Baltimore Orioles’ relievers hurting their trade stock?

I’m on record as saying it might not be a bad idea for the Baltimore Orioles to sell off a couple of bullpen arms to get prospects in return. They could probably get a decent haul for the likes of Darren O’Day, Zach Britton, or Brad Brach. And if there’s one spot they do have depth, it’s in the ‘pen. In other words, they wouldn’t be leaving the cabinet bare.

However Britton gave up two runs in the ninth inning on Thursday, and O’Day blew a save last night. This on the heels of a second consecutive solid start by Chris Tillman, who’s slowly progressing back to what he should be. Tillman’s line: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 5 K.

Following a one hour rain delay, the Orioles and Houston engaged in a pitcher’s duel. Unfortunately for Tillman and the Birds, Houston struck first – as well as last. Bregman’s solo homer in the fifth gave them a 1-0 lead. However come the last of that fifth inning, Adam Jones smacked a two-run homer and the Orioles suddenly led 2-1. That was followed up by a two-run homer off the bat of Schoop, and the Birds appeared in the driver’s seat.

But Houston is relentless, and the Orioles should know that. Gurriel ended up with a two-run homer that was reviewed by the umpires in the sixth. They ruled that the ball had in fact gone over the scoreboard in right field, and that cut the lead to 4-3. That also brought O’Day into the game in place of Tillman.

O’Day gave up two seemingly innocent and softly-hit singles, bringing Houston’s Moran to the plate. Moran ended up fouling a ball off his eye, and had to be taken off on a cart after a lengthy delay – after which O’Day wasn’t really the same. Gonzalez finished the at-bat, and ended up smacking  three-run homer to give Houston a 6-4 lead. They would add an RBI-single and a sac fly-RBI in the ninth to cruise to an 8-4 victory.

First off, the means are usually the same with the Orioles. A team gets a soft base hit or a walk, and it snowballs from there. Teams such as Houston don’t do business the way that AL East teams do. They don’t look to power you out of the ballpark. They see each base runner as a precious commodity, and they know they have a shot at getting a run each time someone gets on base. The Orioles need to start minimizing that type of damage.

But as I said above, are the O’s risking trade values? All relievers and quite frankly all players are going to have bad days. So you have to look at it from the perspective of their overall track record. However teams are going to do whatever they possibly can to lower the price.

If that means calling into question someone’s most recent outing and trying to argue that means more than a track record assumed over years of play, that’s what they’re going to do. The trade deadline is one week from tomorrow. So with that said and with the team heading out on the road after today’s game, someone might be appearing for the last time as an Oriole at Camden Yards today.

The Birds will try to salvage one game with Houston in this afternoon’s series finale. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Houston’s Lance McCullers. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles almost able to come back

Ubaldo Jimenez was unable to keep the Baltimore Orioles in last night’s game early on. However I will say that he probably pitched better than his stat line indicates. He threw strike one to 12 of the first 15 hitters. But the fact is that he wasn’t as crisp as he needed to be. Jimenez’s line: 5.1 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

Jimenez surrendered a run almost right off the bat on Beltran’s RBI-single. However just a moment later Gurriel’s two-run homer made the score 3-0. And part of why I say that Jimenez wasn’t as bad as advertised was that one of the base hits that led to that homer was a softly hit single. When you’re barely putting the bat on the ball and still succeeding, that’s called getting lucky.

Houston would add an RBI-triple in the second, and Altuve would ground out into another run. And thus while the crowd still was filing in, the O’s trailed 2-0. But they did get a run back an inning later on a Schoop RBI-single, although Houston immediately got that run back on a McCann solo homer. Before all was said and done, Houston led 8-1.

But the Orioles made an incredibly valiant, albeit very late comeback attempt. Trumbo’s RBI-single in the eighth cut the lead to 8-2. Jones would follow with a two-RBI double, and Schoop a three-run homer. Before we knew it, the Birds only trailed 8-7.

But that’s as close as they got. And once again, it highlights the need for starting pitching. Granted Jimenez didn’t give up eight runs. However he set the tone. And that’s what starting pitching is all about.

And keep in mind that this game ended up a one-run game. In one of the RBI plays Houston turned in above, Rickard dove for a ball in the outfield. The ball got by him (under his glove), and went all the way to the wall. It was a valiant effort by Rickard, however an extra run scored.

All things being equal, the game would have been tied. And it’s little things like that which are valued immensely by a team like Houston. The Orioles don’t look at one run as being any sort of a big deal, because of their power – which we saw at the end of the game last night. But Houston treats every single run as a precious commodity.

The series continues tonight at Camden Yards. Chris Tillman gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Houston’s Collin McHugh. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Power rules the yard once again

It’s tough to put a finger on the fact that the Baltimore Orioles have been so streaky this year, and why. For nearly a month-and-a-half it seemed that they could do nothing right. It’s almost a miracle that they didn’t get no-hit in that span. Yet this week they’ve managed to turn it on and all but bludgeon Texas into oblivion.

Wade Miley was unable to continue the Orioles’ streak of quality starts. In fact he turned in what comes across as a typical outing for him. Miley’s line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 3 K. He gave up an RBI-single to Beltre in the first inning, and an RBI-double to Gomez in the second. So Texas actually did lead for part of the game.

But Oriole bats battled back, staying hot. Jonathan Schoop smacked a solo homer in the last of the fourth to cut the lead in half. Yet, Texas actually did put up a fight in this game, because before the Orioles could get him out of the game Miley gave up a three-run homer to Napoli. So…was that the death blow in this game for the O’s?

A week ago it might well have been. 5-1 would have been insurmountable. Heck, 1-0 was almost insurmountable a week ago. (I know that it was the all-star break a week ago, but work with me,) But the Orioles battled back – and right away, at that.

Adam Jones, “The Captain,” led the charge. He smacked a two-run homer in the last of the fifth to bring the birds to within 5-3. That was followed by a solo shot by Mark Trumbo later in the inning, cutting the Texas lead to one at 5-4. Suddenly it was a one-run game, which is what it was prior to Napoli’s three-run homer.

And with that, a Joey Rickard RBI-single in the sixth tied the game up. And the O’s all but immediately took the lead on an RBI-single by none other than Jones, followed by a two-RBI single by Schoop. Tack on a Davis solo homer in the seventh, and the O’s had a pretty good night at the plate.

Texas did threaten against Britton in the ninth, netting two runs on a two-RBI single by Choo. However that was the only damage done, and the O’s took game four, 9-7. It was a four-game sweep of Texas, which is a tough thing to do. As I said, it’s amazing how streaky this team has been, but the fact is that they rode lows for a long time. Now they’re riding a high that they hope continues.

The Houston Astros now come to town for a three-game set over the weekend at Camden Yards. Ubaldo Jimenez gets the start tonight for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Houston’s Mike Fiers. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Pitching and The Captain rock the yard

You can throw Kevin Gausman into the litany of Baltimore Orioles’ starters who have thrown quality starts this week. The Birds now have a three-game winning streak, after three quality starts by three different pitchers. How quickly things can change. Gausman’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 8 K.

But we’ve also seen a re-awakening of Oriole bats in this week’s series against Texas, and last night it was “The Captain,” Adam Jones who seemed to take the lead. Jones led the game off with a solo homer for the Orioles, who never looked back. All in all, he finished the day 3-for-5, with that homer and two RBI.

Jones also got on base in the third inning, and he found his way home as a result of Jonathan Schoop‘s two-RBI double. The lone run that Gausman gave up was a solo homer to Gallo in the fifth inning, however neither he nor the rest of the O’s let that get to them. They shut down Texas’ bats in the remainder of the inning and minimized the damage.

The O’s held that 3-1 lead through the seventh, when they loaded the bases with nobody out. Tejada reached on a fielding error when he popped up a ball in the infield only to have the catcher misplay it. Adam Jones would then come back to the plate, and he smacked an RBI-single. Machado and Schoop each then blooped balls into shallow left field, which gave the O’s a 7-1 lead.

It’s important to note that runs scored on all four of those above-mentioned plays. However the bases remained loaded. The Orioles kind of did to Texas in that seventh inning what so many other teams seem to be able to do to the O’s – death by a thousand paper cuts. Schoop’s RBI-single was so softly hit it would have made the 2014 Kansas City Royals blush. But them’s the breaks.

Trey Mancini had seemingly seen enough of the “piece mealing runs together parade,” and he delivered a bases-clearing triple which put the Birds ahead 10-1. Texas would get one back on a solo homer in the ninth, but the Orioles closed out a 10-2 win. This is the second consecutive night where the O’s have put up crooked numbers against Texas.

This doesn’t mean that the Orioles have been “cured” of their ills. There are a couple of different ways to look at it. Texas appears to be going through what the Orioles have gone through at times (and very recently), which is not being able to get the bat on the ball or get on base. The O’s have also run into some buzz-saw type pitching at times. Texas hasn’t really shown that luxury thus far in the series.

But also keep in mind that baseball is based on failure. If the pitcher looks good, part of that is because the opposing hitters failed. And the same is true in reverse. So it goes both ways. I suspect that the Chicago series was a nadir of sorts for this Orioles team. That’s not to say that it’ll be smooth sailing the rest of the way, but they’ve been able to turn the tables a bit in this Texas series.

The series concludes this evening at Camden Yards. Wade Miley will try to become the fourth consecutive Oriole starter to pitch a quality start, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Cole Hamels. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Someone finally paid

Baltimore Orioles’ manager Buck Showalter has at times (over the years) used the term someone’s eventually going to pay when describing struggling teams. Mind you, this could mean the Orioles or any other team that’s struggling. Basically he’s saying that the team’s too good for them to eventually not break out.

Last night, it was Texas who “paid” for the Orioles’ struggles of late.The Birds seemed intent on making mincemeat out of Texas, and the final score of 12-1 reflects that. The O’s got a second consecutive quality start, this time out of Dylan Bundy. And ironically, Bundy gave up a solo homer to Texas’ Choo on the second pitch of the game. But that was Texas’ lone high point last night. Bundy’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

While trailing ever so briefly, the O’s got right at it in the last of the first. All that jazz before about the O’s not holding their opponents accountable? They sure did last night – again, because Texas paid the piper for the Orioles’ struggles. Schoop’s two-RBI double gave the Orioles the lead. And they never looked back.

Following Schoop with the Birds leading 2-1, Chris Davis got out of his funk and smacked a two-run homer to give the O’s a 4-1 lead. Later in the inning Mancini got into the act with a two-run shot of his own, running it to 6-1. One had the feel that the competitive portion of the game was over at that point, although the Birds were just getting warmed up.

Come the fourth inning, the Orioles loaded the bases with Davis coming back up. And he got into one again, hitting a grand slam that gave the O’s a 10-1 lead. Machado would add an RBI-single in the sixth, and Smith a solo homer in the eighth.

This is not to say that all of the ills facing the O’s right now have been cured. You still have to take one game at a time, and you still have to continue this moving forward. This game was big mainly for the power that the Orioles flexed, however it’s also noteworthy because it was the second consecutive game that they got solid starting pitching. You’re only as good as your next day’s starter.

Many people however will point to this game as another problem given that it plays into the narrative that the Orioles rely too much on the home run ball. Maybe they do, although a few of those runs were scored off of non-homers. But ultimately you win games however you can, and as I said and as Buck’s said…eventually someone was going to pay.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Kevin Gausman gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Martin Perez. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles led to victory by Chris Tillman

It begins and ends with starting pitching for the Baltimore Orioles, and last night that meant Chris Tillman. The Birds desperately needed a decent outing from a starter after a tough weekend series with Chicago. And they not only got a decent outing by Tillman, but they got a quality start. Tillman’s line: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 3 K.

There were times when you thought Tillman was about to lose it, despite what the numbers say. However he worked his way through the order and through six innings, and put his team in a spot to win. And as I’ve said many times, you really can’t ask more of a starter.

Tillman’s lone run surrendered came on an RBI-double by Lucroy in the second inning. And admittedly, at that point the Orioles had to be thinking here we go again. However all it takes is one win to start a winning streak, and perhaps even one quality outing for a pitcher to turn things around. And the Orioles need that out of Tillman, and the entire rotation.

The O’s put runners on base in the last of the sixth, and eventually that netted them a run. Schoop’s sac fly-RBI tied the game, and let Tillman off the hook for the loss. Yes, you read that right. As great as Tillman pitched last night, he could have been on the hook for the loss.

However one inning later the Orioles had the lead and they never looked back. Seth Smith smacked a solo homer to straightaway center field, giving the O’s the lead at 2-1. For what it’s worth, it was the first time since the last of the ninth last Sunday in Minnesota that the O’s had held the lead.

And they weren’t done in that seventh inning at that point. Ruben Tejada smacked an RBI-single, running the lead to 3-1. And when you have a bullpen as strong as that of the Orioles, when you have a lead like that in those late innings you’re in good shape.

One has to hope that the O’s can piggyback off of this win, especially from a pitching perspective. Tillman gave a quality start last night, as I said. The entire staff needs to play that outing forward and get into a groove. If they can do that, they’ll still be competitive yet.

The series continues tonight at Camden Yards. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Tyson Ross. game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Should the O’s become a bullpen team?

Ubaldo Jimenez and the Baltimore Orioles were fine in the first inning yesterday. Jimenez allowed one base runner but faced the minimum of three hitters due to a double-play. However that was the pinacle of the day for both him and the Birds, as Chicago quickly took the upper hand. Jimenez’s line; 3.2 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 2 K.

Jimenez wasn’t fooling anyone for nary any of his start. However on the flip side, the Orioles couldn’t muster much of anything. When a Jones double is pretty much the lone offensive highlight for the day, you know you’re in trouble. It doesn’t matter if your starter gives up six runs, 100, or even just one – you still aren’t going to win.

Chicago put forth three doubles in the top of the second, the third of which was Happ’s two-RBI double. That gave them a 2-0 lead. Before the end of the inning Heyward and Zobrist would add RBI-singles, and the O’s trailed 4-0. Two innings later Bryant’s two-run homer did Jimenez in for the day, and broke the game wide open at 6-0.

Now if there’s a silver lining on this game, it’s that the Orioles’ bullpen really stepped up. Unfortunately that can’t and won’t always be the case, because if your starters are only lasting 3.2 innings or so, someone’s arm in the ‘pen might fall off. But Hart, Givens, and Britton were all incredibly solid yesterday afternoon. O’Day came in for the ninth and gave up a two-run homer to Rizzo, but other than that the bullpen was very good.

MASN’s Gary Thorne has mentioned this on the air a few times, however should the Orioles consider becoming a bullpen-oriented team? That’s not something we’ve seen for the most part at the big league level almost ever, however there are many in baseball who think that’s where the industry’s going.

The bullpen guys are recording outs, and that’s a fact. Look at this weekend for instance; Oriole starters weren’t fooling anyone at all. However once Showalter would go to the bullpen, the bleeding would stop. The damage was already done of course, but the bleeding would seemingly stop.

Relievers of course aren’t designed to pitch long games (although it’s certainly possible that some of these guys could be “stretched out” next spring). So the idea of course would be that you actually start someone like Givens, Castro, or Hart, and after threee innings or so bring in the likes of Jimenez, Tillman, or someone else. Needless to say, it’s an interesting idea. But do the Orioles not have nothing to lose by considering and trying it?

The O’s will now open a four-game series at home with Texas starting tonight. Chris Tillman will be on the mound for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Andrew Cashner. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Problems on the two’s

Starter Wade Miley pitched 4.1 halfway decent innings for the Baltimore Orioles last night. Not stellar or superior, but halfway decent in that he put his team in a spot to win after giving up two solo homers and an RBI-single. Miley’s final line: 4.2 IP, 9 H, 7 R,  4 BB, 4 K.

However it was with two outs in the inning that Miley fell apart. After an IBB to intentionally load the bases, Miley gave up a bases-clearing triple to Heyward, who later scored on an RBI-single after Miley had departed. All of that with two outs.

Nine of Chicago’s ten runs came with two outs last night. Think about that for a moment; you get to two outs and you’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel with regard to the inning. In the back of your mind you’re thinking, okay I recorded two outs, just one more and I can get back in the dugout. However that light at the end of the tunnel often ends up being an oncoming train for Orioles’ pitchers.

And it’s not just with two outs. Opposing hitters are thriving with two strikes, also. How many hitters do we see with 0-2 or 1-2 counts who find themselves able to battle back and draw the count full? And how many of those hitters end up walking? It seems like it happens quite often.

The question at hand is whether or not the tale of the tape is telling opponents that the Orioles handle themselves differently with two outs. And I’m not talking anything major; perhaps pitch selection at various points in the count, or maybe even the way that they position their defense. But one way or the other, the Birds struggle the most once they’ve induced two outs in an inning.

The overly-simplistic explanation is that the pitching staff is struggling across the board. Again, note my usage of the term overly-simplistic explanation. The starting staff is having it’s struggles, however often the first two outs of these innings are flying by. Pitchers will record two outs in very few pitches. So there has to be something that’s different with two outs – it just stands to reason.

And in fairness, Oriole bats didn’t really help matters last night. Caleb Joseph smacked a solo homer in the last of the fifth, followed two innings later by a Tejada RBI-single. Joseph would add on an RBI-single in the ninth – but that was the only scoring the Orioles could muster. You have to put up more than three runs in games against the defending world series champions.

The Orioles were in essence dominated by Jake Arrieta, who they brought through their farm system and then traded to Chicago in 2013. Many fans point to that as being such a horrible move, and of course they’ll use last night to back up that view. However Arrieta was your classic change of air guy in that he immediately thrived in Chicago. He had also run his course and gone as far as he was going to go in Baltimore.

The O’s will try to muster one game of three in this afternoon’s series finale at Camden Yards. Ubaldo Jimenez gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Jose Quintana – for whom they just traded with their cross-town rival. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles almost able to come all the way back

The Baltimore Orioles have seen Kevin Gausman be good before. Unfortunately last night wasn’t one of those games. After a nearly 50-minute rain delay before the game started, the Orioles came out flat. Gausman’s line: 3.0 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

Chicago set the tone in the game early, gettin a couple of runners on base in the first inning, all of whom came home on Contreras’ three-run homer. One pitch later it was 4-0 after a solo shot by Schwarber. Zobrist followed suit an inning later with a two-run shot, and Heyward’s two-run homer in the third ran the score to 8-0. That appeared to be the death blow for Gausman.

But it wasn’t the death blow per se for the Orioles. With bats as potent as they have, they’re never really out of a game. And the good news was that after Gausman departed the pitching became much more stable.

The O’s got on the board in the last of the third on a Castillo solo home run. And they chipped away from there. There’s a part of me that says piecemealing runs together when you start eight in the hole isn’t very efficient. But if you do it enough, it does make a difference.

Chris Davis, who came off the DL yesterday, smacked an RBI-double in the fourth which cut the Chicago lead to 8-2. One inning later it was Mark Trumbo‘s RBI-single that brought the Birds to within 8-3, and an RBI-single by Mancini which cut it in half at 8-4. But the Orioles weren’t done – in the game or in the inning. Joey Rickard‘s two-RBI single cut the lead to 8-6. And suddenly we had a ballgame.

Mark Trumbo struck again in the eighth with a two-run home run which tied the game up at eight. It seemed that an Oriole comeback was destined to happen, however Chicago decided to wake up just enough and just in the nick of time. With Brach in to pitch the ninth, Russell smacked a solo homer to put his team ahead 9-8.

That was a valiant comeback attempt on the part of the Orioles, however the fact is that it begins and ends with starting pitching. Kevin Gausman struggled last night, and not to find the plate. If anything he was getting too much of the plate. And in fact it’s a tough line to toe; you don’t want to nibble, but you don’t want to get too much of the plate to where the ball’s in a sweet spot for hitters.

There was also a situation in the third inning which at the time didn’t mean much, but that really haunted the Orioles. Manny Machado smacked a ball down the line which deflected off the base of the left field fence and jilted up into the air. A fan appeared to then reach over the wall with his glove and grab the ball out of the air. Replays were inconclusive, but it appeared that the ball would have come down in play.

And if it had, Adam Jones would have undoubtedly scored – leaving Machado at third base. However after a length discussion the umpires left it as a ground rule double. At the time you almost chuckle to yourself about that costing the Orioles a run, as they were getting blown out. However all things being equal (and yes, that’s always a hard argument to make), the Birds ended up losing by one run.

Buck Showalter felt that the runner should have been given home plate, and he addressed that after the game (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

We felt pretty strongly that it would not have gone in the stands. That’s the discussion. We’ve never seen a ball hit down there and not stay in the ballpark. Looking at the replays, there was nothing definitive enough angle-wise to think that they would overturn it, especially that early in the game. There’s a lot of plays up here where the replays just can’t give you enough definitive for them to be able to rule it on the field. If they had called that the other way, I don’t think Joe (Maddon) would have had any reports either to change it. So, it’s one those you have to wear.

The series continues tonight at Camden Yards, with a familiar face on the mound for the opponent. Wade Miley gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by former Oriole Jake Arrieta, Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Is Zach Britton on the trade block?

Multiple outlets have reported that teams have contacted the Baltimore Orioles about trading for closer Zach Britton. And in general it’s not all that surprising given Britton’s track record, and the need for a quality back end of the rotation guy. But should the Orioles pull the trigger?

This might surprise you, but I say a resounding YES – if the deal is good. And I’ll get to that part in a moment. The Orioles have a pretty decent bullpen without Britton. While they’re better with him, the fact is that the ‘pen is strong one way or the other. Now I’m on record as saying that the Orioles shouldn’t sell, and I still believe that. I’m just saying that Britton might be worth just as much on the trade market as he is on the roster at the moment.

So let me once again say that I feel it would be a mistake to bust up the likes of Machado, Schoop, Jones, etc. – and Britton. But the Orioles could potentially deal Britton, and get some sort of return that would be worth their while. And that HAS to be the key in any trade; it has to be worth the seller’s while.

So what would be worth the while of the Orioles? If it were me, I’d want a veteran guy who could in theory slide into a setup-type role, which is where we currently find Brad Brach. That would allow Brach to become the new closer full time. So…is that is?

No, of course not. That trade would be heavily slanted in favor of the buyer. In my view the O’s would also have to get a fairly decent starting pitching prospect back as well. And I’m not talking someone that might be in a team’s pipeline – in single-A or so. I mean a guy who’s probably been banging the door down at triple-A to come to the majors.

Some people are going to say that the Orioles couldn’t expect that much in return. Is that so? Did the ChiSox not just get four hot prospects for a starting pitcher from their cross-town rival? Granted that’s a starter, but keep in mind that I adjusted the sheer mass numbers down given the fact that we’re talking about a closer.

And that’s all part of the tap dance regarding trades. The Orioles have always said that they aren’t going to allow other teams to de-value their players. Heck, why not even see if you can’t get more than that. Maybe see if you can’t strong-arm a hitting prospect as well.

Again folks, if you’re going to make a trade it has to be worth your while. If you aren’t willing to negotiate the right deal, don’t make the trade.