Andy Kostka

Orioles outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. turns heads with speed, defense Bradfield won’t light up a box score with extra-base hits. But he makes up for that with his glove and speed, and he flashed both in Sunday’s game against the Boston Red Sox.

With feats of speed and fielding, Orioles outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. turns heads

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Enrique Bradfield on his bunt-turned-Little League triple: “Stuff like that helps the team win and if I can keep doing that, I’ll be in a good spot.”

He leaves tonight to join Panama in the WBC

Heston Kjerstad's third hit of the game is another rocket. He has two hard singles and a double.

Before Kjerstad, Samuel Basallo lofted a ground-rule double that scored two.

Enrique Bradfield is electric. He bunts for a single and advances all the way to third base when the throw sails down the right field line.

Bradfield puts pressure on a defense. He has reached base twice today on balls that didn't leave the infield

Chris Bassitt: "It's just building pitch count right now. Facing an inner-division team, you're not going to game plan for them and throw a specific way, so to speak. So, today was all about throwing a bunch of heaters, different types of heaters, and just building arm strength"

High risk, high reward move: Wilyer Abreu challenged strike three and took off his shin guard, gloves and left his bat. He was halfway to first base when the ABS confirmed it was, indeed, ball four.

Someone this year will have the ignominious walk back to the dugout after that

Consider this: A .400 OPS because his OBP is .350 and he hits all singles beyond that. I'd probably be OK with that (maybe no one else would be).

The debate of how well Enrique Bradfield Jr. must hit to stick in the majors is interesting. With his speed and glove, is the Mendoza Line acceptable? (Not saying that's his ceiling, either.)

Wouldn't be a surprise to see Bradfield in Baltimore at some point this summer

The Orioles plated Samuel Basallo after Heston Kjerstad doubled off the replica Green Monster and Thairo Estrada produced an RBI groundout

Samuel Basallo barrels a fastball from Ranger Suárez and lines it to center at 109.5 mph. A tough left-on-left matchup for Basallo ends in his favor

Chris Bassitt finishes his first spring training inning for the Orioles. He allowed one run when Willson Contreras doubled and Caleb Durbin blooped in a single to right

There are so many things that remind me of my dad, but few are as poignant as the smell of an Italian sausage and onions and peppers on the grill at a ballpark

Orioles lineup against the Red Sox:

Cowser CF
Alexander SS
Beavers DH
Basallo C
Kjerstad LF
Estrada 2b
Wilson 3B
Noda 1b
Bradfield RF

Bassitt

A Lotta Things

Such an earworm of a Bonny Doon tune. The jangly guitar — my dad’s favorite — will always draw me in open.spotify.com/track/0aEwbm...

Rutschman’s extra-base hits build confidence for an Orioles bounce-back The results in late February matter far less to Adley Rutschman than the refinement of his overall routine. But he won’t turn his nose up at Saturday’s performance.

Adley Rutschman’s pair of extra-base hits build confidence for an Orioles bounce-back.

Plus, notes on Coby Mayo’s one inning at shortstop and Vance Honeycutt’s homer streak.

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Vance Honeycutt said no, he's not trying to hit home runs. But he has three in three at-bats this spring.

"I did a lot of good work in the offseason and I was excited to get out here and see some pitching and get some at-bats and see what I can do," Honeycutt said

And Sam Huff follows with a homer of his own

Vance Honeycutt does it again. He hits a two-run homer. That’s his third long ball of the spring

Chayce McDermott has allowed solo homers on three straight pitches. He had looked great this spring but Atlanta jumped on that trio of offerings - a sweeper, splitter and cutter

Coby Mayo was told this morning that he'd switch to first base once Gunnar Henderson moved to third. Instead, a few moments before, Craig Albernaz told Mayo to go have fun at short

I am at the game but looked over at the feed and it was a bouncing camera through the stands

Kyle Bradish, moments after Adley Rutschman homered: "When Rutsch is on, it makes this lineup even better. So, big bounce-back year for him. He's looking really good right now."

Coby Mayo is playing shortstop right now. Gunnar Henderson is at third base, which was a possibility given his team USA duties

Adley Rutschman homers one at-bat after he doubled

On that grounder from Kyle Farmer, Coby Mayo kept the ball in the infield on a dive rather than letting it past for a double. His throw from his back was too late. Avoiding extra bases isn't the worst outcome from that

The nature of Coby Mayo at third base will be that every play is scrutinized. I said this on radio yesterday, but something to watch is footwork. On that backhand play just now, he moved quickly enough so that he didn't have to dive. That was the difference between a bang-bang out and safe call

Three good plate appearances for Orioles hitters in the second against Spencer Strider, highlighted by an opposite-field double from Adley Rutschman. Always a good sign when Rutschman is showing oppo-alley power.

Ryan Mountcastle followed with a single and Coby Mayo drove a sac fly

Two runs on four hits against Kyle Bradish in the second inning

New Orioles clubhouse quote on the whiteboard: "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams -- Eleanor Roosevelt" -- Pete Alonso

Kyle Bradish's first inning against the Braves: 9 pitches, 7 strikes.

He struck out two batters. Very efficient.