Happy All-Star Break, Birdland! It’s quite the happy one indeed here in Charm City, as the O’s end the season’s first “half” with a 2.0-game lead on both the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East. We’ll have to go a few days without O’s baseball, but many of our Birds will be in action both tonight in the Home Run Derby (Mark Trumbo), and tomorrow in the All-Star Game. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the vacation!
Let’s see what’s up in the links.
Kim Leaves Game with a Strained Right Hamstring
The Birds won on Sunday, but it wasn’t all good news, as Hyun Soo Kim was forced to leave the game in the first inning with a sore hammy. Buck says that Kim dealt with a similar injury last year in Korea, and that it wasn’t a long-term thing, so here’s hoping the few days off this week is all he needs to heal up.
First-Place O’s Aren’t Sellers, but Should They Buy?
Matt Kremnitzer of Camden Depot rounds up Dan Duquette’s Orioles trade-deadline acquisitions, listing them against what they had to give up to get them. It’s not all that pretty. So, with many teams needing starting pitching help, and an already thin farm system, what will the Birds do in July? What SHOULD they do? There is no easy answer.
Where are the Orioles Now and How Can They Improve?
A slight difference in wording of the same question from above. This time it’s Rob Shields over at Baltimore Sports and Life. Rob gives an overall look at the roster, concluding that the O’s could really use a starting pitcher (or two), especially one who throws from the left side. He also thinks the Birds could look at adding an outfielder, and that Kevin Gausman really needs to be better down the stretch.
Manny Machado Key to Orioles’ Ascent
ESPN’s Eddie Matz hands out the O’s half-season hardware. Click on over to learn who the heck “Zad Brachton” is, what what award “he” has won.
How Do the 2016 O’s Stack Up to Past Playoff Teams?
O’s History Professor Matt Taylor of Roar from 34 has a fun lesson today. How have great O’s teams of the past looked after 87 games, and how does this year’s squad stack up?
And in Ravens News…
Ravens Should Wait on Williams
Big man Brandon Williams has been a stout interior defender for the Ravens over the past several seasons, and with free agency approaching, the team may be thinking about locking him up long-term. However, Williams doesn’t really affect the passing game at all, and Ozzie & Co. have been great at filling that particular position in the past, so RSR’s Tony Lombardi says that the team should be in no hurry to show Brandon the money.
