Morning, Birdland!

The Orioles really like Friday nights. So far in 2018, it’s the only day of the week that they have been successful. This team has seven wins all season; three of them have come on Fridays. Maybe they should wear the black jerseys and the “O’s” cap every night?

Paul Folkemer wrapped up last night’s 6-0 win over the Tigers. It was basically a perfect performance all the way around. Chris Tillman looked fantastic. He was in control the entire evening. The offense only had eight hits but they made the most of those hits by going deep three times. Plus, this Jace Peterson guy is looking like the sparkplug this team needed. His production probably won’t last, but they should play the hot hand while they have it.

Also, this seems important to note:

Links

Showalter held closed-door meeting after Wednesday’s loss - Baltimore Baseball

Whoa! Things are getting serious now. As Dan Connolly notes in the post, MLB managers don’t just tell their teams “you suck right now” too often. This isn’t high school. These guys are professionals and need to act like it. Hopefully Buck Showalter’s words landed. The lineup has certainly seen better production in the two nights since.

Minor league outfielders all hitting stride - Baltimore Baseball

The one place in the Orioles minor league system where they do seem to have depth is in the outfield. Who knows if any of Cedric Mullins, D.J. Stewart or Austin Hays will produce at the major league level, but it’s nice to have three promising up-and-comers alongside veterans like Joey Rickard and Michael Saunders that you could turn to in a pinch.

Tillman, two relievers combine for two-hit shutout - MASNsports.com

As always, Roch Kubatko is the quote master. He has a ton from Showalter talking about Tillman’s performance. Also, the O’s manager refers to Pedro Alvarez as “Pete”. He’s probably done that forever, but it’s the first time I noticed it!

Chris Tillman on his seven scoreless innings in win over Detroit - MASNsports.com

Steve Melewski had the duty of gathering quotes from last night’s starting pitcher. Basically, it came down to Tillman’s secondary pitches being way better. It seems like that fastball that “Tilly” used to have is gone for good. He averaged 87.8 mph on the gun last night. With that type of velocity, he is going to need pristine breaking stuff and perfect control.

The Time Has Arrived For Something Crazy: A Plan - Camden Depot

With the Orioles nearing a franchise record of futility, it’s time to plan for the future. What should that future look like, and who should be involved? Matt Kremnitzer makes the argument that the next head of baseball operations should be someone from outside the organization. That means NOT Brady Anderson. I would agree with that take but, you know, Peter Angelos is gonna do Peter Angelos things.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is it your birthday? Happy Birthday! Sorry to say that you have absolutely no Orioles birthday buddies, but you do share the day with a couple of St. Louis Browns. The most notable name is Rogers Hornsby, who finished up his Hall-of-Fame career with five seasons as a Brown. This would have been his 122nd birthday, but humans don’t usually live that long. He passed away back in 1963.

1788 - The U.S. Constitution is ratified by Maryland, the seventh state to do so.

1923 - Wembley Stadium opens in London

1950 - Jay Leno is born.

1973 - Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon reaches number 1 on the US music charts. It would remain there for 741 weeks.

1988 - The O’s set an American League record by losing their 21st consecutive game.

1993 - Jim Valvano dies.

2015 - Riots cause the Orioles to cancel their game against the White Sox, but they decide to play the next day’s game in front of zero fans.