Domínguez has given the Orioles exactly what they needed, draft picks are showing their versatility, and a longtime staffer set to leave the organization.
Good Morning, Birdland,
A new day and a new series. Our Birds are in Detroit for the weekend, hoping that they can finally find some solid footing. But the Tigers won’t be pushovers. They are 28-22 in the second half so far and are coming off of back-to-back series wins. If momentum means anything in baseball, the Tigers have a clear advantage.
Even worse, the Tigers have plenty of incentive to keep on winning. They currently sit 3.5 games back of the Twins for the AL’s final playoff spot. According to Baseball Reference, they have just an 11.1% chance to make the playoffs, but a successful weekend could see those odds shoot through the roof.
On the other hand, the O’s are 1-4 over their last five games and have lost back-to-back series. For the first time since late August, they are trailing the Yankees in the AL East by more than 1.5 games. It’s not pretty, folks!
The playoffs start in three weeks. While the Orioles are not yet guaranteed a spot, they remain in good position to take part in the postseason festivities. But given their current form, it will be a brief stay. They need to show some signs of life, particularly on the offense. They have scored five or more runs in a game once in the last 10 days. That has to change.
Links
Seranthony Domínguez has filled a badly needed role as the Orioles’ new closer | The Baltimore Banner
There was clearly some upside for Domínguez when the Orioles acquired him from the Phillies at the deadline. He was wasting away in a talented Philadelphia bullpen, and seemed like a change-of-scenery candidate. So far, that has been the case. He is loading up on strikeouts, liming walks, and largely looks like the dominating closer that this team needed.
In introduction to pro ball, recent draft pick finds out how much O’s like defensive versatility | Steve Melewski
The Orioles certainly like to put their prospects through the positional wringer. Remember when they had Gunnar Henderson play first base for a few games in 2022? That was weird, but at least it shows no prospect is above adding some versatility to their repertoire.
Schmidt leaving Orioles organization after 27 years (and other notes) | Roch Kubatko
Dave Schmidt has been part of the Orioles’ pitching development staff since 1998. It’s impressive to see someone survive so many front office regimes, including some admittedly lean years on the mound. Prior to his coaching career, Schmidt was a big league pitcher. That included parts of three seasons with the O’s from 1987 through ‘89.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
- Rick Dempsey turns 75 today. The catcher had an 11-year run with the Orioles from 1976 through ‘86, and then rejoined the team briefly in 1992. The peak of his career came in 1983 when he was named World Series MVP after posting a 1.390 OPS as the O’s beat the Phillies. After his playing days he became a fixture within the organization, both as a coach and a commentator. He was even interviewed for the managerial opening in 2003. The Orioles inducted him into their team Hall of Fame in 1997.
- The late Mike Adamson (b. 1947, d. 2022) was born on this day. He pitched in 11 games for the Orioles between 1967 and ‘69.
This day in O’s history
1971 – Frank Robinson homers in both games of a doubleheader against the Tigers. The second one puts Robinson past 500 homers for his career, becoming only the 11th player to ever reach the mark.
2013 – Chris Davis goes deep for the 50th time this season as the O’s beat the Blue Jays 5-3. Davis is only the third player in history (Babe Ruth, Albert Belle) to hit 50 homers and 40 doubles in the same season.