Orioles pitchers flirted with disaster every night against the Blue Jays, but somehow did enough to help the team take two of three from the defending AL East champs. Fans of both teams were frustrated to no end by their club’s inability to cash in with runners on time and again. Who would have thought that the winning totals, per game, in a series between these two clubs – known for their bats – would be 4, 3, and 3, respectively?
Oh, and the Orioles won the two games of the series in which they did NOT homer. Baseball, man. Crazy.
Let’s see what everyone else is saying today…
Tillman’s Shaky First Inning Impressions
Dan Connolly of Baltimore Baseball gives his thoughts on Chris Tillman’s rocky start and subsequent rebound, not at all uncommon for Tilly. Dan also weighs in on home plate ump Dan Bellino’s terrible night, and the significance of taking a series from Toronto early, late, or ever.
Manny Machado Deserves to be in “The Conversation”
And just what conversation is that? The conversation about greatest baseball players on the planet, that’s which one. Eddie Matz of ESPN makes his case. My favorite line? This one: “As for the eye test, well, you’ll have to take my word for it when I say that watching Manny Machado play third base on a regular basis is like…well…it’s almost impossible to describe. That’s how good he is.”
Need more #MannyThings? I got you covered. Dave Cameron of FanGraphs has his own feature on Machado, in which he says that Manny “hit(s) like Miguel Cabrera and field(s) like a Gold Glover.” Ya damn right. Cameron uses fancy FanGraphs stats like Air Ball Exit Velocity, wRC+, and WAR to make the case that Machado belongs right up there with Mike Trout and Bryce Harper.
Joey Rickard Scorched a Single Through Josh Donaldson’s Glove
I’m not sure if I want to file this one in the “Joey Rickard is awesome” or the “Josh Donaldson sucks” bin, so let’s just go ahead and toss it in both. The O’s rookie’s line drive couldn’t have broken a better guy’s glove last night, could it? Throw in Jose Bautista falling down later to allow Rickard to score what ended up being the game-winning run, and it was a heck of a night for those who love watching the Toronto villains fail.
Mychal Givens and Going Up in the Zone
Mychal Givens hasn’t looked quite as dominant in the early going as he did last year, though one must note that he’s been the victim of some terrible BABIP luck. Matt Kremnitzer of Camden Depot looks at Givens’ new propensity for elevating his slider and his fastball, something Givens may have learned from talking with Darren O’Day. Who better to learn from? It’s encouraging that the youngster is out there trying new things. The results should follow.
And in NFL News…
There’s now less than a week until the first round of the NFL Draft, so who do all the experts think the Ravens will take? There is no consensus, but DeForest Buckner, Laremy Tunsil, Jalen Ramsey, and Joey Bosa all remain in the conversation. RSR’s Kyle Case brings all the mock drafts together in one convenient place for Ravens fans.
