Good morning, Birdland fans!
Team USA's manager, Mark DeRosa, is feeling the heat after a surprising 8-6 loss to Italy in their final pool play game. Italy now leads Pool B with a 3-0 record, while the USA sits second at 3-1.
Mexico is right behind at 2-1. Tonight, Italy and Mexico face off at 7 p.m.
ET, with a spot in the knockout rounds hanging in the balance. For Team USA to advance, they'll need some help.
The top two teams from each pool move forward. If Italy triumphs over Mexico, both Italy and the USA will advance, with Italy as the pool winners.
But if Mexico wins, it comes down to a tiebreaker based on runs allowed divided by outs recorded. So, Team USA will be cheering for an Italy win or a high-scoring game where Mexico scores at least five runs.
DeRosa's under scrutiny because he seemed to treat the Italy game as a chance to rest players. On MLB Network, he mentioned, “We want to win this game even though our ticket’s punched to the quarterfinals.”
Clearly, that wasn’t the case. It seems the team thought their win over Mexico had secured their spot, leading to a premature celebration and underestimating Italy.
Turning to the Orioles, they fell 7-6 to the Astros, but Coby Mayo shined. The third baseman went 4-for-4 with a homer and five RBIs.
He's set to be the Opening Day third baseman, and it’s well-deserved. The pitching wasn’t stellar, but none of the pitchers used are expected to start the 2026 season in the majors, so no need to worry.
The O’s will host the Pirates today, with the first pitch at 1 p.m. ET.
In other news:
- Chris Davis, alongside Storm Davis and Jim Russo, will be inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame this summer. It's a nostalgic moment for many fans.
- Keep an eye on Anthony Nunez, a promising prospect expected to bolster the Orioles bullpen this summer.
- New manager Craig Albernaz is excited about the flexibility in daily lineups, thanks to versatile players like Beavers.
- Orioles 1st base coach Jason Bourgeois is eager to connect with players, drawing from his own experiences on the field.
Birthday shoutouts:
- Frank Mata turns 42 today. He pitched in 15 games for the 2010 Orioles.
- Rich Hill, a seasoned southpaw who played for 14 teams, including the O’s in 2009, is 46.
- Steve Reed, a former MLB reliever who ended his career with the Orioles in 2005, turns 61.
- Phil Bradley, who played for the Orioles in 1989-90, celebrates his 67th birthday today. He was traded to the White Sox in 1990 for Ron Kittle.
Happy birthday to all!