Orioles shine at All-Star Game

Hello, Camden Chatters.

If you watched the MLB All-Star Game last night, you saw the Baltimore contingent in top form from start to finish.

All five Orioles players took to the field at Globe Life Field in Arlington last night, marking the first time since 1972 that that many Orioles players have played in the All-Star Game. (The Orioles had five players selected to the All-Star team in 1997, 2013 and 2016, but in each case, at least one of them never played in the game.)

At least two Orioles were on the field at one point. Corbin Burnes, Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson were all in the starting lineup, and backups Anthony Santander and Jordan Westburg both entered the game in the fifth inning when Henderson left.

Overall, the team had a solid showing in the 5-3 AL win. Burnes got through a scoreless first inning on 19 pitches, despite a Shohei Ohtani walk and a Bryce Harper double, while getting a throw from former Brewers teammate William Contreras to leave runners in scoring position. Henderson went 0-for-2 but managed a clever defensive play. Santander hit a two-out single in the fifth to keep the AL inning alive, setting up the winning two-run home run by Boston’s Jarren Duran.

Westburg, in his only at-bat, was struck out by Padres closer Robert Suarez, brother of current Oriole Albert. As for Rutschman, the O’s catcher went 0-for-2 but seemed to have a good rhythm calling pitches to players like Tarik Skubal, Garret Crochet and Mason Miller, all of whom the Orioles could be interested in at the trade deadline. Just saying. It couldn’t hurt for Adley to build those relationships.

Everyone had a great time and now the Orioles’ All-Star representatives have a few days off before returning to this same stadium, where the O’s will open the second half of the season against the Rangers on Friday. The Birds are hoping to get their offense going after a tough 1-5 home stretch to end the first half.

We know the Orioles have the talent to do special things the rest of the 2024 season. Their impressive contingent of All-Stars can attest to that.

Connections

Orioles All-Stars hit red carpet ahead of Midsummer Classic – The Baltimore Banner
I don’t really understand the point of a red carpet for the All-Star Game, but if there’s going to be one, you might as well look good. Danielle Allentuck takes us through the fashion choices of the five O’s All-Stars, some better than others.

Inside the friendship between Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman – The Baltimore Sun
It’s nice when both of your team’s superstars are also super adorable. O’s fans are lucky to have Adley and Gunnar.

All-Star Burnes has a bigger thrill: He can tell newborn twins apart – MLB.com
There’s a lot going on in Corbin Burnes’ life right now. And it’s all good.

O’s add college lefty as MLB draft resumes (updated with quotes added) – Steve Melewski
There was some non-All-Star news that day, as the O’s rounded out their 2024 draft with picks from the 11th through 20th rounds, and Melewski has the bios for those guys. The odds are against them making it to the big leagues, but you never know when a late-round pick is going to suddenly pop up.

Manfred confirms Orioles’ continued interest in hosting All-Star Game – School of Roch
The O’s are showing interest in hosting the 2027 Midsummer Classic. Let’s make it happen, MLB. Thirty-six years is too long to wait when there are only 30 teams in the league.

Orioles Birthdays and History

Is it your birthday today? Happy birthday! The only Oriole in history born on July 17 is infielder Josh Lester (30), who played primarily for Triple-A Norfolk last season but did play 11 games with the O’s. He is currently in the Royals organization, where he spent most of the season in Double-A.

On this date in 1991, Orioles designated hitter Sam Horn set the infamous record of six consecutive strikeouts in a game, becoming the first non-pitcher to accomplish the feat. Teammate Mike Flanagan dubbed it a “horn strike.” (Other hitters had previously had six strikeouts in a game, but not consecutively.) Still, Horn contributed a double and a walk in the Orioles’ 9-8 loss to the Royals in 15 innings.

In 1992, right-hander Mike Mussina, in his second year in the major leagues, got off to the most dominant start of his young career, pitching a one-hit shutout in Texas, in which he struck out 10 times. Mussina pitched a perfect game until the fifth inning, when he allowed the Rangers’ only hit, a double by Kevin Reimer. Mussina earned his 10th win of the year, as the O’s won 8-0.

In 1998, Rafael Palmeiro hit his 300th career home run, hitting a two-run home run off Angels reliever Greg Cadaret in the top of the eighth inning. The home run gave the Orioles their ninth straight victory, and they were still under .500 for the season. It was a strange year.

And on this date in 2022, the Orioles selected Oklahoma shortstop Jackson Holliday with the first overall pick in the draft, their third 1-1 selection in franchise history. The move seems a smart one since Holliday tops nearly every MLB prospect list, even though his brief major league audition earlier this year didn’t go as planned.