Some Orioles observations as they hit the highway for 10 video games

The Orioles’ constitution landed in Dallas final night time. They’ve obtained three video games to play in opposition to the Rangers, who maintain the final Wild Card spot. Texas is one forward of the crew that they’re internet hosting over the weekend.

There’s lots to unpack in addition to gear.

Let’s toss out a number of observations earlier than first pitch.

Who’s on fourth? Lots of Orioles

Christian Encarnacion-Strand batted within the cleanup spot yesterday and went 0-for-3, together with a double play, strikeout and hit-by-pitch. Tyler O’Neill hit fourth the earlier night time in opposition to a left-hander. Encarnacion-Strand additionally crammed the position within the first sport of the sequence.

Tyler Ward batted fourth in his ultimate sport with the Orioles earlier than the commerce deadline.

The Orioles haven’t used the identical participant at cleanup in back-to-back video games since Ward on July 24-28.

Eleven completely different gamers have batted fourth, led by Pete Alonso in 67 video games. Samuel Basallo is subsequent with 13, and he’s on maintain whereas recovering from proper shoulder irritation.

Ward, Adley Rutschman and O’Neill did it in seven, Colton Cowser, Coby Mayo and Johnathan Rodríguez in three, Dylan Beavers and Encarnacion-Strand in two, and Ryan Mountcastle in a single.

The membership report for many cleanup hitters was set final yr at 13. This yr’s crew is tied with the 2023 Orioles. They used 10 in 2022.

The Rutschman and Ward trades and Basallo’s journey to the injured checklist will trigger extra lineup shuffling.

Newsflash: Orioles nonetheless don’t have an on a regular basis nearer

The media questioned if Rico Garcia was that man after Ryan Helsley went on the injured checklist for the primary time. Garcia recorded saves in back-to-back appearances in May and one other on June 2.

Not essentially.

The media questioned if Tyler Wells was that man with Helsley on the IL once more. Wells recorded saves on June 3, 4, 17 and 31. Must be him, proper? But he additionally did not get the decision each time.

Wells was traded to the Rays on Monday. And guess what? Manager Craig Albernaz nonetheless isn’t designating one particular reliever because the full-time ninth-inning specialist.

Only Helsley earns that honor, identical to Félix Bautista earlier than him.

Helsley nonetheless leads the membership with eight saves, adopted by Garcia and Andrew Kittredge with 5, Wells with 4, Anthony Nunez with three, Yennier Cano with two, and Cam Sanders, Albert Suárez and Grant Wolfram with one. Nunez and Sanders are in Triple-A.

Cano was the nearer Tuesday and entered within the eighth inning the next night time, with Kittredge retiring the aspect so as on six pitches for the save. Before the sport, Albernaz was requested whether or not Cano was the default selection for the ninth.

As if to show some extent, Albernaz used Kittredge in a 5-2 win over the Angels.

“I know Wells kind of closed games for us. That was just a matter of how everything lined up, and Wells being kind of platoon neutral and also really good against left-handed pitching,” Albernaz stated.

“I think right now it’s gonna be kind of a similar path of how the game goes and how it lands. Yesterday, it just landed with Yenni and we’re extremely confident with Yenni closing the ninth. And we’re confident with other guys closing in the ninth. But for right now it’s tough to say he’s gonna take the ball every time there’s a save. I think it just depends on how the game goes.”

So to recap, on any given day or night time, the reliever assigned to guard the lead will be the man who matches up, is rested and possibly goes together with the supervisor’s hunch. The logic and the reply aren’t going to vary.

Let’s settle for it and transfer on to one thing else that additionally isn’t price doubling again to over these previous couple of months.

Colton Cowser stays the very best heart fielder on the crew

Cowser passes each check – analytic and eye.

Before yesterday, Cowser led the Orioles with eight Outs Above Average and tied for first with 5 Defensive Runs Saved.

Moving previous crew boundaries, Cowser’s eight OAA tied for third amongst American League outfielders with the Rangers’ Evan Carter and the Rays’ Cedric Mullins, a human spotlight reel with the Orioles however not all the time a favourite of the analytics crowd. The Red Sox’s Ceddanne Rafaela was first with 13, adopted by the White Sox’s Tristan Peters with 9.

Cowser accrued zero OAA final season after posting a career-high 11 in 2024.

“He’s been awesome,” stated first base coach and outfielder teacher Jason Bourgeois. “Since Day 1, he’s bought into the process of becoming the best center fielder out there. That was a goal of his during the offseason. The way he gets off the ball, the communication, the spatial awareness now, I feel like compared to years prior is top notch.”

Cowser can also play the corners, in fact. He’s made 18 begins in proper area and 5 in left this season. But Albernaz went along with his most well-liked association once more yesterday with Cowser in heart and Leody Taveras in proper, a flip-flop that advantages the gamers and the crew.

Bench manufacturing has improved

Boy, has it!

O’Neill batted for Taveras yesterday within the eighth inning and singled with two outs to maintain a rally alive. It died after Gunnar Henderson was thrown out on the plate whereas making an attempt to attain on ball that obtained previous catcher Moisés Ballesteros.

O’Neill is 7-for-21 as a pinch-hitter this season. The Orioles have 26 pinch-hits, in keeping with Baseball-Reference.com. The Nationals started yesterday main the majors with 29.

Which crew has essentially the most pinch-hit RBIs? The Orioles ranked first yesterday with 28.

The Orioles went from going homerless off the bench by July 7 to hitting 5 in 23 video games. O’Neill has three to tie the single-season membership report shared by Whitey Herzog in 1962, Sam Bowens in 1967, Pat Kelly in 1979, Jim Dwyer in 1986 and Sam Horn in 1991.

“Pinch hitting is really hard,” Albernaz stated. “Our guys have really stepped up and really owned that side of the game and being ready, getting in the cage, being prepped for that. Obviously, it’s not as easy as plug-and-play, and it’s a homer. There’s a lot that goes into it. Our guys have been outstanding with being ready, being diligent with the prep.”