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

2025-08-04T16:55:00-04:00

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

Jackson Holliday - 2B
Jordan Westburg - 3B
Gunnar Henderson - SS
Adley Rutschman - C
Tyler O’Neill - DH
Jeremiah Jackson - RF
Colton Cowser - LF
Coby Mayo - 1B
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

Trea Turner - SS
Kyle Schwarber - DH
Bryce Harper - 1B
J.T. Realmuto - C
Nick Castellanos - RF
Harrison Bader - CF
Otto Kemp - 3B
Edmundo Sosa - 2B
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.

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

2025-08-04T10:30:00-04:00

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:

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

Orioles-Phillies series preview: A contender looks to swat away an also-ran

2025-08-04T10:00:00-04:00

Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images

The Phillies are just a half-game ahead of the Mets. They’ll be looking to stomp on the disappointing Orioles.

The Orioles traded a bunch of players all across the galaxy of 2025 contenders and will be spending the rest of the season having occasional reunions with some of their former teammates. The Phillies, on the other end, reached out their tendrils and acquired several guys ahead of the deadline. They did not trade with each other, not this year, and the Orioles traded away their ex-Phillies from those 2024 deals. So none of those reunions will be happening over the next few days.

One player is still hanging around from the 2024 trades between those teams. The Phillies have Seth Johnson pitching out of their bullpen. When the Orioles traded him to Philly, he was a starting pitching prospect, so his value has come down. Two recent bad outings have elevated Johnson’s small sample ERA from around 3 to over 5. That’s across nine games. It is perhaps not worth continuing deep regret about what the O’s surrendered to get Gregory Soto.

As for the Phillies overall: They’re in a dogfight with the Mets to try to win the NL East this season. After yesterday, when the Phillies won and the Mets lost, the Phillies are a half-game ahead. This series against the Orioles represents games that they should be winning. The Mets will be playing the Guardians, a team that squad should probably beat if they want to regain the top spot soon.

The Orioles have played some of the contenders well this season. Their 6-4 record against the AL East-leading Blue Jays stands out in particular. But for the most part the Orioles are bad against good teams, with a 29-37 record against above-.500 clubs. It’s one of the reasons why they are where they are in the standings. Recent Orioles games against the Cubs just showed us more of why.

The offense is not what has been carrying this Phillies team. Compared to the league’s other postseason contenders, their run output is fairly pedestrian, at 4.67 runs per game. That’s better than the Orioles (4.36 R/G) and Philly’s competition, the Mets (4.39 R/G), but it pales compared to teams like the Dodgers (5.14 R/G) and Cubs (5.21 R/G). This team’s strength is in its pitching, particularly its rotation.

What do you think it’s like to root for a team in 2025 that has three starting pitchers with an ERA under 3? That’s what Philly has going on. Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez, and Ranger Suárez are making good things happen. On the bright side for the Orioles, only one of these three guys is scheduled to pitch over the next few games.

Game 1: Monday, 6:45 ET

BAL starter: Cade Povich - 13 G, 5.15 ERA, 4.12 FIP, 1.500 WHIP
PHI starter: Jesús Luzardo - 22 G, 4.31 ERA, 2.98 FIP, 1.372 WHIP

Povich is being activated from the injured list to make this start. His last game with the Orioles was June 15, after which he landed on the IL with a hip injury. These last two months are important for the 25-year-old Povich, who now has close to a full season’s worth of big league innings with uninspiring results. Things are better for him this year than last year: He’s upped the strikeout rate and slightly cut the walk rate.

Even so, batters are hitting .287 off Povich. That’s a bad, bad number. If he doesn’t look like he belongs even at the back of a big league rotation by season’s end, he should be far down the depth chart after whatever plans the Orioles make going into 2026.

Luzardo joined the Phillies after an offseason trade with the Marlins. They gave up two players of little immediate consequence to get him in hopes that he might bounce back to success he had in 2022 and 2023. The strikeout and walk rates are as good as they’ve ever been, but Luzardo is getting victimized horribly by batted ball luck (.348 BABIP compared to a .306 career mark). He’s probably not helped by the Phillies having one of the league’s worst defenses in the outfield.

Game 2: Tuesday, 6:45 ET

BAL starter: Dean Kremer - 22 G, 4.27 ERA, 4.04 FIP, 1.266 WHIP
PHI starter: Taijuan Walker - 23 G, 3.82 ERA, 5.21 FIP, 1.356 WHIP

Kremer is one of a number of Orioles who was no good at all in April and has been on an arc of improvement ever since. On April 27, Kremer gave up five runs in 5.2 innings to see his ERA jump to 7.04. In 16 games since that point, he’s rolling to a 3.39 ERA while averaging almost exactly six innings per start. If he ever could post a full season like that, I’d probably not react so badly to the times where he ends up as the #3 Orioles starter - or like now where he’s pretty much the #1 starter.

Can Kremer keep that going to the end of the season? It’s one of the questions facing the Orioles as they take stock of what they’re carrying over into 2026. He’s hit a rough patch over his last couple of starts, giving up a total of eight runs across 11 innings, with three home runs allowed.

Walker is kind of the opposite of the previous day’s starter, Luzardo, in that he’s sporting an acceptable ERA but an unsightly FIP. Most of the time, pitchers with 6.9 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, and 1.7 HR/9 are not going to be able to hold it together and do well. Walker spent all of June pitching in relief, after which he rejoined the rotation and picked up where he left off: Mostly fine but always doing enough to leave you thinking he’s on the precipice of disaster.

Game 3: Wednesday, 12:35 ET

BAL starter: Trevor Rogers - 9 G, 1.44 ERA, 2.60 FIP, 0.746 WHIP
PHI starter: Ranger Suárez - 16 G, 2.68 ERA, 3.01 FIP, 1.132 WHIP

I’m always curious to find out whether games that look like they’re going to be pitcher’s duels end up as such.

In Rogers’s case, every game I’m curious to see if he can keep this resurgence going. He hasn’t allowed more than three runs in any game this season, and he’s only allowed three runs once in nine starts. He’s fresh off fairly well dominating a potent Cubs lineup over eight innings, though regrettably since the Orioles offense was also dominated in that game, Rogers took the loss despite allowing just one run on four hits and zero walks.

There are 50 games left in the Orioles season. These are the next three of the 50. How many wins do you think it would take for you to feel satisfied with the remaining months of this season? Right at this moment, I feel like if they went 26-24 to at least show they’re above .500 after the trade deadline, that would be good. I don’t have much hope of their getting that started in this series.

When will the Orioles promote their top prospects?

2025-08-04T09:00:00-04:00

Now that the 2025 season is truly sunk, let’s get a look at those prospects, right? Right!?

It’s been happening in the background for a while now, but ever since the Orioles went all-in on selling at the deadline the murmurs have risen to a roar. The people want Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers in Baltimore now.

Orioles GM Mike Elias addressed the calls for their promotion late last week. He explained that the duo are “having terrific seasons” and that “getting them a taste [of MLB play] in 2025 here would be a good thing for all parties.” But he also said that “there’s some things we’re still looking for and hoping they’ll do.”

So, it’s happening, but not right now.

You can understand why folks want to see Basallo and/or Beavers up in the big leagues. The Orioles have nothing tangible to play for the rest of 2025, and it sure feels like the duo would be an upgrade over a few of the players that currently occupy a spot on the active roster. But because of some nebulous “things” that Elias wants to see, along with the organizational advantages of waiting a few more weeks, we continue to wait.

Basallo is widely considered the Orioles top prospect, and one of the elite hitting prospects in all of baseball. He has spent all of 2025 at Triple-A Norfolk, where he has a .268/.382/.583 batting line with 20 home runs despite a few injuries throughout the year.

To be fair to Elias, as good as Basallo’s bat may be, his defense behind the plate draws constant criticism. Scouts love his arm and think he does a fine job controlling the run game. They are less impressed by his actual receiving and blocking.

This is where it’s helpful to remember that he is only (about to turn) 21 years old, and is playing at Triple-A, where he is six years younger than the average player. On top of that, an elbow injury to start 2025 kept him from getting reps back there until mid-May, so he has not had as many opportunities to develop.

Beavers’ numbers at the plate are similarly impressive. Like Basallo, he has been at Triple-A all year long and has a .302/.418/.498 line with 14 home runs. He is also 22-for-26 on stolen base attempts and has walked (60) almost as much as he has struck out (64).

Where Beavers needs to improve prior to a big league call up is less obvious than Basallo. Across the board, his numbers are better this season than they were in 2024. He’s walking more, and striking out less. He has largely stayed healthy. And he has played all three outfield positions, although most of his time has been spent in right field. Meanwhile, the Orioles are giving outfield innings to Jordyn Adams and Jeremiah Jackson, who has largely been an infielder in his professional career.

So, why the wait?

For Basallo, it seems rather straightforward. The Orioles don’t believe in his glove. At least, not enough to bring him up as one of only two catchers on the roster. What would likely be a more comfortable situation would be to have Basallo join Adley Rutschman and Alex Jackson in Baltimore. That way they can protect Basallo a bit, give him a taste of the catching role, rotate him into the DH or first base spots as well. That gets much easier to do on September 1, when rosters expand to 28.

This is a case where it does not seem like the Orioles are playing games with a player’s service time. Basallo becomes so much more valuable if he can be even a slightly below average defensive catcher. If he instead is “just” a slugging first baseman, that’s fine. But it does not transform the overall offense in the same way.

Once again, the situation with Beavers is a bit murkier. He does not have the same concerns about a specific part of his game, and the team could use a player with his exact skill set. So what gives?

Well, prior to the trade deadline, the Orioles did not technically “need” Beavers. The outfield was somewhat full with Colton Cowser, Tyler O’Neill, Cedric Mullins, Ramón Laureano, and the occasional right field cameo for Ryan O’Hearn. So they could reasonably claim that Beavers was continuing to develop and that they did not have an opening in Baltimore.

All the while, Beavers was playing better and better. He had a 1.026 OPS in June, followed that up with a 1.016 OPS in July, and is off to a hot start of August (1.922 OPS). That sort of performance should be getting him into the discussion for “Top 100” consideration across the scouting industry. That is an additional incentive for the Orioles to wait on a promotion.

The Prospect Promotion Incentive was implemented to reduce service time manipulation for the sport’s top young players, particularly at the start of a season. Teams that promote their top prospects at or near Opening Day are now eligible for compensation picks if the player then finishes highly in one of several end-of-season awards. When Gunnar Henderson won Rookie of the Year in 2023, the Orioles were awarded the 32nd overall pick in the 2024 draft as part of the PPI program.

In order for a player to be eligible for the PPI they must “appear on at least two of the three Top 100 Prospect rankings released by MLB Pipeline, Baseball America and ESPN. Those players must be rookie-eligible and have fewer than 60 days of prior MLB service.”

That likely explains why Beavers has stayed down to this point. But now, there are fewer than 60 days left in the MLB season. So the Orioles should be able to promote him at any point and keep him eligible for the PPI should he sneak onto two of those Top 100 lists this offseason.

Eligibility for those lists could be the only other factor under consideration. The three relevant outlets (MLB Pipeline, Baseball America, and ESPN) all calculate eligibility differently. For BA, for example, a prospect graduates from their list once they have 130 MLB at-bats, 50 innings pitched, or 30 pitching appearances. A hitter that plays everyday would accumulate 130 at-bats in 25-35 games. So if Beavers was promoted today, and then played as much as people want him to he might never get onto those lists in the first place. The same is true for Basallo.

In short, the Orioles do have real, legitimate reasons for keeping the pair of Beavers and Basallo in Norfolk. You could also argue that those reasons are lame, and they should always strive to put the best team on the field. You won’t hear an argument out of me on that either.

Orioles minor league recap 8/4: Bradish rehabs, Basallo and Beavers homer in Norfolk walkoff

2025-08-04T08:00:00-04:00

Author of two home runs on Sunday, it’s getting hard to not call up outfielder Dylan Beavers. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Elsewhere, new trade acquisition Brandon Butterworth homered in his first career Double-A game.

Triple-A: Norfolk Tides 10, Memphis Redbirds (STL) 9

Start with the bad news: Kyle Bradish’s first rehab start in Triple-A could have gone better. It was 4-0 before Norfolk even took an AB, with a Carter Young fielding error extending Bradish’s first inning. Three more runs scored off Bradish in the second, including on a home run. The righty’s final line: 3.0 IP, 6 H, 7 R (5 ER), 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR. I’d say another rehab start would be good.

Happily, that didn’t matter for the result of this game, which instead turned out to be Norfolk’s second straight walkoff. Down 4-0, Dylan Beavers led off the bottom half with his fifteenth home run of the year and fourth leading off a game. (Surely we can promote this guy already?) One batter later, Samuel Basallo hit a bomb of his own, 414 feet to deep center. (Similar thoughts apply.)

And now Samuel Basallo hits his 21st homer of the season!!! 414 feet to center field pic.twitter.com/NdE2ORybBH
— Norfolk Tides (@NorfolkTides) August 3, 2025

In the third inning, Reed Trimble singled, stole second, and scored on a Silas Ardoin single. That same inning, Jud Fabian made it a 7-5 game with a homer of his own. In the fourth inning, Beavers hit his second four-bagger of the day to make it 9-7, punctuated by a huge bat flip. (So much sabor with this one!)

He does it again! That's 16 homers for Beavers https://t.co/bfHFDCUN98 pic.twitter.com/JeALBk5bQs
— Norfolk Tides (@NorfolkTides) August 3, 2025

That’s how the score would stay until the bottom of the ninth. Basallo and TT Bowens kicked off a rally with back-to-back singles, and Fabian bunted them over. Vimael Machín made it 9-8 with an RBI groundout. With two outs, Reed Trimble just legged out an infield single to tie it at nine and keep the game alive. He’d help win this one with his legs again when the No. 8 hitter, Carter Young, doubled into the corner, and Trimble came around all the way from first. What an incredible game.

ALOU SENDS TRIMBLE HOME!!!! CARTER YOUNG WALKS IT OFF FOR NORFOLK!!! TWO WALK-OFFS IN A ROW FOR THE TIDES! pic.twitter.com/lsZ1jt2slV
— Norfolk Tides (@NorfolkTides) August 3, 2025

Everybody had a great day at the plate, it felt like. Beavers finished 3-for-5 with two homers and 3 RBI. Basallo went 2-for-5, scored twice, and homered. TT Bowens went 2-for-5. Jud Fabian homered, walked, and drove in two. Reed Trimble went 3-for-5. And the No. 9 hitter, catcher Silas Ardoin, had a career-high four hits.

As for the rest of the pitchers, Preston Johnson allowed a two-run homer, but Nate Webb, Levi Stoudt and Cionel Pérez combined for a four-inning shutout on just two hits to allow their team to get back in the game.

Box Score

Double-A: New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TOR) 9, Chesapeake Baysox 4

Suffice it to say that Juaron Watts-Brown’s Orioles org debut was mixed. In four innings of work, the right-hander allowed six runs, five of them earned (two Baysox fielding errors didn’t help). One run scored on a home run to the very first batter JWB faced. Two more scored in the third inning on a walk, triple, and error. Another error, a single, and a homer in the fourth capped off his outing. On the other hand, he did strike out six! You can see some footage here.

The highlight for the offense was a pair of home runs, one hit by newest Orioles affiliate Brandon Butterworth, playing in his first career Double-A game! He also singled and scored in the sixth on a wild pitch. Butterworth was supposed to be one of the less interesting prospects in the O’Hearn/Laureano deal, but this is a pretty good way to introduce yourself!

Double-A home run number 1⃣ for Brandon Butterworth pic.twitter.com/vbG6CDFmzK
— Chesapeake Baysox (@BaysoxOfficial) August 3, 2025

The other home run was not an official one, but it was pretty funny. Frederick Bencosme singled and managed to circle the bases, thanks to some butchery in the outfield. The home crowd loved it.

Frederick Bencosme circles the bases pic.twitter.com/HFz8LVKx8Y
— Chesapeake Baysox (@BaysoxOfficial) August 3, 2025

The rest of the Chesapeake pitching was fine. Trace Bright covered four innings and also struck out six, but allowed three earned runs of his own. Peter van Loon pitched a scoreless ninth.

Box Score

High-A: Bowling Green Hot Rods (TBR) 3, Aberdeen IronBirds 2

Another nice outing for starter Michael Forret, who threw four scoreless innings and didn’t allow a hit. He walked one and struck out five. In 15 games (54.2 innings) at High-A this season, the 21-year-old Forret has a 1.65 ERA and 0.82 WHIP. Worth keeping an eye on.

A little less distinguished was former Met prospect Chandler Marsh’s debut as a Baltimore affiliate. Marsh tossed 1.1 innings, leaving in the sixth with the bases loaded and one out, and Ryan Cabarcas let two runs score to blow up Marsh’s line and get a blown save. Zane Barnhart allowed a third Bowling Green run, scored by former Orioles prospect Mac Horvath. Bummer.

Catcher Ethan Anderson, a 21-year-old draft pick out of Virginia last year, drove in all the IronBirds runs today, with a home run and a sac fly. Considering his team had only one other hit (a Maikol Hernández single), this was a pretty solid performance at the plate. Griff O’Ferrall, Jake Cunningham and Ryan Stafford all reached base with a walk.

Box Score

Low-A: Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (CWS) 6, Delmarva Shorebirds 3

18-year-old Esteban Mejía threw three good innings, then lost it in the fourth, allowing three runs. The relief was worse, as Keeler Morfe allowed three runs on two walks and three hits in one inning of work. Relievers Joe Glassey and Luis Beltrán were solid, with scoreless outings each. Glassey, in particular, has a 1.88 ERA in 16 innings of work at Low-A.

The Shorebirds had only four hits and four walks today. New addition Cobb Hightower had two of the free passes. Catcher Andrew Tess, 18, recently promoted from the FCL, had two hits and scored a run. Outfielder Raylin Ramos doubled and walked. Fernando Peguero drove in two runs on a pair of sac flies. Braylin Tavera had an RBI single.

Box Score

Today’s Schedule

There are no scheduled games for today.

Can you guess this Orioles third baseman in today’s in-5 trivia game?

2025-08-04T07:00:00-04:00

Think you can figure out what Orioles player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out.

Hello Orioles fans! We’re back for another day of the Camden Chat In-5 daily trivia game. The objective is to guess the correct active OR retired Orioles player in as few guesses as possible. Full game instructions are at the bottom. Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Camden Chat In-5 Game

If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

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Camden Chat In-5 instructions

The goal of the game is to guess the correct Orioles player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS each week. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it. The game will appear in the No. 3 slot of the Camden Chat layout each day this week and as noted above, will appear in this article exclusively.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Monday Bird Droppings: The Orioles’ roster is missing someone

2025-08-04T07:00:00-04:00

Photo by Kelly Gavin/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Errors by miscast outfielders this weekend have cast more scrutiny on the Orioles’ bizarre decision not to promote their top outfield prospect.

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

The Orioles’ first post-trade deadline road trip finished its first stop after the O’s dropped two out of three to the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The O’s were competitive, with all three games decided by one or two runs, but in the end the superior team secured the expected series win. The Birds did show some fight in the finale, rallying back from an early 2-0 deficit and then tying the game with two outs in the ninth, but their lack of bullpen depth cost them as the Cubs walked it off. Check out Stacey’s recap for all the details.

There’s no rest for the weary as the Orioles turn from one excellent NL team to another, taking on the first-place Phillies at Citizens Bank Park for the next three days. Again, the odds are stacked against the Birds’ winning this series, but their new-look roster will hope to show some spark.

Speaking of the roster, one can’t help but wonder if the Orioles are really putting their optimal 26 guys out there right now. Yesterday’s loss can be attributed in large part to a first-inning error by miscast right fielder Jeremiah Jackson, who dropped a routine fly ball that led to two unearned runs in the eventual two-run defeat. And you can’t entirely blame Jackson. He shouldn’t have been out there in the first place, as he’s been an infielder for the majority of his minor league career. Only three of his 85 minor league games this season were in the outfield; he primarily played shortstop with a bit of second and third base mixed in.

The fact that the Orioles have started Jackson in right field in two of his three major league games speaks to the patchwork, ill-fitting nature of the current roster. The Orioles’ recent trades, combined with Tyler O’Neill’s weekend illness, forced the team to scramble for a less-than-ideal solution in right field. They decided to risk Jackson’s defensive deficiencies because the only other outfielder on the bench, Jordyn Adams, has a minor league batting line of .185/.281/.280 this year and would be a gaping hole in the lineup.

Gosh, if only there were some outfielder at Triple-A Norfolk who is both solid on defense and is hitting .307 with a .941 OPS and 16 home runs? A guy who happened to be the Orioles’ #3 prospect and is more than ready for an MLB call-up? That would be pretty neat, huh? At the risk of eliciting snickers from readers with a middle-school sense of humor, let me say this: I desperately want to see Beavers.

Instead, the Orioles continue to trot out players who have far less upside and all-around skills while they keep one of their top prospects — who has nothing left to learn in the minors — stuck at Triple-A. It’s befuddling, and it’s doing a disservice to both the player and the team that he’s not getting an audition yet. Say it with me, everybody: WE WANT BEAVERS!

(Come on, seriously. Stop snickering.)

Links

Jackson to Jackson to ... Jackson? O’s first-of-its-kind trio turns nifty play - MLB.com
The Orioles’ three same-named players combined to throw out a runner at the plate. Now all the O’s need to do is acquire Chourio and Merrill to make a Jackson 5.

Orioles recall Noda and DFA Vavra (O'Neill out of lineup again) - School of Roch
"Ryan Noda? Psssh, who is this rando?" I scoffed disdainfully, right before he hit a game-tying, ninth-inning RBI single in his first at-bat and became my new favorite player.

Orioles: Keegan Akin surrenders a walk-off home run in loss to Cubs - The Baltimore Banner
It’s almost as if having Keegan Akin as your most high-leverage reliever is not a recipe for success. Never could have seen that coming.

Orioles claim Bruján, Ragsdale off waivers - BaltimoreBaseball.com
Bruján and Ragsdale? Psssh, who are these randos?

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! And happy 61st birthday to Orioles Hall of Famer B.J. Surhoff. The hard-nosed fan favorite had two stints with the Birds from 1996-2000 and 2003-05, part of a 19-year MLB career for the former #1 overall draft pick. Other former Orioles celebrating birthdays today are infielder Jahmai Jones (28) and outfielder Jon Knott (47).

On this date in 1991, Hall of Famer Mike Mussina made his major league debut for the Orioles, and it was an outing that perfectly foreshadowed his sensational career: 7.1 IP, 1 ER against the White Sox, with a homer by fellow Hall of Famer Frank Thomas his only blemish. Unfortunately the then-22-year-old Mussina was outdueled by 43-year-old Chicago starter Charlie Hough, who pitched a shutout for a 1-0 White Sox win.

And on this date in 1998, seven years to the day of his debut, the now-established ace Mussina carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Tigers, but a two-out double by Frank Catalanotto ruined his bid. Mussina settled for a two-hit shutout in a 4-0 Orioles win in front of 47,519 at Camden Yards.

Random Orioles game of the day

On Aug. 4, 2005, the Orioles picked up a much-needed win against the Angels, 4-1, to snap a nine-game losing streak. Earlier in the day, the O’s had fired manager Lee Mazzilli, who started the season 42-28 before a second-half collapse cost him his job. In interim skipper Sam Perlozzo’s first game, Sammy Sosa powered a two-run homer and five Orioles pitchers combined to allow just one run at Angel Stadium. B.J. Surhoff singled and walked on his 41st birthday.

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

2025-08-03T17:35:32-04:00

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.