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[Baltimore Orioles]

Orioles offer another reminder of how bad they are at baseball in 10-5 loss to Guardians

Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images

They’re not good at hitting, and they’re not good at pitching, which makes them good at losing.

It’s hard to pick just one worst thing about the 2025 Orioles. Maybe the worst thing is the one you saw most recently. Bad pitching? Yeah, that’s it. An offense that goes dormant for whole chunks of game at a time? Actually, it’s that. There are times where the fielding and baserunning take their turns at the top. The results are all-too-frequent games of this sort, a 10-5 loss at the hands of the Guardians.

This was a mess. It did not start out that way. That’s what made the eventual descent into the plane of suck all the more frustrating. The Orioles offense stormed out of the gate hot against Guardians starter Tanner Bibee. Three batters into the game, they had three singles under their belts and a run on the board. Yay! Fun things! Later in the inning, Ramón Laureano delivered a two-run single to make it 3-0 Orioles.

We’ve seen this happen now and again this season and the question is often, can the Orioles continue to score runs after getting some early offense? The answer is almost as often, no, they can’t. As it ended up, four of the six hits that the Orioles got all game happened in that first inning. They had exactly one at-bat with a runner in scoring position for the remainder of the game.

That’s a lot of complaining about offense for a thing where I started off by saying the pitching was bad. Here’s how bad: That 3-0 lead? Orioles starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano flushed that lead away before even managing to record an out. Sugano walked the first batter of the game, gave up a single to the second, and a three-run home run to the third. It’s not much consolation that it was probable future Hall of Famer José Ramírez that hit the home run.

The second inning saw the Guardians load the bases with no one out. Sugano managed to escape this without allowing any further damage, preserving a 3-3 tie. It cost him a lot of pitches and virtually guaranteed an early exit from the game regardless of how well he went on to pitch later, but at least it was something.

Laureano helped the Orioles take the lead back. Following on the heels of a two-out error in catching a thrown ground ball that let Ryan O’Hearn onto first base, Laureano blasted a home run far back into the left field seats to put the Orioles up, 5-3. Scoring five runs is good. You should win when you score five runs! Even these jokers often do. Just, not tonight.

Sugano, ultimately, was unable to complete even the fourth inning. His defense didn’t help him, with O’Hearn botching a hard ground ball. The Guardians kept the line moving with two outs, with a walk pushing a runner into scoring position before Carlos Santana drove in the fourth Cleveland run. The Orioles decided that was enough for Sugano, who got the hook after throwing 90 pitches across just 3.2 innings. How do you give up six hits and four walks in only 3.2 innings? Very carefully.

Not many good things are going to happen when you have to turn to the likes of Corbin Martin in the fourth inning, and his low-leverage compatriots for innings after that. So it went on Monday night. Good things did not happen. One of the regular occurrences for these 2025 Orioles is getting worked over by the bottom of batting orders.

In this case, catcher Bo Naylor batted ninth and he hit a game-tying home run off Martin in the fifth inning. There was nearly a disaster starting there, as Martin walked the next batter and then hit a guy. Colin Selby relieved Martin and ended the threat, at least for the time being.

There was no fight left in the Orioles offense at this point. From the time the Guardians tied the game at 5-5, no Oriole reached base safely for the remainder of the game. You know Bibee, who gave up the three runs in the first inning? Yeah, he ended up pitching seven innings, and since two of the runs against him were unearned, it counted as a quality start. He allowed six hits and no walks. There was just no reason for this to happen. Except for this: The Orioles offense isn’t as good as it was supposed to be.

Selby did not waste any more time ending up on the list of pitchers who annoy us. He served up a dinger to Kyle Manzardo - the 16th of the season - to lead off the sixth. This gave Cleveland a 6-5 lead. They needed no more runs. They got several more, because with Martin and Selby having failed, that turned it into Grant Wolfram time. There was one time this wasn’t bad. Then his inherent Wolfram-ness set in. In the seventh inning, Wolfram loaded the bases with nobody out. All three of those guys ended up scoring, plus one more. I don’t even want to talk about it.

In all, the Guardians had 14 hits and drew eight walks. The Orioles had six hits and drew zero walks. They committed two errors. It’s hard to win like that. And indeed, they didn’t win. If they pitch like this tomorrow, they probably won’t win then either. Or if they hit like they did beyond the third inning today, that will probably also not lead to a win. There are so many more problems than they could possibly fix by trading a few rental guys away between now and July 31. If you have no confidence in Mike Elias sorting this mess out, I don’t blame you.

The series resumes on Tuesday evening with a scheduled 6:40 start time. Brandon Young and Joey Cantillo are the scheduled starting pitchers. Maybe the Orioles will end up playing the Guardians into being sellers.

Source: https://www.camdenchat.com/2025/7/21/24471910/mlb-scores-orioles-guardians-game-recap

 

[Baltimore Orioles]

The potential trade market for Cedric Mullins

Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

There are a lot of contenders whose center field situations are a real mess.

As of today, the trade deadline is nine days away. The path that the Orioles are to take has been made clear by the totality of their play over the 2025 season. GM Mike Elias acknowledged in his typical wordy way that the team is heading towards being sellers ahead of this deadline in a radio interview over the weekend. All that remains to figure out is who, exactly, will be sold off, and what the Orioles will get back for these players.

Over the course of this week, I’m looking at one Oriole who’s likely to be traded and teams who are probably going to be in the market for somebody at that player’s position. Yesterday, I started with Ryan O’Hearn. Today, it’s Cedric Mullins.

Back in April, as Mullins was putting together one of the best months of offense of his career and looking like he might threaten to fire off another 30 home run/30 stolen base season, “everyone” was demanding a contract extension for the longest-tenured Oriole. It would have felt good at that time.

Unfortunately for Mullins’s earning potential, since May 1, he’s batted .187/.234/.348 across 54 games, with a short injured list stint mixed in there. He’s now in the negatives in bWAR, though fWAR is more generous at a 0.8. Either way, this makes it tough to contemplate him netting a bonanza of valuable prospects some time between now and July 31.

Teams don’t care that we all have tons of good memories of Mullins, that he is an important part of the team, or any of that. Elias doesn’t care about any of that either. Whether he ought to is a topic for another day. The value that other teams think Mullins will produce relative to what they have now is what will set the market. The 2025 standings are what have set the Orioles on the seller’s path.

There is some good news about this. There are a number of contenders whose center field situations are in dire shape, so much so that even a slumping Mullins probably seems like a better bet than sticking with what they’ve got. Projection systems like ZiPS think that Mullins will finish off the rest of the season at right around his current batting numbers: .235/.307/.404, with another seven homers to come.

That’s not going to be worth anybody’s #1 prospect or probably even anybody from any team’s top 10, but the Orioles ought to be able to get something from one of these teams.

Mets​

Of any team that is either in a playoff spot now or within three games of one, no team has gotten worse batting from its center fielders than the Metropolitans. Their CF combined batting line going into Monday’s games: .220/.282/.326. Yowza. The bulk of that damage is being done by Tyrone Taylor, who brought a .572 OPS into Monday. Taylor is grading out better than Mullins in Statcast’s Outs Above Average metric, but not that much better.

The Mets aren’t deeply invested in Taylor here. He’s a 31-year-old in his second year of arbitration. He was fine last year when he was hitting about league average and now the bat has collapsed. Do something to get better, Mets! If Mullins had continued on his April pace, the Orioles might even be able to demand a really good prospect in New York’s Triple-A rotation, of which they have a couple. That’s not where we are. Uneducated guess: Whoever Mike Elias likes better of Blade Tidwell and Jonathan Santucci.

Cardinals​

St. Louis appeared in yesterday’s O’Hearn article for 1B/DH messes and they’ve got center field hitting problems too, particularly in the power department. They’ve got some of the weakest hitting (just a .075 isolated slugging) and some of the worst strikeout rates (27.5%) of any team’s CF mix.

Most of that is Victor Scott II, who is slugging just .330 on the season. Pretty bad! Scott is scoring very well on defensive numbers, however, so even with that poor hitting, he’s generated 1.8 fWAR and 1.7 bWAR. This is probably not the best match there is for Mullins.

Phillies​

Philadelphia is splitting its center field playing time between Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas, and this is what it is getting from its CF spot in the lineup: .237/.299/.321. Even worse than what I just said with the Cardinals, Phillies CFs have only hit three home runs on the season, and unlike Scott, Marsh rates quite poorly on defense. With bad defenders in the corners in the form of Nick Castellanos and Max Kepler, they need something better from their center fielder.

Shuffling Marsh aside for Mullins is probably easier said than done for the Phillies. He was a good player the past two seasons, putting up 3+ WAR per year, and he’s only 27. If they want to hold on to their NL East lead, they need to do something about this. Aim for Jean Cabrera, probably settle for Alex McFarlane.

Tigers​

It’s funny to find the Tigers on this list since Javier Báez was the starting center fielder for the American League in the All-Star Game, but that’s not actually where Detroit wants him to be. Báez hasn’t played center field since June 4. They’ve got him back on the infield dirt. Prospect Parker Meadows is now playing CF instead, and although he put up 2.2 bWAR in 82 games a year ago, he’s not following that up this year, batting to a pathetic .535 OPS over 33 games.

Also getting some center field time lately is Matt Vierling, who over an even smaller sample of 16 games is batting even worse. The 2023 Orioles are a good example that no matter how good you are - and the Tigers are 60-40 through 100 games - there are always weaknesses you can shore up to help your chances of winning a postseason series. Of course, they might decide they need to improve center field and that Mullins isn’t hitting well enough to help them.

Rays​

The Rays are not getting very good offense season-long from their center fielders. However, much of that struggle is Kameron Misner, who is no longer the everyday CF. The pesky Chandler Simpson, who tormented the Orioles this year, is getting the lion’s share of chances.

Players who are batting over .300 are not likely to continue doing this if they can’t threaten to hit the ball hard (Simpson’s slugging just .354) but this team is not likely to shuffle Simpson to the side for Mullins. I certainly wouldn’t. Simpson is basically what Orioles fans are hoping that prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr. can be.

Source: https://www.camdenchat.com/2025/7/22/24471571/mlb-trade-deadline-orioles-cedric-mullins

 

[Baltimore Orioles]

Orioles continue to fail at everything, lose again to Guardians, 6-3

David Richard-Imagn Images

The O’s are now 12 games under .500 as they hit the 100-game mark.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: the Orioles lost a game because they were bad at all aspects of baseball.

The Guardians steamrolled the O’s again, 6-3, in a game that perfectly encapsulated everything that’s gone wrong for the Birds this year. Let’s run down the checklist, shall we?

1. Lousy starting pitching — CHECK

Brandon Young entered tonight’s game with no wins and no quality starts in his six major league outings. He’d gone five innings in only one of them. Would this be the night he finally made it through the fifth again?

No, dear readers, it would not. Yet again Young fell short of five, managing just 4.1 innings, in which he gave up three runs. The first came on a solo homer by José Ramírez, which is certainly forgivable. That guy’s pretty good. Less forgivable was Young walking the No. 9 hitter, .170-hitting Bo Naylor, to lead off the fifth, with Naylor later scoring on a sac fly. In between, Kyle Manzardo delivered an RBI single in the third.

After this game, Young’s ERA sits at 7.34. And there’s a chance he’ll be, like, the Orioles’ #3 starter after the trade deadline. Get excited!

2. Awful relief work — CHECK

The sixth inning was a big ol’ struggle-fest for O’s southpaw Gregory Soto, a possible trade candidate who did his best to destroy any of his value. Soto labored for 33 pitches and just 14 of them were strikes. (In fairness, if he hadn’t been squeezed by home plate ump Tony Randazzo, his ball-strike ratio would have been...well, still really bad.) Soto issued three walks in the inning along with RBI singles by Brayan Rocchio and Angel Martínez. And also a wild pitch. And also an uncontested stolen base.

Remember, folks: Mike Elias traded two pitching prospects for Soto at last year’s deadline. He’d be lucky to recoup a fraction of that value if he deals Soto this time around.

Yennier Cano, too, surrendered a run in the seventh, giving up a walk, a single, and a perfectly executed squeeze bunt by Rocchio. You’d never know the Guardians were the worst-hitting team in the league based on how they’ve throttled Orioles pitching in this series.

3. Terrible hitting — CHECK

The Orioles’ offense was Guardians starter Joey Cantillo, a lefty who’d worked almost exclusively in relief this year. So did the O’s make this barely-stretched-out, unremarkable lefty look like the second coming of Sandy Koufax? Yes, of course they did. Cantillo mowed through four hitless innings to start this evening, striking out five.

It wasn’t until the fifth inning that the O’s put together a rally, thanks to a pair of hits and a walk that loaded the bases with nobody out. Of course, being the Orioles, they biffed the golden opportunity and came away with just one run, which scored on a Jacob Stallings double play grounder. Cantillo ended up with five strong innings and his first win as a starter since last September.

One exception to the Orioles’ otherwise dreary offensive showing was Coby Mayo, making only his fourth start this month, who put together a slew of patient plate appearances and worked three walks and a single. It’s criminal that the O’s haven’t given this guy more playing time, as he’s showing the most professional at-bats of anyone on the team. And yet there’s a decent chance Mayo will be riding the bench again tomorrow. Make it make sense.

A hat tip also to Ramón Laureano, who homered, and Jackson Holliday, who contributed an RBI single. I would also applaud Ramón Urías for his two hits except that he foolishly got himself thrown out at second on a shot off the left-field wall in the seventh. Bleh. By the time All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase set down the Orioles easily in the ninth, there was little fight left in this O’s team.

**

Just another across-the-board terrible performance by the Orioles, which is becoming a near-daily ritual. There’s almost nothing else we can even say about them at this point. But I’m recapping this sorry lot again tomorrow, so I guess I’ll have to think of something.

Source: https://www.camdenchat.com/2025/7/22/24472731/orioles-guardians-game-recap

 

[Baltimore Orioles]

Thursday afternoon Orioles game thread: 1:10 ET, at Guardians

Charlie Morton, rumored to be on the trade block, and an Orioles catcher I can’t name with certainty. | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

The Orioles play one more at Progressive Field before heading home to welcome the worst team in baseball.

OK, this has been quite enough baseball against good teams—Baltimore just went 2-6 against Tampa, Miami (ish), Cleveland—and I’m ready to beat up on a bad team now. After today’s game, Cleveland is off to face the underperforming Royals, while the Orioles welcome to Oriole Park the worst team in the league in Colorado.

But before we get to that, we still have one more game against the Guardians. The season series ends today (Cleveland has unsurprisingly won it, with 4-2 advantage) with a 1:10 afternoon game to allow both teams to hit the road.

The Orioles can’t win the series but they can salvage their dignity (?) with a win over Cleveland and left-hander Logan Allen (6-8, 4.06 ERA). The onetime Orioles draftee debuted in 2023, posting a 3.81 ERA and 112 ERA+ in 24 games. He regressed in 2024 (5.73 ERA, 71 ERA+), and is splitting the difference now with a 102 ERA+. Allen did pitch well against the Orioles earlier this season, throwing 5.2 scoreless innings in a Cleveland win.

If rumors are to be believed, this could be Charlie Morton’s last start in the black and orange (unless he gets traded to the Giants, harhar). Morton infamously started his season with an April ERA north of nine, but got that mark down to 2.88 in five starts in June. He’s been a bit wobblier in July, with a seven-run clunker against Tampa Bay last week. His potential trade value could fluctuate depending on whether that clunker was an outlier or not.

Orioles lineup

Jackson Holliday 2B
Jordan Westburg DH
Gunnar Henderson SS
Ramón Laureano LF
Tyler O’Neill RF
Ramón Urías 3B
Coby Mayo 1B
Dylan Carlson CF
Alex Jackson C

RHP Charlie Morton

Guardians lineup

Steven Kwan LF
Angel Martínez CF
José Ramírez DH
Kyle Manzardo 1B
Nolan Jones RF
Daniel Schneeman 2B
Will Wilson 3B
Brayan Rocchio SS
Austin Hedges C

LHP Logan T. Allen

Source: https://www.camdenchat.com/2025/7/2...noon-orioles-game-thread-1-10-et-at-guardians

 

[Baltimore Orioles]

Charlie Morton’s clutch 6 2⁄3 innings help lead a 4-3 win in Cleveland

Ramón Urías makes the final out of the game to help Gregory Soto seal up a save and a 4-3 win in Cleveland. | Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images

The Orioles finally took one at Progressive Field behind a solid Morton, a two-run Ramón Laureano homer, and a clutch hit by Gunnar Henderson.

This was a very efficient ballgame. That’s not the sexiest word to use about a baseball game, but here it’s true. The starters gave up three runs each, the O’s went up 4-3 on a Gunnar Henderson seventh-inning single (off a lefty!), and the lead held! The Birds avoided a sweep and ended the season series with Cleveland, all in a tidy two hours and thirty-seven minutes.

Today, I confess that I was watching to see if I could detect signs that veteran starter Charlie Morton is trying to pitch himself off the team and get flipped to a contender, but the evidence is mixed. Morton allowed three runs over 6 2/3 innings, which isn’t wow in the box score, but two were on solo home runs by lefty Steven Kwan, the other on a pair of singles, a walk, and a sac fly to the top of the order. When it came to Cleveland’s No. 4-9 hitters, Morton held them 0-for-15 with seven strikeouts. He also threw a season-high 107 pitches. What a pro.

As for the Orioles, facing more of their Kryptonite—an unremarkable lefty starter—in Cleveland’s Logan Allen, they kicked off the scoring early, then settled into a deep slumber for six innings.

The good part—a three-run rally in the first inning—goes like this: Jordan Westburg, getting a rare start as the leadoff hitter (why not?—whatever works against a southpaw), reached on an infield single. With Ramón Laureano at the plate, Westy executed a hit-and-run, taking off speedily for second—but he didn’t need to. Laureano cranked his 14th home run of the season, tying Jackson Holliday for the team lead.

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The Orioles added a run when Tyler O’Neill singled (welcome back to the fight, Mr. Canada) and Ramón Urías hit an RBI double that scored him. No disrespect to Mr. Reliable, but this was a blown play by Cleveland centerfielder Angel Martínez, who broke in and then watched Urías’s drive sail over his head. All good, we’ll take the runs.

Then, as we’ve seen too many times, the offense went into a slumber, with just two hits off Allen between the second and seventh innings (a pair of singles by O’Neill, 2-for-4 today, and Henderson). Urías missed a home run by a foot. If you asked the broadcasting booth’s Dave Johnson, an overly wide strike zone by home plate ump Phil Cuzzi was partly to blame (“He’s having a bad day out there,” said Johnson of the man in black). But them’s the breaks!

Meanwhile, against the O’s Morton, Cleveland clawed back to a tie in the third and fifth innings. Morton hung a curveball that Steven Kwan mashed into the bleachers, a ball Morton didn’t even bother to turn around to watch. Then he allowed two straight singles and a walk, earning a mound visit. But with the bases loaded and one out, Morton limited the damage. One fly ball sailed to the warning track, dazzling Laureano in the sun, but the O’s talented outfielder twisted around his body and made the off-balance catch. Cleveland cut the gap to 3-2 on that sac fly. But a shallow fly ball was tracked down by O’Neill with no problem, and the inning was over.

Morton erased the side swinging in the fourth, all on curveballs: third baseman Will Wilson fanned on a big one dropping out of the zone, shortstop Brayan Rocchio swung over another low-and-away, and catcher Austin Hedges got caught staring at a third. It was ice-cold by the 41-year-old Morton.

Then, just as the booth was commenting how Steven Kwan has hit Morton well in his past, the outfielder took Morton deep for a second time today, and we had ourselves a tie ballgame in the fifth.

Now, I don’t know how much you know about Alex Jackson, the sixth man to don the catcher’s mask for the Orioles given a rash of injuries, but the backup backstop came through today on both sides of the plate. In the sixth, Jackson did his pitcher a huge solid by throwing out Ramírez in a timely strike-‘em’-out, throw-‘em-out double play. Then he doubled in the seventh inning to drive the starter Allen from the game and kick-start a rally.

After Jackson’s double, Cleveland put in another lefty, Erik Sabrowski. Sabrowski walked Westburg, giving himself a lefty-lefty matchup in Gunnar Henderson. Earlier today, the MASN broadcast booth had talked about Henderson being frustrated at the plate lately, but I admit, I didn’t see anything wrong with him! In a big two-out situation, Gunnar came through, breaking the 3-3 tie with an RBI single.

With closer Félix Bautista on the shelf with a sore shoulder (everyone please crack open your Jobu shrines and feed him some rum), we needed the backend bullpen to step up. And today, it did. With two on, two out, Seranthony Domínguez rung up the 39-year-old Carlos Santana, pinch-hitting in the No. 7 spot, on a diving monstrosity of a pitch. (Poor Jacob Stallings, now behind the plate. I’d hate to catch Domínguez. But it was a great inning for him!)

Then the notoriously unreliable Gregory Soto had himself the ninth inning. Well, the notoriously unreliable Soto earned himself a save today, his first (!) of the season. Soto struck out Brayan Rocchio and pinch-hitter David Fry, then allowed an infield ground ball to Steven Kwan that trickled over to third base. Urías picked it, fired all the way across the diamond from foul territory, and just beat the speedy Kwan. His defense is so solid.

Kudos are deserved by several Orioles today. Charlie Morton played the series stopper with a gritty 6 2/3 innings. Gunnar Henderson reached base three times against a trio of lefties and drove in the winning run. Ramón Laureano hit a two-run homer. Ramón Urías hit an RBI double and played great defense. Unsung catcher Alex Jackson doubled to start the winning rally and threw out a basestealer, and Gregory Soto earned his first season save. (Most Birdland Player voters, you have your work cut out for you.)

This team still hasn’t figured out the art of winning baseball this season, but every now and then, they deliver a gem like this. You love to see it.

Source: https://www.camdenchat.com/2025/7/2...-2-3-innings-help-lead-a-4-3-win-in-cleveland

 

[Baltimore Orioles]

Orioles minor league recap 7/26: Basallo goes 5-for-5 in Norfolk loss

Photo by George Kubas/Diamond Images via Getty Images

After missing 12 days, the O’s #1 prospect returned with a vengeance.

Triple-A: Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Phillies) 7, Norfolk Tides 6​

Adley Rutschman was rehabbing, but it was a different catcher who stole the show as #1 prospect Samuel Basallo was an incredible 5-for-5. Playing first base in this game, Basallo smashed his 20th homer, doubled twice, and singled twice. This was Basallo’s first game in 12 days due to the All-Star break and then an oblique injury. I’d say he’s feeling good! His Triple-A OPS is up to 1.019. It’s going to be tough for the Orioles to keep him in the minors much longer.

As for Rutschman, he went 1-for-5 with two strikeouts at the plate, and had some trouble behind it. The IronPigs stole four bases against him without being caught, including one by the opposing catcher, Garrett Stubbs. It’s hard to say how much of that was Adley’s fault, as minor league pitchers probably aren’t the best at holding runners. Dylan Beavers drew three walks from the leadoff spot. Heston Kjerstad was 0-for-5.

The Tides put up a good offensive showing against Phillies #6 prospect Mick Abel, scoring five runs against him, including a Vimael Machín three-run homer. Norfolk led this game 5-1 at one point, and carried a one-run lead into the eighth, but the IronPigs scored two runs off Levi Stoudt in their last at-bat to steal away the win. Preston Johnson struggled in relief, giving up four runs in 1.1 innings. Nate Webb and Elvin Rodríguez each worked 1.2 scoreless frames.

Box score

Double-A: Chesapeake Baysox 7, Altoona Curve (Pirates) 0​

Have yourself a day, Trey Gibson! The right-handed prospect pitched a brilliant game for the Baysox, working seven shutout innings in which he allowed only two hits, didn’t walk anyone, and struck out eight. Simply brilliant. Gibson lowered his ERA to 1.96 in eight starts at Double-A. Lefty Riley Cooper finished the combined shutout with two hitless innings.

The Baysox bats gave their pitchers plenty of run support, pounding out 13 hits and going 6-for-15 with runners in scoring position. Not bad for a lineup where five of the nine hitters are batting under the Mendoza line. Three Baysox — Reed Trimble, Cole Urman, and Luis Valdez — collected three hits apiece, including a double for each of them (and two for Urman). Trimble finished a home run shy of the cycle and also drove in three.

Box score

High-A: Aberdeen IronBirds 15, Winston-Salem Dash (White Sox) 12​

Yes, you read that score correctly. The two teams combined for 27 runs and 26 hits in a blistering slugfest, a rarity for High-A baseball. The IronBirds pulled off the unusual feat of scoring at least one run in every inning, while the Dash compartmentalized their scoring into just two innings — six runs apiece in the seventh and the ninth. Aberdeen led this game 11-0 at one point and had to hold on for dear life as Winston-Salem brought the tying run on deck in the ninth.

As you can imagine, quite a few IronBirds hitters had a great night. Ethan Anderson led the team with four hits (all singles) and drove in three. Aron Estrada and Thomas Sosa each went 3-for-4, including a triple for Estrada and two doubles for Sosa. The IronBirds, in addition to their 14 hits, also drew 13 walks. Griff O’Ferrall and a rehabbing Jud Fabian each had three.

It was a less successful game for Aberdeen’s pitching staff. Two hurlers, Ty Weatherly and Devin Kirby, combined to give up 11 of the 12 runs. But starter Juan Rojas looked good, tossing five scoreless innings.

Box score

Low-A: Lynchburg Hillcats (Guardians) 5, Delmarva Shorebirds 2​

The Shorebirds offense couldn’t get much going in this one, other than a two-hit night from Nate George. Catcher Yasmil Bucce chipped in with a sac fly, but he had to leave the game with an injury in the top of the seventh. Let’s hope it’s nothing serious for Bucce, who’s been having a breakout campaign for Delmarva.

The Shorebirds alternated between effective and ineffective pitchers on this night. Their first and third pitchers, Carson Dorsey and Randy Berigüete, gave up all five runs and issued five walks. But their second and fourth pitchers, Joe Glassey and Adrián Delgado, each worked two scoreless innings of relief, with no walks and two strikeouts apiece.

Box score

Saturday’s scheduled games​

• Norfolk: at Lehigh Valley, 6:35 PM. Starter: Roansy Contreras (6-2, 4.19)
• Chesapeake: at Altoona, 6:30 PM. Starter: Nestor German (3-4, 4.50)
• Aberdeen: vs. Winston-Salem, 7:05 PM. Starter: Luis De León (1-3, 4.54)
• Delmarva: vs. Lynchburg, 7:05 PM. Starter: Chase Allsup (1-10, 6.37)

Source: https://www.camdenchat.com/2025/7/26/24474713/orioles-minors-prospects-samuel-basallo

 

[Baltimore Orioles]

Sunday afternoon Orioles game thread: vs Rockies, 1:35

Lexi Thompson-Imagn Images

The Orioles look to build on one of their most dominant wins in recent memory.

The Orioles took care of business last night, but it only counts as one win. Baltimore needs another victory over the Rockies this afternoon to secure the weekend series.

Hopefully they won’t need 18, but the Birds will need to score some runs with Tomoyuki Sugano set to start. Sugano has regressed after a successful first two months in a Baltimore uniform. The 35-year-old rookie has one more audition to motivate a contending club to make a play before the trade deadline later this week.

Baltimore should be able to build on a dominant offensive performance with Austin Comber on the hill for the Rockies. Gomber is 0-4 with a 6.03 ERA.

The Orioles will need to do it without Jackson Holliday. Jordan Westburg—back in the lineup after taking a pitch off the hand—will play second base, with Ramón Urías taking third. Coby Mayo will start at first base against the left-hander Gomber, and Gunnar Henderson will round out the infield at short.

Tyler O’Neill will attempt to continue his recent power surge as the designated hitter. Dylan Carlson, Cedric Mullins, and Ramón Laureano will makeup the outfield from left to right.

Alex Jackson—fresh off a Happy Gilmore homer—will catch Sugano.

Orioles lineup

1. Jordan Westburg 2B
2. Ramón Laureano RF
3. Gunnar Henderson SS
4. Tyler O’Neill DH
5. Ramón Urías 3B
6. Cedric Mullins CF
7. Coby Mayo 1B
8. Dylan Carlson LF
9. Alex Jackson C

Starter: RHP Tomoyuki Sugano

Source: https://www.camdenchat.com/2025/7/27/24475384/orioles-rockies-game-thread

 

[Baltimore Orioles]

Sugano goes six strong, O’Neill homers again in Orioles 5-1 win over Rockies

Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

Tomoyuki Sugano fired six innings of one-run ball, and Tyler O’Neill homered in his third consecutive game during a 5-1 win over the Rockies.

The Orioles failed to match the dominance of Saturday’s 18-0 win, but Baltimore played solid baseball again today. Tomoyuki Sugano tossed six innings of one-run ball, Tyler O’Neill homered in his third consecutive game, and the Orioles took the series with a 5-1 win at Camden Yards.

Baltimore quickly erased a 1-0 deficit with two runs in the second. Cedric Mullins took a one-out walk, and Coby Mayo followed with a double off the left-field wall. Dylan Carlson made the most of a Sunday start by slapping a base hit to left field. Buck Britton continued his aggressive antics as the third base coach, and both runners scored on the solid piece of hitting.

The Birds doubled their lead one inning later. Henderson muscled a single to right field before stealing second, and Tyler O’Neill followed with another big blast. O’Neill homered in his third consecutive game—this one a 433 blast over everything in left field—to provide Baltimore a 4-1 advantage.

Baltimore’s bats went relatively silent after that, but Colorado never got going at the dish.

The Rockies had struck first on Sugano’s only mistake of the day. Sugano left an 0-1 cutter over the heart of the zone, and 23-year-old rookie Warming Bernabel smacked the first home run of his major league career. The big fly proved to be an outlier on the day.

Sugano retired the final two batters of the inning before facing the minimum in the third and the fourth. He stranded runners on the corners with a strikeout to end the fifth, and he added two more K’s in a clean sixth inning.

The 35-year-old tied his MLB high with 8 strikeouts over six frames. He allowed four hits, one run, and threw 63 of 91 pitches for strikes.

Nothing is guaranteed for the Japanese hurler beyond today. Sugano does not profile as any club’s Plan A in the postseason, but the rookie could eat some innings for a contending team in need of pitching depth over the final two months.

It’s unclear whether Sugano will continue his MLB career beyond this season. He would likely relish the opportunity to pitch for a playoff team. Sugano probably envisioned the Orioles chasing a World Series when he signed a one-year, $13 million deal in the offseason, but the dream never materialized for Sugano or the O’s. Regardless, he did his part in what may or may not be his final start in an Oriole uniform.

The Orioles were trending toward a save situation before tacking on an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth. Ramón Laureano got things started with a single, and Henderson punched a ball to the right side. Henderson sprinted to first to avoid a double play, and he jogged to second when the throw skipped out of play.

Colorado reliever Jaden Hill followed with a wild pitch, and Hill failed to step toward home as the ball skipped by. Henderson broke for third and did not stop. The shortstop rounded third and dove home for Baltimore’s fifth run of the day.

Henderson paired his hustle play with a pair of web gems in the field. He finished 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. The team may be trending in the wrong direction, but Henderson’s approach remains full throttle.

Yennier Cano, Andrew Kittredge, and Seranthony Domínguez all posted zeros out of the bullpen, and the Birds secured the 5-1 win.

The Orioles moved to 47-58 on the season. That’s not good, but it’s not Colorado’s 27-78 either. Adley Rutschman and Keegan Akin are set to return as the Birds kick off four games in three days against the Blue Jays.

Source: https://www.camdenchat.com/2025/7/2...s-game-recap-tomoyuki-sugano-gunnar-henderson

 

[Baltimore Orioles]

Monday night game thread: vs. Blue Jays, 6:35 pm

Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

Guess who’s back? That’s right, Keegan Akin!

If you were missing Adley Rutschman, I have some good news for you: he’s back! Rutschman has had a disappointing season, but was putting together a very nice month of June when he had to go on the injured list. It would be a really nice end-of-season story if he can stay in the form he was in from June 1st through 19th, when he hit .309/.381/.509 in 63 plate appearances.

I do question his immediate return to the cleanup spot, but maybe I’ll be proven wrong. He splits the lefties of Gunnar Henderson and Ryan O’Hearn. I’m always happy to see Coby Mayo in the lineup and hope the Orioles are timing Ryan Mountcastle’s return to the team with the trade of Ryan O’Hearn, so that a spot remains for Mayo on most nights.

The Orioles are facing Chris Bassitt, whose 3.88 ERA and 1.301 WHIP aren’t super impressive. But a lot of that is coming out of one bad start against the Red Sox when he gave up eight runs in just two innings at the end of June. He has mostly been very solid. Bassitt faced the Orioles back on March 20th and pitched six innings with one run allowed. Let’s hope he’s worse tonight.

Zach Eflin is pitching for the Orioles. He had a cromulent return from the IL last week against the Guardians with five innings and two runs. I hope for more tonight as he either builds a case for extension or value for trade. I’m team extension, weirdly.

The Blue Jays are really good. I know, I hate it too. At least if the Orioles win I’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Orioles lineup

1. Jackson Holliday (L) 2B
2. Jordan Westburg (R) 3B
3. Gunnar Henderson (L) SS
4. Adley Rutschman (S) C
5. Ryan O’Hearn (L) DH
6. Ramón Laureano (R) RF
7. Colton Cowser (L) LF
8. Cedric Mullins (L) CF
9. Coby Mayo (R) 1B

Blue Jays lineup

TBD

Let’s go O’s!

Source: https://www.camdenchat.com/2025/7/28/24476212/orioles-blue-jays-monday-lineups-game-thread

 

[Baltimore Orioles]

Perfect Orioles trade deadline farewell party ruined by Cano implosion in 9-8 loss to Jays

Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

For six innings, you couldn’t have written a better script.

The perfect farewell party was ruined. The Orioles were on the way to having as good of a good-bye for Cedric Mullins and Ryan O’Hearn as you could possibly get. All that they had to do was hold a little lead to the end. What they got instead was a bullpen disaster, specifically a Yennier Cano disaster, and instead a fond finale for these likely-to-be-traded O’s turned into a frustrating loss that reminded everybody of why the Orioles ended up in this situation in the first place.

The Orioles brought a 5-4 lead into the seventh inning. Part of what got them to that point with the lead was O’Hearn delivering a two-run home run early in the game. Another part of it was Mullins saving the game - at least for the moment - with what’s got to be the finest home run robbery of his career, spikes in the wall, full extension, climbing sky high to casually pull back a would-be homer and preserve that 5-4 lead for another inning.

You could hardly have scripted it better for Orioles fans to be able to have a fun final memory of these guys with the team, and even for the Orioles being able to make the case for their value as trade pieces. The only thing standing in their way was another thing that’s gone horribly wrong with the 2025 Orioles season.

Think about this: The Orioles have traded Bryan Baker, Gregory Soto, and Seranthony Domínguez since the start of the month. Félix Bautista is on the injured list. Not only is Cano not the closer after all of that, he’s only the seventh inning guy. Maybe he shouldn’t even be that high in the pecking order. Cano, after blowing the game on Wednesday afternoon, now has six losses on the season. He’s not the reason that the Orioles are bad this year, but you could probably call him a reason why the Orioles are about two wins worse than they’d be otherwise.

I’ll spare you the blow-by-blow of Cano’s horrible day, which is also to spare myself having to write it. Here are the ugly totals: Cano faced seven batters and gave up five runs. Those men reached base thanks to four hits and a hit batsman. He put himself in a bad situation by giving up singles to the first two hitters he saw. There was a two-run single that flipped the 5-4 Orioles lead to 6-5 in favor of the Blue Jays. Then, just to really kick everybody in the teeth, Cano also gave up a three-run dinger to pinch hitter Nathan Lukes, putting the O’s in a 9-5 hole.

After all of that, Cano is sitting on a 5.40 ERA. He is far removed from the form that got him named to the 2023 All-Star team. He is about as far removed from even looking like an acceptable relief option to carry over into next season. He deserved no better than what he got today.

Cano’s absolute meltdown takes on even more of a tragic character because the Orioles did not stop fighting there. Jays reliever Yariel Rodríguez ran into command problems in the bottom of that inning. Three straight singles started by Jackson Holliday brought the O’s one run closer. Adley Rutschman ripped a hard grounder past Jays first baseman Ernie Clement for an error and another run, pulling the O’s within two runs. Back-to-back walks first loaded the bases and then brought an eighth Orioles run across, leaving the O’s with the bases loaded and one out.

After Rodríguez walked Colton Cowser to bring in that eighth run, the Jays finally gave the hook and brought in another reliever, Braydon Fisher, to face Mullins. Another chance to script a last heroic moment. Unfortunately, there wasn’t one more in the cards. Mullins struck out for the second out. The Orioles pinch-hit Ramón Laureano for Dylan Carlson to try to squeeze more offense out of this scoring chance. Laureano worked a full count and then took a pitch that was outside of the strike zone. Unfortunately, this happened:

Can only imagine Ramón Laureano said "Bro???" when he got punched out on the seventh pitch of this

— Andy Kostka (@afkostka.bsky.social) 2025-07-30T19:20:53.427Z

Umpires, you’re bad sometimes and you should feel bad and suffer rebuke from the league when those times go against the Orioles. The tying run should have scored here and it did not. If the advent of the automated ball/strike challenge system can prevent these game-altering errors, it should be good for the game.

Certain Orioles pitchers are also bad. Dean Kremer wasn’t all that good today, allowing three runs in just five innings. That set in action the chain of events leading to Cano’s disaster. Grant Wolfram allowing a run while pitching the sixth inning is also bad. Having a bullpen where you need to count on Wolfram is bad. Still, these are bit characters in the tale of woe. Cano is the central figure.

Scoring eight runs should always be enough. This pitching staff is tragic. The tragedy has not been interrupted by trading three of the best relievers (who honestly weren’t even all that good anyway) and it won’t likely be interrupted by whatever other trades happen between now and 6pm Eastern on Thursday. Adding to the sting, Domínguez, who started this series on the Orioles, pitched the eighth inning against them for his new team and sent them down in order.

One final shot at a parting miracle presented itself in the ninth inning. O’Hearn was due up third in the ninth inning. No one got on base ahead of him, so he represented the tying run as he batted with two outs. Jays closer Jeff Hoffman struck O’Hearn out to end the game.

It is a fitting end. In stories of epic triumph, the reinforcements arrive at the last moment. Éomer, son of Éomund crests the eastern hill on the third day at dawn, as foretold by Gandalf the White. I’ll stop myself before my nerdy references only get more obscure. In real life, sometimes a last stand is such because it’s the last stand: There is no miracle coming. They lose and everybody dies.

Things aren’t quite so dramatic for the remaining 2025 Orioles. They’ve only suffered death of postseason hopes. Many of the same players will have the last two months to prove they can do consistently better next year. Mike Elias has between now and next March to get better pitchers than the ones he already traded away, better than the ones he’ll soon be trading away, and especially better than the worst of the ones who are left behind. Your excitement level for 2026 probably depends on how well you think he can do this.

Whoever is left on the Orioles roster, along with whoever will join them after any further trades, will next be in action on Friday in Chicago, with the first of three 2:20 Eastern start times for a three-game weekend set.

Source: https://www.camdenchat.com/2025/7/30/24477614/mlb-scores-orioles-blue-jays-game-recap

 

[Baltimore Orioles]

Orioles minor league recap 7/31: Wells rehabs, Beavers homers, Aracena debuts

Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

Delmarva were the lone winners, but there were plenty of noteworthy individual performances.

Triple-A: Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals) 5, Norfolk Tides 4​

The Norfolk offense collected nine hits and eight walks, but went just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Dylan Beavers led the way with two hits, including his 14th home run of the season, and two walks. Jeremiah Jackson singled twice and walked in what could be his final game with Norfolk for a while. He seems like a prime candidate to be promoted following the trade of Ramón Urías. Samuel Basallo doubled and drove in a run. Ryan Mountcastle DH’ed and went 1-for-4 with a walk.

Cameron Weston started on the mound and had himself a so-so outing. Over five innings the 24-year-old allowed three runs on eight hits, one walk, and five strikeouts. The recently-signed José Espada allowed one run in his lone inning. The same was true for Chayce McDermott. Matt Bowman tossed two shutout frames.

Double-A: New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays) 7, Chesapeake Baysox 5​

Tyler Wells made his first rehab appearance in this one. He threw 22 pitches over two perfect innings, striking out one in the process. There’s no word yet on the next step for Wells. Assuming the club wants him to stretch out to a starter’s workload, he likely has at least two more rehab appearances before he is ready for MLB action.

Zach Fruit followed Wells, but really struggled. Over 3.2 innings he gave up five runs (four earned) on six hits, one walk, six strikeouts, and one home run. Peter Van Loon was next out of the ‘pen. He worked just 1.1 innings and struck out three, but also allowed two earned runs. Daniel Lloyd and Robinson Martínez tossed one scoreless inning apiece to wrap up the game.

All five of Chesapeake’s runs came on home runs. Adam Retzbach smacked a two-run shot in the first inning. Douglas Hodo drove in a pair with a homer in the sixth. And Aron Estrada hit his second home run in as many games at Double-A. Tavian Josenberger went 1-for-2 with a double, a walk, and a stolen base.

Unrelated to this game, it was reported earlier in the day that Braxton Bragg, who threw 59 innings across Aberdeen and Chesapeake this season, had Tommy John surgery on Wednesday. He is unlikely to be back on a game mound until 2027.

#orioles say Double-A Chesapeake RHP Braxton Bragg had successful right elbow UCL reconstruction today with Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, TX.

— (@rochkubatko.bsky.social) 2025-07-30T17:49:21.922Z

High-A: Bowling Green Hot Rods (Rays) 6, Aberdeen IronBirds 4​

Austin Overn stole the show with a three-hit game, which included a double and a two-run homer. Griff O’Ferrall added a pair of hits, scored twice, and stole a base. Yasmil Bucce went 0-for-1 but walked twice

Sebastian Gongora provided 3.1 solid innings. In that time he allowed just one run on three hits, two walks, and four strikeouts. Reese Sharp recorded the final two outs of the fourth inning, and then handed things off to Ty Weatherly. The 24-year-old righty gobbled up three innings and struck out five, but also allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits. Riley Cooper was responsible for two runs allowed in his lone inning.

Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 4, Lynchburg Cannon Ballers (White Sox) 2​

Perhaps the most intriguing prospect that the Orioles have added in their slew of deadline deals so far is Wellington Aracena, acquired from the Mets in exchange for Gregory Soto. The 20-year-old made his organizational debut in this one, and he did not disappoint. Over 4.2 scoreless innings he allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out six. Pretty exciting!

RHP Wellington Aracena's org debut tonight with Delmarva is complete: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. 62 pitches/45 strikes 6 groundouts. Up to 97 mph.

— Orioles On the Verge (@oriolesontheverge.bsky.social) 2025-07-31T00:47:07.973Z

Delmarva’s bullpen did a nice job of closing out the winning effort. Yeiber Cartaya was charged with one earned run on his four innings of relief. And Joe Glassey nabbed the save with 1.1 scoreless innings.

Kevin Guerrero went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored to lead the Shorebirds offense. Raylin Ramos added two hits, including a triple, two runs, and an RBI. Braylin Tavera doubled, walked, and drove in two runs. Colin Tuft reached base three times with a single and two walks.

Box Scores

Thursday’s Schedule​

Norfolk: vs Memphis, 12:05 pm. Starter: Kyle Brnovich (2-3, 6.09 ERA)

Chesapeake: vs New Hampshire, 6:35 pm. Starter: Trey Gibson (3-2, 1.96 ERA)

Aberdeen: at Bowling Green, 7:35 pm. Starter: Jacob Cravey (0-1, 0.79 ERA)

Delmarva: at Kannapolis, 7:00 pm. Starter: TBD

Source: https://www.camdenchat.com/2025/7/3...r-wells-wellington-aracena-dylan-beavers-2025

 

[Baltimore Orioles]

Orioles Trade Deadline Tracker

Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

All the Orioles moves in one place.

The 2025 trade deadline is set for July 31 at 6pm Eastern. Up until then, teams can freely trade players as they like. It is not uncommon for deals completed at the last minute to only be reported after the deadline has passed.

The Orioles have an off day on the 31st, so for them, the deadline won’t even be any disruption to a game that night.

Here’s the trades the Orioles have made so far in July, followed by a list of players who could still be on the move before the deadline:

The trades​

July 10: Orioles trade Bryan Baker to the Rays for competitive balance draft pick (#37 overall)

Mike Elias surprised everyone by trading a reliever with multiple seasons of team control remaining in order to cash in an extra draft pick. The Orioles ended up using that pick on a high school outfielder named Slater de Brun, who received an overslot bonus of $4 million (pick value of about $2.6 million).

Baker has allowed six runs in 4.2 innings since joining the Rays and has taken the loss in two games. As I wrote at the time of the deal, it’s worth remembering the Orioles were probably only an Andrew Kittredge injury away from getting rid of Baker at the end of spring training.

July 25: Orioles trade Gregory Soto to the Mets for Wellington Aracena, Cameron Foster

The Orioles acquired Soto for two pitching prospects at the deadline a year ago and they sent him packing for two pitching prospects as a two-month rental this year. In between those things, he posted a 4.33 ERA as an Oriole. It’s a disappointing number for a player who was intended as a back-end bullpen guy.

In the deal, the Orioles received 20-year-old Low-A prospect Aracena, who’s striking out a lot of guys but also walking too many guys, and the 26-year-old reliever Foster. In general, a guy who’s 26 and mostly in a Double-A bullpen isn’t all that interesting, but this is the first year of the reliever conversion for Foster. (article)

July 29: Orioles trade Seranthony Domínguez to Blue Jays for Juaron Watts-Brown

The second trade of a player the Orioles acquired from the Phillies last July sent Domínguez to a division rival and fetched as a return the 23-year-old righty Watts-Brown, who’s been pitching as a starter for Toronto’s Double-A affiliate. Getting a guy with the potential to be a big league starter some time next season in return for a rental reliever whose results aren’t all that elite seems like a solid move.

Watts-Brown’s scouting reports talk about his “projectable frame” which is an inference of some hope of adding velocity along with strength, something that hadn’t happened through his first full season of pro ball with the Jays. At least one list - MLB Pipeline - had him as the #10 prospect in the Jays system; I think he might end up in a similar place in the O’s ranking. The Orioles Double-A rotation should be worth following for the rest of the season. (article)

July 30: Orioles trade Ramón Urías to Astros for Twine Palmer

Mike Elias is willing to deal from the list of players with 2026 team control after all. The Astros, who have suffered multiple infielder injuries over the last month, came calling and the Orioles accepted a Low-A pitching prospect who has some early intriguing aspects to his pro results in exchange for Urías. This is the weakest hitting season of Urías’s career to date and perhaps the Orioles didn’t think he would be bouncing back from that.

Not that the Astros gave up all that much. Maybe this is just a low-cost stopgap for them and they don’t even really care about keeping Urías around for next year. Twine Palmer - that’s really his name - was a 19th round pick a year ago and did not rank on midseason updated lists by either Pipeline or Baseball America. What he’s done as a pro so far this year is really, really keep batters from getting extra-base hits, allowing just three doubles in 175 plate appearances. (article)

July 31: Andrew Kittredge traded to Cubs for Wilfri De La Cruz

This is the first one of these trades where the Orioles received a position player rather than a pitcher. De La Cruz, 17, is a shortstop prospect who signed with the Cubs for $2.3 million just a year ago.

Not every seven-figure bonus player is guaranteed to turn into a star or even a big leaguer, and this guy is a long way away, but that’s an interesting player to get for a cromulent reliever who had knee surgery already this season. De La Cruz was ranked 20th on a recent BA Cubs list, where they noted his patient approach and his potential to add some switch-hitting power to his arsenal if he can put on productive weight now that he’s a professional. (article)

July 31: Cedric Mullins traded to Mets for Raimon Gómez, Chandler Marsh, Anthony Nunez

More than anything else, this is the one I was dreading. The Orioles position in the standings dictates dealing pending free agents for whatever they can get. No matter how much Mullins has meant to Orioles fans across multiple eras of O’s baseball. Elias doesn’t care about that stuff. He got three relievers for Mullins. That is painful, though Mullins also hasn’t been very good this year, at least up until the last week.

Gómez is a hard-thrower who’s having problems throwing strikes. Nunez is a recent conversion to the mound after washing out of pro ball as a hitter and going to college. Marsh was an undrafted free agent last year. There are interesting things about all of these guys, but again: They’re all minor league relievers. Nunez could maybe get in the mix next year as he has moved fast since his second entry into pro ball. (article)

July 31: Ryan O’Hearn and Ramón Laureano traded to Padres for Boston Bateman, Cobb Hightower, Tyson Neighbors, Victor Figueroa, Tanner Smith, and Brandon Butterworth

I did not expect this one. The Orioles pulled off a two-for-six trade that allowed them to get back some quality and some quantity from the Padres. They are really opening up a hole they’ll have to fill on the 2026 roster by passing off Laureano and his affordable $6.5 million club option to the Padres.

All six of these players were drafted by San Diego last year, and this group includes their second, third, and fourth round picks as well as three players from double digit rounds. Half are pitchers, half are position players. Bateman, the highest-ranked of the bunch, is a 6’8” guy with the nickname Sasquatch. Neighbors might be the closest to being seen in an Orioles uniform since he’s been a fast-moving reliever. (article)

July 31: Charlie Morton traded to Tigers for Micah Ashman

In the end, the Orioles only moved one of the three veteran starting pitchers who were bandied about as trade candidates. Coming back for Morton, who was horrible in April and turned back into more of a capable if unexciting back-end rotation pitcher, the Orioles received Ashman, a minor league reliever who’s already gotten up to the Double-A level. Ashman has yet to allow a homer this season, sports a 5.56 K/BB ratio, and you could probably imagine him impacting the 2026 O’s bullpen if things keep going well for him. (article)

Free agents after this season​

This pool of players is the group that will be viewed as expendable by Mike Elias ahead of the deadline. No guarantee of other teams offering value to make a trade worth it.

• Zach Eflin
• Tomoyuki Sugano

Free agents after 2026​

How Elias feels about his internal options or whether he’s blown away by a trade offer will probably impact whether these players are moved. Or, as in the case of Urías, maybe he doesn’t need to be blown away for some of them.

• Trevor Rogers
• Keegan Akin

With the Orioles needing to return to competitive baseball next season, I didn’t want to see anyone dealt who might help for 2026. It’s not up to me.

Source: https://www.camdenchat.com/2025/7/29/24476649/mlb-trade-deadline-orioles-tracker

 

[Baltimore Orioles]

Meet the Orioles’ new prospects

Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images

There’s been a flurry of moves in the last week. Let’s recover, regroup, and summarize.

This has been a tough week in Birdland, to cap off a tough half-season. After skidding to a 50-59 mark so far on the year, the Orioles decided to move many of their best and most beloved veterans: Ryan O’Hearn, Ramón Laureano, and Cedric Mullins, who’s been a Baltimore Oriole since 2018. It stings. Mark Brown summed up Thursday’s flurry of moves: “This has been a bummer of a day in Birdland and all we can do is hope that the pain pays off down the road.”

No quibble with that. Whatever is keeping you watching this season (or not), we all need to focus on the team’s future. For now, that means hoping that Mike Elias & Co. got a good haul this trade deadline for the nine—count ‘em, nine—players they moved.

There certainly was a lot of action, quantity-wise, with sixteen new prospects joining the fold. Let’s summarize the trades, and scrutinize the return—maybe even turn up a few bright spots.

Trade: Gregory Soto ~~> NYM for RHP Wellington Aracena, RHP Cameron Foster

Gregory Soto, we hardly knew ye. I’m not so mad at that. A July acquisition last year, the sometimes brilliant but often command-challenged Soto became a two-month rental for New York in exchange for two righty pitching prospects.

One is 20-year-old High-A starter/reliever prospect Wellington Aracena, who’s already been slotted in as the Orioles’ No. 22 prospect. In 64.1 innings as a Mets farmhand this season Aracena had a 2.38 ERA while striking out 84 batters. That’s nice. He was walking 4.9 batters a game, which is less great. While his fastball has heat (96-99 mph, topping out at 101) it’s more hittable than the speed suggests, and after a great cutter, he has a just-okay slider, curveball and changeup.

Command and pitch mix seem like real areas for improvement here, but here’s a look at the strikeout potential:

New York Mets prospect Wellington Aracena might be the next in line for their pitching pipeline. Saturday, he went 4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Last 9 G
40.2 IP
5 ER
1.11 ERA
35.7% K rate
11.7% BB rate
.118 BAA
2.16 FIP

Big stuff and improving command#LGM #FantasyBaseball pic.twitter.com/OV7TBSsLye

— Daniel Labude (@OrcaBaseball) July 21, 2025​

Cameron Foster is a 26-year-old reliever in Double-A, not a top prospect. This is his first year as a reliever, which I assume the Orioles think can boost his fortunes. This season, in 21 games between Double-A and Triple-A, Foster has two saves and a 2.97 ERA with 39 strikeouts allowed. Foster has a 94-96 mph fastball, to go with a curveball, cutter and a slider. He’s a big guy, and the curveball is big, too, as this footage from his Norfolk Tides debut on Tuesday night indicates.

Cameron Foster made his Orioles organizational debut for Norfolk tonight after being acquired in a trade from the Mets:

1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO
28 pitches, 20 strikes pic.twitter.com/uP8F5q10za

— Norfolk Tides (@NorfolkTides) July 30, 2025​

Trade: Seranthony Domínguez ~~> TOR for RHP Juaron Watts-Brown

The fact that Seranthony Domínguez recently turned around his season with the advent of a splitter is what allowed the Orioles to make this, a seemingly solid trade for Double-A starter Juaron Watts-Brown, a guy with the potential to be a big-league starter, maybe even some time next season.

The 23-year-old has already been slotted in as the Orioles’ No. 9 prospect, which is either impressive or tells you that the Orioles’ pitching cupboard was really bare. Scouting reports describe the former third rounder as having a choice slider and a “whiff-heavy” curveball. His fastball could be zippier, and he walked 5.2 hitters per game in 2024. But he’s recently put on some weight, which is helping with velocity and durability, and this year he’s got an impressive 115 strikeouts in 89 innings.

Here he is, making a lot of hitters go fishing. I can see why people are excited about the slider; it’s got crazy movement.

The Orioles got back Juaron Watts-Brown, a 23-year-old RHP, in the Seranthony Domínguez trade.

He has a low-mid 90s fastball, a plus slider (best pitch), a slow curveball and a changeup.

JWB has a 30.5% K rate and 3.54 ERA this season between A+ and AA. pic.twitter.com/E1o7etmXY0

— Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) July 29, 2025​

Trade: Ramón Urías ~~> HOU for RHP Twine Palmer

Admittedly, it’s hard to be excited about dealing Ramón Urías for a Single-A pitcher with control problems (22 walks in 42 innings this year). Twine Palmer, a 19th-round pick in 2024, is not considered a top prospect, but he does have strikeout potential (see a pattern?). As Mark Brown pointed out, he’s been really good, however, at avoiding hard contact and surrendering extra-base hits, allowing just three doubles in 175 plate appearances.

I’m least enthused about this deal, although the fastball looks interesting.

Trade: Andrew Kittredge ~~> CHC for SS Wilfri De La Cruz

What, the Orioles also make trades for position players? The 17-year-old Wilfri De La Cruz is a shortstop who signed with the Cubs for $2.3 million just a year ago, and was ranked the Cubs’ 20th prospect this year. Scouting reports say he’s still trying to add weight to his frame, and at least one source is fuming that the 17-year-old is still light years away from an MLB debut. Then again, a switch-hitting shortstop is very much in Elias & Co’s wheelhouse.

Trade: Cedric Mullins ~~> NYM for RHP Raimon Gómez, RHP Chandler Marsh, RHP Anthony Nunez

Blah, it is not fun to see one of the franchise’s most beloved Orioles get dealt for a trio of Mets relievers, none of them top prospects. But as with the rest of the list, there is upside that’s not obvious from just the page.

Raimon Gómez, 23, is a hard-thrower but a 5-5 record, 4.63 ERA, and 6.43 BB/9 (gah!) in High-A is not particularly exciting. He can, of course, strike guys out (48 SO in 35.0 IP) and he hit 104 mph earlier this year. Intriguing, but sounds like he needs much work.

Chandler Marsh was an undrafted free agent last year, but he’s actually pitched very well in High-A ball as a Met. The 22-year-old Greensboro, NC, native went 4-1 with a 2.57 ERA, a 0.86 WHIP and 52 strikeout sin 42 innings. Marsh reads to me as a sneaky value acquisition. Here’s a look at the righty.

The 24-year-old Anthony Nunez has a really interesting story, having spent two seasons as an infielder in the Padres organization before transitioning to the mound, winning a D-II championship with the University of Tampa, then signing with the Mets as a free agent pitcher. Apparently his learning curve has been massively quick, because he’s already got two fastballs, a cutter, a changeup and a sweeper, stormed through the Mets’ farm ranks, and reportedly could be pro-ball ready as early as next year.

MLB Pipeline offers this encouraging tidbit: “Nunez is looking like a major find by Mets scouting and an early win for the group’s pitching corps, though now it will be up to the Orioles to polish him up for the big leagues.” I’m excited.

Here’s a brief look at him. He’s definitely built like a former infielder and has a wicked breaking ball.

The #Orioles have acquired RHP Anthony Nunez from the Mets in the Cedric Mullins trade.

Nunez, 24, has a 1.58 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP with 17 BB and 60 SO in 40.0 IP between High-A and Double-A this season. He has a FB/SL/CH/CUT pitch mix and reaches 96pic.twitter.com/RUgbQ3k1sy

— Baltimore Sports Fan (@88OriolesFan88) July 31, 2025​

Trade: Charlie Morton ~~> DET for LHP Micah Ashman

The pattern reemerges: the Orioles are counting on there being reasons to think that Micah Ashman is better than his organizational ranking. Ashman, an eleventh-round selection out of Utah in 2024, has little flash to his résumé. But he dominated at High-A this season, getting promoted to Double-A two games ago. You can’t complain with the 22-year-old’s 2025 numbers, with 46 strikeouts over 39.1 innings in High-A to go with a 0.76 WHIP and .164 opponent average. His walk rate—shocker!—is actually good: 1.91 free passes in nine innings.

Here’s footage of Ashman pitching at the 2025 Spring Breakout Game. In my mind, he definitely falls into “crafty lefty” territory—not a bad thing. I am very curious to see how Ashman does at Double-A Chesapeake. Another sneaky value acquisition, if it works.

Here’s Micah Ashman’s full outing from the 2025 Spring Breakout game. pic.twitter.com/v66p03jCz1

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) March 17, 2025​

Trade: Ryan O’Hearn and Ramón Laureano ~~> SDP for LHP Boston Bateman, RHP Tyson Neighbors, RHP Tanner Smith, IF Cobb Hightower, IF Brandon Butterworth, IF Victor Figueroa

As Mark Brown commented on the trade yesterday, this is an overwhelming list (which I suppose is meant to lighten some of the heartache of trading fan favorite O’Hearn and awesome-find-this-year Ramón Laureano), and some of these sound like fake names. For our sake they better not be. Already we find two, the pitcher Bateman and infielder Hightower, in the O’s revised Top 30 prospects list, and both were in the Padres’ Top 8, per Baseball America. The righty Neighbors and infielder Figueroa were also in the Padres’ Top 30. Let’s focus on those four.

Boston Bateman, 19, now the O’s #6 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, is hard to miss, as a 6’8,” 250-lb. lefty nicknamed “Sasquatch.” That’s fun. He was also a second-round Padres pick in 2024, with a $2.5 million overslot bonus, indicating he could have gone even higher. Bateman has been working as a starter in Low-A, posting 75 strikeouts in 68.1 innings and a 3:1 strikeout/walk ratio. He’s allowed just one homer to 291 batters. MLB Pipeline exudes:

Scouts dreamed on Bateman’s size and praised his makeup as part of the evaluation process, but the stuff was plenty good too, and it’s shown up so far as a pro. He touched 97 mph with his fastball and generally sat 91-93 during summer showcases and has again been up to 97 during his debut season. He throws from a high three-quarters slot and has both a slider and more of a 1-to-7 curve, though he doesn’t really throw the latter breaking ball. He continues to work on developing his changeup, a pitch he didn’t need much in high school.

Here he is, striking out nine a month ago. The delivery looks a little wild, but he is large, deceptive, and explosive.

Ah, yes, a high school 2B/SS who went overlooked in the draft. Cobb Hightower, 20, was a third-round overslot signing by the Padres out of North Carolina’s East Rowan High. He struggled early this season at Low-A, but was righting the ship in July. According to MLB, Hightower has good zone awareness, finds the barrel and has a repeatable swing, with potential to become “an above-average hitter in time” with “at least average power potential.”

Here is a brief look at Hightower in the box. It’s a compact, uncomplicated swing, and with a 6.6 in the 60-yard dash, you know Elias & Co. love the athleticism, as well.

The San Diego Padres select Cobb Hightower with the 88th overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft.

+bat speed & +barrel control
Projectable Power
Quick Hands
Selective Hitter/ good eye at the dish
(36 BB's his senior year of HS) pic.twitter.com/qpLeUSFDGK

— Clark Fahrenthold (@CFahrenthold11) July 15, 2024​

Tyson Neighbors, 22, is a 6’2, 220-lb. righty out of Kansas State selected in the fourth round in 2024. As a reliever for San Diego, he scooted through the system this year, with a combined 1.85 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 64 strikeouts over 18 games at High-A and 14 in Double-A.

Here’s a look at Neighbors. This is a high-effort delivery from a near over-the-top slot, and while the fastball velo isn’t anything crazy, it seems to have explosiveness and ride, along with a slider and curveball.

Tyson Neighbors, one of four Padres top 30 prospects the Orioles acquired in the Ryan O’Hearn/Ramón Laureano deal, has a mid-90s mph fastball that tops out at 98 mph.

He has a 1.85 ERA and 37.7% K rate in A+/AA this year.

: @CFahrenthold11 pic.twitter.com/3y2neIQn98

— Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) August 1, 2025​

At 6’5, 240 lbs, don’t confuse Victor Figueroa for a shortstop. The 21-year-old is another under-the-radar type, an 18th rounder from the JuCo ranks in Florida. Over 64 games between the rookie level and Low-A, he hit .318/.420/.588 and OPS’d 1.008. bust. That includes 33 extra-base hits. OK, I’m listening. It’s all about the power with this guy, but as Mark Brown noted that, even for a first baseman, he’s got defensive work to do. Here’s the big guy hacking it:

Victor Figueroa CRUSHES one directly into our right field scoreboard for his 9th home run of the 2025 @MiLB season!!#EmbraceTheStorm ️ pic.twitter.com/IP7rJaT13l

— Lake Elsinore Storm (@Storm_Baseball) June 15, 2025​

———

Anyway, lots of changes and departures. It’s all still a lot to get used to. But the lesson has been learned: the Orioles have stuffed their lower ranks with prospects, many of them pitcher. In particular, many of them prospects who don’t jump off the page, hype-wise, but are lately showing upward trends to make you think their value is underrated.

Which new addition are you most excited about, Birdland?

Source: https://www.camdenchat.com/2025/8/1/24478747/orioles-trade-deadline-prospects-boston-bateman

 

[Baltimore Orioles]

Trade-decimated Orioles offense comes up empty, O’s lose 1-0 to Cubs

David Banks-Imagn Images

With the club’s best hitters now playing elsewhere, a punchless Birds lineup failed to support Trevor Rogers’ complete-game masterpiece.

Welcome to the new era of Orioles baseball, friends. It’s gonna be rough.

In their first game since their trade-deadline frenzy that sent several key hitters to contending clubs, the Orioles failed to generate any offense in a blink-and-you-missed-it 1-0 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The Birds’ hitting futility ruined a masterpiece by Trevor Rogers, who worked his first career complete game but took a hard-luck defeat thanks to a lone second-inning run.

I will say this: if the Orioles are going to lose a lot of games the rest of this season, let’s hope they always lose this quickly. Today’s contest was played in a crisp 1 hour and 49 minutes, the Orioles’ quickest nine-inning game since Sept. 3, 1988, a 1-hour, 45-minute game in Seattle. That was also a 1-0 Orioles loss.

In case you missed it, the Orioles have, uh, done a bit of roster reshuffling recently. The last time I recapped a game was July 23 in Cleveland. That was only nine days ago, and yet, more than half of the Orioles in that starting lineup are no longer with the team. Since then Ryan O’Hearn, Ramón Laureano, Ramón Urías, and Cedric Mullins were traded, and Jacob Stallings was DFA’d. The Orioles’ offense certainly missed their presence today. (Well, maybe not Stallings. But definitely the others.)

The rejiggered O’s lineup, which today featured Dylan Carlson in center field and Jeremiah Jackson making his MLB debut at DH, had no answer for Cubs starter Cade Horton. The rookie right-hander, coming off two straight scoreless starts, easily extended that streak to three with a dominant performance against the Birds.

In Horton’s five innings of work, only once did the O’s even get a runner into scoring position. That was in the first inning, when a somewhat shaky Horton walked both Jackson Holliday and Gunnar Henderson. It was, as it turned out, the Orioles’ only real opportunity to do some damage. But a pair of harmless flyouts by Adley Rutschman and Tyler O’Neill squashed the threat.

From then on, Horton overpowered an O’s lineup that is now without its two OPS leaders, Laureano and O’Hearn, as well as the recently heating up Mullins. The only hits Horton allowed were a Holliday single in the third and Jackson’s first major league hit in the fifth, a hard shot that deflected off third baseman Matt Shaw. Nice moment for the new guy! Jackson, though, tried to steal second and was nailed by a mile. Getting thrown out on the bases in embarrassing fashion? Congratulations, Jeremiah, you are officially an Oriole.

It’s a shame, because Trevor Rogers pitched the game of his life today. On a competent team, he would have notched a well-earned victory, but unfortunately he’s stuck with the Orioles. Rogers went the distance for the first time in his career — and yes, it was only eight innings, since the Cubs didn’t have to bat in the bottom of the ninth — but a CG is a CG.

Rogers was simply brilliant. He needed to throw only 88 pitches in his eight masterful frames, and he retired 24 of the 28 batters he faced. His eight strikeouts tied a season high. He didn’t walk anyone. And at the end of the day he lowered his ERA to 1.44 in nine starts. Real talk: is Trevor Rogers the best pitcher in baseball? Discuss amongst yourselves.

Even the one run that Rogers allowed could have been prevented with some better defense. The first two hitters of the second inning, Carson Kelly and Pete Crow-Armstrong, both swatted deep blasts that hit off the fence. Kelly settled for a single and Crow-Armstrong a double. With one out, Ian Happ lofted a fly ball to O’Neill in medium right field. The not-particularly-fast Kelly tagged from third and O’Neill had a legitimate shot at cutting him down, but his throw sailed way up the third base line as Kelly scampered home safely. That could have been executed better, Tyler. Oh well, it’s not like that’s the one run that’s going to decide the game or anything, right? ...Right?

Oh, wait. Turns out, one run will beat you when you don’t score any yourself. Even after Horton left the game, the Orioles fared no better against four Cubs relievers. That group included Andrew Kittredge, making his Cubs debut, whose previous appearance came as an Oriole just two days ago. Just like Seranthony Domínguez earlier this week, Kittredge began his tenure with his new club by shutting down the team that just traded him. He retired the Orioles 1-2-3, striking out O’Neill and Colton Cowser. That 17-year-old prospect the Orioles got for him better be worth it!

Down to their last out in the ninth, the Birds tried to make some noise when Rutschman roped a double off closer Daniel Palencia. O’Neill then smashed a blast to deep left that, off the bat, looked like a sure homer to me. But the Wrigley winds knocked it down and Happ hauled it in on the warning track, denying the O’s a dramatic comeback. Blergh.

The Orioles are back in the loss column. But at least they were snappy about it.

Source: https://www.camdenchat.com/2025/8/1/24479052/orioles-cubs-game-recap

 

[Baltimore Orioles]

Orioles minor league recap 8/2: Trey Gibson keeps rocking with Chesapeake

Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images

Things did not go as well for a recent trade arrival with Triple-A Norfolk.

Triple-A: Memphis (Cardinals) 13, Norfolk Tides 2​

Dylan Beavers neither got promoted to Baltimore nor played in Friday’s Norfolk game. I don’t have any information about that. I hope he’s back today.

This one got out of hand late, with the Redbirds scoring five runs in the seventh inning and six in the eighth. Unfortunately, one of the new acquisitions, Cameron Foster - part of the Gregory Soto return - featured prominently in the failure. Foster was charged with six runs in 1.1 innings of work, and he also came in with the bases loaded and allowed all three of THOSE runs to score. Only three of Foster’s runs were earned, but that’s a tough outing.

Also tough was the Tides offense, which only mustered five hits. Samuel Basallo went 0-3 with a walk, while Jud Fabian had one double in three at-bats. Emmanuel Rivera was the only Norfolk batter with a multi-hit game. Ryan Mountcastle continued his rehab assignment with a 1-4 night. He’s batting .391 on this rehab.

Box score.

Double-A: New Hampshire (Blue Jays) 9, Chesapeake Baysox 2​

This one is even dumber than the score looks because the Fisher Cats actually only got THREE hits in the whole game and still scored nine runs. They were helped by Baysox fielders committing six errors, and to a lesser degree by Baysox pitchers walking five batters and hitting two more. New Hampshire stole four bases as well. Just a tough night all around.

It’s a shame, because starting pitcher Trey Gibson deserved better. Gibson turned in another pretty good outing, allowing a run over five innings, with six strikeouts to only one hit and walk allowed. He also hit a batter. Gibson has a 1.75 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in nine starts at the Double-A level. He’s an interesting guy who shouldn’t be lost in the flood of new draft picks and trade acquisitions.

That’s also true of my guy Aron Estrada, recently promoted to this level. Leading off for the Baysox, Estrada was 2-4 with a stolen base and is batting .417 since joining the Double-A roster. Baysox batters were 0-9 with RISP in the game. It’s a tough way to win.

Box score.

High-A: Aberdeen IronBirds 9, Bowling Green (Rays) 8 - 10 innings​

Some off-the-field news about the Aberdeen affiliate yesterday as the team’s ownership group announced they will be moving back to Frederick for 2026. The Keys were the High-A team for the Orioles until MLB’s recent contraction of a number of minor league teams. Next year, they’ll be back as the High-A affiliate of the O’s.

There was a whole lot of back and forth in this one, with Bowling Green picking up four runs in the seventh to take a 7-4 lead, then Aberdeen stormed back with three in the eighth to tie and eventually send it to extras. Once into the tenth, the IronBirds got their Manfred Man home plus one more, while the Hot Rods could not plate any beyond their own zombie runner. The teams combined for 22 hits.

This was an excellent game for infielder Griff O’Ferrall, who has not had many such games this year. He had three hits and stole three bases, raising his total to 31 SB for the year. Following him in the order, outfielder Austin Overn only had two hits, but each of them was a two-run homer, so he drove in four runs. He’s homered four times in his last four games and also stole his 40th base of the year. This recent hot streak has boosted Overn up to a .741 OPS for the season, which for Aberdeen is pretty good. Catcher Yasmil Bucce, a recent promotion to this level, had two hits and drove in three runs.

Box score.

Low-A: Kannapolis (White Sox) 6, Delmarva Shorebirds 5 - 7 innings​

Delmarva, as you are probably aware, has lately been the Nate George Show, and despite the game only going seven innings, he batted four times and was on base four times: He hit a triple as well as drew three walks. That’s fun! He got picked off first base twice, which is substantially less fun. Another 2024 overslot high school pick, Andrew Tess, who recently was promoted to Low-A, was on base twice, picking up a single and a walk.

Box score.

Saturday’s Scheduled Games​

• Norfolk: vs. Memphis, 6:35. Starter: Thaddeus Ward
• Chesapeake: vs. New Hampshire, 5:05 doubleheader. Starters: Nestor German, Levi Wells
• Aberdeen: at Bowling Green, 7:35. Starter: Alex Pham (rehab)
• Delmarva: at Kannapolis, 7:00. Starter: Chase Allsup

Source: https://www.camdenchat.com/2025/8/2/24479329/orioles-prospects-trey-gibson-aron-estrada-austin-overn

 

[Baltimore Orioles]

O’s’ trade-ravaged offense rallies in the eighth to steal a 4-3 win in Chicago

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

For 7 2/3 innings, the bats’ feeble efforts against a southpaw made for quite the snoozefest, but Gunnar Henderson flipped the tables with a late three-run bomb.

For seven and two-thirds innings, this game felt like a trip to the dentist, or the MVA, or a really long, lame graduation ceremony, where the best one can say is, “Well, at least it’ll be over quickly.” Then one late rally flipped the game on its head, giving the Orioles a heroic 4-3 win, and reminding us that there are still reasons to watch this team.

I’m sure none of us felt great about Saturday’s matchup, and for seven and two-thirds innings, you’d have been right. A trade-ravaged Orioles lineup had looked flat as heck on Friday, and now they’d have to face a hot lefty in Chicago’s Matthew Boyd (with Tyler O’Neill out sick, no less). The game played out just as you expected, with Boyd slicing through the lineup like a hot knife through butter over a shutout seven innings, allowing just four hits and no walks while striking out eight.

But then there was the eighth, and if you were still watching, you were in for some fun.

Boyd finally made his welcome exit, and reliever Ryan Brasier immediately set out to make a mess. Brasier walked Colton Cowser on four pitches, allowed Jeremiah Jackson’s second hit of the game (yay, rookie!), then pinch-hitter Terrin Vavra had a single up the middle stolen from him by a diving Nico Hoerner (“Damn you, Hoerner!” [shakes fist]). It’d been such a soggy effort all day from the hitters that it felt like the rally might die there.

But it didn’t! The Cubs, rightly unimpressed with Brasier, yanked him for lefty Caleb Thielbar (when in doubt against the Orioles, pitch a lefty), but that didn’t work, either. Jordan Westburg slapped a single through the right side to score Cowser and make it 3-1 Orioles. That brought up Gunnar Henderson. Chicago had itself a lefty-lefty matchup, but we had ourselves Gunnar Henderson. Thielbar threw Gunnar some hangy breaking ball thing, and here’s how that went:

At 111 mph off the bat, it was one of Gunnar’s hardest-hit home run all year, and in sentimental value, also one of the biggest?

The Orioles still needed six outs, and I wasn’t sure whom they’d get them from. (Who’s in this bullpen again?) It turns out that Yennier Cano and Keegan Akin are still on this team, and they were in form tonight, doing enough to hold onto the 4-3 win.

Now, I’m not going to lie and and say that the problems aren’t there. Tomoyuki Sugano allowed three runs in another short and dissatisfying outing. Three runs over five innings on 95 pitches is pretty much what a 4.42 ERA pitcher will give you, but we need more out of our starting rotation than that. Nothing looked effortless for the right-hander today, and a lot sounded pretty noisy.

Sugano allowed two deep fly balls in the first inning that just missed the seats, leftfielder Colton Cowser backing his way into the ivy to corral one (hat tip, moo). Sugano gave up two runs on a three-hit rally and sac fly in the second, and that might have been lucky, as the contact was all hard: Ian Happ smoked a double to the rightfield corner, Willi Castro hit a line drive that Cowser barely missed a shoestring catch on (ruled a single), and Nico Horner roped a ground-rule RBI double into the ivy that Cowser wisely stopped play on. A sac fly to Cowser made it 2-0 Chicago.

(All I can say is, Tomoyuki Sugano owes the Milkman a steak dinner—or a sushi one, if Cowser and Sugano share the same taste in food. The Milkman also made a running play in foul ground in the third.)

Speaking of outfielders, Jeremiah Jackson is not one. A shortstop playing his second MLB game, Jackson was jammed into right field today to get a right-handed bat in the lineup—and it showed on one costly fourth-inning play when Jackson overran a line drive and turned it into a triple that eventually scored for the Cubs’ third run. But then again, Jackson had two hits today, so maybe we take the inexperience in the outfield.

Nice to see, given the ransacked state of the bullpen, were a bunch of no-name relievers pitching well. (I kid! I kid! Look, we’ll have to learn their names now, like it or not.) Corbin Martin pitched a scoreless sixth, though he allowed two hits. Grant Wolfram allowed a hit and a walk in the seventh, but also struck out two. It was a good showing for Cano and Akin, too.

The trade deadline may have made these Orioles a little harder to watch for now, and it’s true that for 16 2/3 innings this series, the Orioles offense was kept totally silent by Chicago pitching. But today was a reminder that there are still special players in this lineup, and a special core on the team. Adley Rutschman and Jordan Westburg are swinging the bat well lately, and Gunnar Henderson is a stud (I get tired of writing that, but I won’t stop writing it until he stops being one).

We may have to squint a little harder for great baseball this season, but now and then, we’ll still get it.

Source: https://www.camdenchat.com/2025/8/2/24479736/mlb-scores-orioles-cubs-game-recap

 

[Baltimore Orioles]

Sunday afternoon game thread: @ Cubs, 2:20

Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images

The Orioles could win their third straight series today

The Orioles come into the final game of their series with the Cubs looking for a series win. Their late-inning comeback yesterday put them in position. I would ask such a thing might provide momentum for the team, but we all know that momentum in the next day’s starting pitcher. That pitcher is Brandon Young and his 6.63 ERA. Woof.

Young’s last start against the Blue Jays was pretty good, six innings with two runs. He is still looking for his first major-league win. I think today would be a fine time to get it.

There was a pre-game move for the Orioles. They DFA’d Terrin Vavra and recalled Ryan Noda from AAA Norfolk. If you don’t know who Noda is, don’t feel bad. The Orioles just claimed him off waivers from the White Sox yesterday. He did not play a game with the Tides.

I don’t know what the point of this is. Noda is an 1B/OF. I guess to give an outfield option who isn’t Dylan Beavers. Noda is not in the starting lineup today. Jeremiah Jackson is back in right field, so they’re still trying to make that a thing.

RHP Colin Rea starts for the Cubs. He has a 4.25 ERA and is coming off back-to-back poor games where he allowed 10 runs in nine innings. Let’s keep that trend going.

Orioles lineup

1. Jackson Holliday (L) 2B
2. Jordan Westburg (R) 3B
3. Gunnar Henderson (L) SS
4. Adley Rutschman (S) DH
5. Jeremiah Jackson (R) RF
6. Colton Cowser (L) LF
7. Dylan Carlson (S) CF
8. Coby Mayo (R) 1B
9. Alex Jackson (R) C

Cubs lineup

1. Michael Busch (L) 1B
2. Kyle Tucker (L) RF
3. Seiya Suzuki (R) DH
4. Pete Crow-Armstrong (L) CF
5. Carson Kelly (R) CLe’
6. Ian Happ (S) LF
7. Willi Castro (S) 3B
8. Nico Hoerner (R) 2B
9. Dansby Swanson (R) SS

Let’s go O’s!

Source: https://www.camdenchat.com/2025/8/3/24480235/orioles-cub-sunday-lineups-preview-game-thread

 

[Baltimore Orioles]

Orioles tie game in ninth, lose 5-3 to Cubs on walk-off homer

David Banks-Imagn Images

The ninth inning was exciting until it wasn’t.

The Orioles fell to the Cubs today, 5-3. I don’t know that anyone expected a series win against a contending team, but the Orioles came pretty close. Decent starting pitching, relief pitching Houdini acts, and a ninth-inning comeback weren’t enough to avoid the walk-off loss.

Brandon Young didn’t get off to a great start, though it wasn’t totally a mess of his own making. Cubs’ leadoff batter Michael Busch hit a routine fly ball to the outfield. Jeremiah Jackson and Dylan Carlson converged on the ball, and Jackson looked to have it lined up perfectly. It hit his glove and then just fell to the ground while Carlson looked on helplessly.

Jackson is not an outfielder. Should Carlson have called off the infielder-playing-outfield? Probably. Should Jackson have made the catch even though he’s an infielder? Yes. Regardless, Busch landed on second base. He came in to score the game’s first run two batters later on a single by Seiya Suzuki.

After a two-out walk to Carson Kelly, Ian Happ doubled to right field. Suzuki scored easily, but Kelly tried to score from first and it did not go well for him. Jeremiah Jackson fired to cut off man Jackson Holliday, who made a perfect throw to Alex Jackson to nab Carson at the plate. I love a good Jackson-to-Jackson-to-Jackson play.

Both runs were unearned, and Young settled in for a fine outing. The Cubs got two singles (both to right field) in the second, but retired the side in order in both the third and fourth innings.

The Orioles’ offense took that opportunity to tie the game up with single runs in each of the third and fourth innings. In the third, Alex Jackson and Holliday provided a 1-2 Jackson punch to put two runners on. A pitch hit Jackson and Holliday poked a single into left field. A Jordan Westburg fly ball moved Jackson to third base.

When Gunnar Henderson stepped to the plate with two runners on, you might have been imagining a replay of yesterday’s home run. I know I was. It didn’t happen. Henderson hit a sharp grounder that shortstop Dansby Swanson fielded behind the base. He flipped to second for the first out, but a hustling Henderson beat the throw to first. Jackson scored on the play and shortly after, Henderson was thrown out trying to steal second. This team is not good at stealing.

In the fourth inning, Adley Rutschman hit a ball to deep left field. Ian Happ covered a good bit of ground to get to it, but the ball glanced off his glove as he jumped. Rutschman ended up on second with a double. He moved to third on a groundout and scored on a single from Colton Cowser. It was a nice bit of hitting from Cowser, who struck out on three called strikes in his first at-bat.

Both starting pitchers had similar experiences in the fifth inning. Cubs’ starter Colin Rea was pulled after giving up a two-out single to Holliday. Relief pitcher Drew Pomeranz came in to get the final out. He walked Henderson but got Rutschman on an ugly swinging strikeout. If you’re thinking to yourself, “Drew Pomeranz? I had no idea he was still pitching!” You’re not far off. This is his first year in the majors since 2021.

In the bottom half, Young got two outs but allowed a single and a walk. With runners on the corners and a tie game, Tony Mansolino opted to take Young out. He turned to new Oriole Dietrich Enns, who was traded to the Orioles for cash on the 31st. The lefty struck out Pete Crow-Armstrong to end the inning.

Things didn’t go as well for Enns after the fifth. While the Orioles were getting shut down by Pomeranz and old friend Andrew Kittredge, Enns remained in the game. He got the first two batters in the sixth before allowing three straight singles to Willi Castro, Nico Hoerner, and Swanson. Castro scored on the Swanson hit to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead. Enns struck out Michael Busch to end the inning.

I guess as a testament to the current state of the bullpen, Enns came back out for the seventh inning. The first two batters reached, and again Enns was up against Crow-Armstrong. He got the best of him with a strikeout. With that, his day was over. Of course, there were runners on the corners and only one out.

Kade Strowd was called on to get out of the jam, and friends, my confidence was low. But he did it! Strowd battled Carson Kelly for a 10-pitch at bat, the last of which was hit hard on the ground to Henderson. That started an inning-ending double play and the rally was squashed. Strowd also came back to pitch a solid eighth.

Things got exciting in the ninth, but only for a second. That’s as much hope as we’re allowed. The Cubs sent their hard-throwing closer Daniel Palencia to the mound. Cowser led off the inning and saw three pitches, all over 99 mph. He smoked the third one into the right field corner for a double. Dylan Carlson jumped on a 101.2 mph fastball and line it to left field for the first out. Coby Mayo started to put together a good at-bat, working a 2-2 count, only to take a fastball down the middle for strike three.

With the game on the line, Mansolio sent newest Oriole Ryan Noda up to pinch hit for Alex Jackson. Noda made a very good first impression with a singled to right field. It knocked in Cowser and tied the game. Noda also stole second to get into scoring position, but Holliday flew out to end the inning.

Keegan Akin, pitching for the second day in a row, came in to get the save. Yesterday, he threw 27 pitches and walked two batters in a scoreless ninth. Not the guy I would choose, but this is the state of the Orioles bullpen. Akin appeared to get the first out on a ground ball, but Westburg threw high and pulled Mayo off the bag.

One pitch later, pinch-hitting senior citizen Justin Turner launched a massive home run to left field to end the game.

This is 2025 Orioles baseball, folks.

Source: https://www.camdenchat.com/2025/8/3/24480330/mlb-scores-orioles-cubs-game-recap

 

[Baltimore Orioles]

Impact on today and tomorrow’s Camden Chat Orioles coverage from redesign

Photo by Boris Roessler/picture alliance via Getty Images

One thing will be missing today and others will be late tomorrow.

As you have seen if you have been on Camden Chat over the last week or so, there is a coming redesign to SB Nation websites happening imminently. There are a few different aspects to this.

First and foremost, please make sure that you, the reader, are prepared to be able to log in under the new system. This is a last reminder to check out this page for instructions.

Going along with this redesign on the front end is a complete change in the system that Camden Chat’s writers (and all others on SB Nation sites) use to create and post articles. As a result of this, we have been instructed that there is to be no new content posted after 5pm Eastern time today (Monday, August 4) and that we will be unable to post new articles until the new system goes live around 9am Eastern time tomorrow (Tuesday, August 5) assuming all goes well.

For specific regular Camden Chat coverage, this means:

1. Monday night’s game thread will post earlier than typical (5pm Eastern rather than 30 minutes before first pitch)
2. There will be no post-game recap of Monday’s Orioles-Phillies game
3. Tuesday Bird Droppings will not post at its typical time (7am Eastern), as this can only be done after the migration
4. Tuesday’s weekly minor league recap will not post until later on Tuesday morning

If all goes as planned, that should be the extent that regular operations are disrupted. Once the migration is complete, CC staff will be able to log in to our new back end and do everything that would normally be done to bring you Orioles coverage here. Please have some patience while we all get the hang of the new interface.

I’ve seen previews of the new page layout and I think that it’s a solid modern update that preserves the functionality of the current design while revamping community-oriented areas of the site (Fanposts and Fanshots) that have gone dormant as times have changed. That new section, The Feed, will create an easier avenue for community interaction. The new look will take some getting used to, but I hope you’ll like it.

Source: https://www.camdenchat.com/2025/8/4...ws-camden-chat-orioles-coverage-from-redesign

 

[Baltimore Orioles]

Monday night Orioles game thread: at Phillies, 6:45

Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images

The Orioles aren’t good. The Phillies are good. We’ll see if the obvious happens.

Reminder: Due to SB Nation’s coming layout updates, there will be no recap posted for this game. You may comment during the game or afterwards as normal.

The Orioles have 50 games to play between now and season’s end. Every one of them will be another little test to see how well the core players can help to restore good feelings about the team heading into next season. Every one will offer a different test to players who are more on the fringe of that picture, or maybe who aren’t in the picture at all, to see if they can play themselves into deserving roles on that team.

The key for me is that I don’t want to see the Orioles wasting this period of time by handing out playing time to jabronis about whom there’s not even really any hope for 2026. The team is not meeting this standard up to this point. Perhaps once we get to the point where players can be called up without burning their rookie eligibility going into next year, that will change.

It’s going to be frustrating up to that point. But at least it’s not like the lineup is full of nobodies. Most games, it will matter, as in Monday’s lineup. We need to see signs of life from seven of the nine batters to feel better about next year. Starting pitcher Cade Povich needs to finish the season strong so he can seem like a back-end rotation option next year rather than a guy who should be like #8 on the depth chart.

Orioles lineup​

1. Jackson Holliday - 2B
2. Jordan Westburg - 3B
3. Gunnar Henderson - SS
4. Adley Rutschman - C
5. Tyler O’Neill - DH
6. Jeremiah Jackson - RF
7. Colton Cowser - LF
8. Coby Mayo - 1B
9. Dylan Carlson - CF

Povich is back from the injured list to make the start for the Orioles. The O’s also activated recent waiver claim Vidal Bruján, who I figured would be buried in the minors. The O’s optioned Jordyn Adams as well as Houston Roth to make room for these guys.

Just get Dylan Beavers up here already. Sheesh. Instead, the outfield includes Jeremiah Jackson - a guy I was interested in seeing play, just not in the OF grass - and Dylan Carlson. It’s the wrong Dylan. We need Dylan B. and we got Dylan C. I had that problem in a group project in middle school once.

Phillies lineup​

1. Trea Turner - SS
2. Kyle Schwarber - DH
3. Bryce Harper - 1B
4. J.T. Realmuto - C
5. Nick Castellanos - RF
6. Harrison Bader - CF
7. Otto Kemp - 3B
8. Edmundo Sosa - 2B
9. Weston Wilson - LF

Jesús Luzardo is set to start the game for the Phillies.

The 1-5 hitters in this lineup are guys easily recognizable as Phillies, because they’ve been around there a few years and they’ve played a lot. Bader was just acquired ahead of the trade deadline. Those 7-9 hitters are players who’ve been more in reserve roles this season who haven’t been hitting all that well when they have played. Schwarber and Harper are the only well-above-average hitters on the team so far. We’ll see if Povich can navigate this lineup.

Source: https://www.camdenchat.com/2025/8/4/24480917/orioles-phillies-lineups-probable-pitchers-game-chat