The Orioles are now 7-12 Hank Aaron Jersey , which isn’t great. It’s still better than last year’s 7-20."Hello, friends.If there’s one thing that can be said about the current Orioles series against the Rays, it’s that this is probably about what was expected from the 2019 O’s. They’re not as good as a good team, and it shows in these games. It’s not awful. They’re not embarrassing defeats that make me want to wring my hands and think the Orioles will never play good baseball again. They’re just not playing good baseball right now.After last night’s 8-1 loss, the Orioles are 7-12. It’s not a good record. It’s still better than last year, when they were 7-20 at one point in time. Things never got better from that. The 2019 squad gives me some hope that they may actually win ten or more games in a calendar month, which the 2018 team never did. It’s one of the many absurd yet true things about those moribund losers.Check out Stacey Folkemer’s recap of the loss if you didn’t see it for yourself. I’ll give you a preview: Homers, homers, homers. And it wasn’t the Orioles hitting them. The O’s have now allowed a positively ridiculous 44 home runs through their first 19 games. The weather isn’t even warm yet! Who knows what will happen in July and August?The last two losses leave the Orioles 7.5 games back of the first place Rays. That doesn’t matter so much since it’s not like the O’s were ever competing for the division this year. What’s interesting is that they’re tied for third, with the Blue Jays, and still a game ahead of the last place Red Sox. Across all of MLB, there are five teams who have a worse record than the O’s. They may not run away with the 2020 #1 pick after all.Mike Mussina was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame 86 days ago. The Orioles have not announced any plans to retire his jersey or erect his statue at Camden Yards.Around the blogO’sphereBrandon Hyde: A day in the life of a big league manager (Fangraphs)This is a great read. Brandon Hyde’s life seems to involve a bit less of Siberian prisons, so his day’s got that going for him over Ivan Denisovich.The Orioles are better than last year, and Hyde thinks they can be even better (Baltimore Baseball)The last couple of games against the Rays have put a dent somewhat in my belief that this year’s Orioles are better than last year’s Orioles, but still, I think it’s been true so far.Orioles option Austin Wynns to Triple-A Norfolk (School of Roch)The good news for Austin Wynns is that he’s healthy now. The bad news for him is that’s not good enough to get him back to Baltimore.Former Oriole Hyun Soo Kim’s ties to Baltimore evident in Korean Under Armour commercial (Baltimore Sun)Na na nanana!Birthdays and anniversariesThere are a pair of former Orioles with birthdays today. They are: 1987-88 reserve Pete Stanicek, and 1986 reliever Rich Bordi. If you remember either of these fellows http://www.bravesfanproshop.com/authentic-nick-markakis-jersey , give yourself a cookie.Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Your birthday buddies for today include: lawyer Clarence Darrow (1857), actor Rick Moranis (1953), funny man Conan O’Brien (1963), actor David Tennant (1971), and actress Melissa Joan Hart (1976).On this day in history...In 1775, Paul Revere went on his midnight ride to warn of the British march from Boston to Concord, a march that would, the next day, lead to the first battles of the Revolutionary War.In 1847, during the Mexican-American War, the Americans were victorious in the Battle of Cerro Gordo, which opened the way for an invasion of the rest of Mexico. The Mexican general, Santa Anna, had to flee the field without his artificial leg. You can find the leg todayat a museum in Springfield, Illinois.In 1942, during World War II, 16 American bombers launched from the USS Hornet to attack mainland Japan Julio Teheran Jersey , including Tokyo. The last survivor of the 80 Doolittle’s Raiders, Doolittle’s co-pilot Lt. Col. Richard Cole, passed away on April 9 of this year at the age of 103.In 1983, the American embassy to Lebanon was destroyed by a suicide bomber. There were 63 people killed, including 17 Americans.**And that’s the way it is in Birdland on April 18 - or at least, until something happens later when the Orioles play the Rays. Have a safe Thursday. Go O’s! Your favorite Astros tune up against one of baseball’s best pitchers, Adam Wainwright. Join the discussion."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Houston Astros NewsGame ThreadsHouston Astros Minor LeaguesAstros Game DayPodcastsSpring Training Game Thread. March 9th, 2019, 12:05 CST. Astros vs. CardinalsNew,203commentsYour favorite Astros tune up against one of baseball’s best pitchers, Adam Wainwright. Join the discussion.CSTShareTweetShareShareSpring Training Game Thread. March 9th, 2019, 12:05 CST. Astros vs. CardinalsBrian Fluharty-USA TODAY SportsYesterday these Cardinals took the Astros 6-3.But there were encouraging signs, as Gerrit Cole kept his pre-season scoreless streak alive, Chris Devenski, after a terrible first game, had his second straight successful Spring Training outing http://www.bravesfanproshop.com/authentic-nick-markakis-jersey , and Forrest Whitley struck out 6 in three innings. He did give up his second home run of the Spring, this time to Matt Carpenter, but he made slugger Paul Goldschmidt look silly, striking him out twice.On the down side, Will Harris, recovering from a post season injury, continued his Spring woes, giving up 3 earned runs while getting only one out.Today Collin McHugh starts, with some anticipation, because he is the ostensiblethird pitcher in the revamped Astros rotation, and because he missed his last scheduled start due to back discomfort.With McHugh starting, as well as most of the front line position players, today’s Astros lineup looks like one you could see on any typical day in the regular season. See below.One interesting wrinkle. New utility man Aledmys Diaz gets a start in left field, a position he has rarely played but one often occupied by the man he replaced, Marwin Gonzalez.Radio: KBME 790 AMTV: MLBN (out of market only) I think you can see this one on a Cardinals feed if you are subscribed to MLB TV.