Glenn and Griffin are bringing back our tradition we started last year for this 2025 baseball season Mondays on GCR with ‘Three Up and Three Down’ where we rank the best and worst Orioles performers of the week, much like how we do with Pats on the Ass and Slaps to the Helmet during football season after Ravens games. The guys will each name three players, three trending up, three trending down, based on how they did for that week specifically.
After a 1-6 performance the week prior, the birds bounce back with a 5-1 week vs two of the NL West’s best clubs, sweeping the Padres in San Diego, before taking two of three vs the defending World Series Champions in the LA Dodgers–including perhaps the most improbable win of any team thus far in 2025. Here’s how the boys scored it in ‘Three Up and Three Down’:
Glenn’s Three Up:
3. C Samuel Basallo
It’s tough to make a list when you only get three hits BUT they were all extra base hits, one was a walkoff and none of the pitchers did anything significant so he’ll get the nod.
2. 2B Jackson Holliday
OPS-ed over 1.000 and literally saved everyone’s asses from extreme embarrassment on Saturday. He’d be tops if not for…
1. 3B Emmanuel Rivera
Should never have to pay for a meal for at least a couple of weeks.
Griffin’s Three Up:
3. RP Albert Suarez
Basallo’s walkoff was the moment of the year for about 24 hours, but otherwise it was a negligible week for Basallo, and it feels dirty to not put any pitcher on the up list after their efforts vs the top two teams in the NL West. So Big Al it is, helping out in relief, logging the 3-inning win Saturday night after the bullpen had to supply 6 big innings Friday night, plus, he’s bringing Robert Suarez home this winter.
2. 2B Jackson Holliday
He was red-hot in San Diego, and set the table Saturday night for the game of the year–and he’s just hitting in general, which is pleasant.
1. 3B Emmanual Rivera
Yeah that’s right, he and that luxurious beard were the best performers of the week.
Glenn’s Three Down:
3. SP Tomoyuki Sugano
It’s a bummer that he got hurt but he had given up seven baserunners over three innings before that.
2. SS Gunnar Henderson
It’s weird, because the Orioles went 5-1 while their best player went just 2-17.
1. OF Colton Cowser
Finished the week just 3-17 with one walk and eight strikeouts.
Griffin’s Three Down:
3. SP Tomoyuki Sugano
Feel bad because he got hurt but before the injury it looked like he was just trying to help his countryman secure another MVP.
2. 1B Ryan Mountcastle
Ah yes, the ol’ 10-strikeout week in 20 at-bats… Not putting Gunnar on the list because he finds ways to impact the game in SO MANY other ways, Mountcastle does not.
1. OF Colton Cowser
I thought for sure the game was over Saturday night when he waltzed up there with the bases loaded and two outs, fortunately Blake Treinen couldn’t hit the side of a cruise ship… He did have that 3-run homer to start the back-to-back-to-back homers though, but that was it, he’s helpless unless he’s mashing a baseball 425 feet to right field.
Perhaps you saw, the Ravens had one of their most crushing losses in recent memory last night–which is saying something given the frequency of crushing losses–meaning no audio for the boys this week after perhaps the best week Orioles baseball all season… so take a look at the season-long standings. Scoring is simple: 3 points awarded to the top player in ‘Three Up’ each week (then 2 points and 1 point), -3 points for the top player in ‘Three Down’ each week (then -2 points and -1 point):
