Cowser Returns, Tromp Stays, and What the O’s Must Tackle by the Deadline
Good Morning, Birdland
So… are the Orioles back? It sure feels like they might be!
Tuesday night brought another win in Seattle—making it four straight victories, their longest streak of the season so far. They’ve now taken seven of their last ten games, slowly but surely creeping up the standings. At this point, only the Athletics and White Sox have worse records in the American League, and the O’s are sitting nine games out of a Wild Card spot.
Now, this recent surge hasn’t drastically shifted their postseason odds—FanGraphs gives them just a 2.8% chance to reach October. Not impossible, but still a long shot. So maybe hold off on booking those playoff tickets for now.
Still, there’s no denying the Orioles have been playing much better baseball over the past two weeks, and a big part of that has been the starting rotation.
Tomoyuki Sugano was excellent last night, holding the Mariners to a single run across seven innings. Charlie Morton looks to have rediscovered his rhythm, Dean Kremer is bouncing back from a rough April, Zach Eflin remains steady, and Cade Povich is flashing potential. Kyle Bradish is also on the way back. There are reasons to be optimistic.
The rotation might be keeping the ship steady, but if the Orioles want to pull off something truly remarkable, the offense has to kick into high gear—just like it did against Seattle with five-plus runs on the board.
The return of Colton Cowser should help. He brings speed, defense, and pop to the lineup. His presence gives the batting order a lot more depth. And if Heston Kjerstad and Coby Mayo can get rolling too, the offense could really take off.
We got a glimpse of that last night—Kjerstad collected two hits and a walk, including a double, and Mayo chipped in with a single and a run scored. It won’t all click overnight, but the pieces are there for something special.
Feels good to be watching competitive baseball again, doesn’t it?
Cowser clears up the “shrimp” autograph story, then goes deep in return | Orioles.com
Cowser’s proving to be not just a productive player, but also a clubhouse glue guy. His energy and sense of humor seem to make him a favorite among teammates.
Orioles Re-Sign Chadwick Tromp to Minor League Deal | MLB Trade Rumors
Tromp Hive, breathe easy. The veteran catcher is staying in the organization after briefly opting for free agency. Ideally, the big-league club won’t need him—but having solid depth behind the plate is never a bad thing.
West Coast Leftovers for Breakfast | Roch Kubatko
Roch points out how the O’s seem more focused on process than results for struggling hitters like Kjerstad. The team believes that if he hits, he’s one of their best nine players—so he’ll keep getting chances.
The Orioles Have 50 Games Before the Trade Deadline. What Will It Take to Avoid a Fire Sale? | The Baltimore Banner
Reaching .500 before the deadline might be a stretch—but inching closer to Wild Card relevance? Not out of the question. If the team’s in striking distance and the offense is clicking, Mike Elias might shift into buyer mode. How aggressively he does that depends on how things unfold.
Orioles Birthdays
Celebrating today? Happy birthday!
- Cla Meredith turns 42. He pitched out of the O’s bullpen from 2009 to 2010.
- J.C. Romero is 49. The lefty had a brief five-game stint in 2012.
- Ricky Jones celebrates 67 years. His entire MLB career: 16 games, all with the 1986 Orioles.
- Terry Kennedy turns 69. The 1987 All-Star caught for the Orioles in ’87 and ’88.
- Billy Hunter is 97 today. He came to Baltimore when the team moved from St. Louis in 1954 and played in 125 games during their inaugural season in Charm City.
This Day in Orioles History
- 1967 – The Orioles outlast the Senators 7–5 in the longest game in modern team history—19 innings capped by an Andy Etchebarren walk-off homer.
- 1997 – With a 9–7 win over the Yankees, the Orioles stretch their AL East lead to nine games. Cal Ripken Jr. homers the day after signing 2,200 copies of his new book—until 3:01 a.m.!
- 2010 – Dave Trembley is relieved of managerial duties after a 15–39 start. Juan Samuel steps in as interim skipper.
2019 – The O’s edge out the Rangers 12–11 in a wild one. Pedro Severino belts three homers, Dwight Smith Jr. drives in six runs, and despite a shaky ninth, Mychal Givens shuts the door.
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