They can be anything from a hilarious meme to a baseball blooper or a record-breaking feat to a national award. Here’s what caught our eye this week, but feel free to let us know what else is out there by tweeting @Baltimoremag and #FridayReplay.

1. The Orioles completely manhandle the Phillies.
Tuesday’s 19-3 win over the Phillies was bonkers for a lot of reasons. The Orioles broke a franchise record by hitting eight home runs in one game. Also, Chris Parmelee, in his freakin’ Orioles debut, hit two of them (which apparently equates to three pies). Finally, the implosion of the last-place Phillies was pretty epic—the club’s starting pitcher only lasted two outs (and they leaned on outfielder Jeff Francouer at the mound) and the madness came to a head when the Phillies bullpen coach left the phone off the hook, so manager Ryne Sandberg had to wave a towel to get his attention. Talk about a symbolic moment.

Ump, don’t you see the Phillies surrendering? #FoilPhilly pic.twitter.com/hHf3BMo9M9
— Orioles on MASN (@masnOrioles) June 17, 2015

2. Ravens minicamps begin; Tucker goes long.
This was the first week of Ravens minicamp and veterans returned for practice. In one of the more entertaining moments, during a two-minute drill on Tuesday, Tucker kicked a 67-yard field goal with room to spare. Interesting to note that both owner Steve Bisciotti and general manager Ozzie Newsome were in attendance, since Tucker is hoping to get a long-term deal. After the ball made it through the uprights, wide receiver Steve Smith looked up to Bisciotti and Newsome and flashed them the money sign with his fingers.

3. Manny Machado wins AL player of the week.
Even before he smashed three home runs, MLB awarded third baseman Manny Machado AL player of the week. To date, Machado has hit 13 home runs and 33 RBIs—more than his season total from his injury plagued last year. And, as long as he can keep that temper under control, he is showing no signs of slowing down.

4. The Royals continue to be super annoying.
Okay, maybe we’re biased since the Royals were our arch nemeses last year, but we hate that Kansas City fans have been stuffing the All-Star ballot box. If voting ended today, the entire American League lineup would be Royals players, which is unprecedented. While this may not seem like a big deal on the surface, the Royals aren’t that good and would replace definitive All-Stars like Angels’ Mike Trout, Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera, Blue Jays’ Josh Donaldson, Mariners’ Nelson Cruz, and (ahem) O’s centerfielder Adam Jones. If the AL loses, our league won’t have home-field advantage in the World Series. Then you’ll have a lot of pissed off people. PS: #VoteOrange

5. Golden State wins NBA playoffs, much to Under Armour’s delight.
Golden State Warrior’s star point guard Stephen Curry, already the league MVP, is now an NBA champion, which is music to the ears of Curry’s sponsor Under Armour. CEO Kevin Plank was quoted recently on Curry, saying, “We’re looking and saying, ‘We had a . . . $100 million basketball business . . . Let’s go build a billion-dollar basketball business.” Seems like they’re well on their way.

New chapter. Write it well.
@StephenCurry30‘s Journey continues on. #ChargedByBelief #2015NBAChampion pic.twitter.com/BCZciHWV97
— Under Armour (@UnderArmour) June 17, 2015

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Guthrie—who pitched for the Orioles for five seasons and established himself as a fan-favorite on and off the field—wore a shirt that said “These O’s Ain’t Royal,” which is a pun on singer Chris Brown’s song “Loyal.” 

The wardrobe choice, which was not just worn in the clubhouse amongst players but on a national post-game broadcast, upset many already downtrodden Orioles fans:

Congrats
@TheRealJGuts for showing a true lack of class wearing that shirt post game.You’re like the Ron Burgundy of pitchers but not funny.

— Josh Charles (@MrJoshCharles)
October 15, 2014

Worst part of
@TheRealJGuts‘s shirt was that it was from a Chris Brown song. Disgusting. Thanks for the apology, though.

— Camden Chat (@CamdenChat)
October 15, 2014

But
@TheRealJGuts remember these fans here suffered a long time too. We’re still the same fans who gave you standing O’s

— Adam Bednar (@Bmorejourno)
October 15, 2014

@TheRealJGuts Had crappy stuff, help from ump and amazing D. Then comes out wearing that? C’mon man. Don’t lie.

— Chris Vinson (@chrisvinson77)
October 15, 2014

Of course, this is coming after pinch runner Jarrod Dyson’s comments that the Orioles would not return back to Baltimore during the ALCS (admittedly a likely scenario at this point). While showy comments, wardrobe choices, and 
signature dance moves may be the Royals’ style, it’s certainly not ours. Buck Showalter just wouldn’t allow it in his clubhouse.

Guthrie did end up apologizing to Orioles fans, tweeting and then deleting this: “My positive feelings for the Charm City, O’s organization, my former teammates and O’s fans is well documented. Nothing I wore [tonight] changes that.” The tweet he did end up posting said this:

My intention was not to anger O’s fans or friends w/my shirt 2night.I apologize to those offended.Did not consider this reaction.Go Royals.

— Jeremy Guthrie (@TheRealJGuts)
October 15, 2014

So what do you guys think: Was the shirt an offensive move by a former teammate or are O’s fans overreacting after some tough losses?

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Orioles coverage sponsored by Baltimore Marriott Waterfront

We’re not going to lie—this week was rough. From Tuesday’s ninth-inning choke that felt like a punch in the gut to news of Matt Wieters getting a plasma injection in his elbow to our bats being completely silenced in Kansas City on Saturday, it hasn’t been easy being an Orioles fan lately.

But there was a silver lining that came in the form of starting pitcher’s first career shutout on Friday night.

Stud of the Week for May 12-18:
Chris Tillman

The line:
In his nine starts, Tillman has a record of 4-2, striking out 43 and earning him an ERA of 3.34 (20th best in the league).

Studliest moment:
On Friday night, Tillman completed his first career shutout, an efficient 117-pitch game that led the Orioles to a 4-0 victory over the Royals (our only of the series). The starter only allowed five hits and one walk and was strong through the eighth. Manager Buck Showalter thankfully sent him back out for the complete game.

The clincher:
Tillman showed grace under pressure from the very beginning when Royals outfielder Nori Aoki hit a leadoff double in the first inning. But he got out of it unscathed on just 12 pitches. “That was huge,” the pitcher told
MLB.com on Friday. “There were a lot of early swings and early outs. Any time you get that, it really helps. I hate walking guys. It’s one of my pet peeves because that cuts down your chances of getting deep in the ballgame. Tonight, I was able to attack the zone and stay ahead.”

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