I know I've written about how the O's need a new catchphrase, but tonight I'll leave that behind.
They've won the AL East and so begins the journey for the AL Pennant and a well-earned spot in the World Series.
Baltimore, owning the best record in the Bigs since the All-Star break, are truly a three-dimensional team.
A 3.48 ERA.
Over a homer a game (1.29); less than half an error per game (0.49).
The only category that the O's are league leaders in is homers. Yet the amount of statistical categories they're ranked in the top 10 is overwhelming.
Check it out here for a closer look.
All I can say is, ever since I was a kid, waking up and reading the sports page to memorize the stats before my dad woke up, I couldn't fathom the Orioles winning the AL East.
The Yankees were perennials. The Red Sox defined the bottom of the top tier. Toronto was a .500 team, leaving Tampa and the O's to battle it out for fourth.
Occasionally, we'd finish 3rd and a small streak of prideful sweat would start to form between my brow. But the playoffs?
An afterthought.
If there was a word that combined "proud", "relieved", and "ecstatic", I'd use it.
Until I solve that mystery, I'll sleep on the fact that my O's have finally joined the Ravens as being a dominant force in their division and league.
Showing posts with label Orioles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Orioles. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Friday, July 25, 2014
Make That 29-16
They just seem to have a way about them of bouncing back.
I mentioned it yesterday, and now the O's have improved to 29-16 following a loss with last night's 4-0 shutout of the Mariners.
On offense, all it took was a high-octane third inning. Nick Markakis hit an RBI single to score Ryan Flaherty, who has scored in 3 consecutive games.
Little used Delmon Young, batting second in the DH spot, took Nick's momentum and hit a 391 foot blast to put Baltimore up 4-0.
And that's all it took.
Baltimore's winningest pitches, Wei-Yin Chen, won his fourth straight appearance, going 8 innings on 108 pitches and 5 strikeouts. He hasn't been the most dominant at times, failing to go 7 innings in his previous 6 starts (4-2 during that span), but I guess he's been given his cue from Miguel Gonzalez, Chris Tillman, and Bud Norris.
Buck demands quality starts at the risk of being sent to Triple-A or into a trade.
Showalter has certainly lit the fire in this second half. Despite a modest 4-3 record, his starters have been throwing their best stuff (aside from Game 2's blowout against Oakland, but that's in the past).
Cruz was taken out of the DH spot for Young and inserted in to left field, possibly in the hopes that being a more active game participant would break his hitting slump. Another dismal 1-4 performance with a strikeout has him batting under .200 after the All-Star Break.
I think he'll figure it out, but Jim Presley, the O's batting coach, needs to find the right words to motivate the nerves out him.
With 3 remaining in Seattle, a 6-4 road trip would resonate very well with the Birds and their fans.
But wouldn't a sweep and 7-3 be a nice way to come back home?
I mentioned it yesterday, and now the O's have improved to 29-16 following a loss with last night's 4-0 shutout of the Mariners.
On offense, all it took was a high-octane third inning. Nick Markakis hit an RBI single to score Ryan Flaherty, who has scored in 3 consecutive games.
Little used Delmon Young, batting second in the DH spot, took Nick's momentum and hit a 391 foot blast to put Baltimore up 4-0.
And that's all it took.
Baltimore's winningest pitches, Wei-Yin Chen, won his fourth straight appearance, going 8 innings on 108 pitches and 5 strikeouts. He hasn't been the most dominant at times, failing to go 7 innings in his previous 6 starts (4-2 during that span), but I guess he's been given his cue from Miguel Gonzalez, Chris Tillman, and Bud Norris.
Buck demands quality starts at the risk of being sent to Triple-A or into a trade.
Showalter has certainly lit the fire in this second half. Despite a modest 4-3 record, his starters have been throwing their best stuff (aside from Game 2's blowout against Oakland, but that's in the past).
Cruz was taken out of the DH spot for Young and inserted in to left field, possibly in the hopes that being a more active game participant would break his hitting slump. Another dismal 1-4 performance with a strikeout has him batting under .200 after the All-Star Break.
I think he'll figure it out, but Jim Presley, the O's batting coach, needs to find the right words to motivate the nerves out him.
With 3 remaining in Seattle, a 6-4 road trip would resonate very well with the Birds and their fans.
But wouldn't a sweep and 7-3 be a nice way to come back home?
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Tillman Extends Streak but Late Loss for O's
At 6-0, Chris Tillman hasn't lost a road game all season.
That streak is still alive, after another quality start (8 out of the past 9 now) in which he lasted 6 innings, permitting 1 ER on 103 pitches.
A stuttering Orioles offense could only muster 2 runs for Tillman, a far cry from the contribution he is accustomed to on the road -- his unblemished rod record comes with a near 5.00 ERA.
Tommy Hunter's 8th inning started off all wrong. A single by Josh Hamilton was followed by a double by Erick Aybar, evening the score at 2 apiece. A couple of strikeouts later, Hunter found himself close to mitigating the damages and heading towards the ninth.
But after intentionally walking Navarro, Ianetta was given a base-on-balls and Brian Matusz came in to relieve Hunter.
Matusz walked in what would be the Angels' winning run, much to the displeasure of Buck Showalter's strategic gameplan.
Less heartbreaking than a walk-off in the 9th, a loss in a game that should have been won is still a loss. On a brighter note, Baltimore's rebounding ability after tough games like these have been astoundingly effective, especially compared to recent years.
The O's are 28-16 this season following a loss with a +1.5 run differential, third best in the majors.
With 4 games in Seattle to cap a 10-game road stretch, it'll be back to Baltimore for 6 games against the Angels and Mariners, followed by a 1-game makeup Beltway Clash in Washington D.C.
After those 7 games, I see the O's 13 above .500 at 60-47.
That should extend the current 3 game lead held over the Yankees in the AL East.
That streak is still alive, after another quality start (8 out of the past 9 now) in which he lasted 6 innings, permitting 1 ER on 103 pitches.
A stuttering Orioles offense could only muster 2 runs for Tillman, a far cry from the contribution he is accustomed to on the road -- his unblemished rod record comes with a near 5.00 ERA.
Tommy Hunter's 8th inning started off all wrong. A single by Josh Hamilton was followed by a double by Erick Aybar, evening the score at 2 apiece. A couple of strikeouts later, Hunter found himself close to mitigating the damages and heading towards the ninth.
But after intentionally walking Navarro, Ianetta was given a base-on-balls and Brian Matusz came in to relieve Hunter.
Matusz walked in what would be the Angels' winning run, much to the displeasure of Buck Showalter's strategic gameplan.
Less heartbreaking than a walk-off in the 9th, a loss in a game that should have been won is still a loss. On a brighter note, Baltimore's rebounding ability after tough games like these have been astoundingly effective, especially compared to recent years.
The O's are 28-16 this season following a loss with a +1.5 run differential, third best in the majors.
With 4 games in Seattle to cap a 10-game road stretch, it'll be back to Baltimore for 6 games against the Angels and Mariners, followed by a 1-game makeup Beltway Clash in Washington D.C.
After those 7 games, I see the O's 13 above .500 at 60-47.
That should extend the current 3 game lead held over the Yankees in the AL East.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
24 More to Go!
Trade him. We need an ace, and he fits the bill for the piece that they're looking for.
Miguel Gonzalez.
The fact of the matter is, 6 of his last 9 starts have been quality. He's 4-2 during that span, while the team is 5-4, including a 3-2 loss where he gave up 2 ER in 8 innings, and a 2-1 loss with 2 given up in 6 2/3.
In his last 3 games, he's lasted at least 7 2/3 innings.
This is what the O's need in the second half from their starters to alleviate the pressure on Hunter, O'Day, and Britton. Promise a 6-9 out deficit from a win on a daily basis and I'm sure those three would be buying dinner regularly for their starters.
So Baltimore, please stop trying to overthink your trade deadline moves.
No Ian Kennedy. He and Gonzalez are the same player, aside from the fact that Kennedy has been doing it longer with the same consistency. Does that matter?
Absolutely.
But psychology is a fickle thing.
Strategically, the best possible course of action is to inflate the ego of your talented current pitching staff. With a team ERA hovering below 4.0 and enormous room for improvement, the cards have been dealt and you're a river away from a full house -- an optimist's perspective.
Gonzalez has also been able to keep his pitch count down as of late, theoretically improving the O's offense. Standing in the outfield while the ace throws 15-20 an inning is monotonous and has an impact on the bats of the other 8, whether they'll admit to it or not.
Hector Santiago, the Angel's pitcher last night, threw 69 through 3 innings. It's no wonder he lasted only 5 with a pitch count ending in 99, and received 0 runs in coordination with his effort.
In fact, it may even be a bright spot that the next face of MLB, Mike Trout, was the one to knock Gonzalez out with 2 outs in the 7th on his 2-run homer. Gonzalez hadn't allowed Trout a hit all game, including 2 strikeouts.
The fact of the matter is, the O's are 3-2 coming out of the break against two of the top 5 teams in baseball in the A's and Angels. It should be 4-1 if not for a blown Game 1 in the Oakland series.
Baltimore need to become accustomed to winning these tight games against successful teams, with the next 11 games are against the Angels and Mariners.
Heck, the next 24 games come against teams that currently have winning records (Angels, Mariners, Nationals, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Yankees, Indians [yes I'm being PC by calling they Indians], and White Sox).
Three years ago, O's fans would be calling it quits with a post-Break stretch like this.
Now, we're looking at 11 games above .500 and a bonafide chance to solidify ourselves as a powerhouse, a true contender in the AL, and a host to some incredible home-field October baseball in Baltimore.
The phrase, "Orioles Magic," was coined on June 22, 1979, when a walk-off homer by Doug DeCines gave the O's an improbable win after trailing 5-3 for almost 6 innings.
Here is the call and the box score.
For many younger O's fans (born late '80s to the present), though, Orioles Magic has a negative stigma of a losing team scraping comeback wins from its season like bugs off a dashboard. Magic that gave us a 4-6 or 5-5 record in that "Last 10 Games" column.
A new term is needed for Baltimore baseball's now-expected success.
In the meantime, chalk another W up for the Birds.
Miguel Gonzalez.
The fact of the matter is, 6 of his last 9 starts have been quality. He's 4-2 during that span, while the team is 5-4, including a 3-2 loss where he gave up 2 ER in 8 innings, and a 2-1 loss with 2 given up in 6 2/3.
In his last 3 games, he's lasted at least 7 2/3 innings.
This is what the O's need in the second half from their starters to alleviate the pressure on Hunter, O'Day, and Britton. Promise a 6-9 out deficit from a win on a daily basis and I'm sure those three would be buying dinner regularly for their starters.
So Baltimore, please stop trying to overthink your trade deadline moves.
No Ian Kennedy. He and Gonzalez are the same player, aside from the fact that Kennedy has been doing it longer with the same consistency. Does that matter?
Absolutely.
But psychology is a fickle thing.
Strategically, the best possible course of action is to inflate the ego of your talented current pitching staff. With a team ERA hovering below 4.0 and enormous room for improvement, the cards have been dealt and you're a river away from a full house -- an optimist's perspective.
Gonzalez has also been able to keep his pitch count down as of late, theoretically improving the O's offense. Standing in the outfield while the ace throws 15-20 an inning is monotonous and has an impact on the bats of the other 8, whether they'll admit to it or not.
Hector Santiago, the Angel's pitcher last night, threw 69 through 3 innings. It's no wonder he lasted only 5 with a pitch count ending in 99, and received 0 runs in coordination with his effort.
In fact, it may even be a bright spot that the next face of MLB, Mike Trout, was the one to knock Gonzalez out with 2 outs in the 7th on his 2-run homer. Gonzalez hadn't allowed Trout a hit all game, including 2 strikeouts.
The fact of the matter is, the O's are 3-2 coming out of the break against two of the top 5 teams in baseball in the A's and Angels. It should be 4-1 if not for a blown Game 1 in the Oakland series.
Baltimore need to become accustomed to winning these tight games against successful teams, with the next 11 games are against the Angels and Mariners.
Heck, the next 24 games come against teams that currently have winning records (Angels, Mariners, Nationals, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Yankees, Indians [yes I'm being PC by calling they Indians], and White Sox).
Three years ago, O's fans would be calling it quits with a post-Break stretch like this.
Now, we're looking at 11 games above .500 and a bonafide chance to solidify ourselves as a powerhouse, a true contender in the AL, and a host to some incredible home-field October baseball in Baltimore.
The phrase, "Orioles Magic," was coined on June 22, 1979, when a walk-off homer by Doug DeCines gave the O's an improbable win after trailing 5-3 for almost 6 innings.
Here is the call and the box score.
For many younger O's fans (born late '80s to the present), though, Orioles Magic has a negative stigma of a losing team scraping comeback wins from its season like bugs off a dashboard. Magic that gave us a 4-6 or 5-5 record in that "Last 10 Games" column.
A new term is needed for Baltimore baseball's now-expected success.
In the meantime, chalk another W up for the Birds.
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Wizards, Orioles, and the World Cup
I'll be brutally honest here, after the Wizards' collapse in the playoffs, I haven't really been too into the sporting world.
Sure the NBA Playoffs continued, but watching the Conference Finals -- East or West -- would have been a waste of my time. Spurs vs. Heat has been the storyline the whole season.
This year's path was very familiar. The Heat rolled through the East, while the Spurs got off to a shaky first round start but turned up when it mattered, ending OKC's season in an OT Game 6.
My take on it all? Spurs in 7. Duncan deserves 5, the guy ages slower than an orca whale. LeBron will get his with whoever he ends up with in the coming seasons, but the Spurs are walking with their best snowshoes on thinning ice.
In the MLB, my Orioles are hanging in there, as Baltimore fans have come to (expect?) the last few seasons. The League's most dangerous player -- Nelson Cruz -- drives in runs seemingly every night. Through 55 games, he has 55 RBI and 21 HRs, on pace for 162 and 62, respectively.
And yet, it's not holding my interest.
I'm waiting for the World Cup, where friends are made and memories are forged.
I can vividly the past 3 World Cups; where I was, who I was with, what I had for breakfast. For the USA this year, I'm actually more hopeful than most. The squad plays better when it has nothing to lose, as is the case in the Group of Death this year.
Ghana.
Portugal.
Germany.
Each nation's strengths vastly overpower the USA's weaknesses. But again, I remain hopeful. I'm used to seeing 40% -- sloppy -- possession with maybe a handful of scoring opportunities per match.
This time around, the tides have changed. We generate attacks from the back line and give support to our strikers, rather than leaving them with a 2v6 all game.
We create chances, we just can't finish.
This is a problem I embrace.
Chances are, someone will go LeBron and put these opportunities away, so long as they continue to occur.
Thursday, June 12 marks the start, when host Brazil takes on Croatia. The USA must wait until Monday, June 16 to meet up with Ghana, a tantalizing foe in both 2006 and 2010. Ghana handed the USA a group stage 2-1 defeat in 2006, and punched the Stars & Stripes in the gut and out of the tournament in the 2010 round of 16, again 2-1, in extra time.
I see USA going 1-1-1:
Ghana: 2-0, USA
Portugal: 3-1, Portugal
Germany: 1-1
This next week will be a long one...
Sure the NBA Playoffs continued, but watching the Conference Finals -- East or West -- would have been a waste of my time. Spurs vs. Heat has been the storyline the whole season.
This year's path was very familiar. The Heat rolled through the East, while the Spurs got off to a shaky first round start but turned up when it mattered, ending OKC's season in an OT Game 6.
My take on it all? Spurs in 7. Duncan deserves 5, the guy ages slower than an orca whale. LeBron will get his with whoever he ends up with in the coming seasons, but the Spurs are walking with their best snowshoes on thinning ice.
In the MLB, my Orioles are hanging in there, as Baltimore fans have come to (expect?) the last few seasons. The League's most dangerous player -- Nelson Cruz -- drives in runs seemingly every night. Through 55 games, he has 55 RBI and 21 HRs, on pace for 162 and 62, respectively.
And yet, it's not holding my interest.
I'm waiting for the World Cup, where friends are made and memories are forged.
I can vividly the past 3 World Cups; where I was, who I was with, what I had for breakfast. For the USA this year, I'm actually more hopeful than most. The squad plays better when it has nothing to lose, as is the case in the Group of Death this year.
Ghana.
Portugal.
Germany.
Each nation's strengths vastly overpower the USA's weaknesses. But again, I remain hopeful. I'm used to seeing 40% -- sloppy -- possession with maybe a handful of scoring opportunities per match.
This time around, the tides have changed. We generate attacks from the back line and give support to our strikers, rather than leaving them with a 2v6 all game.
We create chances, we just can't finish.
This is a problem I embrace.
Chances are, someone will go LeBron and put these opportunities away, so long as they continue to occur.
Thursday, June 12 marks the start, when host Brazil takes on Croatia. The USA must wait until Monday, June 16 to meet up with Ghana, a tantalizing foe in both 2006 and 2010. Ghana handed the USA a group stage 2-1 defeat in 2006, and punched the Stars & Stripes in the gut and out of the tournament in the 2010 round of 16, again 2-1, in extra time.
I see USA going 1-1-1:
Ghana: 2-0, USA
Portugal: 3-1, Portugal
Germany: 1-1
This next week will be a long one...
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