Nolan Reimold The Missing Piece For Baltimore Orioles?
By Nate Wardle
Jun 11, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles left fielder David Lough (9), center fielder Adam Jones (10), and right fielder Nolan Reimold (14) celebrate on the field after defeating the Boston Red Sox 6-5 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
The Baltimore Orioles swept the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night by a 6-5 margin. Is it now safe to say the O’s are playing better?
The Orioles got three home runs from Adam Jones, Manny Machado, and the first home run of the year by Nolan Reimold.
Chris Tillman started out retiring nine in a row, struggled badly in the fourth inning, but was picked up by the Birds’ bullpen. The only run allowed by the bullpen was by Chaz Roe, on a solo home run by David Ortiz in the eighth inning.
But, I want to talk about Nolan Reimold. And this won’t be the first time. I spoke about Reimold during Spring Training here.
I also recently talked about some changes the Orioles needed to make to get back on track, and one of those changes was to call up Reimold.
And fellow Reimold fan Randy Buchman wrote about Reimold here.
Both of us felt like Reimold had a lot to offer to the Orioles this season. Sure, it required him to stay healthy. Sure, there was a lot of competition, and Nolan wasn’t on the 40-man roster.
More from Baltimore Orioles
- What other Baltimore Orioles Offseason Storylines will you be interested in seeing?
- Baltimore Orioles to Face Numerous Playoff Contenders Down the Stretch
- Baltimore Orioles Showing Encouraging Signs During Recent Wins
- The Baltimore Orioles and the Expanded September Roster
- Orioles Josh Rogers Expectations in his Major League Debut
Well, Reimold has stayed healthy, and was hitting well at Norfolk, causing the Orioles to promote him to the big leagues.
Since being promoted, the Orioles are 3-0. Coincidence? Yes. It also happens to coincide with the return of Matt Wieters, a huge help for the team.
But, Reimold provides something to the Orioles’ team. He is a patient hitter.
The Orioles as a team are not overly patient. They like to swing early in counts. But, they need some hitters who are going to work the count. And Reimold does just that.
Reimold also brings sneaky speed. This was evident in Tuesday’s game, when he originally beat out a ground ball to short stop Xander Bogaerts. The single was later overturned and ruled an out, but the point remains that Reimold has a lot of speed.
Reimold had eight put-outs on Thursday, as he is also a good outfielder. He has the ability, with his speed, to get to a lot of balls.
Add in the power that Reimold has shown, and there is a lot to like. When healthy, Reimold has shown he is a major league hitter. And a pretty good one.
At this point, it is about Nolan Reimold staying healthy. So far, so good. And I think if he remains healthy all season long, Reimold will continue to make his mark on the O’s.