The Orioles were a doormat for the Yankees franchise for a long, long time. No more. Luke Jones and Nestor recap an Orioles madness weekend beating the Yankees at Camden Yards and bringing fans downtown for first place baseball.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
orioles, yankees, teams, wells, talking, game, ravens, month, signs, tyler, thursday, series, yankee fans, rain delay, innings, weekend, sunday night, trade deadline, pitching, night
SPEAKERS
Luke Jones, Nestor Aparicio
Nestor Aparicio 00:00
What about w n s t, Towson, Baltimore and Baltimore positive happy 25th anniversary to you to us to everybody out there that’s been listening. We will be celebrating on Thursday as part of our Maryland crab cake tour and Friday. So nice. We had to do it twice. We’ll be at the concert from 1104. On Thursday, I have all sorts of stuff crap, old stuff. I put pictures up on social media. Check it out. Come on out. Have a crab cake. Say hello. I’m gonna try to grab some peach cake. It’s 11 to four constants. Then on Friday, we’ll be at a drug city from 11 to four as well. I’m not going to have all the stuff with me at drug city. If you don’t get it Thursday, it’s going to go to Goodwill. Or there’ll be goodwill involved. The Orioles provided no Goodwill for the New York Yankees over the weekend. Look Jones joins us now to talk about let’s see trading deadline first place beating up the Yankees national TV Rosenthal’s in here kissing their ass Saturday buster only had to come in on Sunday night. Only thing missing is schmuck on a national television broadcast Luke It was it was quite a homecoming weekend, despite the fact that let’s be honest, the Yankees fans took up 4050 60% of the seats. I mean, there were a lot of Yankee fans here. There were
Luke Jones 01:10
I mean, I don’t know if I’d go as high as 60 person now Saturday, it felt like a little bit more Friday and Sunday night. Not as many
Nestor Aparicio 01:18
the rain Chase local people away if you know, he drove in from Arlington to see the Yankees. You’ll sit in the rain, you’ll hear
Luke Jones 01:24
and we’ve talked about this in recent years. I mean, I think even in recent years, I mean, Yankees and Red Sox weren’t drawing at Camden Yards. I think even Yankee fans were looking at it and saying you know what? Been there? You know, they’re probably saying we’re not as good this year. And we’re not happy with our own team. But
Nestor Aparicio 01:40
let’s go back to Camden Yards route on the Yankees. But the Orioles were way better. So I think there was some of that going on. There was five in a way that there has matured. You’re there every night. You’ve been there for 30 to three. You’ve been there 717 years since they throw me out. Now. I don’t know that I’ve been there 17 times in 17 years. You’ve been there for everything. This weekend look different to me. Even after the rain delay when it started at 10 o’clock at night. It felt like football energy it felt like who’s your daddy Pedro Martinez energy.
Luke Jones 02:08
It really was and I think Friday night was what was most impressive to me even though it was the smallest crowd even as in terms of announced attendance, you know, ahead of time it was what 34,500 But two and a half hour rain delay on Friday. Very few people left and I get it it’s a Friday night it’s it’s summer so my parents a little a little more lacs with their kids and all that but it’s an electric atmosphere. I mean, Saturday, obviously not as much for the Orioles to cheer about Yankee fans were very much heard in that game. When when the Yankees win eight to three. But you know, Sunday night up, I was a little more of a late arriving crowd. You know, at first when I saw it at first pitch, I said Oh, I thought there’d be more people. But it filled in pretty nicely and ended up being 37,000. And was nice to see people on the left field upper deck. As you and I have talked about that talking point.
Nestor Aparicio 02:58
Free the bird seats I have to follow. I went through all the archives Dude, I got some archival stuff you’re coming in the next six months, it’s gonna be a lot of fun for folks, stuff that folks don’t remember seeing or never saw at all. So that’s part of the anniversary magic around here.
Luke Jones 03:11
Yeah. And it’s exciting because you’re talking about basically two teams over the last 2530 You know, even going back 40 years that you know that the Orioles are kind of trying to approach here 2014 And they did win 96 games that year. They really finished strong that year. And 97 Of course the wire to wire team. So you take two out of three from the Yankees and I get it. These aren’t your typical Yankees the last place Yankees.
Nestor Aparicio 03:41
They don’t feel last place when Aaron judges and coaching it into orbit and STAT and then you look and you’re like, oh, judge and Stanton together they make more than like the Orioles by a lot the whole team.
Luke Jones 03:54
They do but the Yankees would love to get rid of Giancarlo Stanton at this point in time when you look at the contract. He has error a judge that’s a different matter. And I think Oreos and bread and Hyde even though if they wouldn’t say it, they’re probably glad that judge was out of the lineup on Sunday night. But look, you take two out of three from anyone in the Al East. And when you consider where the standings kind of fall right now. We’ve talked so much about Tampa Bay, this is gonna be a huge four game set that they’re in Toronto for and the Blue Jays gonna look at what their record is, since the beginning of June. It’s almost identical to the Orioles. So now they’re hanging in there. And this could be a very pivotal series for them. But you take two out of three from the Yankees. I mean, vibes are not good in the Bronx right now. And we’ll see what happens in the final hours leading up to the trade deadline for them and the Yankees are never sellers. But are they going to make any moves that are going to move the meat the needle? You know, I don’t know. You know, they need a lot I mean that line up, especially without Aaron judge, not very impressive. I mean, Let’s call a spade a spade that’s been talked about a lot over the last couple of months with Judge having been out so the Orioles do what you what you need to do at home and when two out of three and so electric atmosphere on Friday night after the rain delay Saturday was the the biggest crowd. But certainly you know what with what developed with Tyler wells and him having been sent down to double A buoy, but you know, we’ll get into that. But Sunday Night Baseball first time in five years, seven run first inning. I mean, you can’t ask for much better than that would have been nice to see Dean Kramer go deeper into the game. So they did have to use the bullpen a little more than you would have liked but a nine to three when the cap off a really fun weekend. And to bounce back a little bit after let’s face it, the heels of a disappointing Phillies series loss last week was good to see. And we’ll continue to talk about the trade deadline and what the Orioles are, what they aren’t, what they need, what they don’t need. But they continue to roll and they continue to be in first place in the Al East. And that’s just very, very impressive. Even for the most optimistic of Orioles fans, you couldn’t have anticipated that as they’re entering the month of August.
Nestor Aparicio 06:07
Well, the Santander walk off and then you know, they’re not going to win four out of three in every series. They’re just not I mean, the Philly series you’re talking about the disappointment, whatever you’re competing with, you know, in the other league on the road against the World Series team. You dropped you dropped one. You know what I mean? Like as far as I see it, I don’t expect them to just steamroll good teams. And in the Yankees are still a good team. They’re not. They’re not a great team. They’re not what they were. But these are good teams. These are teams that two out of three, as meatloaf once said ain’t so bad. I guess the real story here is trying to figure out where your pitching is, let alone Verlander or Scherzer getting down or Otani not getting dealt or whether you’re gonna have to give up Jordan Westberg, who walks off does the walk of shame. And Sunday night everybody thinks he’s gonna get dealt before midnight. I would say for them to Tyler wells thing that is, I mean, if Rodriguez is up, that’s great. And he’s doing great, that’s great means it’s gonna that’s great. But you can’t lose one of the guys you had. Right? So that’s very disappointing and very problematic at this particular point where they’re gonna need some starting pitching the next few weeks.
Luke Jones 07:23
Yeah, and that’s and you look at it, it’s not just Tyler wells. I mean, he’s the obvious one, because you just look at since the all star break, and Brandon had even said, going back to his final start in Minnesota where, you know, the results were okay. But the stuff wasn’t quite as electric wasn’t missing as many bats. And we’ve really seen it in his three starts since the all star break. I mean, just not right. I mean, absolutely not even close to being right a Lebanon runs allowed, what 11 or nine walks in nine innings. I mean, this is a guy who went at least five innings and every single appearance he had in the first half. I mean, Tyler wells, other than Bradish had been their best starter in the first half of the season. So it is a little alarming. And you look at it, and in terms of he still has the second best era still has the second best wins above replacement of the guys in their starting rotation. But I think it was very clear looking at the eyeball test that you needed to take a take take a step back with him. And that’s what they’re going to do. You know, he’s sent to double A buoy. And it’s not that they’re embarrassing him or sending a message or anything like that. They want him close by, you know, and he’s gonna get a little bit of arrest. They’re going to I don’t know, if the term is D load, you know, in terms of his workload, they kind of take a step back. I think it’s very plausible even though the Orioles aren’t saying that now that depending on what happens with the trade deadline, and we’ll get into that in another conversation, but he could wind up in the bullpen. And maybe that’s something that, you know, allows you to fortify the middle of your bullpen or give you another guy that, you know can be an option in the seventh inning. We’ll just have to see how it plays out. But
Nestor Aparicio 09:02
yeah, that’s cool. Urban roll. You’re talking about a different role. Yeah, no, no, no, exactly. Not
Luke Jones 09:07
talking about mop up duty. We’d be talking about a case where maybe he would do what Kevin Gasman did for the Orioles in 2014. And if you recall was a big part of their bullpen in that run so and again,
Nestor Aparicio 09:19
they go 90 pitches into the fifth inning somebody better be there right and ready to pick it up and and give you 40 pitches it gets into the seventh or eighth inning. Right. Yeah.
Luke Jones 09:26
And that’s what’s so tough about this Nestor because I mean, Wells was is the most in your face right now because he had struggled so much the last couple of times out but you look at Kramer, you look at Kyle Bradish, who has been their best starting pitcher. And certainly we’ve talked so much about Grayson amigas I mean, all three of these guys right now we’re on a pace to not just exceed their career high in innings but blow past it. So how do you massage that a little bit? How do you consider that and that’s not to say these innings limits are set in stone they’re not gospel But you do want to consider everything. And in the case of wells, I don’t think it was just the innings. I think it was the fact that, you know, his commanded really been off. I mean, this is a guy who didn’t walk many people over the first half of the season. I mean, his, he had, at one point, the best whip and the American League walks and hits per innings pitched. His only issue in the first half of the season was given up the few too many solo home runs. So for him to struggle the way he did, he says he’s okay. But even in his last start over the weekend against the Yankees on Saturday night, velocity was down a little bit, not dramatically, but down enough where it was noticeable. So they want to pause with him. Take it take the foot off the accelerator a little bit can machine
Nestor Aparicio 10:41
down for a couple of weeks getting back up here middle August, right. Yeah, I think that’s
Luke Jones 10:45
what you’re looking for. You know, I mean, I don’t think this is a case where he’s a maybe or an if he’s not going
Nestor Aparicio 10:50
to be on the playoff roster, right. Like he’s not gonna he’s gonna be a part of that. Well, no, I
Luke Jones 10:55
wouldn’t, I wouldn’t dismiss that possibility. What I’m saying is, you know, depending on what happens with the trade deadline, depending on what happens with their other starters, again, we’re talking about a few different young guys here. I mean, it might be the Tyler wells gets two weeks of rest slash lighter work in the minors, and then he’s back and maybe, I don’t know, they might have to do the same thing with Kyle Bradish, or Dean Kramer, who wasn’t great on Sunday night. I mean, you know, there’s still two months, two months to go. That’s what
Nestor Aparicio 11:21
I did the fan base, we’re playing playoff games already to Elias, it’s, we’re not good enough. And then that would speak to the trading deadline and him and Angelo saw on TV Sunday night burning up the phones and all that, that. I don’t think we look at them and think they’re good enough right now. Right? Like, despite beating the Yankees, whatever happened against Philadelphia last week, and all their hiccups against the twins last month and losing for a couple of days. I think we look at it and say they get us help. They’re gonna need to be better than this in October and more consistent over a month in order to win a World Series.
Luke Jones 11:57
Yeah, yeah. And the thing I’ll say about that, to not make it sound so doom and gloom, I think a lot of teams are saying that right now, I don’t think there are too many teams in baseball. I mean, the Royals still have the best record in the AHL. So if we’re talking about
Nestor Aparicio 12:09
race feel good about themselves. And those pajamas they were wearing over the weekend. I saw.
Luke Jones 12:14
Yeah, they do until you get into a short series in the divisional round. And you never know. Right? I mean, the the Dodgers are the perfect case study of for this over the last seven or eight years. I mean, how many times they’ve looked invincible in the regular season, and then you get to October and you don’t know. So
Nestor Aparicio 12:28
115 wins doesn’t mean anything in game one. If you get,
Luke Jones 12:33
especially if you lose in the divisional round, you know if you’re bounced really early, so
Nestor Aparicio 12:37
you also have to sit around if you get the buy. I went back and did the math on this last year, because between I was watching the Padres and the Phillies last year and Padre is beating up on the Dodgers. I mean, I have vague memories of all of that. But I mean, there’s four games a day for a month, right? Like you sit there. And you go back, you’re thinking, oh, yeah, the Cardinals and the Dodgers had to go home and pound sand. So to the agony that the teams that waited last year, it was a mixed bag that if you win 100 405 games and the Orioles skyrocket, they’re the one seed or the two seed, they’re gonna get four or five or six days off before they play. And that’s weird. I don’t know how to even I don’t say we don’t want to be that team. You know, you don’t want to have to play another series. You don’t have to play a short series for it. But I have looked at that that week of October and I’m like, There’s couple of days there. I better keep them open because I’m trying to get scheduling together and saying, you know, where am I going to be? What’s going on? Who the Ravens playing what’s good. And if the Orioles were to get four or five days off? I don’t we’d sit here be like, oh boy, you know, how is this gonna go because it’s gonna get tight in October. And you’re gonna want Verlander, you’re gonna want something that’s not Dean Kramer or Tyler wells going, you’re gonna want a dude. And I don’t know if Kyle Gibson’s the dude, although he did did a really nice job of retelling the you weren’t watching the TV bronchus. They told the bond story as to the bond never existed, as though this was a garden hose from the very beginning. And this was an idea that was born of being in the backyard with mom and the hose. Fictional. But I would say that if Kyle Gibson’s your game, one starter, I mean, it’s you feel okay about that. But you feel okay about that for three, four series going into October.
Luke Jones 14:23
Yeah. And I mean, look, it’s still to be determined. I mean, right now, Kyle, Brad’s kind of practice has been the best starter. So But where’s he going to be innings wise? Where is he going to be rest wise? How’s he going to feel stuff wise? And again, there are two months to go on the regular season and I don’t say this to say that the Orioles are in trouble. It’s just you’re trying to project this out. So
Nestor Aparicio 14:45
race. Yeah, it is the Belmont. They’re on the back stretch here. You know, it’s a long long stretch run in September when you need pitching.
Luke Jones 14:55
And they’re leading. So you know, we’re gonna see how this plays out here over the next couple of days with the trade deadline and see what other teams are doing. I mean, the Texas Rangers right now trying to load up, it’s very evident what they’re trying to do. But also keep in mind some of the injuries they’ve had, you know, they signed Jacob deGrom, in the offseason, and he had Tommy John surgery. So you kind of think about where they were expecting to be and where they are, you know, all these teams are looking at this. And that’s we’re
Nestor Aparicio 15:20
still paying Chris Davis, I want to point that out. Thank you Rangers for sending him here.
Luke Jones 15:24
Not the only guy they’re paying right now. But look, I mean, it’s been a wonderful season. It was a great weekend, take two out of three from the Yankees, as you said, you don’t never take that for granted. You can expect to sweep every series. And it really does speak to how far the Orioles have come when, as you pointed out, you lose a series that affiliates. And it felt disappointing because they had a chance to take at least two out of three in that series, if not all three. So it just comes down to what deals are presented to you. I still think we’re at a place until we really know what this looks like with Mike Elias, as a buyer with this organization and specifically ownership, their willingness to add payroll or not add payroll. And I’m not talking just the deadline. I’m talking this offseason, I’m talking next trade deadline over the offseason after that, you know, these are still to be determined they’ve done a fantastic job getting to this point. But now what can you do to get yourself over the hump. And that’s not to say that this present season is going to be their best chance. At the same time, it is a chance it is an opportunity when you talk about a team that enters the Toronto series, what 23 games over 500 with the best record in the AFL. So how do you balance that with wanting to maintain the long term health of your farm system? So you’re still in great position next year, the year after that five years from now. So you’re weighing all those things. And I don’t say that to be wishy washy. Every team is weighing those decisions. My goodness, we spent so much time talking about the the angels and Otani and the possibility of him selling they became buyers, whether it’s wiser not they’ve changed the padres, you know, who knows, I mean, all these teams are trying to make these decisions. The Orioles are at the beginning of what you hope is a nice long window of having an opportunity to not just make the playoffs but in advance have a chance to get to a World Series at some point in time. But you do look at where they are right now. And I’ve even seen some of my friends speak about this on various social media channels, where you do look at the the state of the starting pitching right now. And you know, even if they bring it aside, even if they bring in two starters, you’re still gonna have some questions about these young guys who space it. You know, in the case of a Kyle Bradish in the case of Tyler wells up until the last couple of weeks, they’ve been a big reason why they are where they are right now, this clubs. So at the same time, you have to look at reality and say, All right, these guys haven’t pitched this deep into a season as a starter that entire time. You know, how do you balance that? How do you want to keep them healthy? How do you want to keep them effective for the club and get them to a point where they’re pitching in October? So that’s not an easy thing. And I’m not saying that you just shut them down either. Let’s be very clear about that. But these are all all the factors that Mike Elias and this front office is trying and Brandon Hyde and the coaching staff, they’re trying to weigh that and try to figure out what are we going to do to have these guys in position where we’re presumably in the tournament where presumably in the playoffs? You know, barring a major collapse or anything like that. So what can you do to give yourself the best chance to win? In the case of Tyler wells, the Orioles thought we need to take our foot off the gas with this guy and see if a couple weeks of rest and some low stress environment uh, pitching a little bit at buoy just to stay sharp, and then see where you are with your rotation. See where you are with the bullpen and a couple of weeks and the expectation is Tyler wells will factor in and you hope he’s going to factor in in some important way. You just don’t know exactly what that role is going to be.
Nestor Aparicio 19:12
Look Joe just here. He will be there at the Ravens camp all week the Orioles in Toronto and they get back home against the metsys metsys all weekend long. You can find them at Baltimore, Luke, you could find me on Thursday at Costas we’re celebrating 25 years. Yes Thursday is our 25th anniversary and I’ll start on August 3 back in 1998 I have all the evidence I’ll be bringing you with me get nasty shirts free the bird shirt stuff that I have swag laying around old defense signs and wacko Flacco signs and Ray Lewis signs if I spank the Yank signs, we have clobber Cleveland signs. We have stumped them st signs we have bagged the Jags signs are all available on Thursday, overcast, it’s all brought to you by our friends at weathernation 866 90 nation entering a new month there’ll be a new deal. Make sure you know about that. Also, our friends at the Maryland lottery will have some fresh Rachel’s to give away on Thursday Costas and again on Friday drug city, so nice. We had to do it twice. 25 years of celebration if you hear some old school conversations on the air here this week, doesn’t mean we don’t love the Orioles. We’re not paying attention to the Ravens practicing practice in early August. But we are going to be sharing some great great memories around your as well. And Luke, I’m gonna break the news to you at some point here this week. 25 memories 25 greatest memories in the history of wn st Hmm. The night we took Dion in the party hill station. The night Trent Dilfer came out and cried on our air before winning the Superbowl. We had so many things here so many road trips there was Pittsburgh in Indianapolis and Foxborough and Foxborough again in Foxborough again, so there’s all those things that we do. We’ll be having the pictures and the videos and telling those stories. It’s all brought to you by our friends at the Maryland lottery in conjunction with window nation and let her ask and I’ve got his crab mallet around here. I am going to put that to work on some crabs on Thursday night at cost so come on out and and enjoy. Enjoy first place with the Orioles. Enjoy a season of hope with the Ravens. We are wn st am 1570 Towson Baltimore celebrating 25 years. We never stop talking Baltimore positive
