BALTIMORE ORIOLES GAME NOTES ED SMITH STADIUM • 2700 12th STREET • SARASOTA, FL 34237 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 2021 • JETBLUE PARK • FORT MYERS, FL BALTIMORE ORIOLES (8-13-1) at BOSTON RED SOX (12-8-1) • 6:05 PM ET RADIO: 105.7 The Fan TONIGHT’S GAME DOMINICAN ACADEMY: The Orioles announced on March 23 their plans to develop a new, state- The Orioles take on the Red Sox for the of-the-art training academy in Guerra, Dominican Republic…The 22.5-acre complex will be home second and final time this spring, and first to the Orioles’ Dominican player development operations, which will include three full fields, a at JetBlue Park…The O’s defeated the Red sports turfed agility field, batting and pitching tunnels, administrative buildings, dormitories, and Sox 6-3 in the first matchup on 3/4 at Ed educational facilities…Once complete, the complex will house over 100 players, coaches, and Smith Stadium…The two teams will also staff, providing dormitory style rooms and entertainment spaces…It will include three classrooms meet in eight days to open up the 2021 and a computer lab, which will provide on-site learning and an education plan for each player…The regular season at Fenway Park…The complex will also be home to a dining room that will offer daily nutritious meals…The complex – a Opening Day matchup is scheduled to be 20-minute drive from Las Américas International Airport – is near several other Major League set between LHP John Means and LHP Baseball academies, allowing for a competitive schedule to be developed. Eduardo Rodriguez…RHP Dean Kremer makes his fifth spring start tonight…Kremer YESTERDAY’S RECAP: The Orioles and Rays played their second of three games this spring pitched in the first matchup as well, allowing with the O’s taking this matchup by a score of 4-3…The two teams will meet for a final time on the three runs on three hits…RHP Nathan Eovaldi will take the mound for Boston. last day of Spring Training on Monday, March 29…RHP César Valdez made his first start of the spring (third appearance), working 3.0 innings, allowing one run on three hits with three TONIGHT’S PITCHERS strikeouts…The Orioles scored all four of their runs in the third inning, all via two, two-run home ORIOLES: RHP Dean Kremer, RHP Eric runs by INF/OF Trey Mancini and INF Maikel Franco…For Mancini it was his second homer of Hanhold, LHP Zac Lowther, RHP Konner the spring, and second in his last four games…For Franco, it was his first big fly in an O’s uniform. Wade, RHP Marcos Diplán, RHP Evan Phillips, RHP Cody Carroll, RHP Mickey THIS AND THAT: The Orioles have played in 22 Grapefruit League games this spring…OF Cedric Jannis Mullins lead the O’s with 43 at-bats and 45 plate appearances…OF Austin Hays leads the O’s with 15 hits and is batting .375 (15-for-40) in 14 games played this spring…INF/OF Ryan RED SOX: RHP Nathan Eovaldi, RHP Mountcastle leads the O’s with three home runs, five doubles, and 10 RBI this spring, he’s batting Hirokazu Sawamura, RHP Adam Ottavino, .256 (10-for-39) with eight of his 10 hits going for extra-bases; he’s hit safely in five of his last six LHP Josh Taylor games, with three multi-hit games during this stretch…INF/OF Trey Mancini is one of four Orioles TOMORROW’S PITCHERS with double digit hits this spring, his 13 hits are second-most on the club, and he is batting .342 (13-for-38) in 13 games…OF Anthony Santander (39 PA) leads the O’s with 10 walks this ORIOLES: LHP Keegan Akin spring…On the pitching side, LHP John Means has made an Orioles-high five starts and worked PIRATES: RHP Sean Poppen a team-high 15.1 innings this spring…RHP Jorge López has struck out an O’s-best 14 batters. TOMORROW’S SCHEDULE JOHN MEANS BUSINESS: LHP John Means was named the Orioles Opening Day starter by The Orioles and Pirates will face each other Manager Brandon Hyde last Friday…Means will be looking to make his first career Opening Day for the seventh of eight times this spring, start; he was scheduled to make the Opening Day start in 2020, but was placed on the Injured List and the third time at Ed Smith Stadium…It with left shoulder fatigue prior to the season starting…Means has made six career starts (seven will be the final night game of the spring at appearances) against the Red Sox, and has gone 3-2 with a 4.46 ERA (17 ER/34.1 IP) with 21 Ed Smith Stadium with a scheduled first strikeouts in these games…He has pitched in three games at Fenway Park (two starts), including pitch set for 6:05 p.m…LHP Keegan Akin is his Major League debut on September 26, 2018 (3.1 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, HR, 4 K). scheduled to make the start for the O’s…Akin’s last Grapefruit League outing RISING TIDE: MLB.com released their Top 10 Farm System Rankings last week, with the Orioles came on 3/15 vs. PIT. landing at No. 5…C Adley Rutschman leads the way, ranking as the O’s No. 1 prospect and BIRDLAND SOUTH MLB.com’s No. 2 overall prospect…Four other O’s prospects also rank in MLB.com’s Top 100 (RHP Grayson Rodriguez – No. 27, OF Heston Kjerstad – No. 69, LHP DL Hall – No. 70, INF/OF This season marks the 12th for the O’s in th Ryan Mountcastle – No. 77)…18 of the Orioles Top 30 prospects came via the MLB First-Year Sarasota, and the 11 in Ed Smith Player Draft, nine were acquired via a trade, and three were signed as an International Stadium…Called the "Augusta National of signee…The O’s Top 30 list includes six outfielders, six right-handed pitchers, and six left-handed Spring Training," by ESPN, the facility pitchers, all tied for the most by any position, while also including five shortstops, two third features modern amenities, historical architecture, and first-class playing basemen, two second basemen, two catchers, and one first baseman. surfaces. GET TO KNOW MAIKEL: The Orioles announced the signing of INF Maikel Franco (Michael O’s ON THE RADIO Fraun-CO) to a one-year contract for the 2021 season on March 16…Franco, 28, appeared in all Entercom’s 105.7 The Fan (WJZ-FM), the 60 games for the Kansas City Royals during the 2020 season, making 51 starts at third base, eight flagship station of the Orioles Radio starts as the designated hitter, and one start at first base…He batted .278/.321/.457 (62-for-223) Network, will broadcast 12 Spring Training with 16 doubles, eight home runs, 23 runs scored, and 38 RBI…His 16 doubles, 24 extra-base games in 2021. hits, and 38 RBI led the Royals, and his 62 hits were the second-most on the club…Among American League leaders, Franco’s 16 doubles ranked tied for third and his 20 two-out RBI ranked BREAKDOWN vs. OPPONENTS fourth…He recorded 51 hits and 14 doubles while playing third base in 2020, the fifth-most and OPP. HOME ROAD TOTAL third-most respectively by a third baseman in the majors…He posted a .952 fielding percentage in ATL (3) 1-0-0 1-0-0 2-0-0 his 51 games at third base, including turning an American League-high-tying 17 double plays as a BOS (2) 1-0-0 0-0-0 1-0-0 third baseman. DET (2) 0-1-0 0-1-0 0-2-0 MIN (2) 0-1-0 0-1-0 0-2-0 RECENT TRANSACTIONS: On Thursday, March 18, RHP Ashton Goudeau was claimed off NYY (3) 1-1-0 0-0-0 1-1-0 waivers by the San Francisco Giants…On March 16, C Taylor Davis was reassigned to Twin PHI (2) 0-1-0 0-0-1 0-1-1 Lakes Camp and INF Rylan Bannon, OF Yusniel Diaz, RHP Ashton Goudeau, OF Ryan PIT (8) 1-1-0 1-3-0 2-4-0 TB (3) 1-0-0 0-1-0 1-1-0 McKenna, and INF Tyler Nevin were optioned to Triple-A Norfolk…On March 12, RHP Gray TOR (3) 1-0-0 0-2-0 1-2-0 Fenter was returned to the Orioles from the Chicago Cubs after being selected by the Cubs in the TOTAL (28) 6-5-0 2-8-1 8-13-1 2020 Rule 5 Draft…Fenter has been assigned to the Orioles Twin Lakes camp…Also on March 12, RHP Evan Phillips was reassigned to Twin Lakes camp and RHP Mike Baumann, LHP Zac Lowther, RHP Isaac Mattson, and LHP Alexander Wells were optioned to Triple-A Norfolk…On March 7, C Brett Cumberland, RHP Marcos Diplán, INF Mason McCoy, LHP Zach Muckenhirn, and LHP Josh Rogers were reassigned to Twin Lakes camp. HOW THE ROSTER WAS MADE: Here is how the current Orioles 40-man roster was put together (currently have 39 with RHP Hunter Harvey on the 60-day IL)…13 players were originally drafted by the Orioles…nine players were claimed off waivers…10 were acquired via a trade…Four were selected in the Rule 5 Draft…Two signed as Major League free agents, one signed originally as a minor league free agent, and one signed as an International free agent.