Minor, it’s the 15th HR allowed by Minor in 10 starts this season. The lefty goes 5 1/3 innings, allows 2 runs on 4 hits, strikes out 4 & walks 3. Cedric Mullins singles home Ryan McKenna & Rougned Odor off of reliever Buck Farmer, Trey Mancini reaches on an infield single that scores Mullins & Ryan Mountcastle adds a sac fly to score Adley Rutschman as the O’s pound Farmer for 4 runs on 3 hits & 2 walks in just 1/3 of an inning. Joey Krehbiel, Cionel Perez & Dillon Tate combine to go 3 innings & Jorge Lopez takes over in the 9th to close it out. Baltimore now has 23 comeback wins, are 37-25 after starting the season 14-24, are 2 games over .500 for the first time since September 2017, are 16-7 in July & have assured themselves of consecutive winning months for the first time since May & June of 2016. Cincinnati is 10-8 in their last 18 & has is 5-2 in their last 7 games against AL East opponents.

Bal (51-49) Cin (38-61)

WP : Tate (2-3)
LP : Farmer (0-1)

Game 2 : Reds 8, Orioles 2 – Cincinnati homers 3 times, Tyler Mahle pitches 6 strong innings & the Reds rebound from a loss in the opener to shock the Orioles & even the Series. Anthony Santander singles to score Adley Rutschman & Trey Mancini scores on a balk by Reds starter Tyler Mahle in a 2-run Orioles 1st but the Birds would never score again the rest of the way. Mahle settles down after that retiring the next 13 hitters that he faces over the next 5 innings, he allows 2 runs on 5 hits, strikes out 7 & walks none in a possible trade deadline audition. Michael Papierski singles to score Kyle Farmer in the 2nd against Orioles starter Dean Kremer but the inning ends when Anthony Santander throws out Jake Fraley trying to score on a fly ball from Jonathan India. Fraley singles to score Nick Senzel & scores on a 2-run shot by India in a 3-run Cincinnati 4th as the Reds take the lead for good. Joey Votto hits a solo shot off of Kremer & Fraley hits a 2-run blast off of reliever Beau Sulser in a 3-run 5th inning, it’s his first RBI since April 13 & capped off the first 3-hit game of his career. Kremer goes 4 1/3 innings, allows 6 runs on 10 hits, strikes out 3 & walks 1 – he had allowed 4 HR’s in 47 innings coming into this game but allowed 2 on the day, the Orioles haven’t had a starter go 6 innings since July 12. Brandon Drury singles to score India in the 6th off Sulser to add another & Cincinnati pitching retires 19 in a row at one point as Mahle & 3 relievers combine to close it out – Reiver Sanmartin, Ross Detwiler & Ryan Hendrix each work a scoreless inning in relief, of the 3, only Hendrix allows a hit.
Baltimore is still 37-26 after a 14-24 start & is still 16-8 in the month of July, they will look to win the Series in the finale. Cincinnati is 11-8 in their last 19 & 8-2 in their last 10 against the AL East.

Cin (39-61) Bal (51-50)

WP : Mahle (5-7)
LP : Kremer (3-3)

Game 3 : Reds 3, Orioles 2 – Brandon Drury homers to break a tie game in the 8th, reaching 20 HR’s for the first time in his career as the Reds stun the O’s to take the Series @ home. Joey Votto singles to score Jonathan India & Kyle Farmer hits a sac fly to score Donovan Solano in a 2-run Cincinnati 6th to break a scoreless tie against reliever Bryan Baker in relief of O’s starter Austin Voth who goes 4 shutout innings, he allows 5 hits, strikes out 6 & walks none. Reds starter Nick Lodolo goes 6 shutout innings, he allows 1 run on 4 hits, strikes out 7 & walks 2 as Cedric Mullins hits a sac fly to score Ryan Mountcastle to get the O’s on the board in the 7thhe only run allowed by Lodolo. Anthony Santander hits a solo shot off of reliever Alexis Diaz to tie the game in the 8th, extending his hitting-streak to 11, he has 3 hits in the loss for Baltimore. Drury hits his team leading 20th homer off of Felix Bautista in relief to put Cincinnati ahead for good & Buck Farmer pitches the 9th to close it out for his 1st career save in 6 chances. Baltimore finished the month of July 16-9 to complete their 2nd straight winning month. They are 37-27 after a 14-24 start. Cincinnati goes 6-4 on their 10-game homestand, is 14-12 in July & 7-2 in their last 9 games against AL East opponents.

Cin (40-61) Bal (51-51)

WP : Diaz (3-1)
LP : Bautista (3-3)
S : Farmer (1)

Baltimore starts out on the wrong foot of a 6-game road trip by losing 2 of 3 in Cincinnati but is still right in the thick of the Wild Card race. They now travel to Arlington to play the Rangers for 3 as the MLB trade deadline nears & the question lingers, are these Orioles buyers or sellers?
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#GutPunch

The Orioles finish 4-3 in a 7-game homestand w/ the Yankees & Rays as they
take 3 out of 4 from a banged up Tampa Bay team @ home to move within 3 games of a Wild Card spot in the AL.

Game 1 : Orioles 5, Rays 1 – The O’s strong bullpen shines again pitching 6 scoreless to take over for starter Austin Voth as Ryan Mountcastle drives in 2 & scores a run & Ramon Urias collects 2 more hits as the O’s win the opener of the 4-game set. Roughed Odor’s sac fly scores Anthony Santander in the 2nd against Rays starter Corey Kluber to get the O’s on the board early but Brandon Lowe hits a solo shot off of Voth to lead off the 3rd & tie the game. The O’s break through w/ a 4-run 5th inning against Kluber, who allows 5 runs on 7 hits in 5 innings, he strikes out 2 & walks 1 before leaving after 5. Mountcastle singles to score Ryan McKenna & Cedric Mullins, breaking the tie to put the O’s ahead for good & Anthony Santander grounds to 1st but Ji-Man Choi’s throw hits Ryan Mountcastle in the back which allows Adley Rutschman to score & Austin Hays hits a sac fly to score Mountcastle & cap the scoring against Kluber. Choi’s error is the first error in 10 games for the Rays, tying a club record they last reached in 2011. Voth goes 3 innings, he allows 1 run on 4 hits in 3 innings, he strikes out 2 & walks 3, Bryan Baker pitches a scoreless 4th, Nick Vespi strikes out 4 in 1 2/3 innings to earn the win in relief after being called up from Triple-A Norfolk, Dillon Tate takes over in the 6th, Cionel Perez works the 1 1/3 to pitch into the 8th & Felix Bautista works a perfect 9th to close the game out. Tampa Bay leaves 10 men on base, including leaving 6 on in the first 2 innings & leaves the bases loaded in the 2nd but after that the Birds bullpen is lights out to shut the door on any rally. Baltimore is 13-6 in the month of July after going 14-12 in June, they hadn’t had a winning month since August 2017. Tampa Bay has now lost 3 in a row, is just 7-6 against Baltimore this season after going 18-1 last season & currently holds the third & final Wild Card spot in the AL.

Bal (48-48) TB (52-44)

WP : Vespi (3-0)
LP : Kluber (6-6)

Game 2 : Orioles 5, Rays 3 – Ramon Urias hits a 2-run homer in the 8th to ruin an impressive outing by Rays starter Shane McClanahan as the O’s rally against the Rays bullpen to take the lead in the late innings, go on to win Game 2. Cedric Mullins takes the first pitch he sees from McClanahan out of the park for a solo homer as the Orioles grab the early lead but the Rays come right back as Randy Arozorena singles to score Yu Chang but is thrown out at 2nd trying to stretch it to a double against O’s starter Spenser Watkins who goes 5 1/3 innings, allows 3 runs on 10 hits, strikes out 4 & walks none. Isaac Paredes hits a solo shot in the 4th & Roman Quinn doubles to score Luke Raley but Anthony Santander hits a solo shot in the bottom of the 4th, the 2nd homer allowed by McClanahan in the game as the All-Star Game starter goes 7 innings, allows 2 runs on just 2 hits, strikes out 7 & walks only 1 – he has allowed 2 runs or fewer in a Franchise record 13 straight starts & has allowed 4 hits or less in 8 consecutive starts. Urias hits a 2-run shot off to put the O’s ahead for good & Trey Mancini hits a sac fly to score Jorge Mateo in a 3-run Orioles 8th against reliever Colin Poche, who allows 3 runs on 3 hits & walks 1 in just 1/3 of an inning. Joey Krehbiel goes 1 1/3 innings of relief after taking over in the 6th, Keegan Akin records the last out in the 8th & All-Star closer Jorge Lopez works the 9th for the save. Baltimore is now 14-6 in the month of July, their best month of the season, they are 3-2 on the current homestand & continue to remain in the hunt in the AL Wild Card race. Tampa Bay has now lost 4 in a row, while scoring just 9 runs in the process & is now 10-34 when scoring 3 runs or fewer this season, they are 7-7 against Baltimore after owning them last season to the tune of 18-1.

Bal (49-48) TB (52-45)

WP : Akin (2-1)
LP : Poche (2-1)
S : Lopez (10)

Game 3 : Rays 6, Orioles 4 (10 innings) – Randy Arozorena cracks a go-ahead 2-run double off of Orioles All-Star closer Jorge Lopez in the 10th to put the Rays ahead as they avoid a 4-game sweep @ Camden Yards & snap a 4-game losing streak as well. Ji-Man Choi hits a 2-run shot off of O’s starter Tyler Wells in the 1st & Luke Raley adds a solo shot in the 2nd off of Wells who allows 4 runs on 6 hits in 4 1/3 innings, he strikes out 5 & walks none but departs in the 5th w/ lower back discomfort & loses his 3rd straight start. Wells leads the team in wins, ranks second in innings pitched & is tied for the team lead w/ 20 starts. Rougned Odor singles to score Ryan Mountcastle in the 2nd & Adley Rutschman scores on a wild pitch by Rays starter Drew Rasmussen in the 3rd as the Birds cut it to 1. Josh Lowe doubles in the 5th & 1 batter later Wells is replaced by Dillon Tate who gives up a double to Yandy Diaz as the Rays tack on another. Trey Mancini snaps an 0-26 skid w/ an RBI single & Adley Rutschman scores on an errant throw by RF Luke Raley to cut the lead to 1 in the 5th, Rasmussen departs after hitting the next batter, Anthony Santander & is replaced by Ryan Thompson. He allows 3 runs but only 2 earned on 6 hits, he strikes out 4 & walks 1 in 4 2/3 innings on his 27th Birthday. Jorge Mateo hits a solo blast in the 9th off of reliever Colin Poche to tie the game & fire up all of Camden Yards but the O’s fail to capitalize as Poche strikes out Santander w/ 2 on in the 9th & the teams would play on to the 10th. Arozorena doubles w/ the bases loaded to score Taylor Walls & Yandy Diaz as the Rays take the lead for good off of Lopez who gets out of any further damage but it was already too late. Pete Fairbanks works a perfect 9th to close it out for the save. Tampa Bay is now 43-11 when scoring at least 4 runs & 10-34 when scoring 3 or fewer. They snap their 4-game losing streak & will look to pick up much needed split in the finale. Baltimore is 14-7 in the month of July, 7-8 against Tampa Bay this season & sits 4 games out in the AL Wild Card race.

TB (53-45) Bal (49-49)

WP : Poche (3-1)
LP : Lopez (4-6)
S : Fairbanks (1)

Game 4 : Orioles 3, Rays 0 – Trey Mancini hit an inside the park HR in what might of been his final game @ Camden Yards & on Mo Gaba day at that, as the Orioles take 3 out of 4 from the Rays to win the Series & move closer to an AL Wild Card spot. Anthony Santander doubles off of Rays starter Ryan Yarbrough to score Austin Hays in the 3rd & break a scoreless tie, Yarbrough goes 6 innings, allows just a run on 4 hits, strikes out 8 & walks none. O’s starter Jordan Lyles pitches 5+ shutout innings, pitching 1 short of 6 complete as he allows just 3 hits, strikes out 4 & walks 4 – he departs w/ 2 out in the 6th as Cionel Perez strikes out Randy Arozorena to end the inning, Bryan Baker records the first 2 outs in the 8th & Felix Bautista strikes out Arozorena to end the inning. Mancini comes up w/ 1 out in the 8th & hits a fly ball to right off of former Oriole reliever Shawn Armstrong that RF Josh Lowe loses in the sun & the ball hits him in the face, then rolls away. Austin Hays scores from 2nd after he doubles & Mancini comes all the way around & slides in to beat the throw as Camden Yards goes into a frenzy. Bautista strikes out 3 of the 4 batters he faces to earn his 3rd save. Baltimore puts together back-to-back winning months for the first time since 2016 & trails Tampa Bay by 3 games for the final Wild Card spot in the AL. Tampa Bay has lost 5 of their last 6 & are 8-8 against Baltimore this season after going 18-1 last season but still sits in the 3rd & final Wild Card spot.

Bal (50-49) TB (53-46)

WP : Lyles (7-8)
LP : Yarbrough (0-6)
S : Bautista (3)

Baltimore goes an impressive 4-3 in a 7-game homestand against New York & Tampa Bay, they pick up a huge win in a Game that would of moved them to 5 games back in the Wild Card w/ a loss. They now sit 3 games back as they head to Cincinnati for 3 before going to Texas. Things are getting very interesting for these Birds!
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#BullyingBack

The Orioles resume the 2nd half of the season as they open up a 7-game homestand by hosting the Yankees for 3 & while despite losing the Series, they show how close they are to becoming contenders in the American League.

Game 1 : Yankees 7, Orioles 6 – Aaron Judge homers twice to extend his major-league leading HR total, Joey Gallo also homers & the Yankees hold off a late Orioles rally to take the opener. Judge hits a 3-run shot off of O’s starter Tyler Wells in the 3rd but the O’s chip away as Jorge Mateo doubles to score Ramon Urias & scores on a single by Cedric Mullins in a 2-run Orioles against Yankees starter Jameson Taillon who allows 2 runs on 4 hits, strikes out 2 & walks 3 in just 2 2/3 innings of work, his shortest outing this season. Back to back doubles w/ 1 out by Josh Donaldson & Jose Trevino in the 4th against Wells who had 3 runs or fewer in 17 consecutive starts, which was the second-longest active streak in the majors next to Shane McClanahan of Tampa Bay (22). Judge hits a solo shot in the 5th to add another, the HR travels 465 feet, tied for the 3rd longest HR in the history of Camden Yards, he has now homered 6 times in his last 7 games. Isiah Kiner-Falefa singles to score Josh Donaldson against reliever Joey Krehbiel in the 6th as the Yankees add another but the O’s get 1 back in the bottom of the inning as Ramon Urias grounds out to score Austin Hays against reliever Jonathan Loaisiga Joey Gallo hits a solo shot off of Krehbiel in the 7th but Anthony Santander hits a 3-run shot off of Aroldis Chapman to cut the lead to 1. Clay Holmes closes it out in the 9th for the save. New York wins for just the 6th time in their last 13 games, they still hold the best record in the majors. Baltimore is still 11-3 in their last 14 games & 4.5 games out in the AL Wild Card race.

NYY (65-30) Bal (46-47)

WP : Luetge (3-3)
LP : Wells (7-6)
S : Holmes (17)

Game 2 : Orioles 6, Yankees 3 – The Orioles score 6 unanswered runs against Gerrit Cole & the Yankee bullpen as Ramon Urias has 3 hits, including a homer, drives in 2 & scores twice as the O’s even the Series against their AL East rival. Aaron Judge hits a solo shot in the 1st off of O’s starter Jordan Lyles – his 6th HR in his last 8 games & his 3rd HR of this Series alone as the Yankees take the early lead. Matt Carpenter adds a solo shot off of Lyles in the 2nd & Aaron Judge singles home Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the 4th, his 2nd RBI of the game as the Yankees add on to their lead against Lyles – Judge ties a career-high w/ 4 hits & 2 drives in 2. Cedric Mullins singles to score Jorge Mateo & scores on a double by Adley Rutschman in a 2-run 5th against Cole & Mateo takes over the game w/ his speed in the 7th as he singles to score Ramon Urias, moves to 3rd on a pick off error by reliever Albert Abreu & scores on sac fly by Mullins as the Orioles take the lead for good & never look back. Cole goes 6 innings, allows 4 runs on 9 hits, strikes out 6 & walks 2 as he fails to hold an early 3-run lead. Urias adds a 2-run shot off reliever Shane Greene who makes his first appearance in a Yankees uniform since 2014 after being called up from Triple-A Scranton / Wilkes Barre. Urias goes 3-4 & 6 multi-hit games since being reinstated from the IL on July 4. Cionel Perez works a scoreless 7th, Felix Bautista works a scoreless 8th despite walking 2 & Jorge Lopez closes it out for his 18th save in 22 chances despite the first 2 hitters reaching as the Yankees go 1-14 w/ runners in scoring position. Baltimore is 12-3 in their last 15 games as they continue to stay in the race for an AL Wild Card spot. New York has now lost 3 of their last 4 & 8 of their last 12 in their poorest stretch of the season.

Bal (47-47) NYY (65-31)

WP : Perez (5-1)
LP : Cole (9-3)
S : Lopez (18)

Game 3 : Yankees 6, Orioles 0 – Nestor Cortes tosses 6 shutout innings, Aaron Judge homers for the 7th time in his last 9 games & the Yankees shutout the Orioles to win the Series @ Camden Yards. D.J. Lemahieu doubles to score Jose Trevino & Aaron Judge cracks a solo shot off of O’s starter Dean Kremer in a 2-run 3rd inning for New York as Kremer goes 5 1/3 innings, he allows 4 runs on 5 hits, strikes out 6 & walks 1. Judge has homered 9 times in his last 12 games against the Orioles this season, he has 36 over his career & the Yankees have 166 HR’S as a team, the most they have ever hit after 96 games in Franchise history. Cortes allows 6 hits in shutout innings, he strikes out 7 & doesn’t walk a man. He is 2-0 w/ a 0.46 ERA in 4 appearances (3 starts) against the Orioles @ Camden Yards in his career – Clarke Schmidt works the final 3 innings for his career save. Isiah Kiner-Falefa singles to score Anthony Rizzo, extending his hitting streak to 12 games in a row & Jose Trevino has the first 4-hit game of his career, including a double to score Matt Carpenter against reliever Keegan Akin as the Yankees score twice in the 6th. Aaron Hicks singles to score Judge in the 9th against reliever Rico Garcia. New York has now won 9 of their last 13 games & 22 of 32 Series this season. They have won at least 66 of their first 97 games for the 10th time in Franchise history, they still have the best record in the AL despite falling a game behind the L.A. Dodgers for the best record in the majors. Baltimore is 12-4 in their last 16 but just 2-4 in their last 6 since winning 10 straight, they are now 4.5 games back in the AL Wild Card race.

NYY (66-31) Bal (47-48)

WP : Cortes (8-3)
LP : Kremer (3-2)
S : Schmidt (1)

Baltimore has now lost it’s last 2 Series after winning 10 straight, both to AL East opponents – Tampa Bay & New York. They will now host Tampa Bay for 4 to conclude the 7-game homestand before heading to Cincinnati for 3. This team continues to battle & finds themselves in the Wild Card hunt at the end of July for the first time in over 5 years.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#KeepOnFighting

The Orioles carry a 10-game winning streak into Tampa & see the streak come to an end as they lose 2 out of 3 in respectable fashion but still take a .500 record into the All-Star Break as they prepare for the stretch run of the 2nd half.

Game 1 : Rays 5, Orioles 4 – The O’s 10-game winning streak comes to an end as the Rays get a clutch pinch-hit 2-run homer from Christian Bethancourt & 5+ innings of solid relief from their bullpen to take the opener @ home. Trey Mancini hits a solo shot in the 3rd & Ramon Urias launches one in the 4th off of Rays starter Luis Patino as the Birds grab the early lead but the Rays would rally against O’s starter Tyler Wells. Wells goes 5 2/3 innings, allows 3 runs on 6 hits, strikes out 6 & walks 2, he loses for the first time in his last 9 starts since May 25th. Yu Chang doubles to score Isaac Paredes in the 4th & the Rays get 4-straight extra-base hits w/ 2 outs in the 6th as Josh Lowe doubles & scores on a double by Yu Chang who scores on a double by Francisco Mejia off of reliever Cionel Perez as the Rays take the lead for good. Newly acquired Christian Bethancourt hits a pinch-hit, 2-run shot off the foul pole in left (it is reviewed & ruled a HR) against the normally lock down lefty Perez, it’s his 1st HR as a Ray & puts Tampa Bay back up by 3 but back come the O’s as Urias goes deep for the 2nd time, a 2-run shot off of reliever Colin Poche to cut the lead to 1. Urias has 2 HR’s, the first multi-homer game of his career, he drives in 3 & scores twice as he helps the Birds continue their comeback ways but the rally falls short as Brooks Raley, the 5th Rays reliever of the night closes it out in the 9th for the save. The Orioles leave the bases loaded in the 1st & 5th innings as they had multiple opportunities to push across more runs but lose their 10th in a row @ Tropicana Field. Baltimore loses for the first time in their last 11 games & their 10-game winning streak was the teams longest since winning 13 in a row in 1999. Tampa Bay has now won 7 of their last 11 games, is 10-0 against the Orioles @ home & still has control of the 1st Wild Card spot in the AL.

TB (50-40) Bal (45-45)

WP : Wisler (3-3)
LP : Wells (7-5)
S : Raley (6)

Game 2 : Orioles 6, Rays 4 (11 innings) – Adley Rutschman hits a pinch-hit homer to tie the game in the 8th, adds a sac fly to tie it in the 10th & Ryan Mountcastle delivers a clutch 2-out, 2-run single in the 11th to put the O’s ahead for good as they finally put away the Rays & get back in the win column following a loss to snap their 10-game winning streak in Game 1. Brandon Lowe scores on a wild pitch by O’s starter Dean Kremer in the 1st but Ramon Urias doubles to score Anthony Santander in the 2nd as the O’s come right back to tie the game against Rays starter Ryan Yarbrough, just recalled from Triple-A Durham. Lowe scores on another wild pitch by Kremer & Randy Arozorena hits a solo shot as the Rays take the lead back in the 3rd – Kremer goes 4 innings, allows 3 runs on 8 hits, strikes out 2 & walks none. Tyler Nevin singles to score Ramon Urias in the 5th to cut the lead to 1 against Yarbrough, who goes 5 1/3 innings, allows 2 runs on 5 hits, strikes out 4 & walks none – Rutschman pinch-hits for Nevin in the 8th & launches his first pinch-hit home run to tie the game against reliever Jason Adam to lead off the 8th. He then adds a sac fly to score Austin Hays in the 10th as the O’s take the lead against Colin Poche but Tampa Bay ties it again when Brett Phillips sacrifices Lowe to 3rd & Ji-Man Choi singles him home off of closer Jorge Lopez. Ryan Mountcastle comes up big in the 11th as his 2-out, bloop single scores Jorge Mateo & Cedric Mullins, giving the O’s the lead again but this time for good. Cionel Perez gets 2 outs but allows a walk & Joey Krehbiel records the final out w/ 2 on for his first career save as the O’s finally put the Rays away & finally get a win in Tampa. The Rays go 1-11 w/ men in scoring position through 9 innings, they end up 2-15 & leave 10 men on base in the game. Lowe goes 2-4 w/ a walk & 2 runs scored in his first game back since May 16th. Tampa Bay is 7-5 in their last 12 games & 10-1 in their last 11 games @ home against the Orioles. Baltimore snaps a 10-game losing streak @ Tropicana Field & has now won 10 of thier last 11, they are now 32-21 since starting the season 14-24 & remain in the hunt for the AL Wild Card.

Bal (46-45) TB (50-41)

WP : Lopez (4-5)
LP : Bard (1-1)
S : Krehbiel (1)

Game 3 : Rays 7, Orioles 5 – The Rays score 6 times in the first 3 innings, 7 times in the first 6 & homer 3 times but still have to survive an Orioles rally to hang on & win the Series @ home. Randy Arozorena hits a 2-run shot in the 1st, Brandon Lowe doubles to score Brett Phillips in the 2nd & Phillips drills a 3-run homer in the 3rd as the Rays ambush O’s starter Jordan Lyles & he departs in the 3rd after he allows 6 runs on 6 hits, strikes out 5 & walks 2 in just 2 2/3 innings. Bryan Baker replaces Lyles & strikes out all 5 batters that he faces, becoming the 8th pitcher to go an 1 2/3 innings or more & record all 5 outs via the strikeout. Adley Rutschman singles to score Anthony Santander, Ramon Urias singles to score Ryan Mountcastle in the 4th against Rays starter Corey Kluber & Roughed Odor launches a 2-run shot in the 6th as the O’s cut it to 2. Kluber goes 6 innings, allows 4 runs on 8 hits, strikes out 3 & walks 1 to win his 3rd consecutive start, it’s the first time he has won 3 starts in a row since May 30 – June 10, 2018. Francisco Mejia hits a solo shot off of reliever Keegan Akin in the 6th as the Rays add an insurance run but Austin Hays hits a solo shot off of Pete Fairbanks on the relievers first pitch of the season in the 8th before Jason Adam closes it out in the 9th. Baltimore has still won 11 of their last 13 & heads into the All-Star Break w/ a .500 record & are only 3.5 games back in the AL Wild Card but they are also just 1-11 in their last 12 games @ Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay is 8-5 in their last 13 games & heads into the All-Star Break .5 game up on Seattle for the top AL Wild Card spot.

TB (51-41) Bal (46-46)

WP : Kluber (6-5)
LP : Lyles (6-8)
S : Adam (4)

Baltimore loses 2 out of 3 in this Series but fights valiantly even though there are no moral victories. They have 4 days off for the All-Star Break before resuming action in a 7- game homestand starting on Friday against the Yankees.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#BreakingEven

The Orioles sweep the short 2-game Series w/ the Cubs in Chicago, their third Series sweep in a row, as they rally from a 2-run defecit in Game 1 & cruise to a win in Game 2, increasing their record setting winning streak to 10 in a row in a row in the process.

Game 1 : Orioles 4, Cubs 2 – Ramon Urias hits a 2-run shot & Jorge Mateo also goes deep to lead the O’s to their 9th win in a row as they reach .500 for the 1st time this season & reach their longest winning streak since 1999. Ian Happ hits a solo shot off of O’s starter, Jordan Lyles in the 1st & Alfonso Rivas singles to score Nico Hoerner in the 2nd against Lyles but the veteran buckles down from there. He pitches 7 innings of 2-run ball, allows 2 runs on 7 hits, strikes out 5 & walks 1 as he wins his 3rd consecutive start & continues to give the O’s pitching staff quality outings by eating up innings. Anthony Santander singles to score Cedric Mullins in the 3rd against Chicago starter Adrian Sampson who allows 3 runs on 6 hits, strikes out 3 & walks 2 in 5 1/3 innings. Urias hits a 2-run shot to put the Birds ahead for good off of Sampson in the 4th, he has 3 hits & scores a run & Mateo adds a solo shot off of reliever Brandon Hughes in the 7th to add an insurance run for the bullpen as Cionel Perez works the 8th & the O’s lone All-Star, Jorge Lopez works the 9th for his 17th save in 21 chances. Chicago has now lost 5 in a row & all 3 games against the Orioles this season. Baltimore is the 2nd team in major-league team in history to lose 110 games one season & have at least a 10-game winning streak the following year. They are 30-20 since starting the season 14-24.

Bal (44-44) CHC (34-53)

WP : Lyles (6-7)
LP : Sampson (0-1)
S : Lopez (17)

Game 2 : Orioles 7, Cubs 1 – The Orioles score 3 times in the 1st & never look back as they cruise to their 10th victory in a row & their longest winning streak in 22 years & get past the .500 mark for the first time since April of last season. Anthony Santander gets it started early as he doubles to score Cedric Mullins & Ryan Mountcastle then scores on a single by Austin Hays as Cubs starter Justin Steele is roughed up for 3 runs on 6 hits, he strikes out 3 & walks 1 in 6 innings of work but he does retire the last 11 batters he faces. Trey Mancini doubles to score Rougned Odor in the 2nd but Rafael Ortega’s sac fly scores Christopher Morel to get the Cubs on the board against O’s starter Spenser Watkins who tosses 5 innings to earn his 3rd win in his last in his last 4 starts. He is 3-0 w/ a 1.19 ERA since being recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on June 25. The Orioles add 3 runs w/ 2 outs in the 8th as Adley Rutschman doubles to score Austin Hays & scores on a single by Ramon Odor, then Ramon Urias scores on a balk by Daniel Norris who is charged w/ all 3 runs. Dillon Tate, Cionel Perez, Joey Krehbiel & Bryan Baker combine to pitch the last 4 innings of shutout ball to close it out. Chicago has now lost 6 in a row, their longest streak since losing 10 in a row from June 4-16. Baltimore has won 10 in a row for the first time since they won 13 in a row from Sept 7-22, 1999. They are 3-0 against the Cubs this season & are now 31-20 since a 14-24 start. They are just 2 games back in the AL Wild Card behind Division Rivals, Boston, Tampa Bay & Toronto.

Bal (45-44) CHC (34-54)

WP : Watkins (3-1)
LP : Steele (3-6)

Baltimore has now swept their last 3 Series & won 10 in a row for the first time in 22 years but now they get a real test as they will head down to St. Petersburg to play the Rays for 3 before the All-Star Break w/ a chance to make a push in the AL Wild Card race.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#GoingStreaking

The Orioles complete their 2nd sweep in a row as well as their first 8-game winning streak since 2005 as they sweep the Angels & continue their run of winning, finishing 7-0 on the homestand & rising up to 2 games back of a Wild Card spot in the AL.

Game 1 : Orioles 4, Angels 1 – Adley Rutschman hits his first HR @ Camden Yards & the O’s win their 5th in a row as Ryan Mountcastle also drives in 2 & Jordan Lyles eats up 6 innings of 1 run ball. Rutschman hits a solo shot in the 2nd off of Angels starter Chase Silseth & Ryan Mountcastle doubles home Anthony Santander in the 3rd to give Lyles some run support. Silseth goes 4 innings, allows 4 runs on 6 hits, strikes out 2 & walks 1.
Trey Mancini singles home Jorge Mateo off of reliever Andrew Wantz & Mountcastle adds a sac fly for his 2nd RBI of the night in a 2-run 5th. Lyles pitches into the 7th, he allows a sac fly to Kurt Suzuki in the 7th, the lone run allowed on the evening, he gives up 5 hits, strikes out 4 & walks 2. Orioles starters have allowed 1 run or fewer 15 times in their last 20 games & their ERA is 2.46 in that span. Former Oriole, Jonathan Villar has 2 hits for the Angels in the loss. Jorge Lopez works the 9th & gets back on track to close it out after back-to-back blown saves in Minnesota. This is the first meeting between Father, Phil Nevin – the current acting manager of the Angels, who is serving a 10-game suspension for his part in a bench clearing brawl against Seattle on June 26 & Son, Tyler – who was not in the Orioles starting lineup buy the 2 hope to compete against each other when Nevin returns in Game 3. Los Angeles falls to 1-5 on their current 9-game road trip, they are 11-32 since May 25 & have lost 4 out of 5 to the Orioles this season. Baltimore has now won a season-high 5 in a row, they have climbed within reach of .500, as well as in contention for a Wild Card spot in the American League.

Bal (40-44) LAA (38-46)

WP : Lyles (5-7)
LP : Silseth (1-3)
S : Lopez (15)

Game 2 : Orioles 5, Angels 4 – Trey Mancini singles home the game winning run in a 3-run 9th inning as the O’s rally to come from behind for their 6th win in a row & 8th walk-off win of the season as they remain undefeated on their current homestand & continue to ride a wave of confidence. Mike Trout hits a 3-run shot in the 3rd off of O’s starter Tyler Wells, who allows 3 runs on 6 hits in 4 innings, he strikes out 3 & walks 2. Trout has 3 hits & steals a base on the 11th anniversary of his major-league debut. Angels starter Reid Detmers is stellar all night long, he pitches 6 shutout innings, strikes out 7 & walks 1 as he dominates the O’s for most of the evening before departing after 6. Ramon Urias singles to score Austin Hays against reliever Jose Quijada in the 7th & Ryan Mountcastle singles to score Cedric Mullins in the 8th against Ryan Tepera, cutting the lead to 1. Shohei Ohtani hits a solo blast off of Dillon Tate in the 9th, he has 3 hits as well to join his fellow All-Star Trout as the Angels add a huge insurance run but it wouldn’t matter to the O’s, who pull off another walk-off win in their last at bat. Down to their last strike 3 times in a row, they put together 3 consecutive hits against closer Rasiel Iglesias w/ 2 outs as Adley Rutschman doubles home Rougned Odor & scores on a single by Mullins, who takes 2nd on the throw home & scores on a single by Trey Mancini as the O’s walk it off & send Camden Yards into a frenzy. Los Angeles is a major-league worst 11-29 since May 25 & has lost 6 of their last 7. Baltimore wins it’s season-high 6th in a row for the first time since 2020 & will look to win the Series in Game 3, they are 5-1 against the Angels this season.

Bal (41-44) LAA (38-47)

WP : Tate (1-3)
LP : Iglesias (2-5)

Game 3 : Orioles 1, Angels 0 – Dean Kremer combines w/ 4 relievers on a 5-hitter as the Orioles pitch their 7th shutout & win their 7th in a row for the first time since 2017. Ryan Mountcastle singles in the 4th, moves to 2nd on a wild pitch by Angels starter Patrick Sandoval & scores on a single by Anthony Santander who has 2 hits in the game. It’s the lone run allowed by Sandoval who gives up just 5 hits in 6 1/3 innings, strikes out 10 & walks 2, he has given up 3 runs or fewer in 10 12 of 14 starts this season. Kremer allows 2 hits & walks 3 in 5 innings, he ties a career-high w/ 7 strikeouts & has pitched shutout ball in 4 of his last 5 starts. Bruce Zimmerman, Joey Krehbiel & Felix Bautista each pitch an inning & Jorge Lopez closes it out in the 9th for the save. Angels manager & Father of Orioles 3B Tyler Nevin returns from his 10-game suspension to manage against his son, Nevin was suspended for his part in a benches clearing brawl against Seattle on June 26. Trey Mancini singles in the 5th, he has now hit safely in 16 consecutive starts since June 21. Los Angeles is now 1-7 on their current 9-game road trip & has now lost 7 of their last 8, they have scored just 14 runs in their last 8 games. Baltimore is now 28-20 after starting the season 14-24 & is 31-2 when leading after 9 innings.

Bal (42-44) LAA (38-48)

WP : Kremer (3-1)
LP : Sandoval (3-4)
S : Lopez (16)

Game 4 : Orioles 9, Angels 5 – The Orioles use consecutive 4-run innings & get 3 RBI’s from Ramon Urias as steamroll their way to 8 wins in a row for the first time since 2005 & pull of their first 4-game sweep of the Angels since 2003. Monte Harrison hits a 2-run shot off of O’s starter Austin Voth in the 3rd to give Los Angeles the early lead but it would be short lived as the O’s score 4 times in the 4th & 4 times in the 5th to break the game wide open. Ryan Mountcastle doubles home Trey Mancini & scores along w/ Anthony Santander on a 2-run single by Urias & Rougned Odor singles to score Adley Rutschman as the O’s beat up on Angels starter Jose Suarez. The lefty goes 3 2/3, allows 4 runs on 3 hits, walks 2 & strikes out 1, he retires the first 10 batters before the wheels fall off & he departs in the 4th after the Odor single. Santander doubles home Mancini in the 5th, Mountcastle scores on a passed ball by Angels C Max Stassi, Santander scores on a wild pitch by reliever Elvis Peguero & Rutschman scores on a single by Urias, his 3rd RBI of the day. Voth goes 5 innings to earn the win, he allows 2 runs on 4 hits, strikes out 6 & walks none. Mancini singles to score Jorge Mateo off of reliever Jamie Barria in the 6th as the O’s add another as they would keep the pressure on Angels pitching all day. Harrison singles off of Bryan Baker to score Luis Rengifo in the 7th for his 2nd hit & 3rd RBI of the game & Stassi makes up for his passed ball w/ a 2-run shot off of Rico Garcia in the 8th but the Angels can get no closer. Los Angeles finishes up their dreadful road trip 1-8 as they continue to free fall, they are a major-league worst 11-31 since May 25th. Baltimore finishes 7-0 on their homestand, pulling off back to back sweeps & winning 8 games in a row for the first time since 2005. They are 29-14 since starting the season 14-24.

Bal (43-44) LAA (38-49)

WP : Voth (1-1)
LP : Suarez (1-3)

Baltimore goes undefeated on the 7-game homestand & will now head to Chicago to play the Cubs for 2 as they look to go for 9 or dare we say 10 in a row before a huge test against the Rays in Tampa for 3 before the All-Star Break.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#OriolesMagic

The Orioles complete their first sweep of the season as they take all 3 from the Texas Rangers @ home to continue their winning streak & remain hot while climbing up the standings in the American League.

Game 1 : Orioles 7, Rangers 6 (10 innings) – Jorge Mateo is hit by a pitch from Rangers reliever Matt Moore w/ the bases loaded as the Orioles walk it off on the 4th of July to take the opener in the first of a wild back & forth Series. Jonathan Arauz singles home Adley Rutschman & Cedric Mullins doubles home Jorge Mateo in the 2nd against Rangers starter Dane Dunning but the Rangers score 5 times in the 5th on a sac fly by Adolis Garcia to score Josh Smith, an RBI single by Brandon Lowe to score Marcus Semien & a 3-run blast by Mitch Garver against O’s starter Dean Kremer who gets knocked around for the first time all season. Kremer allows 5 runs on 8 hits in 4 2/3 innings, he strikes out 4 & walks 2 in his shortest outing since his season debut on June 5. Mullins hits a solo shot in the 5th off of Dunning, Adley Rutschman & Roughed Odor both score on an error by the 1B Nathaniel Lowe to tie the game in the 6th & knock Dunning out of the game – he goes 5 1/3 innings, allows 5 runs on 7 hits, walks 1 & strikes out 5. The game remains tied until the 9th when Semien hits a solo shot off of O’s closer Jorge Lopez who continues to struggle out of late & the Rangers take the lead again. Down to their last out, Rutschman doubles off of Rangers closer Josh Barlow to score pinch-runner, Ryan McKenna, tying the game again, Rutschman began the day in an 0-18 skid. Moore loads the bases w/ nobody out in the 9th, including an intentional walk to Ramon Urias before hitting Mateo on the left knee & forcing home Austin Hays as the O’s walk it off for the 6th time this season, despite going 2-12 w/ runners in scoring position. Baltimore is now 23-20 after starting the season 14-24 & has now won 2 in a row after losing 4 straight. Texas is now 8-6 in their last 14 & has lost 4 of their last 5.

Bal (37-44) Tex (37-41)

WP : Baker (3-3)
LP : Moore (3-1)

Game 2 : Orioles 10, Rangers 9 (10 innings) – The Orioles become the 1st team in major-league history to allow a game-tying HR in the 7th, 8th & 9th innings & still win the game as they outlast the Rangers in a wild one @ Camden Yards. The O’s score 4 times in the 2nd against Rangers starter Spencer Howard to take the early lead as Jorge Mateo singles home Ramon Urias & scores along w/ Ryan McKenna on a 2-run double by Cedric Mullins, who scores on a double by Trey Mancini. The Rangers respond w/ 3 runs in the 5th against O’s starter Austin Voth, who loads the bases w/ nobody out before giving way to Keegan Akin – he goes 4 1/3 innings, allows 3 runs on 4 hits, strikes out 3 & walks 1. Josh Smith hits a sac fly to score Nathaniel Lowe, Marcus Semien reaches on an infield single to score Mitch Garver & Corey Seager singles to score Brad Miller w/ all 3 runs charged to Voth & Mitch Garver hits a solo shot to tie the game off of Akin in the 7th. The O’s then score 3 more times in the bottom of the 7th as Anthony Santander singles off of reliever Dennis Santana & scores along w/ Trey Mancini on a 2-run single by Ramon Urias but the Rangers would come back to tie it again in the 8th as Lowe hits a 3-run shot off of Nick Vepsi. Ryan McKenna hits a solo shot off of John King in the bottom of the 8th to put the O’s back on top but Corey Seager’s 2-run blast off of Felix Bautista in the 9th puts Texas ahead for the first time. Roughed Odor’s 2-out, solo shot in the bottom of the 9th off of Barlow ties the game again & Mullins doubles home McKenna to walk it off in the 10th off of Matt Moore & sends Camden Yards into a frenzy. Baltimore has now won in walk-off fashion in back to back nights in extra innings & has now won 3 in a row after dropping 4 straight, they are now 24-20 after a 14-24 start. Texas has now homered in 11 straight games, tying their longest run of the season but is now 4-16 in 1-run games & has now lost 5 of their last 6.

Bal (38-44) Tex (37-42)

WP : Krehbiel (4-3)
LP : Moore (3-2)

Game 3 : Orioles 2, Rangers 1 – Spenser Watkins pitches into the 7th inning for the first time in his career, the Orioles take advantage of an early error & hold on to win their 5th in a row & earn their first sweep of the season. The O’s get to Texas starter Glenn Otto early as Ryan McKenna reaches on an infield single & Corey Seager’s errant throw allows Adley Rutschman & Ramon Urias to score as the Birds grab the early lead & never look back. Otto goes 5 innings, he allows 2 runs but only 1 earned on just 3 hits, strikes out 5 & walks 3. Watkins goes 6 2/3 innings, he allows just 1 run on 4 hits, strikes out 3 & walks 1 in his first ever start against the Rangers – he allows just an RBI double to Leody Taveras that scores Kole Calhoun in the 5th & continues a streak of allowing just 1 run for a 3rd straight start. Bryan Baker & Cionel Perez each pitch 2/3 of an inning & Jorge Lopez allows a 1-out single to Jonah Heim but still closes it out in the 9th inning, striking out Brad Miller to end it as he rebounds from consecutive blown opportunities against Minnesota to pick up the save. The Orioles get the win despite registering only 4 hits but take advantage of an error & let the pitching do the rest as they win another 1-run game, they are now 11-14 in 1-run games or games that have gone into extra innings. Texas is now 4-17 in 1-run games & has their streak of homeruns in 11 straight games snapped in the process, finishing 1 shy of a Franchise record, while losing 6 of their last 7. Baltimore sweeps Texas for the 1st time since 2017 & is 11-11-4 Series this season, they have now won a season high 5 in a row & get their first sweep in 5 years.

Bal (39-44) Tex (37-43)

WP : Watkins (2-1)
LP : Otto (4-5)
S : Lopez (14)

Baltimore picks up it’s first sweep & ties a season-high w/ it’s 4th win in a row all in the same Series. They now host the L.A. Angels for 4 as this 7-game homestand against the AL West continues. This team continues to never say die & is playing the best stretch of ball that it has all season.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#FeelinOmazing

The Orioles lose 2 out of 3 in Minnesota, salvaging the finale after dropping 2 out of 3 in Seattle as their promising 10-game, 11-day road trip ends w/ a 5-5 split after starting off so promising by taking 3 out of 4 in Chicago from the White Sox.

Game 1 : Twins 3 Orioles 2 – Byron Buxton launches a walk-off 2-run homer off of Jorge Lopez as the Twins hand the O’s their first loss when leading after 9 innings this season.The Twins grab the early lead as Jose Miranda singles to score Luis Arraez off of O’s starter Spenser Watkins in the 1st, Watkins who retires the last 15 that he faces after the 1st inning, goes 6 strong, he allows 1 run on 3 hits, strikes out 5 & walks just 1 on the night. Cedric Mullins doubles to score Jorge Mateo in the 3rd to tie the game off of Twins starter Joe Ryan who duels w/ Watkins for most of the night – he allows just 1 run on 2 hits in 7 innings of work, he strikes out 7 & walks 1. Both pitchers going deep into the game is huge for both bullpens & the O’s finally break the tie in the 8th when Ryan McKenna doubles to lead off the inning, moves to 2nd on a ground out by Trey Mancini & scores on a fielders choice by Jorge Mateo as the Birds manufacture a run against reliever Caleb Thielbar. Arraez singles off of the normally automatic Jorge Lopez to end a streak of 21 hitters in a row retired by Oriole pitching & the next batter, Buxton sends the ball over the wall in left & sends Target Field into a frenzy. Lopez hadn’t allowed a HR all season & the Orioles were 29-0 when leading after 8 innings this season, both streaks ended on the same play. It is Buxton’s 2nd walk-off HR this season – he hit a walk-off off of White Sox closer Liam Hendricks on April 24. Minnesota is now won 5 of thier last 9, despite losing 3 out of 5 & suffering back-to-back walk-off losses to Cleveland the previous Series. Baltimore has now lost 3 in a row & 4 of their last 5 after a season high 4-game winning streak & suffers it’s first loss all season when leading after 8 innings, they have now lost 11 in a row @ Target Field.

Min (44-36) Bal (35-43)

WP : Minaya (1-0)
LP : Lopez (3-4)

Game 2 : Twins 4, Orioles 3 – The Twins walk it off on the O’s for the 2nd night in a row as Jose Miranda’s RBI single in the 9th off of Jorge Lopez gives the Twins their 2nd win against the Orioles normally lock down bullpen. Tyler Nevin doubles to score Ryan Mountcastle in the 2nd & Anthony Santander hits a solo shot in the 3rd to give the O’s the early lead against Twins starter Sonny Gray. Gray goes 5 innings, he allows 3 runs on 6 hits, strikes out 5 & walks 3. Jorge Mateo hits a sac fly to score Rougned Odor in the 4th but the Birds cannot add on any runs after that & it would come back to haunt them later. O’s starter Jordan Lyles pitches 6 1/3 innings, allows 1 run on 4 hits, strikes out 7 & walks 1 – he retires 12 in a row at one point, departing in the 7th after a solo homer by Nick Gordon gets Minnesota on the board & chases Lyles. Carlos Correa’s sac fly off of Felix Bautista scores Gilberto Celestino & cuts the lead to 1 & then in the 9th the Twins get to the O’s bullpen again to win it. Jorge Polanco hits a solo shot off of Lopez to tie it but Lopez strikes out Gordon before Alex Kiriloff doubles, Gary Sanchez singles & Jose Miranda walks it off w/ another single. Lopez allows 4 hits & a HR in the inning, he hadn’t allowed a HR all season & his ERA was under under 0.80 before the last 2 nights. Minnesota is now the first team in American League history to follow up back-to-back losses w/ back-to-back wins in a single season, they have won 6 of their last 10. Baltimore has now lost 4 in a row & 5 of their last 6 as they continue to struggle of late, they have now lost 12 in a row @ Target Field in Minnesota.

Min (45-36) Bal (36-43)

WP : Pagan (2-3)
LP : Lopez (3-5)

Game 3 : Orioles 3, Twins 1 – Tyler Wells takes a No-Hit bid into the 5th inning for the second consecutive start & wins his 6th straight decision as the O’s take the Series finale & avoid the sweep in Minnesota. Wells goes 6 innings, he allows 1 run on 3 hits, he strikes out a career-high 7 & walks 1 to earn his 7th win as he continues to grow into his starter role – he has allowed 1 run or no runs in each of his last 4 starts. Rougned Odor breaks a scoreless tie in the 4th w/ a solo shot off of Twins starter Devin Smeltzer who goes 6 innings, he allows 3 runs on 6 hits, strikes out 3 & walks 1, matching Wells for most of the game in a scoreless duel before Odor’s HR. Smeltzer has allowed 10 HR’s in his last 32 1/3 innings after not allowing any in his first 24 innings. Nick Gordon doubles w/ 1 out in the 5th for the Twins first hit against Wells & the Twins crack the scoreboard in the 6th on a single by Jorge Polanco to score Gilberto Celestino who was the only walk of the game issued by Wells. Trey Mancini & Ryan Mountcastle go back-to-back in the 6th against Smeltzer to put the O’s back on top for good & Keegan Akin, Joey Krehbiel & Dillon Tate combine to go the last 3 innings & Tate earns his 2nd save by striking out 2 of the 3 he faces in the 9th. Baltimore snaps a 5-game losing streak & wins for just the 2nd time in their last 7 games while snapping a 12-game losing streak @ Target Field. Minnesota wins the Series & despite the loss has still won 6 of their last 11.

Bal (36-44) Min (45-37)

WP : Wells (7-4)
LP : Smeltzer (4-2)
S : Tate (2)

Baltimore will now head home after a brutal 10-game road trip that saw them go to Chicago, Seattle & Minnesota, finishing 5-5 to earn a split. Some home cooking is definitely needed & the O’s will host the Texas Rangers on 4th of July as they start a 7-game homestand.
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GO O’S!!
#GrowingPains