The Birds started things off right in Boston with a 3-2 win thanks to homers from Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop, and stellar pitching from both Chris Tillman and Zach Britton. Here’s to getting at least one more of the next two and leaving Beantown with a lead over the Red Sox!
And now, some linkage.
The @Orioles are on pace to set a major-league record for home runs in June pic.twitter.com/YZ8E0EtDxU
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 15, 2016
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2016 Orioles Draft: Sinkers, Strong Arms, & Good Contact
In a pitching-heavy draft, the O’s loaded up on arms. If you want a detailed rundown of the kinds of arms they selected, along with a comparison of the O’s picks with where they went in a Shadow Draft, check out Jon Shepherd’s write-up over at Camden Depot.
Bird’s Eye View Episode 168: Lifetime Achievement
As always, you should listen to Jake & Scott talk about the Orioles.
Moving Jimenez to the Bullpen is the Best Decision for Now
Ubaldo Jimenez was mercifully removed from the starting rotation yesterday, and Dan Connolly of Baltimore Baseball makes us take our medicine and realize that the team really has no other option. Unless they can convince him to take a minor league assignment (please, Baldy?), they have to hope that he can somehow figure things out and be better in the second half than he’s been in the first. He does, after all, have a track record of that sort of thing.
Mark Trumbo Should Be in the MVP Conversation
Yesterday, our Hot Take artist Ryan Blake ruffled some feathers when he suggested that the O’s should consider trading Mark Trumbo for pitching at the deadline. Brad Leibfried of NumberFire says that Trumbo is using the whole field, and his exit velocity suggests that his very high BABIP could be somewhat sustainable. Because of that, we may have an MVP candidate on our hands.
How the Orioles Pieced Together MLB’s Oddest Contender
Joel Sherman of the New York (BOOOOOOO) Post says that the O’s are “who we thought they were,” but are somehow in first place anyway, despite “we” thinking they would end up in last or next-to-last. This is a nice overview, but is especially worth your click just to read a New York writer say that Zach Britton might be better than any Yankees reliever.
And in Ravens news…
Who was absent, who impressed, and who disappointed as the Ravens kicked off their mandatory minicamp? RSR’s Brian Bower runs down his list of observations from day one.