Orioles Tame Tigers & Eye Rays Revenge: Colton Cowser’s Heroics Spark the O's

Cowser’s walk-off blast tames the Tigers! 🥛 The O's take 2 of 3 and ride massive momentum into a crucial bounce-back rematch with the Rays. Hear from Chris Bassitt and Craig Albernaz during the series, as Bassitt talks about how the O's still have plenty of season left to right the ship! #Birdland #BaltimoreOrioles #MLBonX

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:30

Welcome back in, ladies and gentlemen, to another episode of the Charmed City Sports Podcast as we quickly give you a rundown of what's to come against the Tampa Bay Rays and as well a quick recap of the Orioles taking two of three from the Detroit Tigers in exciting fashion. Now, there was a lot of excitement from this series against Detroit, a lot of good fortune for the Orioles in this series against Detroit, which is something that uh it's it's no secret. We've talked about it on here constantly. There hasn't been a ton that has gone the Orioles' way. They now said 23 and 30 with a big three-game series here coming up against the Tampa Bay Rays, the top team in the American League East. The Orioles hunting down that wild card as the Minnesota Twins at 26 and 27 currently occupy that final spot. The O's, three games back of said wild card spot. Now, it was again an exciting series against Detroit. It was a series that really showcased what the Orioles can do with their offense, albeit facing against some favorable pitching. Game one saw former Orioles starting pitcher, Jack Flaherty, take the mound, and Flaherty did not have the best of nights, and that's putting it mildly. He the Orioles as a team had fourteen hits on the night. They really broke out in a big way after obviously being so flat in Tampa Bay. Flaherty gave up eight of those fourteen hits, three runs crossed, or three earned runs crossed, rather, six runs in total. He did have seven strikeouts, but the damage was obviously done, and the Orioles offense, they broke out big time. Pete Alonzo with the big two-run blast that gave the Orioles the go-ahead lead in the bottom of the third, only to watch Chris Bassett the following inning, which was the case really so many times in Tampa Bay, where the Orioles would nab a lead, and then they couldn't hold on to it for even half an inning, it felt, because and the same was true on this night where uh there were some misplays in the field for the O's, but there was also uh some really tough pitching from Chris Bassett as well, giving up a lot of contact, which you you expect, but the Orioles would give the lead away, only to take it back a half an inning later, with Kobe Mayo scoring on a bulk, and then Jackson Holiday went in getting one of the most precurious home runs you'll ever see, sneaking one underneath the left field foul pole, which was just uh really bizarre. His first home run of the season, and then the O's would get one more with a Pete Alonzo sack fly to score Gunnar Henderson with runners at the sc at in the corners with one out, and the Orioles would get the win. Great to see. It was good to see out of the bullpen Yanir Kano pitch a clean inning, giving up no hits, no walks, two strikeouts, his ERA lowering to 1.42. He's obviously been one of the Orioles as a whole, most reliable pitchers, and especially out of the bullpen, which is something we've talked about throughout here, where the Orioles have really lacked. But after the game, Chris Bassett gave an interesting comment here about the outlook of the season, and here was the veteran pitcher after the game.

SPEAKER_02 4:11

Um and kind of showed up tonight. So I mean, it's great when they're both on, um, but even just one of them can kind of do that. So yeah, I just think it was just getting them back to who they are, um not asking for more than that. It's just yeah, getting those two guys going. A couple weeks ago about how we're supposed to fall down. It's kind of a big fall. It's kind of a big fall. I mean, how many years back are the walk-out are we? Yeah, that's nothing. Um I don't really it's not like I won the division last year. I would love to win the division. It's it's it's it's just cool. But the reality is it's getting the playoffs. Like, that's like the number one goal for me always is get to the playoffs. It's not to win the division. There's so many times that I feel like in the past, a team that I've been on has chased the division, and then okay, we didn't win the division, but we made the playoffs and we were absolutely fried from trying to win the division. Um so to me, it's just how do you get into the playoffs? And then how do you get in the playoffs healthy? Um just given the amount of like time off certain guys need. Um, so yeah, so it's not I don't think there's like a fear of a deficit because it really isn't one.

SPEAKER_01 5:37

This might be a really simple question, but what does this team need to do moving forward in the next few weeks and months to put themselves in a position to be a puppet?

SPEAKER_02 5:48

Well, I mean, we're three games back and I feel like we could not have played much worse. So um yeah, I I think I think it's just again, just getting guys going um and staying healthy. I know we've been pretty dang banged up um overall. Um so just getting guys healthy, staying healthy, um, and just playing better baseball.

SPEAKER_00 6:08

Well, there's no question the Orioles have really needed a leader in that starting rotation for the last couple of seasons. They've had some solid veteran presence, but they haven't had someone who can really back it up with their pitching on the field. We had Kyle Gibson here, obviously great guy in the clubhouse, not so great when he got to the mound, unfortunately. You had Charlie Morton. I kind of found Charlie to be the same way, although it was only for half a season, so I think he really didn't get to get didn't get to be too comfortable in the Orioles clubhouse, and obviously his performance on the field was bad. And Chris Bassett has been okay starting this season, but he obviously brings a lot of experience, and as he mentioned, you know, he talked about the division's great, but chasing the wild card is what you want. Well see, the thing is talking about wild card right now feels a little ludicrous for us to really be doing. Now they can talk about it, but for us, and I know I mentioned there three games back, but the big thing for me you won finally a series in the month of May. You've been struggling to do so. How about let's just get back to five hundred? Let's just do that. Let's set that as the main goal. Now this was actually the third series win for the O's in the month of May, which felt very few and far between, but you had sprinkled in with being swept by the Yankees, being swept by the Rays, losing two of three embarrassingly to the Washington Nationals, losing two of three to the A's, a series where, you know, it felt like you had opportunities there just waiting for you. They also took two of three from the Marlins and from the Yankees, and the Yankees felt like a real relief. The Marlins felt like kind of a ho-hum series win, but especially because they had just come off of being swept by the Yanks. But obviously just get back to five hundred. There's no need to sit here and get too deep into, well, we're not chasing the division. You're not chasing the division at all. You know, and and going after what Chris Bassett mentioned, which was interesting because it's like, well, do you mean to tell me that you were just because I know I I seemed to know what year he was talking about, which was twenty-two, I would think, as a member of the Mets, unless he was talking about his days with the Oakland Athletics, where you know they would chase down the Houston Astros maybe for the division. But in my mind, it's like, well, aren't you just going out there to try and win games just to get into the postseason? And if you're talking about the Mets, where they won 101 games, but they faltered late in their final month of the year, and then ended up being a wild card team as I believe the the fifth seed that year. It was either the fifth seed or the fourth, I think they were the fourth seed, they went up against the Padres and lost two of three to the Padres. And it's very interesting to hear him say that now because it's like, wow, you know, did that how much of an effect did that really have on the team heading into the postseason? So that was an interesting take, but I'd like to think you'd like to think that's not how clubhouses are, because it's put out there that, okay, you know, you lose a bad series. Well, you know, it's the next day. These guys are professionals, they don't care, you know, they'll move on. Now, when you hear that, it's like, well, are they? Especially when it comes to that, you know, you talk about that Mets team. That Mets team wasn't as young as this Orioles team. Now, there were some young players, but that was a more veteran-led group that Pete Alonzo was on. Obviously, Francisco Lindor was there. You know, guys like Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil as well, Starling Marte. So it's like, well, if that's what was going on in the Mets Clubhouse, what's been going on in the O's Clubhouse? Are they coming to the same coming to the ballpark every day with the same attitude? And all of that kind of jazz. So obviously to have a veteran player who can maybe recognize that and help guide the team is important, and I think Bassett has been doing some good things for the pitching staff. Uh I would say there's one starting pitcher, though, and we'll get to him in a moment, that he really needs to help guide at this given time. Now, game two, after the 7-4 win, game two was rained out on Saturday, obviously. So then it set up a split doubleheader with the Detroit Tigers on Sunday. Game one was a brilliant pitching performance by Brandon Young. In my opinion, Brandon Young has been a nice surprise. Because obviously, he still hasn't been terrific for the season. Like, you know, as a whole, but he's been pitching really well recently. And I mean his overall ERA is at a 3-4-7. Um, so he has been he has been pitching good. I thought it was a little bit higher, as a matter of fact. But he goes six and two-thirds yesterday, gives up no earned runs, two runs to cross on um, you know, some poor play by the Orioles defense. Gotta clean that up. But fortunately, it got masked because the Orioles won the game. Gunnar Henderson with a solo shot to pull the Orioles to within one in the bottom of the sixth. Unfortunately, Spencer Torquelson gives the Tigers some insurance off Keegan Aiken. Keegan Aiken, boy. It's it's the it's few and far between the success right now and I, in my opinion, the reasoning to keep trotting him out there. I mean someone else has to be able to give some value to this team. But in the bottom of the eighth, Taylor Ward has an RBI single with one out that plates Jeremiah Jackson, and then in the bottom of the ninth, with two on and two out, count oh and two, a Kenley Jansen sinker that catches too much of the plate, and Colton Kowser deposits it into right center. A big swing for Colton, huge momentum boost for Colton Kowser as well, because let's face it, he's been struggling. You know, he hasn't been hitting. He got back to the Mendoza line with that swing. I believe after yesterday, game two, uh, he is now back under the Mendoza line. But that felt like a huge swing for him and a huge swing for this team because you needed it. And yeah, he went 0 for 1 yesterday with a walk in game two of the doubleheader. But here was Craig Albernez after the game talking about the former first-round pick, Kowser.

SPEAKER_05 13:35

Yeah, I mean, for Kowser in particular, it's just awesome to see to see that happen for him. Like, he's been actively working his his butt off to I wouldn't say turn the season around, but to get to get back to being him. And we've been talking about it for a little bit, you know, somebody in Kansas City where you made an adjustment, and you know, that quality was getting better and was cleaning up a little bit, and yeah, and it was awesome to see him, especially coming off the bench to pitch it after JJ's double, being able to have a productive out and move the runner over to get us within one, you know, and then to set up that was was awesome. It was such a great swing, and yeah, the clubhouse is uh excited for Kowser.

SPEAKER_00 14:20

See, the unfortunate part about the struggles for Colton Kowser is the fact that in 2024 there was really no one on this team that you thought, I mean, obviously Gunner Henderson, young player you feel really high about, but there was maybe no one more that you felt like, man, this guy feels like he's so important into this clubhouse because of the person he is, the personality. There was no one more than Colton Kowser. I mean, he took the everyday left fielder job, let's face it, he took it away from Austin Hayes, who was dealt at the trade deadline. A veteran, former all-star of the year prior in 2023, Austin Hayes, and Colton Kowser takes his job. You know, the the cow pasture in left field nicknamed for him, and all the the mood chance and stuff like that for Kowser as well that came with that. And the unfortunate part about it is there was all of that hype and excitement heading into last year and for the future for the runner-up American League Rookie of the Year, and just really in one fail swoop went the opposite way. And it was I mean, I don't have to tell anyone anything you don't already know. It was so unfortunate to see. Because here was a guy that felt like, man, he's busting his hump every single day. He's really working at it, he's a he's a guy in the clubhouse, and to see him struggle like that last year was very unfortunate, and to see him struggle this year has been very unfortunate. But hopefully that swing gets him back to being right, and it helped him, I think, or what will help him, I think, is having the ability to be able to take a deep breath, say, okay, I still have what it takes to be up here, to be an everyday guy. I'm sure he already believes that, but and as you can hear from Craig Albanz, you know, he still feels like it's still there for Kowser. Now the one thing, and granted, his numbers haven't been great, but the one thing is he's gotta be in the lineup. You know, he's gotta be able to be in the lineup to give this team a chance. And I think that's something that maybe as they put together the lineup, they need to be more cognizant of of, hey, you know, a guy that we need to get going here is Colton Kowser. A guy that can really add value to our team is Colton Kowser. Who is now five for his last fourteen and has been uh playing better. Now he's only had ninety-one at bats on the season. And it's just again, I go right back to it. He's played in forty-three games. You've had fifty-three that you've played in as a t as a toll, so you know, is it really, well, he needs to play more, or is it you know, he's gotta really get going here? I think it could be a little bit of both. Um because you're hitting 198, your OPS 574, and we're talking about a guy two years ago had a 768 OPS, 242 average, 24 homers, 69 RBIs, and at various times was really leading this offense as a rookie. So hopefully this can really kick him in gear. Someone who has really kicked it into high gear and has been one of the most respectable starting pitchers on the staff is Brandon Young. And here was Craig Albernaz after the game, talking about Young after winning the first of the double header.

SPEAKER_05 17:50

Brandon Young was outstanding. Um the way he attacked the zone, fastball had great life. Split was was really impressive tonight. Uh today. A little bit of a grip change, um, which was a couple of them early in the game were coming up, tagging as sliders. It was like a but it was the split. It was acting like a left-handed slider, so it was awesome. Killed some VLO, added some depth to it, and like I said, he was pounding the strike zone. It was awesome.

SPEAKER_00 18:20

Fingers crossed this keeps up because the we've talked about it. The Orioles obviously have struggled mightily to develop young pitchers. And here's Brandon Young right now, who's 3-1 with a 347 ERA. We know from the almost no-hit bid he had last year in Houston, he's got the abilities, got the stuff. Now, no-witters sometimes can be fleeting, you know, in terms of using that as a measuring point. But what hasn't been fleeting so far has been the guy's month of month of May. He's gone 21 in two thirds innings, an ERA of 29-1. For strikeouts, his total is 17. And this isn't pitching against any slouches either. He's faced some decent, I mean, he faced the Marlins, the Yankees, the Nationals, and the Tigers. The one team that he really struggled against was the Nationals, pitched pretty well against the Yankees. Unfortunately, he's had some no decisions. You know, he got the win in Miami, but I think the results right now everyone has to be feeling pretty good about, and hopefully it can it can keep getting better. And the thing is, he's not a big strikeout guy. So I think for him to be able to just pitch as well as he has been, manipulate lineups, has been really good too. Now, game three, as I talk about Chris Bassett needing to use, I think, some veteran leadership here, that needs to happen with Trevor Rogers. It didn't start off well for Rogers, giving up a one-out home run in the top of the first, but he settled in pretty well. You know, he would give up two more runs later on a Kevin McConagal two-run single. But aside from that, he at least gave you a chance. And, you know, the pitch to McGonagall, Lowen in, kind of one that, you know, dare I say, you just kinda tip your cap on. I mean, uh 87 or 88 mile per hour changeup, lefty on lefty. It's a bummer, obviously, but you know, it was a pretty good pitch by Trevor Rogers. Again, you just kinda tip your cap in that situation. Um it's unfortunate. I mean, McGonagall seemed to be kind of on the changeup, come to think of it. You know, he seemed ready to hit. And again, you know, that could be back to the tipping the pitches, stuff like that. Is that something that he's doing? But aside from that, he he did fairly well. O's offense, though, not so much against Melton. Goes five and two thirds innings, gives up two hits, uh, earned run, walks three, strikes out three, O's 0 for five with runners in scoring position, leaving seven on base. Would have loved that sweep. Would have loved to gotten to twenty-four and twenty-nine and you know, been able to be two games back of the final wild card spot with the Minnesota Twins, but didn't happen. And let's see what the Orioles do against Tampa Bay now. So what's to come against Tampa Bay? Well, game one here in a moment. You're gonna see Kyle Braddish take the mound for the O's. He's two and six with a four-one three ERA. He did go five and a third last week at the drop, giving up two runs on four hits with six strikeouts. His stuff has been better. He's been able to give you more length, and hopefully that is going to be the same today because Shane McClanahan is what's staring at you on the other side. Five and two with the two way two ERA now. He didn't pitch really well against the O's, of course. He didn't have to. His all offense just you know it was the sixteen to six win um in the game that he started where Trevor Rogers really did not have it. McLanahan in that game went five innings, gave up four runs on six hits. So we'll see if the the O's offense can build off of that, but also we'll see if McLanahan has made the changes uh that were needed to be made after that start. Game two, Shane Bass takes the mound, of course the former Tampa Bay Ray, one and five with a four eight seven ERA has looked good in his last couple starts and in his last against Tampa Bay gave up a run in six innings, allowing two hits, three walks and six strikeouts. Griffin Jax will oppose him. One and two with a three five four ER ERA gave up a run in five innings on three hits with a walk and six punch outs against the O's. Game three you'll see Chris Bassett four and three with a five five one ERA. He's 0-5 with a 5-7-6 ERA versus the race since 2024 and Stephen Matts takes him out 4-1 with a 3-70 ERA gave up a run on three hits and four innings allowing two walks and five strikeouts in his last start against the Orioles obviously this is a matchup that favors Tampa Bay. But I'd like to see the Orioles come out here with a little gusto against Tampa. Now obviously you want to win series. That's hugely important. And they need to take two of three. This is a Rays team that's due for a series loss. They're 34 and 16. This is an O's team that's also due for you know experiencing uh some some joy out of a series. I mean they're they're due for a series I mean they did just win a series, but they're due for stringing together series wins, just as the Tampa Bay Rays are also due for uh experien experiencing some some unfortunate times. Let's let's put it that way. The the Rays haven't lost a series since April 20th through twenty second where they lost two or three against Cincinnati coming off actually losing two or three from the Pirates in the series prior. So let's see what the Orioles can do and hopefully it's gonna have everyone here in the middle of this week feeling pretty good or better about things as the Orioles no doubt this has been a homestand that so far they've been able to be strong to the task. Now granted the Detroit Tigers are not the Tampa Bay Rays, we know this but I think we've seen the Orioles do some good things because before that walk-off homer by Colton Kowser there was that double steal that set that up that well that didn't set it up it didn't really in the grand scheme of things matter because he ended up hitting the go-ahead three run blast trailing a run but it was still good to see them you know do that and I thought their at-bats were a lot more patient they were able to wear out the opposing starting pitcher let's see if they can do that here against a couple really toughies in the Tampa Bay Rays.

SPEAKER_04 24:56

But thanks everyone for tuning in and we'll talk to you next time something magic happens every time you go you make the magic happen the magic of all real when the game is close and the oak there's a thundering roar from 34 to give it all they got