The Birds took three of four from Detroit, and we finally got some sun! Of course, it came with temperatures dropping into the friggin’ 40’s overnight, but at this point beggars can’t really be choosers. Unfortunately, it looks like the rain clouds are set to roll back in right on time for the series opener against Seattle on Tuesday, so we may have some more rain delays in our near future. For now, some links about the tied-for-first-place Orioles…
Darren O’Day Very Critical of Umpire After Strike 3 Call He Didn’t Get
The Birds’ only loss of the Detroit series came when Darren O’Day blew a one-run lead in the eighth inning on Sunday. He struck out the first two batters of the inning, and looked to have done the same to J.D. Martinez, but the O’s got the short end of the stick on a very questionable check swing call. Naturally, on the very next pitch, the game was tied. On the NEXT pitch, the Tigers led. O’Day let loose on first base ump Mark Wegner after the game.
Machado at His Annual Bowling Benefit: “I’d Love to Stay Here…I Bleed Orange”
After the game yesterday, Manny Machado held his annual bowling fundraiser at Mustang Alley in Fells Point. The Sun’s Eduardo Encina asked Machado about staying in Baltimore long-term, and Manny replied that he’d “love to,” while throwing in the usual disclaimer about how it’s “out of my hands.” He also said “I bleed orange,” though, which he certainly didn’t have to throw in. I choose to make way too much out of that statement, and that’s my prerogative.
Orioles Place Jimmy Paredes on Waivers
Hittin’ Jimmy is on waivers. As of right now, I haven’t heard of him being claimed by anybody, so it’s still possible that he clears and can be outrighted to Norfolk. Barring injury though, I just don’t see where Paredes can fit on this team in 2016. If nobody claims him on waivers though, that suggests that there’s no trade market for him either.
How Good are the Baltimore Orioles?
Rob Shields of Baltimore Sports and Life tries to figure out just how good the Orioles actually are. They’re tied for first place, so that’s not bad, right? How about based on those darned peripherals/underlying metrics though?
Hyun-Soo Kim Faces Challenging Adjustment to Majors
Paul Folkemer of Press Box chronicles the Hyun-Soo Kim saga to this point, from his performance in the KBO that attracted the attention of Orioles (and other teams’) scouts, to his poor spring training performance, to his productive – though very limited – April. At this point, most O’s fans would agree that Kim should be getting more chances, especially with Joey Rickard scuffling a bit, particularly against right-handed pitching. We’ll see, but for now, it looks like Kim is still relegated to about one start per week.
