101: The Story of the 2023 Baltimore Orioles | FULL Documentary

The Orioles defied expectations and took the AL East by storm during an enthralling 2023 season. Hear from Orioles General Manager Mike Elias, Manager Brandon Hyde, players Danny Coulombe, Austin Hays, Aaron Hicks, James McCann, Ryan O’Hearn, and Tyler Wells along with broadcasters Geoff Arnold, Kevin Brown, Brett Hollander, and Ben McDonald as they tell the story of the 2023 Baltimore Orioles.

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It’s less than a month away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Sarasota the thought of getting to Sarasota um really gets me going right now it’s a good down there for this team also it’s the first normal spring training I’ve had since getting this job really our goal is to make the playoffs

This year you know it’s not going to be automatic easy to do but we’re right in the fight in the American League now the Orioles are an interesting team what a great year they had last year last year was setting the platform and then giving their their young Talent a

Chance to get Prime and and ready to contribute at the major league level they came into the offseason saying we’re going to spend some money we need to add some guys a couple pitchers maybe a couple hitters and they haven’t really done that yet are they for real this

Year is so there going to still be some growing pain you know it’s an 83 win team last year in Baltimore more there are those that don’t think the trajectory leads to more wins in fact their win total according to multiple sources 752 I think the lineup is okay here but

I’m a little worried about this rotation here I like the bullpen I think there’s a couple of good pieces here Felix Batista in the back I think they’re about another season or two away so I have them coming in fifth place we put a lot of thought into what

Our overall approach was going to be in the off season and we basically landed on a strategy where we were very enthused about the Homegrown talent that we had and the players that we were carrying over from 2022 and also the way that that roster kind of worked together

Our strategy was um to bring in several uh veterans to to um upgrade certain spots to stabilize the roster and basically complement what we were hoping was this young um star core that we had the winter meetings have come and gone in San Diego the Orioles linked to

Pretty much every player out there I think one of Mike Elias’s big strengths is the ability to figure out how are not only guys skill sets going to match up with this team but how are they going to match up chemistry-wise with everybody that’s already in that Clubhouse they signed Kyle Gibson James

Mccan has been traded away let’s get you to another deal that we learned of yesterday and that’s Adam Frasier going to Baltimore just because we’re have grown in talent and we’re a little more exciting to watch I think that we have still have got things a lot to prove and

We haven’t been to the postseason yet and those days are the day is coming but we still have a lot of work to to do to get there going into the season I felt like last year’s experience of you know winning any three games pretty much bringing back the same team same core

Guys I thought we were going to do well um I don’t know how many wins we were going to get but I thought we were if we stayed healthy we be a good ball club and thought the strengths honestly were our um our versatility from a hitter

Standpoint how athletic we were going to be thought we were going to steal a lot of bases I thought we were going to run the bases well I thought our young players were going to improve so I was excited about uh how how young we were but also um how athletic we

Were if they’re going to take that next step and be a a playoff contending team is some of these guys from the starting side of things I think are going to have to have big years Cal Gibson I love that that start we like bradish you know but

Grayson Rodriguez I think him and Di Hall their development and seeing what kind of steps they can take forward if they can be front end of the rotation type arms and guys now you’ve really got something you look at our spring training roster and you’re really encouraged by the amount of talent

That’s there we’re still you know we’re still fairly inexperienced and we have a lot of young dudes that haven’t been in the big leagues yet that are incredibly talented and um it’s really really exciting I’m excited to watch the Orioles play these guys are young hungry and they play with a little

Bit different Edge I think they are a legitimate contender in Major League Baseball for a postseason birth this season uh gunar Anderson the number one Prospect in the game might be the single best farm system in the entire sport seeing guys like Rutman Cedric Mullin why Mount Castle Anthony

Santand Henderson hay mat I mean the list goes on and on with so much young Talent that’s going to be able to carry these guys to the promis land the only issue is that they’re playing the AL Le andtime your team have to be a little

Bit stronger in the a least to go out there and be very successful on the pitching side obviously there’s a rotation competition and then a few spots in the B pretty healthy competition in Camp I think it kind of showed the state of the organization knowing okay we have some

Some pieces this year where we know these guys are going to be at these positions which you’re still always fighting for a spot in spring training just cuz you don’t know what the younger guys are going to do but there were a good portion of uh the positions on the

Field where guys had played really well the season prior that was I think the real Intrigue going to spring training what would a full season be like with gunar Henderson what would a full season be like with adley Rutman what did Grayson Rodriguez look like would he

Make the opening day rotation those were the big questions I think with that and a few roster spots heading in to spring training that really kind of lingered throughout the spring those things were not resolved until right before opening day first stretch little chilly this morning we’re ready though let’s go Back the little things are going to pop up now that is btim transition to more of a competitive environment and a team that’s expecting to go to the playoffs and win we have to play the game clean right we have to catch the routine ball

We have to make the routine play and we have to do the situational things that going to allow us to win games that maybe we we shouldn’t or other teams don’t because they’re not doing it so it’s going to be incredibly important as we go through Camp I’m going to start

Grabbing you guys in groups and kind of going around the bases some of you new guys some of our philosophies and what we talk about here but overall I’ve had no issue with the effort here right you guys police yourself if you’re coming here and not giving your best effort

Down the line you stand out really quick here so just understand there so we have no issue with that all right just play the game the right way you guys all know what that means okay we are still going to play at our instincts and the best

Thing I love about spring training early and I love to see how you guys communicate and move around and just play the game the guys are exciting and then we’re trying to move some guys around to see how they are at different positions so like Tony

Like having him play first base M looks good here picking the ball and then he has a good arm too FR looks good at second too I mean that’s one of the reasons we signed them I think one of the coolest things was knowing that the young talent that was

There but then showing up and seeing how professional each and every one of them were so um you know a lot of times there’s a learning curve of getting to the big leagues at such a young age of how to be a big leager how to be a pro

And these guys had it down from day one it was it was awesome to see they’re Grinders they they have a professionalism about them they get their early work in they take care of their bodies Gunner’s So Graceful over there there’s like a unanimous number one Prospect in baseball right now

Publications all updated their rankings and he’s number one pretty much across the board which is rare to have a to have a unanimous number one like that what’s he do it okay we’re going down back twice get that down and back twice we’re going to take the top four top Four and the t orti is the game changer you four guys are going to be on on the team rest of you guys I’m going to mix up again next time you know I think spring training is when I started to realize like how good this team really actually was and how

Much depth especially on the position player side there was um you know which for a guy trying to make the team isn’t great always but um so I realized like wow this is a really talented group of position players um and just the whole vibe in spring training was you know

Pretty loose pretty fun winner uhoh for the win P up P up drags a little tight boys a little bit there were a couple of guys who had really good camps Ryan o’n had it franie Cordo Josh Lester the biggest thing I was like I just don’t know if there are

Going to be spots for these kinds of guys when I was in Spring train and uniform it almost felt like to me it was a validation year for a lot of the players I’ve talked to because they they wanted the world to know that hey we

Really are this good and we are an above 500 team both internally and externally had a lot of um competition for um a couple of bench spots in terms of the rotation competition you saw did we option Grayson um and Kyle bradish and um uh Tyler Wells are going to fill out

Uh the final two rotation spots so um that was a a big competition bottom line I think we want to U put ourselves in the best position to win these first five games and the games that come right after that I came away from spring training

Feeling like there’s a lot of depth in the minor leagues that’s going to be available and If the Orioles bring up somebody like say oryan oarn maybe they’re going to have a big impact on this team hi let’s go o 2023 baby b opening day let’s go it is historic

Fenway Park in Boston massachus a young Orioles team bursting at the scams with possibility losing with potential and hoping to begin a postseason Run game one the ozen socks from penway Park let’s go first at bat of the season they get a full swing from him now it’s in the

Right field it’s a home run his first opening day swing allyy Rutman near the left field from arus toward the monster and there will be no play for Yoshida Ramon arus leaves the building and get strikes out Turner looking sharp Sinker at the that’s his signature pitch C takes a call third

Strike and Royo on the ground to Second Freer back hand sent in time by Mato it’s two rley Rutman Bas hit left field Matteo’s in Mullins is in Rutman is on board it is a four hit game a career high four hits for adley Rutman and there it is Bautista punches out

Duval had it the whole way 109 in the opener the Orioles start 2023 with a win the first catcher in Major League history with a five hit opening day the Orioles today sending Kyle bradish to the mound for his first start of the Season his stuff will play against any lineup anytime

Anywhere the onew a swing in a Miss strike three and that’s a one two three frame from bradish with two punch outs looks at the runner at second here it comes line drive off the leg of bradish Ricochet is out to Mount Castle at first

He hustles to the bag after he picks it up and now you’re hoping that Kyle bradish is going to be okay after he got hit either on the leg or maybe the Foot oh oh that was not a good finish this is not good Kyle bradish knows that he is going to leave the game immediately and an orial Bullpen that was beleaguered in Boston already now has to cover maybe seven in the third Innings tonight gosh what a horrible thing to

Have happen the fourth game of the season I told skip I was like hey if you need me like I’ll be ready to go just give me a heads up and I can go get ready and um within 5 minutes he goes hey like we need you I was fortunate enough to be

Able to go out there get ready and you know I was you know talking to cuz out there I was like I about to go in the game he goes yeah I think so I was like I better start throwing more and now they turn to Tyler Wells to try to

Protect that lead one game earlier than expected as do scar lines the first pitch from Wells to deep left field backing up as STW running out of room he leaps towards the wall and he made the catch and he took one for the team there the pitch swing and a miss nasty

Slider there by Wells young down on strikes there’s a strike out for Wells and a high fast ball and Tyler Wells has thrown four hitless Innings on jug sand there he makes the head high catch and out of the bullpen that is five scoreless innings and five

Hitless innings for Tyler Wells what a performance with the Orioles in Desperate dire need of pitching it was Wells to rescue the day it was maybe the best moment that he has had um was to step up and help out a group and he said

All right I’ll go put my cleats on and I’ll go out there and do what I have to do throughout the year you’ve seen so many guys Step Up in such big moments and we just continued to build on it and you know it put us in a really good

Position as the year went on well you near Canó just off the shuttle from noruk enters this game with the Orioles clinging to a one-run lead not a lot of fresh options in that Bullpen so it’s Canó I’ll never forget it we were doing a game in in Chicago

And the bullpen was down like there was nobody the bullpen had been worked so hard the last two or three days the starters weren’t given any length and the only guy they had down there that was available was janer Canó two on one out Luis Robert one run game Brandon H

Just looking around the bullpen that guy’s down that guy’s down all right Canó you’re in and me and Kevin looked at each other and went oh my gosh this is fixing get bad like we’re fixing to lose this game the second year orial Canó in his biggest spot in the organization right

Now Bron Hyde is trying to catch lightning in a bottle three scoreless outings and tripa off Fook for Canó had a good spring with Baltimore here’s the pitch ground ball back to Keno he has it to Second for one bobber to First make that two a double play Canó pitches out

Of it what a double play spun by Canó big time by Cano when you have seasons like this you need things um or players show up that you’re not you haven’t anticipated when you map it out in spring training stays in there get the heart of the Chicago order another

3-2 and he fro him how about Mr slider man Canó a one two three eighth inning and he comes on and he gets you five outs Well Done by Cano Orioles got a couple of runs bring it back for the eighth one two three with two strikeouts

And I looked at Ben McDonald I went who is that guy was he here last year y Canó who had an earn run average of 1150 in his first Big League season last year has retired the first 20 hitters he’s faced this season a storybook start

And I raised my hand I was wrong I was wrong this off season cuz I saw yener Canó on the 40-man roster this offseason I’m going what is Mike Elias doing I always loved his stuff it was an explosive fast ball with good sync to it outstanding change up in breaking ball I

Was like he can’t throw strikes and he did it in Minnesota struggled him so he struggled with us last year I’m going what do they see in this guy man I was wrong he’s probably been the biggest surprise for the Orioles ISS year he’s arguably been the best reliever in

Baseball this game is game of adjustment and he made the adjustments these past years next two two got him an impressive inning by yanir Canó he gets three Allstars Murphy aunia and Olen janir Canó comes on and is dominant and goes on one of the best six-week runs in

Recent baseball history for any reliever he didn’t have any base runners there weren’t any hits there weren’t any walks and I’m thinking myself is this the same guy who could complete an inning last year in September pitching for the Orioles and taking advantage of a situation and now you know very high

Leverage relever and option for Brandon Hyde and M Castle drills it deep left center field out toward the wall and over the wall he scales the mountain and gives the Orioles a first inning Edge and what do we have here we’ll call that charitably the home run funnel the Hydration Station finds

Another willing participant oh good clean fun the two plumbers on our team Irvin and Keegan Aken I think it was their idea so yeah they broke it out tonight they taped it up before the game and uh couple of us got to use it it’s a

Homer hose just like as a kid you know you go out back you take a drink from the water hose after you play outside playing whiffle ball so uh we’ve got a turn the water faucet on celebration when you hit a uh single we’ve got a

Sprinkler when you hit an extra base hit and then it’s a homer hose when you hit a homer no matter what like even the veterans on the team like we all act like B children look at Grayson making the go look at Gibson Gibson’s going to drown he’s going to choke himself here

Spin it out Gibson get rid of it hurry Let It Go the guys are able to kind of decompress outside of baseball with things that don’t really make them focus on it we’re all fighting for each other out there and uh you know we’re all friends and we want to see everyone

Succeed and I think that that’s been the biggest part of it for all of us I think that that was one step into kind of creating that environment we love each other we care for each other we know each other’s families uh not only on the

Field but away from the field we take care of each other no matter what and I think that makes a difference and you see that show up with our team out there on the field you really see a group of guys that pulls for one another and you

Know this game is tough It’s hard you’re going to fail so you don’t see a lot of guys crawling into the corner and pouting about themselves they care about the guy next to them and uh they really root for him and cheer for him and I

Think that’s been a big part of why this team won so many games this year we are in the middle of the bird bath the Splash Zone everybody is here to have such a good time of of course it just launched today this came from the clubhouse originally the guys wanted to

See the fans getting involved we talked to some of the players the fans aren’t just picking up a home run chain they’re actually doing an activity the same as the team on the field that section is now the bird bath for all remaining Orioles home games when the Orioles

Record an extra base hit double triple H fans are going to hit the sprinkler we’ll see if the players acknowledge the bird bath right now the Baltimore Orioles are 24 and 13 do you recognize that that’s the almost the second best record in all of baseball second best in the American

League they’re playing great they’re playing some really good baseball overall that being said they’re not the second best team in baseball because they’re starting pitching area is 5.08 and they’ve won games that they don’t deserve to win and so what I’m telling you is that they’re going to slide

They’re going to slide down and they’re not going to be the second best team in the American League East they’re not going to be the second best team in all of baseball and they’re going to be fortunate to be the third wild card team in the American League there you have it

Pretty much any major league baseball think have a good month the Orioles had a really good first month right they lose two a three in Boston but they hit the heck out of the ball they wi two or three in Texas they won a bunch of

Series in a row they played pretty well at Detroit and Kansas City and then they go into Atlanta have the Orioles really played anybody now it’s Atlanta and the Orioles go in there Friday night and they just crush the Braves they have the seven run seventh inning they get a

Great start from Dean Kramer I think the moment I believed didn’t think believed this team was really genuinely special was the moment when Anthony santand Deere’s Grand Slam sailed over the Chop House who swings at the first pitch he’ll get one home he’ll get it the ball home Anthony

Santan serves up with Chop House salami a grand slam for a multihomer game and the Orioles have hit three home runs tonight and they have blown this game all the way open and that told me yeah these guys aren’t afraid Friday night truest park sold out best team in

Baseball it is just another day to them and I think they left Atlanta with their heads held high believing it’s not just the last place and fourth place teams we could do this against anybody the Orioles went to Toronto tough place to play good club playoff

Team he’s coming home swing in a Miss he struck him out and the Orioles steal a victory in Toronto the big guy gets it done he strikes out the side with the automatic runner at second Bas and the Orioles win a one-run game in Toronto we went into

Toronto and we swept him and that was a I think that was a huge part the AL East was the toughest division baseball this year and that team was supposed to be really really good and we just went and swept them at their place the Orioles

Are on their way to New York I think everyone kind of looked around on the airplane and said are the Orioles 15 16 games above 500 to me a defining moment of the season and I really feel like it’s the moment where I was like damn this this Orioles team can

Be really good was the Ryan oarn home run off of Jordan Romano in Toronto driven out to right field at Deep back goes Springer to the track he’s looking up and this ball game is tied up Ryan oarn what a shot over the wall in right field and Ryan at Rogers

Center evens the score a two strike three-run delivery off of Romano the Blue Jays closer relax no more this game is tied the Rhino Hearn hits that home run off of Romano in Toronto I was like they’re going to sweep this series they are going to be a really darn good team

And this guy is going to be a part of it and I talked to Ryan about it right before the season ended I said I was like Ryan I think that’s the turning point of the season and he’s like I think that was also the turning point for me

Too sends one at the left Center Kier Meer got a great jump but it will not matter he did it again oh Hearn oh yes ohar smashes it Ryan oarn Ryan oh Homer on base all five times he swings hits a Looper down the right field Line This is going to get

Down it’s be down the line Razer around third he’s going to score Ryan o her is a pitch comes through with the top of the N he told me he said you know Ben he said I and he was as sincere and serious as he could be he said my career

Is going to end at the big league level and I went whoa I think for Ry or to just contribute here and there when cupon would have been more than enough for him to be the cleanup hitter on on the best team in the American League that’s just crazy man that’s just crazy

Come on run Let It Go flying and it’s h in the air right back goes Josh low track wall see you later it’s a home run for Ryan Oar you know I was hitting the ball really good in Triple A and then when I

Got called up I I had good at bats and I was um hitting the ball good here too so I knew when they sent me down you know it probably wasn’t going to be for the end of the season but I just was trying to have that you know that uh mentality

Of I’m just going to go with the flow and kind of ride the wave and wherever they send me I’m going to you know do my best cuz I feel like that’s the only way way to go about it without getting salty or um you know bitter or whatever being

Part of this team made it really easy cuz um you know just focusing on passing the Baton off to the next guy you know getting on base having a good at bat and uh somebody behind is going to drive in the runs or or whatever um just kind of

Felt like I started the mesh and fit in with the culture of this team and uh and then it just kind of took off from there Rosario Flags it down and that hesitation he he still got of Mullins pulled up yeah I think he heard a quad

He pulled up right in front of the base Brandon Hyde is out of the Dugout that’s horrible news this is about as troubling a player to get hurt as anybody in the Orioles Cedric Mullins has been arguably the Orioles best all-around player this season and Mullins will head to the

Locker room boy that is a really really tough sight to State the absolute obvious unfortunately I had to put um Cedric on the iil obviously we look forward to getting him back as one of the best center fielders in baseball right now and a a huge part of our team so uh

Missing him is going to be tough Brandon hey said many times over the last few years this offense goes as Cedric Mullins goes so to lose him at that point when he was playing so well was a huge blow and there is no obvious replacement for someone like Cedric

Mullins I was sitting in the stands I saw the injury and I’m like oh no we kind of screwed and uh Colton cower was hurt at the time so he wasn’t an option I had remembered that um Aaron Hicks had just been cut loose by the Yankees

Called his agent that night and said uh we’ll put him right in the lineup if he wants to hop aboard to his credit he was took a red eye and he was in the warehouse the next day signing and I think we all wondered does this guy have anything left in the

Tank yeah he did as there’s a deep Fly ball in the right field and this baby is gone bouncing ball to third it’s a fair ball are you kidding me Aaron Hicks Hicks it deep left field hooking towards the corner it is out of here I was actually on the golf course

Uh when I first came in uh I think the common theme for me walking around was uh I was the old guy there um you know being 33 years old and uh you know me and Gibson were uh we’re definitely having fun with that you know it’s been it’s

Been fun since the since the first day I got here I don’t know if the or are here without Aaron Hicks for him to become the hero in Baltimore and come to the rescue in that moment that is one of the great mid-season moves you can make kind

Of speaks to the entire season they have a group in that clubhouse that believes in each other they believe they can be any team in the sport it has been a a fun team to watch and whenever they’re down you know they can get down two three four runs you get the feeling

Every night they can come back and win people that are sleeping on this team they’re just wrong people that thought this team was going to regress they’re just wrong this team is going to stay in the race all year long they’re legit they’re they’re fun they’ve got the

Impact closer of bautist in the back end um and they’ve got a manager right now not afraid to do whatever’s necessary to win games their bull pin is one of the best in the majors highlighted by Felix Batista who last night was just slinging it at the

End 96 ra with 91 strikeouts Felix Bautista the pride and joy of the back end in that Orioles Bullpen that has been so good strike throwing machine erra under one punching tickets at a rate like 18 strikeouts per n Innings I mean it is it is a

This is you look at this this can’t possibly be 17.4 strikeouts per nine innings I think that what Felix Bautista did is immeasurable because of how many tight games the Orioles played there’s also very few closers that they get you more than three outs and they’re getting you

Four or five outs and you’re bringing them in on the road and you were saying big fella come on get me five outs get me six outs and he take the ball and he’d throw two sometimes just one pitch and be able to do it where he just throw fast Balls

By you and there is nobody like fix Bautista in the game Bautista the first orial reliever since 2012 to be Nam American League reliever of the month he’s been outstanding you bring in Canó who’s been just as good in his short amount of time and so you got a pretty

Good onew I like what this oral Bullpen is right now the bullen’s been again the backbone of this team you know our our bullpen catchers are great um you know cuz is great out there and the group of guys like it’s just every every person coming into that

Bullpen is just a a great a indiv individual it makes it really easy it’s pretty funny we we we mess around a lot you know down there and there’s been a few miked up sessions and stuff like that we’ve had a lot of fun back down there testing testing testing I’m miked

Up dude what’s up guys I’m miked up they can hear you hey hey they can hear you they can hear you let’s go baby go let’s go MCO come on let’s go let’s go let’s go [Laughter] fellas let’s go fellas American slang word of the day oh yeah are you ready

Yeah I’m ready lit lit what does that mean nasty nasty AI it usually means AI nasty ay hey DL what shows did you grow up on Sweet Life with Zach and Cody yeah that was that was my faite that was your favorite show that was more like Middle School that was Middle School

Everything good yeah great there’s nothing like pitching the big leagues I mean you don’t get this this at the fcl no one of the most fun days of the year was when Mike Balman had his in-game interview and we you know tied his shoes and put a party hat on him and

I think the most amazing thing about it was Mike was able to finish the interview with no issues which was unbelievable on his part you know we were doing everything we could to distract him and you know it was uh that was that was a pretty funny day but once

Once the fifth inning starts and you know the starters getting up there and pitches it’s it’s really time to everybody buckles down and understands their role and gets ready to go all right guys we got to go to work so I think I’m going to sign out here just

Let you know it’s almost our time yeah ly you you got to physically it’s hard uh and mentally it’s really really hard uh being up every single day day uh and having to you know I always compare it to giving giving a speech in school um you know you show up to class

And you don’t know if you give your speech that day but you have to be prepared that’s exactly what it’s like every single day in the bullpen um and so you know it’s there’s a there’s a lot of stress and anxiety that go through that but yeah you know you just have to

Really manage your throws uh in between days and honestly just get in the in the in the training room and do everything you need to do there and just uh create a really good routine for yourself and really stick to that routine throughout the year hey

Two strikes two outs the 02 strike three call two punch outs slider Anthony strike three called one two swinging a Miss swing and a miss he struck him out backto back Cav for DL Hall number one on MLB pipeline.com belongs to Gunner Henderson to me he was

The the guy to pick how could you not have pressure when you’re the number one overall guy guys struggle it it’s a really hard level it’s a really hard game I wondered if Gunner might be a little past that because he did have a month he didn’t come into the season

With no experience but he looked like a guy who carried the weight of the world on his shoulders when he swung first 42 games not so good right wasn’t really hitting the fast ball was chasing a little bit they didn’t really like that strike out rate yeah he was walking a

Lot he was getting you know his still his walks I think it was a lot of pressure and a lot of expectations everybody felt like gunar Henderson American League Rookie of the Year check mark I think Gunner got to a point where he was just like I need to just relax I

Need to just play I need to just get rid of all these expectations that others are putting on me and I’m putting on myself because at the beginning of the year he was doing some stuff that he wasn’t that was uncharacteristic for him and so I felt like with Gunner once he

Was able to just play and relax and be calm and let his ability play the way it typically does then you were ready for a a breakout year hello puppet go Henderson oh my goodness it’s a no doubter out to Utah Street his ninth of the year goes 462

Ft he’s 22 years old you know I I love the p with which he plays I love the energy with which he plays I love the way he can separate a bat at bat from defense looking back ground ball toward the middle sliding play Henderson look out of your mind come on

Now right side that’s a fair ball inside the line and you know what Gunner Henderson is not going to stop at first who needs a cycle when you can pick up your fourth extra base hit of the game the Orioles bench is saying you should have stopped at first a four extra base

Hit game that whole moment defines what gunar Henderson is it’s a guy that plays the game hard it’s a guy that plays the game the right way it’s a guy that is going to do the right thing and that’s why he’s so special really proud of everybody in this room

For what we’ve done so far this year we’re not even close to being done we’re going to continue to be get better as the year go goes on and we’re going to continue to have awesome individual performances but it’s so cool for me to recognize some guys that are going to be

Representing Us in Seattle and here they are Ali Rutman [Applause] Batista Canó H do not run on Austin hazes Austin Hayes had an unbelievable first half from a position player standpoint is a guy you can count on every day to bring it and that’s hard to find in Pro Sports

He’s I think even though I kind of still think of him as a young player he’s oddly become this veteran leader who always is ready to go it’s not just about his at bats what he does in the field and a Camden Yard just to cover a

Lot of ground in left field we know he can beat you in a variety of ways any given day with his arm with his glove with his Bat he’s capable of getting very hot and carrying the team for stretches we saw that in the first half you guys it’s so welld deserved

Enjoy the time in Seattle come back and ready to win the second half great job you guys the Orioles winning East over the race Orioles win the AL East that’s my bold prediction I don’t they’re a really good baseball team I I just love watching this team play I think they got

Everything going on right now I think they take over the Ray and they end up winning the East the month of June the or Orioles had their worst month they went 13 and 11 barely over 500 and I looked at the July schedule in advance and all eight series that we were going

To play in the month of July were against teams at the time that were above 500 and I said oh my gosh this is going to be to me the turning point of the Season how do we navigate through the month of July with playing eight teams that are really playoff teams cuz

Anybody can have one good month maybe two good months but can you sustain it over the course of four five months we went into New York I think it was a four game set and we lost the first two games and it was kind of that point where

People were starting to the naysayers were starting to say okay now here’s where the Orioles fold and someone else in the East kind of runs away with it I think about that Series in the Bronx around July 4 the Orioles had lost like six out of seven I think there was some

Concern out there that maybe some sort of weird reality would set in well Dean Kramer in a Four game series in the Bronx in game three goes out and dominates swing and a miss 10 strikeouts for Dean Kramer we put up I think it was like 17 runs or something against the

Yankees and then we go into Minnesota and have a really good series there and then we end up winning like eight out of 10 and everyone forgot about our our little mini losing streak and that was kind of the moment where I knew okay our backs up against the wall we’re having a

Really tough stretch right now um let’s see how we respond and and it wasn’t just one game where we responded it was like a week straight and and then into the allstar break and coming out of it where we just kind of kept rolling and there was um there’s never that that

That roller coaster ride where you go down we just kind of you know dipped a little bit and came right back up and that was kind of a momentum shift for me in the season where you know hey we faced a really tough stretch right there

And we found a way to come out of it Hiers always been really good about hey on to the next and you know and then it trickled down to our veterans like uh Gibby sander mccan Frasier I think that all those guys have really taught us to

Kind of flush the bad things that happened the day before into to go back out the next day and you know continue to try and fight and win and um you know whether we went on a three-game losing streak or a six-game winning streak you know we always tried to maintain the

Same mentality every day that we came into the field and you know creating that consistency is really what’s helped us succeed a lot this year Grayson Rodriguez again high expectations for this young man well like you said earlier he’s one of the top pitching prospects in baseball and it was a very

Tough night for Grayson Rodriguez earlier this morning the Orioles ultimately deciding to option him back down to Triple A norfol and I think it’s one of the hardest parts of being a major league player is coming up to the major leagues and failing because there’s so many times with a guy like

Grayson like he hasn’t failed like ever I felt like at the very beginning it was you saw some good you saw some bad you saw what it usually is for a starter the first time that they’re pitching in the major leagues and for Grayson it felt like always facing off against the best

Starter that the other team had that definitely makes it really tough this fast ball is 97 98 sometimes 99 and guys were hitting it pretty easily there were not a lot of uncomfortable swings the first time when he came back for the miners it felt like all of a sudden the

Swing started to get a lot less comfortable he comes back up and the first team he’s facing is the Dodgers and that’s one of the best teams in baseball pitching has stood out maybe more than any other unit well tonight that pitching gets back Grayson Rodriguez who dominated an atin in

Triple A and we’ll see how Grayson can slide back in yeah hopefully he’ll pick up where others have left off I mean you look at this eight game winning streak the starters are 6 and0 with the ER just above two and so I’m sitting there visiting with him I said hey man what

You been working on down there said well you know I’m getting my hip into it you know and they wanted me to close a little bit more but he said you’ll see tonight cuz I’m getting ready to go shove it up the Dodgers rear in t night

I went whoa this is a kid that’s 22 23 years old just got sent down he’s got a seven ER he’s facing one of the best teams in baseball T night and he says just watch what I’m fixing to do and I I walked there going this kid is confident

Let’s see what happens 02 and a swing in a Miss he pumped the fast ball by him 98 above the ladders Rodriguez ends the First with a strike out swing and a miss he struck him out BS down swing on another change up there is nothing timid about this young man

Tonight and 02 and he struck him out elevated the fast ball Rodriguez his return to the big leagues though he will leave with the lead on the black he sets stonic down at 99 his 100th strikeout Grayson Rodriguez the rookie right-hander complet seven seven strong in San Diego

Oh swing in a be strike three eight shutout innings for Grayson Rodriguez ladies and gentlemen meet big game Grayson you SI a kid can really compete and what he’s made of how does he handle adversity yeah six starts uh since he’s come back from the miners

Joel in ER just above 30 and a batting average against in those six thoughts of 195 the way he came back that was exactly what the Ori needed it was like making a big trade at the deadline it’s like they went out and got a number one

Or number two or number three starter at the deadline the only good thing is they didn’t have to give anything up to go get Grayson Rodriguez he was there all along he just looks like a kid who is not scared of any team or any person or

Any environment but when you look at Elite Frontline strikeout stuff it was on display last night for 6 seven Innings you go look at everything preseason and there’s a lot of question marks about our pitchers about our pitching staff um and I think these guys have really stepped up you know seeing

The maturation of of our young guys like bradish and and Grayson and um then obviously Dean has thrown the ball extremely well and then you know Gibby being the veteran Innings eater that he is um I think they they surprised a lot of people the talent is is ridiculous

And they have found a way to um you know mature into very quality major league pitchers and the Orioles are a tropic can of field facing a raised team that they are tied with for first place in the American League East I think it was it was Monumental I think we we realized

We’re going to learn a lot about how good this team is from this series I think everybody knew that the Orioles were good and if maybe it didn’t go quite as well there still was going to be time because you did have another Series against the Rays coming

Up waiting to see him again and Henderson is the first Oro base runner off the glove of walls cter thinking two the whole way it is a double and now Henderson is going to try to make it three and he is in there the non-stop Gunner machine takes three bases wow

Swinging Aaron Hicks left side base hit santand is on the move he gets the wave around aose arena with the throw home the play at the plate the ball is out and he’s Safe BR ball diving play Aras got him it first he took it away cower with a Fly ball in the left center field this should be plenty deep up and on a two- strike pitch the rookie Colton cower comes through L with a groundball to Second fer one henders

SP enjoy the view from the top at the drop I feel like the division was over in two weeks Tampa start started 13-0 the Rays hit about a, home runs in the first month hey Orioles pretty good maybe they’ll get a wild card but nobody’s catching Tampa and they caught

Him in the middle of the Season gron Rodriguez he’s got a big challenge tonight gets the race let’s hope he can shove Rodriguez goes upstairs another fast ball his fourth strikeout of the day and he sets the Rays down in order James mccan first pit swinging ground

Ball base hit one run will score Here Comes gun Henderson as a Ros Arena comes up with it mccan arrives at second base and the Orioles take a two nothing lead the drills a deep left field a rose Arena chasing it it’s over his head two more will

Score two- pitch Tomahawk shot caught by the third baseman Henderson to his feet on a bounce to first it’s a double play Oh her right field down for a base hit in the Orioles Take the Lead back and the 02 he struck him out a swing and a miss

Siri down the Orioles take it in Tampa 6 to5 back in sole possession of first in the American League east and today the Orioles can get a series win here at St Pete rman hammers it into the Gap right center field Henderson being waved around third and Le Rutman with an RBI

Double right center field and it is way out of here oh my Heavens now Hearn slices one down the left field line into the corner oh clang and the Orioles Take the Lead right back and Canó strikes AOS after a perfect in here’s the pitch he trust it in and he did Sling front go swung Bautista does it again

And the Orioles a series win at the Trap you can talk about the Rays and their slide but I think the more important story is what’s up and coming for Oreo need to give this team a lot more love than we are giving them first place by themselves what Mike elas and

Brandon Hyde have done with this team is incredibly impressive we didn’t give this team much credit coming into the season for the Orioles to go in there and win three games in an atmosphere that felt like Orioles fans took over the place um I think that helped but I

Also think what helped was the Orioles had had success against the Rays before and I think they came in with a lot of confidence and they showed it in those four games for me really I didn’t start getting my hopes up about the division until we had that that Series in uh

Tampa in the middle of the Summer where we passed them for first place and at that point you know you’re looking at the talent on your roster you’re looking at the talent you have in Triple A and it’s like hey we’ve got as good a shot

At this as anybody we have the best shot at this right now and going into Tampa I think was and going in there and winning the series against them this year uh winning in the trop and really just kind of showing them who we are like and to

Kind of say that we’ve arrived made us feel really really good they’ve been the doormat for a few years and all of a sudden we saw it last year they have a great second half of the season and they’ve continued it right here and you’re first place in the East going

Into the second half down the stretch good for them man they should be very proud and don’t stop and welcome everyone to the Charm City beautiful fall toore Maryland Sunday Night Baseball back for the first time since 2018 all to the Orioles the first place in baseball’s best division the AL East

Orioles that Series against the Yankees at home that we played I think we played Sunday Night Baseball we had a fox game that weekend and uh for those three games I mean Kon was packed out it was loud and it was you know a big stage and

Uh the boys played well we came out and you know put up runs in the first inning I think we put up six or seven or something like that in the first inning one of those games you know I think that game really uh gave us that confidence

That okay we can play on this National stage and we can um you know we belong here and and we can win games backto back extra base hits for the Orioles and they are all over seino and Lead it three zip with nobody out Frasier swing and a drive a

Three-run no doubt shot from Adam Frasier Birdland is going bananas six nothing Orioles I felt like we played well outside of the AL East uh even in the Years prior but that year before we started to turn it around and we started to really compete in the AL East but uh

This year we were able to do more than compete and just really Excel there and really start to win those close games and our Bullpen continuing to do what they had done the previous year our team playing really good defense once that starting pitching really started showing

What they could do uh that’s when we started taking over the AL the or keep their momentum going against teams from the American League east and the beginning of a 4 game series between two alast Rivals the Orioles and of the blue J Fly ball right field this is a fair

Ball into the corner two will score Mount Castle comes through he’s digging for second and the birds break out on top two to nothing Gunner rips is to right way back it goes and that baby’s [Applause] Gone he racing after it oh what a play by Austin Hayes Austin Hayes with an incredible catch it left center field swinging a Miss Rutman picks it up it bounces away throws the first ball game you know what we’ve done against Toronto this year I mean they had a

Really youthful team a couple years ago with vlat and uh Bob shett coming up but you know it’s also kind of nice to say that the new youth has arrived Orioles and Kyle bradish come out tonight the pit swing and a miss he struck him Out Henderson Skies Us in the air down the right field line heading for the corners and that ball is fair and it is gone Bas is loaded now two outs Here Comes Full Count pitch it’s hammered way back forget about it and the Orioles have blown this one

Wide open with an 11 to3 lead he’ll stroke this one to right and it’s been another Series where he has been an absolute Terror against the Toronto Blue Jays that’s ripped down the left field line and that’s a fair ball Mt Castle can jog home and Austin Hayes also has a four hit

Afternoon well you talk about boost and that’s what the orales are hoping to get from Jack flare I think the first inning for him is going to be the most ORD if he does throw up a zero he could be off in sailing for a while two two to

Springer and he strikes him out swing in a Miss he struck him out another strike out P he struck him out down he goes H in the air to left field and it’s Hayes who tracks it down and he is through six complete in his Orioles debut allowing just the one

Run and it’s theirs it’s all theirs the Orioles claim the season series against the Toronto Blue Jays this division we’ve seen it ever since Brandon Hy’s been here it is a beast that is always such a gauntlet High powerered teams High powerered cities Great ballparks and the Orioles win the season series

With every team in the American League East that is just a mindblowing accomplishment most important thing we will cover tonight is the Baltimore Orioles the best team in the American League are the Baltimore Orioles the AL East this year one of the best and deepest divisions in the history of

Baseball and it’s the Orioles that are leading that division how are they this good you look at this team and they believe when they walk in the door every day you have no shot of beating us I don’t care if it’s for none in the first

Inning I don’t care if it’s for none in the second inning we’re going to f figure out a way to win this ball game and I think that’s the reason that you should be worried about the old and it all starts in a Crown Jewel of the Pacific Northwest Seattle

Washington the major League’s hottest team the Seattle Mariners where of seven straight reside here at t-o Park that was a huge series you know and and that’s kind of one of the ones you went into and go oh gosh we got to go play Seattle at De ballpark I mean you were

Going in there hoping I hope we could just win one we just need to win one and he burned him at 102 a one two from Bautista and he struck Him Out Swinging one out to get two page swings and Strikes him out he buried a splitter adley held it and

Felix Bautista strikes out three batters in a row little dribbler Muno is coming to the plate he’s safe oh he got in there how did he do it Matteo under the tag and the Orioles take the lead ranton to center field hit well hit deep

Mly got it he got it be serious go he cannot have just done that he cannot have just done that that ball was over the fence and Mullins drives this one in the right field that’s a fair ball that is deep that is out of here Cedric Mullins

Robs a home run Cedric Mullins hits a home run and the Orioles have done It 54 Orioles feel Bautista for the second straight night all the Orioles need now are three outs from the three-time American League reliever of the month time to turn your clocks back to Mountain time making his 56th appearance of the Year hunting his 34th save of the Year Felix Batista just one pitch

Away fell off the mound there on 102 Felix going to take a little extra time here after that stumble James mccan will come out now Brandon Hyde and Brian evil the Orioles head athletic trainer will as well yeah it looked like Bautista reaches back for a little bit of extra right

Here and Felix Bautista is going to leave this game with a strike to [Applause] go this is a real heart your throat kind of moment but that’s a site you never want to see when f b he’s just been a force of nature the likes of which we don’t see much in

Basball I remember talking to Brandon Hyde you know we were just talking you know he’s like but the one guy I can’t lose the one guy that we can’t lose can’t lose Batista like nothing can happen to him I got to take care of him Batista left the game there was some

With some arm discomfort he’s still being checked out I’m not going to discuss it any further than that we’re just we’re going to get a bunch of tests and see how see how see how it Is you ready hi everybody um first of all I want to announce that we’re going to put Felix on the IL uh today we’re uh recalling DL Hall as a replacement form as a corresponding move um we all saw uh him leaving the game last night early

Indications are uh he has um some degree of injury to the allar collateral ligament a Felix Bautista absence even if it’s a short one is not something that’s easy to cover he’s best reliever in baseball right now now that you have le some more information on on Felix in last night

And just how disappointing is this how concerning is been a tough day up to this point and um Felix has been such a massive part of our team um best closer in the game it’s been amazing to do to watch watch him do what he does and um

You know last night sucked I mean it’s bottom line and we’re hoping the best for him I just feel for him and and and um you know we got to move forward having Batista get hurt and and to have it managed the bullpen a little bit differently the past you know this last

Month or so um you know that was that was you know devastating the next day we had a we we had a meeting about it and we had a meeting about um you know we’re going to lose Felix for a while and it’s just going to take everybody you know we

Relied on him so much to get so many big outs he won us so many games you know the first four or five months of the Season that just by giving the ball to the big guy at the end of the game now we have to angle it a little different

Way and maybe guy use guys a little bit differently and hope that they they can come through that’s about as as deep of a punch as you can get to lose somebody like that cuz I mean that’s what you call a Difference Maker in your Bullpen

Where you as you mentioned you get to the back in the bullpen it is over we were talking about Felix Batista possibly being a say young candidate and now most likely won’t pitch the rest of this year unfortunate situation for Felix Bautista who has been so good so

Dominant in the back end can they withstand that lost sure maybe but you never really know until you see it for extended period of time everybody felt uh-oh what next what do we do now how is this going to go without the guy and I don’t know if anyone knew I just

Figured that they would piece it together I think everybody thought for a second but there were many times this year I think we all thought oh gosh is this thing going to spiral backwards now are we going to back up a little bit didn’t back up and I think again that

Speaks to this team Brandon Hyde the resiliency of next man up kind of attitude is what they’ve had this year and it’s hit in the air right Fielding Walker back at the track in front of the high wall he is out it’s a grand slam Cedric [Applause] B and he blow it by him one three top part of the Zone outside corner wow oh man buckle up he hits this one deep it’s down the right field line if it’s far it’s gone and it ISS Irving to the plate ground ball out to first base scooped up by Mount Castle

Goes to the bag and it’s a three- game sweep against the Angels here at the big a and a five game win streak the magic number is down to four to clinch a postseason bid the magic number to clinch the division is down to 16 I try

To keep guys as fresh as possible knowing how long the season is but when you go down the stretch it’s more of a Sprint I was really nervous going into that 17 game stretch and that and that road trip from Houston to Cleveland at the end of

It this one is drilled deep center field but Margo is underneath it and after getting kicked out of first place at the trop in July the Rays have returned the favor Tampa Bay is now tied for first in the American League East this will be four losses in a row for the Orioles

Which would tie a season High losing streak just disappointing to lose right now nobody said was was going to be easy um these things happen and uh you got to just stay positive and tomorrow’s a new day and still got a lot of baseball left there is panic in the air in Baltimore

Panic that this thing is slipping away we’re got a short amount of time left and and uh we’re navigating kind of as we go here and taking it kind of day by day with everything Christian Beth cour drives one to center field that ball is deep

That ball is gone and this game has turned into a 3-1 Tampa Bay lead we’ve been going to battle in tight ball games all season you know it seems like we’ve had to earn every win we’ve got and you know we’re not blowing teams out it’s you know tight you know one two

Three run ball games at the end there um so I think we had kind of gotten used to a kind of a a battle tested group two two pitch slug long way to right this one is going going go edley Rutman has made it a one- run game Pete

Fairbanks got turned around and it is a 32 game and arond hits a ground ball to First oh her coming to the plate the tag is not in time low is safe and the Rays take a 4-2 lead the throw beat him the Orioles will look to see if there’s a challenge

And immediately they will signal for one this is a huge call in this game it’s one thing to be dealing with a one-run deficit against Pete Fairbanks second run a lot tougher the throw clearly beat low it’s just a matter of did Rutman tag Josh low before his hand got on home

Plate and now here we Go the call is overturned he’s out at home I they say Rutman got low take the run off the board it’s a one run game still Orioles magic number of one down a run the 01 pitch Hayes broken bat Flair left center field will it get down yes it

Will it’s in front of Manuel Margo as hay stops at first base and now the tying run is on base and here comes Adam Frasier mat tail also is going to pinch run for Hayes at first I mean a lot of people here talk about the the delman

Young game and they talk about that hit that he had in the ALDS against the Tigers for me one of my biggest moments broadcasting orial basball will be the Adam fras double fighting for his life here in the ninth inning Mato is going and the pitch is fair fair ball exide

The bag here it comes Matta on third he is going to score this game is tied Adam frezer comes through it is chaos at Camden and I’m pretty sure that when he hit that double I don’t remember a single thing I said because I blacked out the tail is going one two pitch

Ground it’s a fair ball it’s down the left field line it’s going to roll to the side wall but ta loses the helmet he’s around third he’s going to score this game is tied this game is tied this game is tied Adam Frasier with the wand of a magician

Skids it fair inside the line at third it goes rolling down the line and Harge Matel the man of speed rumbles around to tie it up at three in the bottom of the [Applause] night they have just clenched they have just tied this will be the game that

They will remember the entire season unreal what has just happened in the last 2 minutes we fall behind and we battle back you know Rush hits the Homer to bring us within one and then we’re down to our last out and Hayes comes up with a big hit and then you know Frasier

Battles battles battles and comes up with a big hit um pitchers stepping up left and right that’s kind of a game that just puts the 2023 season into a that’s what our season was into the 11th inning we go the Orioles have scored in the e nth and

10th and now they’ll turn to their seventh pitcher of the day DL Hall out of the Bullpen Tapper to Third Base Henderson in front of the bag it is in time oh Rocket from gunar [Applause] Henderson low with a ground ball to First and DL Hall comes through Ryan oarn will race it to the dugout pick up a bat and try to send the Orioles out of

Here with a win you knew at that moment that you were already in the playoffs but I think for the Orioles just because their goals were bigger and they wanted to win the division they still had to find a way to win that game they still

Had to find a way to win that game against the team that was breathing right down their neck in the Rays and by hooker by crook they found a way to do it oarn the batter oarn squares to bunt well did you know he could do that Ryan

Oarn with a sacrifice punn a big smile on his face too and here comes Cedric Mullins with a chance to get the Orioles a walk-off win bins into center field this should do it Maro going back it does not matter adley Rutman will score and the Orioles

Who clinched a postseason birth just a few minutes ago seal their feate with a walkoff win a clincher a walkoff controlled of the American League East now that’s not bad for a Sunday and it’s a melee between first and second base the Orioles pick up their 93rd win they split the series

With the Rays and and while they might have already clinched the postseason birth man oh man does this feel good the Orioles they’re going back to the postseason for the first time since 2016 you simply could not have imagined this not in your wildest dreams could you have

Imagined a moment in a game filled with moments like this the chaos the back and forth seemed like you know we finally kind of put them away and then they come back and then you know we’ come back and just it was a battle and uh that one

Really sticks out my mind but uh totally worth it to get that big celebration after the game wouldn’t have done it any other way today absolute grind so proud of you guys so proud of you guys whole year the first step this is the first step all right we’re going to keep doing

This CU this one this is we FL newth all right this is step one of many celebrations here we go You know I hadn’t uh clinched a playoff spot or been on a team that’s clinched the playoffs spot since 2014 so one of my messages for the young guys was hey this doesn’t happen every year so you know really enjoy it and and take it in because you just never know when you’re

Going to get back we had this celebration in there like we just won the World Series that was kind of an impromptu celebration like we we went in saying that we were going to celebrate but we’re going to kind of tone it down a little bit but we

Wanted the guys if we won the game and we were and clinched the postseason birth we wanted the players in there that have never celebrated before to have that experience in case we didn’t win the the a East we decided the morning of but we were going to keep it

A little bit toned down because we still had to go to Houston that night we still had to play Verlander and the Astros the next day and games that mattered so because we won the way we did I think it just turned into this absolute uh incredible celebration where front

Office was involved ownership was involved um and the champagne was flowing and guys were having a great time and then we end up winning the next day so um that for me that that that evening was the best moment you don’t have many guys who are quote unquote fresh arms when you get

Into September well you get Tyler Wells who had a nice break back you have DL Hall who had the back injury coming into the year and was limited throughout the season who is basically a fully fresh arm and then you had John means the reason it is not just any old

Tuesday night three words that for three years we in Baltimore looked forward to as as much as any three words John means day for three seasons that was the Orioles shining star John means an All-Star an opening day starter a couple of years and tonight he returns to a

Major league Mound for the first time in 517 days I mean happy John means day I’m so happy for him and his wife Caroline I mean all they’ve been through the struggles the rehab physical mental part of it and to get back on a big league

Mound after 517 days is really cool I’m excited about this one I’ve not been this excited about a start in a long time but to see John means come back in an oral uniform I think it does the heart good the John means part of it is

Just one of the best stories of the year I I’m just so happy for John means that he got to be a part of this cuz for three years I felt like it was John mean’s Day and sometimes that was the the main attraction around here and I

Just can’t imagine how hard it is for him the Orioles are winning they’re not being swept they are sweeping teams they’re getting all these Allstars all this National praise and John means just sit on a bench cuz he can’t pitch and he was the guy who took the ball so often

During those three tougher years so for him to finally get to be a part of this is I think as special as anything that’s happened this [Applause] year boy have we missed this sight wearing number 47 out of OA Kansas standing at 6’3 230 lb the 30-year-old left-hander John means with one awfully deep breath is back at top the hill at orial Park John means picks up right where he left off a 93 mph

Strike onew pitch strike three called change up at the top of the zone and for John means it’s his first strikeout since coming back from Tommy John of the big Le John was put into a a spot where I I know he wanted to contribute but when he

Returned we were just like I don’t know what we’re going to get here I’m not sure he knows what he was going to get and then to be solid the first two games and keep the Orioles in the games and then what he did in his last two starts

Was I think a big stretch and how the Orioles got through that those 17 games just one of another reasons why this season was so special he made contact left center field David fry to the wall Off the Wall game is tied brenon is coming home Guardians

Win 98 Cleveland on a two-run double by fry a staggering Stupify game of baseball belongs to the Cleveland Guardians with each team scoring two in the night [Applause] the resiliency of this team like this team doesn’t have Scar Tissue like that I’ve never seen a team that can put away

A bad game or a bad couple days and brush it to the side so quickly and then 24 hours later show up at the Ballpark and just flush it and move the next one I think that’s a big big asset that this team has is they’ll able to flush the

Few bad games that they had I give Brandon again a lot of credit for that he’s had the pulse of this team I think all year long been able to read them really well and find ways to challenge and get him through some tough times today brings a new day of Orioles

Baseball and a new chance to slash the magic number of the American League East it’s at six right now with a little over a week to go it’s means day and that means in in years past when the Orioles weren’t winning when John went to the mound you

Had a good chance to win he pitches the contact he’s got a great change up and hopefully he will give them a chance to win and do it in a low scoring manner and hopefully give the Orioles a lot of innings payoff pitch swing and a miss

For strike three great change up 32 again and he sets down Steven Quan John means with a change up that leaves the outfielder defenseless it’s onew pitch nothing there John means with another strike out this time a fast ball another one two three inning and John means with magic at his

Fingers so John means throws six and 2/3 no hit Innings an amazing third start back from Tommy John surgery I would imagine why Brandon Hyde is is smiling there you go you always talk about how many outs you can get that’s 22 of them and the Orioles lead by one two to one

He just could flat out pitch you can hear him now Behind The Dugout cheering for DL Hall to get one more strike and he does get one more strike a 3-2 change up at the knees ends this game the Orioles win it 5-1 they take the last two games of a Victorious road

Trip and the Orioles will fly to camon yards with the American League East title well within sight I think what the Orioles have is really hard to measure based on the pure numbers of it because what they have is this amazing ability to stem the tie just when it

Seems like it’s time for the other Sho to drop like a long losing streak is around the corner they win the game they win that game they have to get and it’s an impossible thing to ify because it’s just really good consistent baseball day in and day out series by series and

Essentially month by month where they never had a losing month for a full year when they played uh between April and September I mean that’s amazing won things were not looking good for a while but the O’s win 2-1 and 5-1 and they tied the 1997 Orioles now the

Best road record in the history of the Orioles we come to you with a heavy heart Brooks Robinson the number five the orial Mr oral 23 years with the team his family leasing a statement that Brooks have passed away at 86 years old one of the greatest Orioles ever one of the

Greatest third basemen ever you know he set the goal standard for human beings we all know how great player he was but as a young player that gets to the big leagues you look around and you go who do I want to be like number five Andrew hits it in the air deep

Right field Thomas back on the track in front of the wall and it will escape and it it’s gone that one’s for you Brooks our deep condolences to uh the Robinson family I think a lot of guys played tonight with a heavy heart it was uh emotional before the game to hear the

News the time he spent with us last year especially coming in the clubhouse you know it was really motivational inspirational for for our players he’s an icon in this game Icon in the city there’s not many there’s not many of those number five is going to be on the warehouse for a

While number five will be next to th base in F territory and number five will be on the sleeves of the Orioles throughout the rest of this season about a month ago I I went up and saw him and he says hey how about this team he wants the Orioles to experience

What we were able to experience and uh you know he he was rooting for him he knows about the team he watched the games tonight the magic number is down to one they say One is the Loneliest Number but it’s also the most exciting dramatic and it should be the most fun

The Orioles get what they were hoping for when spring training began an opportunity to close this thing down to do it at home in front of these home fans and cam in yards that is ripped deep left field back goes Abu on the track he’s at the wall it’s gone

Put that wall as far back and as high as you want Anthony’s still going to clear it the Oriol strike first and the possible [Applause] Clincher for the Orioles right hander Dean Kramer like the first time the Oriols had a chance to get the playoffs he threw very well against Tampa Bay

Five innings one run baseball and is looking to channel that form with the Orioles attempting to clinch the AL East long holding pitch swing and a miss strike three 95 he blew it right by him swing in a Miss he struck him out three consecutive strikeouts for Kramer

Four on the ninth the pitch home waveing a Miss he struck him out Kramer punches out two more and he’s in complete control Kramer goes five and a third to it no earn runs a walk in eight strikeouts he threw 88 p pitches he was magnificent tonight big game Dean big

Game Dean I do think there is a little irony and some sort of poetry to the fact that that first move made towards the deadline of 2018 when the rebuild officially kicked off that Dean Kramer was on the mound uh for those clinching games I think that’s a pretty beautiful baseball

Thing left center field off the end of the bat Rafaela coming in it’s a big hit for Cur down it kicks away here comes Fraser out thir and he will score Caston Kad in his 10th career big leag game drops an a base hit and the Orioles have a big Insurance run now

Brandon Hyde doing what he has done all year long and pushing the right buttons to this oral team I was trying as hard as I could to just focus on on each pitch but definitely when we got to where we needed did one more out I was thinking

About it and I started to get that feeling in my chest and feel the energy in the stadium you remember this big right hander on the mound in the ninth inning that’d be Tyler Wells and he is coming out looking for his first save since the 2021

Season I mean there there weren’t words to like describe it it’s very how would you put it poetic in how it all kind of turned out here’s the one pitch ground ball out to Third Base arus has got it six throws to first and you can celebrate everybody the Orioles in

2023 are American Lees Champions it’s kind of a full a full circle moment if you think about it um you know Dean was was kind of the the the trade that kicked off the the Orioles rebuild when when the orol sent uh you know Machado to the Dodgers and

De was one of the pieces that came back and then you know Wells being one of our best starters in the first half getting sent down and then coming back and getting his first save of the year um in our AL East clinching game it’s kind of

One of those things like how how can you not be romantic about baseball everything that I’ve learned since 21 being in the bull pin being a starter last year being a starter most of this year and then being able to kind of take that EXP experience that I had

Um and turn it into something that was really special not just for the team but for the city of Baltimore and honestly for the game of baseball um I mean you just can’t you just can’t put that in the words and I think that that was pretty special and it’s something I’ll never

Forget seeing the outfielders together seeing the guys that have been here since 2017 and that was emotional it was emotional seeing them bond together and knowing that they’ve been through 100 lost seasons and they have been through a 19 game losing streak and they’ve been through some really hard times those

Guys are the heart and soul of the team I thought it was just a great day I mean the weather was great uh the crowd had a nice energy um and then to uh simultaneously uh win 100 games um clinch the division and then by the way

Our AAA team win the Triple Championship that night and have a champagne celebration at the exact same moment it’s hard to script it any better and it was almost like a happy ending of a [Applause] movie nobody gave us a chance to start of this year nobody that’s 100 wins right there that’s 100 wins on our first step we just won the a [Applause] East you look back at the beginning of season no one gave us a chance and everyone you know I think I saw today

That that we were given like a 1% chance to win our division and and here we are 101 wins and it’s definitely a testament like you said to to the front office for for the individuals that were brought in to the coaching staff uh to to push us

Right to year and press the right buttons when they needed to and then it’s a honestly it’s a bigest testament to the players um The Players the ones out there competing and and getting the job done day in and day out winning 100 games is no easy task and the fact that

That we did that especially coming in with really no expectations to do that is a a complete team you know people say it takes a village well this team is is not circled around one or two guys you know you might have your top Superstars but it seems like everybody

In the building contributes to to helping H and I always go back to the alternate site during Co that’s when you had Rutman there you had Grayson Rodriguez there you had Henderson there you had Westberg there you had a lot of our young guys that are shining now and

I remember talking to those guys about those moments and them dreaming about hey when we get to the big leagues next couple years we’re learning how to win now we’re going to make a difference when we get there I know nationally the story is adly and and gunar and Grayson

And wow aren’t the kids great the kids are great the kids have captured the attention of the city and the nation but to me that is 1A and Story one is these guys that have been here and that have seen through the tougher times and lifted the Orioles out of this I think

That’s so Special as a Baltimore Moran to see this town eat sleep and drink Orioles baseball and to be that essentially the only thing anyone is talking about and for people to follow every aspect of it now for the entire summer and it looks like to me mikeias and his staff haven’t

Built a team to win for just 2023 but for many years beyond that this will be an extended window of opportunity which is what every organization in Pro Sports is hoping for You know a lot of us have have been through uh some success in the major leagues almost everyone here has um been through success elsewhere but uh to do it with uh American League East strength of schedule and kind of in the spot that the Orioles were starting from at the

End of 2018 uh it’s about as big of a challenge as as there was um so to be able to say that we did that to together I think is something that people are going to be talking about the rest of their lives I mean 101 wins in the American

League East we were dreaming of that when we started the rebuild it seemed impossible this group of players regardless of where else they go in their careers and their lives I hope that the city of Baltimore uh remembers this group for kind of reminding the world that you know this is Baltimore

And we we do baseball here Yeah