More on the Holliday demotion, Bradish continues rehab, and the Suárez story keeps on getting better.
Good Morning, Birdland!
Well, yesterday was kind of a bummer for the Orioles, wasn’t it? First, Jackson Holliday was handed a (completely reasonable!) demotion after two tough weeks in the bigs. And then, Craig Kimbrel (along with the O’s defense) coughs up a late lead to the A’s, which results in a loss.
Here’s the good news: The entire AL East lost on Friday. So, the Orioles’ slim percentage point lead in the division remains. And the beauty of baseball is that they get a chance to bounce right back this afternoon.
J.P. Sears starts for the A’s. The Orioles have done well against southpaws in general this season. Their batting line against them is .273/.342/.458. But most of that damage has come against bullpen arms. Left-handed starters have fared better against the O’s, holding them to a .231/.313/.378 line. Sears has shut down fellow lefties so far. They have five total bases across 27 plate appearances.
Cole Irvin is on the bump for the Birds. He finds himself in an interesting spot. Not only is he facing his former team, but he could also be pitching for his spot in the O’s rotation. John Means may be back as soon as Monday. Kyle Bradish has looked good in his rehab. Albert Suárez has been terrific through two starts. There are too many arms for not enough spots. Irvin could be the odd man out if he doesn’t perform here.
Links
Despite demotion, Orioles’ decision to call up Jackson Holliday was necessary | The Baltimore Sun
These sorts of struggles almost seem mandatory for the Orioles’ best prospects. Add Holliday to a list that includes Colton Cowser and Grayson Rodriguez, who both have severe problems with their initial taste of the big leagues last season. If history holds true, the young infielder will bounce back and earn his way back to Baltimore sometime this summer.
Orioles trying to follow path of 1966 champions | Roch Kubatko
This Orioles offense is on pace to be historically good. That would seem to bode well for their World Series chances.
Albert Suárez’s career resurrection began long before his 2 starts with the Orioles | The Baltimore Banner
The Suárez story has been so good. I think many of us are waiting for the other shoe to drop in terms of his on-field performance. But that fastball of his is just ridiculous. How could he not continue to be a force for this team?
A take on the Holliday decision, plus notes on Friday’s game and Bradish’s outing at AAA | Steve Melewski
The results for Bradish have been quite good during his rehab. His velocity appeared slightly down last night, averaging only 92.5 mph on his four-seam. But his two-seam was up at 94.2 mph, so maybe he is still tweaking some arm angle stuff. He is far ahead of the schedule I had put together in my brain.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
- Aaron Brooks is the lone current or former O’s player born on this day. He turns 34 today. Brooks pitched in 14 games for the 2019 Orioles, mostly as a starter.
This day in O’s history
1968 – Orioles starter Tom Phoebus no-hits the Red Sox in a 6-0 win for the good guys. Brooks Robinson drives in three runs and makes a great eighth-inning catch to keep the no-hitter alive.
2010 – The 3-16 Orioles finally get their first home win of the season, beating the Yankees 5-4. Alfredo Simon returns from reconstructive elbow surgery to get the save.
2015 – The game between the Orioles and White Sox at Camden Yards is cancelled due to ongoing riots against police brutality in Baltimore.