The Good & the Bad from Yankees v. Orioles (April 7-9 2017)

Two series down, two series victories and 1 game short of back-to-back sweeps to begin the season.  It’s been an impressive start to the 2017 season for the Baltimore Orioles, a lot of good and some bad.  Time to take a look back at the weekend series against the New York Yankees and see what went right and what went wrong.

GOOD: Comeback birds

In both wins for the Orioles in this series they had to come back.  In game 1 on Friday night it was a 5-1 deficit, and in game 2 it was 4-1.  Manny Machado got things going on Friday night with his first home run of 2017 then new Oriole Seth Smith gave the O’s the lead they would never relinquish.  In game 2 Machado again began the comeback in the 5^th inning and the O’s would win 5-4.  If nothing else this looks like the same Orioles who won’t give up, no matter the score.

BAD: Starting pitching

I think it’s safe to say that the main point of concern for the Orioles heading into 2017 was their starting pitching.  Well against the Yankees it was definitely a weak point.

Ubaldo Jimenez – 4.1 IP, 7 hits, 5 ER, 5 strikeouts

Kevin Gausman – 4.2 IP, 8 hits, 4 ER, 4 strikeouts

Wade Miley – 5 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 5 strikeouts

Don’t let Wade Miley’s line fool you.  He only lasted 5 innings because he had 100 pitches and SEVEN walks.  The Orioles have to get better outings from their starting pitchers.  The bullpen may be the club’s strength but if they are pitching 4-5 innings a game they will wear out quick.

GOOD: Zach Britton

Zach Britton was able to save both wins for the Orioles and in doing so was starting to look like his dominant self of 2016.  Britton pitched in both games of the opening series against Toronto but struggled despite not giving up any runs.  He even loaded the bases in game 2 before getting a game clinching double play.  Against the Yankees he was much better.  Friday night he retired the Yanks 1-2-3 while only throwing 9 pitches.  Saturday he had a scare with a long fly ball, but again was incredibly efficient facing 4 batters and needing only 11 pitches.

BAD: J.J. Hardy’s rough start at the plate

This probably pains more than most of you think.  I’ve always been a huge fan of JJ Hardy ever since he’s been an Oriole, but I have to call them like I see them.  Hardy has been struggling hard at the plate this season.  Against the Yankees he went 2 for 9 with 4 strikeouts and only 1 RBI.  His season batting average is only .125 after 5 games.  Lucky for Hardy he still plays gold glove caliber defense.  Unfortunately the injuries and his age might be too much for him to be the player he was from 2011-2013.

Other notes from the Yankees series.  Seth Smith had a good two games going a combined 4-9 and hitting the game winning HR on Friday night.  Also what happened to the Orioles pitching in general on Sunday?  O’s pitchers walked 11 Yankees on Sunday with Wade Miley and surprisingly Darren O’Day being the biggest culprits.

All in all it was a good weekend series for the Orioles.  They have played 5 games in 2017 and are 4-1, all against AL East teams.  Up next for the birds is another AL East opponent, a favorite of many pundits to win the AL East, the Boston Red Sox.  It will be another short 2 game series before they head north of the border to face Toronto again.

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The Good and Bad from Blue Jays v. Orioles (April 3 & 5 2017)

I love this time of year more than any other, IT'S BASEBALL SEASON!!! Now if you have read any of the pre season predictions for the Orioles, it's not good.  But who cares what they think the season is here and the Orioles are undefeated.  Let's take a look back at the very short opening series against division rival, Blue Jays.

GOOD: SWEEEEEPP
So what it's only two games.  You played an AL East rival and you beat them in both games.  Anytime you sweep a division rival it's a very good thing.

BAD: Average with RISP
Now when you only play two games and you win both, anything bad is kind of nitpicking, but here we go.  The Orioles only went 2-9 (.222) with runners in scoring position in the two game series.  Surprisingly, in Game 2 they never had a chance, they didn't have a runner on second or third the entire game and still somehow won, you won't see that too often.  Again it's early but the Orioles have to get better than that .222 average when they have the opportunities to score.

GOOD: Chris Davis' defense
I don't think this gets mentioned nearly enough but Chris Davis has become a really good first baseman defensively.  Most of the talk around Davis is his hitting, and rightly so when you pay a guy over $150 million to hit and he doesn't hit to your standards, he's ripe for criticism.  However, numerous times in the first 2 games Davis dug balls out of the dirt to get key outs.  On opening day there was a critical double play turned in the 9th inning that Davis saved with his glove, and I know Manny Machado made a great diving play in the 11th, but without Davis' scoop on the back end the great play by Manny means nothing.  It's not why the Orioles pay Davis the amount of money they do but it's also a part of his game we shouldn't overlook.

BAD: Base running
Again, nitpicking but twice Orioles players were thrown out at second base in the two games trying to stretch singles into doubles.  On Opening Day Chris Davis was thrown out at second in the third inning, he did drive in a run in the process but could've killed a big inning.  In game 2 Wellington Castillo was thrown out at second by Kevin Pillar.  Some might like the aggressiveness and to an extent I do as well.  You have to pick and choose when you go, sometimes that can cost you a game.

GOOD: Dylan Bundy
I was going to make this a combined good with Gausman & Bundy, but Gausman's struggles near the end of his outing made me change my mind.  Dylan Bundy however was fantastic through his 7 innings in game 2 against Toronto.  Bundy in those 7 innings only gave up 4 hits (3 of which came in one inning), 1 ER, and struck out 8.  Bundy had a very potent lineup guessing and off balance all night.  Dylan Bundy looks primed to take that next step in his career.

One more thing I'd like to mention is Zach Britton.  He pitched in both of the first two games but wasn't his dominant self.  He gave up multiple hits and in game 2 he needed a double play with the bases loaded to seal the win.  I'm not concerned but it's something to watch in his next few outings.

Follow me on the twitter @AndySnaks , I'll try and keep this updated as much as possible, this guy has been slacking.

The Good and Bad from the Orioles-Red Sox series (April 17-20)

Hard to imagine that we are about a week from the end of the first month of the season.  It feels like you wait forever for a season to start and before you know it, it just flies by.  So I'm requesting that Major League Baseball slow the season down so we can enjoy it more.  Before I even begin let me just say i mention Adam Jones now because he just keeps mashing the ball.  Adam Jones is on another level when it comes to hitting, so he gets honorable mention before I even begin my post.

GOOD: Jimmy Paredes
Jimmy Paredes made his season debut on Saturday coming off the disabled list and he looked great.  In 3 games, Paredes went 7 for 13 and scored 4 runs.  Paredes can be a nice little utility player filling in when needed, and if keeps hitting like this he'll find his way in the lineup more and more.  Now of course you cant expect Paredes to continue hitting at this pace but, for someone coming off the DL it's nice to see him making an impact immediately.

BAD: Alejandro De Aza
As refreshing as Paredes performance was, De Aza's was a little disappointing.  I might of jinxed De Aza, a few posts back I praised De Aza's strong start to the 2015 season.  Well, De Aza might be the happiest Oriole to be leaving Fenway Park.  De Aza played in 3 of the 4 games in the series and he went 0 for 11.  Not exactly what you want or expect from your lead off hitter.  I'll chalk this up to a minor slump and hopefully De Aza rebounds in Toronto.

GOOD: Ryan Flaherty
I may be one of this guy's biggest critics.  I'll put it bluntly, I'm not a fan of Ryan Flaherty, I believe he's an average hitter and fielder, not special at either.  However, when the guy plays well you have to give credit where credit is due.  Flaherty stepped in for the injured Jonathan Schoop and had at least 2 hits in every game.  Flaherty went 6 for 11 had 1 home run and 2 RBIs.  My biggest problem with Flaherty is consistency, now with Schoop out for the foreseeable future it will be interesting to see how Flaherty plays as the Orioles every day second baseman.

BAD: Orioles defense
Year after year the Orioles routinely have one of the best defenses in baseball.  In fact the last time the Orioles didn't have multiple gold glove winners was in 2010.  This weekend in Boston wasn't their best defensively.  Although most of the damage was done in one game.  Wei-Yin Chen gave up 5 runs in their rain shortened loss on Monday, all 5 were unearned due to 3 errors.  This is much more of an anomaly than anything ill ever post, but the Orioles did end the series with 5 errors in 4 games.  That's never good to have more errors than games played.

Orioles are now 7-6 after 13 games, all against AL East opponents and they make their first trip north of the border to tangle with the Blue Jays for the second time this season.

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The Good and Bad from the Orioles-Yankees Series (April 13-15)

I think we can officially say we are in the baseball season.  Three series under most teams belts, before you know the end of April will be here and we will start separating the contenders and pretenders.  The Orioles have had an OK start to the 2015 season, like I've said many times before, not getting too excited not getting too worried about anything happening on the field.  That being said let me overly dissect this past series where the Orioles took 2 out of 3 against the hated Yankees.

GOOD: Miguel Gonzalez

Wow, what else can you say about Miguel's performance on Tuesday night.  Miguel pitched 7 strong innings giving up just 1 run on 4 hits and struck out a career high 10.  Gonzalez always seems to perform well against the Bronx bombers and Tuesday was no different.  Gonzalez after just two starts has an ERA of 1.42.  It was also nice to see him get through seven innings, that needs to happen more form the Orioles pitching staff.

BAD: Tommy Hunter

Mr. Hunter did not have a very good series against the Yankees.  Hunter only pitched 2 innings in the series but in those 2 innings he gave up 5 hits and 6 earned runs.  In game 1 of the series he gave up a grand slam that proved to be the difference.  In game 3 he turned a Orioles 4 run lead into a 2 run lead, even the outs he was recording in game 3 were hit hard.  Again too early to panic but if Tommy Hunter wants to stay in the late inning role he's been a custom to, 6 earned runs in 2 innings wont cut it.

GOOD: Caleb Joseph

Let's give some love to the catcher for the Baltimore Orioles.  One of the main topic of discussions for Orioles fans is when is Matt Wieters coming back.  Well if Joseph keeps playing like he did against the Yankees, fans wont be so quick to rush Wieters back.  Caleb Joseph registered 7 hits in 11 at bats scored a run and drove in 2 in the 3 game set.  Now Joseph isn't as good at throwing guys out like Wieters is but, cant complain with how Joseph is holding his own while the all star backstop gets healthy.

BAD: Inconsistent Chris Davis

Oh Chris Davis what are we going to do with you.  Chris Davis for me might be turning into one of the most frustrating players on the ball club.  The first 2 games of the series Davis went 0 for 7 with 6 strike outs, and some of those strike outs he looked really, really bad.  Then Wednesday comes around and he drives in 3 runs including a huge 2 run double that gave the Orioles the cushion they needed for the win.  Even with the 2 hits and 3 RBIs last night, he still struck out 3 times.  I'm not asking for 2-3 hits every night from Davis but it would be nice to see him be a little more productive, you can still make an out and have it help your ball club, not much help can come from striking out 9 times in three games.

GOOD: Adam Jones staying hot

I mentioned Adam Jones in my last post about how he played in the Blue Jays series.  Well he continued hitting the ball extremely well hitting home runs in games 1 and 2 and having at least 1 hit in every game of the series.  It's tough to argue that anyone in baseball right now is seeing the ball better than Adam Jones.  Oh yea, and he's playing gold glove caliber defense as well, Tommy Hunter should thank him for Wednesday night.

Up next for the birds is a 4 game series in Boston against the Red Sox.

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The Good and Bad from the Orioles-Blue Jays series (April 10-12)

The Orioles start the season with 19 consecutive games against AL East opponents.  It's hard to say that the first 19 games are one of the most important stretches in the season, but it would also be nice as defending division champs to make a strong statement to start the 2015 campaign.  This past weekend the Toronto Blue Jays came to Oriole Park and showed that maybe just maybe, they might be able to make some noise in the east.

GOOD: Ubaldo Jimenez
After last season I never though i would say this, Ubaldo Jimenez looked great.  Ubaldo has been the target of a lot of criticism since he signed a 4 year $50 million deal, and then posted a 4.81 ERA his first season in Baltimore.  We kept hearing the Jimenez had a very good spring, sometimes you have to take that with a grain of salt because of some of the lineups you face in March.  Well, at least for start number 1, Ubaldo was great.  He pitched 7 innings only giving up 1 hit, 8 strikeouts and more importantly only 1 walk.  I don't expect Ubaldo to pitch like this every start, but if he can be more consistent it will be a huge boost for the pitching staff.

BAD: The Rest of the pitching staff
When you take away Ubaldo's performance and a couple relief appearances here and there, it wasn't a good weekend for Orioles pitchers.  Take away the 7 scoreless Ubaldo threw Saturday night, Orioles pitchers gave up 23 runs in 20 innings, that's not good.  Bud Norris might have had the most disappointing performance of all.  Norris only lasted 3 innings giving up 8 runs on seven hits on his Friday start.  Chris Tillman who looked so good opening day, couldn't get through 3 innings on Sunday.  Now it wasn't all bad, there was one point on Sunday where 12 straight Blue Jays were retired, but all in all a bad weekend for Orioles pitchers.

GOOD: Adam Jones
The only way to describe Adam Jones this weekend is impressive.  Jones was the Orioles main offensive weapon, he went 7 for 10 scored 5 runs, hit 2 home runs and drove in 5.  Adam has been a model of consistency during his entire time here in Baltimore, which is why I scratch my head when fans give him so much grief.  He's a multiple time all star and gold glove winner, and barring any kind of injury you can pencil him right now to bat .280, hit 25-35 home runs and drive in 85-100.  As much as we talk about other players, this Orioles team runs through Adam Jones, 2015 should not be any different.

BAD: Manny Machado
Manny is one of my favorite Orioles, but doesn't mean he is exempt from any criticism.  The start of the 2015 season has been a tough one for Machado.  He did go 1 for 4 in Sunday's loss and he even had a stolen base.  Unfortunately, that one hit on Sunday was so far his only of the season.  Manny has started the season 1 for 19, not very good.  There is one positive from Machado however, his defense seems as strong as ever.  Machado is a great young talent and while the 1 for 19 start is concerning, I'm willing to chalk this up as just an early season slump.

The Orioles tour around the AL east continues tonight when the last place New York Yankees (yes I know it's only 6 games, it just feels nice to say) travel to Baltimore to start a 3 game series.  Be sure to check out my good and bad from this series as well.

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The Good and Bad from the Orioles-Rays series (April 6-8)

Well it's finally here baseball is back, thankfully.  After a rather unique off season in Baltimore with players leaving and the General Manager wanting to get a job with another team in the division.  We can finally put that all aside and focus on whats important, the on the field play.  There were plenty of good and some bad things from the opening series in Tampa.  The great thing about baseball is there is plenty of time to fix whats ailing you, it's also way too early to panic about anything.

GOOD: Orioles win series
It might be the most simple, but it's the one thing you need the most.  Sweeps are nice and can really spring you into a long winning streak.  However, if you continue to take 2 out of 3 or 3 out of 4, getting 90 wins for the season gets a whole lot easier.  Also, when it comes to playing teams like Tampa, winning series are a must.  The Rays are not expected to do a lot in the AL east this season so just about every time you play them, if you're the Orioles you should win the series.

BAD: Chris Davis goes hit less, strikes out 3 times
Again I cant say this enough, it is extremely early in the season but in the 2 games Davis played he was really quiet.  Davis has a lot of pressure on him to perform this season, after the down year in 2014 and the suspension Davis has a lot to prove.  He's got permission to take Adderall this season so it will be interesting to see what his numbers will be in 2015.  Hopefully for Orioles fans his first two games aren't going to be the norm this year.

GOOD: Steve Pearce
Steve Pearce came to play to start 2015.  He hit home runs in the first 2 games, last two Orioles to do that to start a season both led the league in home runs by the end of the season (Davis in 2013, Cruz in 2014).  I don't think Steve Pearce will lead the league in home runs, but I do think he'll have a really good year if he plays consistently.



BAD: Orioles Starters not going deeper
Before I start my analysis, I'll be the first to admit that I'm kind of nitpicking here.  However, Chris Tillman was the only starter to pitch more than 6 innings in the opening series.  Wei-Yin Chen only lasted 4 and a third, and even though Miguel Gonzalez only allowed 1 run, he couldn't get through the 6th.  The Orioles bullpen might be the strongest aspect of the club but, you cant use 3-5 pitchers from the bullpen every game and expect them to perform well all season.  I'm willing to give a slight pass because it's early in the season but it needs to get better.

GOOD: Travis Snider's first impression
As good as Steve Pearce was in the opening series, Travis Snider was better.  Just look at opening day alone.  Travis Snider drove in the first run of the season, made a diving catch in the outfield and threw out someone at the plate.  He followed that up with another RBI in game 2 and he was on base 4 times.  Travis Snider will very quickly endear himself to Orioles fans if he continues to play this hard.  I'm not saying he'll make us forget Nick Markakis, just make the break up hurt a little less.

The most important thing to realize is that baseball is not a sprint it's a marathon.  After three games for the Orioles there is nothing that is getting me overly excited, but there is also nothing that has me overly worried either.  The birds took 2 out of 3 and now head home for the first time this season to face the Blue Jays on Friday.  Did I mention I love baseball???

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Top 5 Moments from Division Series

It's been a  very exciting MLS postseason.  In the American League we have two teams that haven't been to a World Series in 30 years.  In the National League we have two teams that are making a habit of playing in the NLCS.  None of the division series went to a full 5 games.  The last time that happened was in 2009.  There were plenty of terrific, edge of your seat moments but for me there are 5 that stood out above the rest.

5) Clayton Kershaw loses Game 1 after being spotted a 6-1 lead

For most people who watched baseball this season there was no doubt who the best pitcher in baseball was.  Clayton Kershaw was outstanding, You could almost guarantee a win every time he took the mound this season for the Dodgers.  So when LA gave Kershaw a 6-1 lead in Game 1 of the NLDS, most figured the Dodgers would easily go up one game to none over St. Louis.  Then, the 7th inning happened.  The Cardinals exploded for 8 runs, 6 of which were attributed to Kershaw.  Matt Carpenter delivered the fatal blow with a bases clearing double and that 6-1 lead for the Dodgers turned into a 7-6 deficit.  St. Louis would win the game 10-9 and it seemed like the Dodger never could quite recover from the shocking game 1 defeat.

Cardinals 8 Run 8th Inning

4) Kansas City Royals extra inning magic

Not many people gave Kansas City much of a chance just to get past Oakland in the wild card game.  So once they did that there was no way they would beat the team with the best record in baseball, right.  Well not only did they beat the Angels they swept them.  In the first 2 games of the 3 game sweep the Royals needed extra innings to notch victories.  They also did it with the long ball, KC only hit 95 home runs in the regular season, but in the postseason they made it look easy.  Its those extra inning wins made America fall in love with this Kansas City squad.

Eric Hosmer 11th Inning HR

3) Yusmeiro Petit throws 6 scoreless in 18 inning marathon

This postseason gave us the longest game in postseason history and Petit's performance stole the headlines from Jordan Zimmerman who at one point retired 20 Giants in a row.  The Nats lost game 1 at home and desperately needed this game to not go down 0-2 heading to San Francisco.  Petit came into the game in the 12th inning and in his 6 innings of work he allowed just 1 hit walked 3 and struck out 7.  The Nats could not get anything going against him, and then in the top of the 18th Brandon Belt hit the deciding HR that basically ended the series.

Petit's Scoreless Relief

2) Matt Adams' 3 Run HR in Game 4

Sorry Dodger fans but one teams heartbreak is another teams great moment.  Game 4 the Dodgers sent Kershaw back to the mound in a must win game.  Game 4 really didn't go much differently than game 1.  Kershaw looked good early, the Dodgers gave him a lead, and he couldn't hold onto it.  Now you can debate whether or not Don Mattingly should've take him out in either game 1 or 4.  But lets be honest, is there a better pitcher in the bullpen that you would put in over a guy like Kershaw, probably not.  Well he didnt and maybe that's why the Dodgers aren't moving on.

Matt Adams go ahead HR

1) Delmon Young's bases clearing double

This could be looked at as extremely bias, but I don't care.  For most of Game 2 the Orioles were trailing the Detroit Tigers and it looked like the Tigers were about to tie the series up heading to Detroit.  Then, the Tigers bullpen made an appearance and it was all over for Detroit.  Steve Pearce singled in a run, then JJ Hardy walked to set the stage for Delmon Young.  Young had great postseason numbers and he didnt wait long to send Detroit fans into a deep depression.  With the crowds response and what the hit meant to the outcome of the series, Delmon Young's 3 run double was for me the top moment of the Division Series.

Delmon Young 3 run double

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How far can the 2014 Orioles go?

So August is quickly coming to a close and the baseball pennant races are heating up.  However when you look to the AL East the race is far from close.  As we stand right now (Aug 22) the Baltimore Orioles, yes the Baltimore Orioles have the largest division lead in all of baseball.  Even the most die hard of Orioles followers couldn't have imagined this at the beginning of the 2014 season.  But here we are with about 35-38 games left and that's where we are.  So now the question arises, just how good is this Baltimore Orioles club and is a deep postseason run in their future?

When July 31st came and went ill admit I was a tad disappointed that the Orioles didn't add a big name.  In my opinion the Orioles were maybe one front line starting pitcher away from being a real serious World Series contender.   Instead the birds traded for Andrew Miller, a relief pitcher.  Not necessarily a name that would make you run to the box office and start demanding playoff tickets.  However, Miller has pitched extremely well.  In 8 games with the Orioles he's pitched 7.1 innings and has allowed only 1 earned run equaling a 1.23 ERA.  The two teams that made the biggest splashes at the trade deadline were Oakland and Detroit.  The A's picked up Jon Lester from Boston and Detroit added to their already stellar pitching staff by acquiring David Price from Tampa Bay.  Oh but how baseball can turn on you in a heartbeat.  Both guys have pitched well for their new ball clubs so that's not the issue.  When both teams made those trades they were in first place in their respective divisions.  Now, both teams are trailing and if the season ended today they would face each other in the Wild Card game.  When you look at the Orioles they only led the AL east by a game and a half on July 31st, now its 9.  Sometimes you don't need to add to your team, sometimes the team you have is plenty good enough to get where you need to go.  Some would argue that the AL East is down this season, and maybe that's true.  In a recent stretch against the Angels, Athletics and Mariners, all who were playing great baseball, the O's went 10-6, not too shabby.

So how are the Orioles doing it?  Well for one its not just one guy carrying the load.  It's easy to look at Nelson Cruz and Adam Jones with their numbers and say they are the reason the Orioles are 21 games over .500, and it's tough to argue that.  But so many other guys have contributed in big win.  Caleb Joseph has 8 home runs and set an Orioles record for a catcher by hitting home runs in 5 straight games.  Jonathan Schoop, though the average is disappointing he's homered 12 times and had a huge bases clearing double against the White Sox a few nights ago.  Old reliable Nick Markakis looks to be fully healthy as he has 11 bombs and his hitting his usual .292 at the top of the Orioles lineup.  Steve Pearce, who has had to play a lot his year because of injures, is hitting above .280 with 13 home runs.  JJ Hardy's power numbers are a tad down this season but he has his best batting average since 2008 and is still playing gold glove defense.  Even Chris Davis who cant seem to break .200 still has 21 home runs and 60 RBIs.  When Manny Machado has been on the field he's shown why he should be considered one of baseball's brightest stars.  Everybody who has picked up a bat this season has helped the Orioles win, which take a ton of pressure off the pitching staff.

Speaking of the pitching, as great as the hitting has been its the pitching that have gotten the Orioles to where
they are at right now.  Three Orioles starters have 10 wins or more, and only 1 starter has an ERA above 4 and as of yesterday he's no longer a starter.  The Orioles pitching was one of the biggest questions marks coming into 2014 but they have answered the challenge, especially in the second half.  Since the all star break the Orioles are 21-11 as a team and have posted a 2.93 ERA, nearly a run less than the first half of the season.  Wei-Yin Chen might be having the best season of all of them, he's 13-4 with a 3.76 ERA.  Chris Tillman seems to have rebounded from some struggling starts and has the best ERA among starters.  Kevin Gausman, in his first extended time as a starter as shown the top 10 draft pick promise we were all hoping for.  Then when the starters are done they throw it over to perhaps the best bullpen in baseball.  I mentioned earlier how good Andrew Miller has been since the trade.  Darren O'Day is my sleeper pick for Orioles MVP.  I know its tough to give it to a reliever especially if its not a closer.  However, any time you can have a guy on your staff with a sub 1 ERA, and he pitches in the most critical spots, 7th inning or later.  That is a huge weapon for any team.  Zach Britton has turned into a pretty damn good closer.  He's had some hiccups along the way but 27 out of 30 is awesome for a guy who has never closed in the big leagues.

I hate to use this phrase but barring a major collapse the Baltimore Orioles will not only make the playoffs but be winning their first division title since 1997.  If I would've wrote this blog a month ago my most feared teams would be Oakland and Detroit.  Both of those teams are struggling and might not make it past the Wild Card game.  So, if you're an Orioles fan do you fear anybody in the American League?  Not to sound cocky, but I don't think so.  Look, as I mentioned earlier in this post in the Orioles toughest stretch of the season they went 10-6.  Other than maybe the Tigers (who they are 1-5 against this season), the Orioles have shown they can compete with and beat any team in baseball.  For the Orioles its all about staying consistent.  I don't believe that teams can peak too early, this Orioles squad is a damn good team.  If somehow Chris Davis breaks out of his season long slump (highly unlikely I know), then teams should really watch out.  Injuries play a huge role and so far the Orioles have weathered that storm as well, Wieters is done for the season and Manny Machado is on the DL for the second time this season.  The last thing is this club believes they can win.  That might seem childish but if you truly believe that you can win every game in which you take the field that goes a long way.  Anything less than an appearance in the ALCS would be a huge disappointment for this club, and saying those words make the previous 15 years almost bearable.

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15 Years in the Making: My Postseason experience at Camden Yards

The magical season that was the 2012 Baltimore Orioles came to an abrupt and disappointing end on Friday night in the Bronx.  A season that literally came out of nowhere.  A season that most thought would end like any other, with 90-98 losses or even more.  However something was different in Baltimore this season and as the months went by and the momentum built the city of Baltimore become more and more anxious with anticipation that this might be the year.  Not only did the Orioles end the 15 years of losing they also clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 1997.  I was 11 years old when the O's were last in postseason and trust me the way the O's were going it didn't seem like they would ever get back.  Once the Orioles announced they were selling playoff tickets I jumped all over the opportunity to be a part of that atmosphere.  Just like all season the Orioles didn't make it easy on themselves and they had to win a 1 game playoff against the 2 time defending AL champs on the road, which they did and it set up a tremendous homecoming.

Starting Lineups for Game 1

So its the morning of Game 1 and of course the night before I couldn't sleep.  The game was scheduled for 6 pm, I woke up at 9 am, 9 hours before first pitch.  This day was the slowest day ever, but finally the time came when we headed to the ballpark.  The minute we entered Oriole Park you could feel the excitement, the fans of Baltimore were ready to unleash 15 years worth of frustration, then the heavens opened up.  It almost seemed like a cruel joke mother nature was playing on Baltimore.  Fifteen years we had to wait and the rain was making us wait more.  Finally after 2 and a half excruciating hours they were ready to play ball.  The wait didn't temper the enthusiasm of the Baltimore crowd, the game could've started at 2 am and the reaction would've been the same.  I would be re missed if I didn't mention the first pitch ceremony.  Perry Hall student Daniel Borowy, the special needs student who was shot on the first day of school, threw out that first pitch not many dry eyes in the house.  Then the towel waving began (they handed them out before the game) and playoff baseball was back.  It was everything I imagined and more, I have been to dozens of games over the years and never have I been part of a crowd that hung on every pitch.  Game 1 in the ALDS was like every other O's-Yanks game, hard fought and down to the wire.  Nate McLouth's go ahead 2 run single in the 3rd sent to crowd into a frenzy.  The Yanks quickly tied it up and it stayed that way for most of the game.  The loudest the crowd got in my opinion was the top of the 7th.  Troy Patton started the inning by walking the first two guys and it looked bleak for the birds.  Darren O'Day came into an impossible situation especially after Jeter's sac bunt.  But O'Day got the next 2 outs without a run scoring that included a strikeout against A-Rod that ended the inning, wow is all I can say about the noise of the crowd.

Here is a link to O'Day's escape in Game 1 http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25357305&c_id=mlb

Game 1 didn't end the way O's fans wanted it to with a 7-2 loss but despite the loss the crowd, the atmosphere and just seeing playoff baseball back in Baltimore was so special, but I had Game 2 on the horizon.

Johnson reacting to the O's Game 2 Win

Game 1 was disappointing which made Game 2 all that more important for the Orioles.  Yet again mother nature did her best to piss off Orioles fans, the delay wasn't nearly as long but enough to irritate us.  Game 2 started and you could feel the sense of urgency in the crowd.  Game 2 nearly followed the same script as Game 1.  The Yankees took a first inning lead after a nifty little move by Ichiro to avoid a Matt Wieters tag.  The Orioles would respond with a 2 run third inning after a Chris Davis single.  The only difference was the Yankees never tied or took the lead back.  However that didn't make the game any less stressful.  You would think after all of the one run games and extra inning wins that id be used to it by now.....nope.  The Yankees threatened in the 6th, 7th and 8th and only mustered one run, so we headed into the 9th with the O's up 3-2.  Usually this is automatic for Baltimore since Jim Johnson had 51 saves, but he got hammered the night before and maybe a little doubt crept in.  It also wouldn't be easy with the top of the Yankees lineup hitting.  Johnson however did what he did all year, shut it down.  It came down to a 3-2 pitch to A-Rod and swing and miss ball game over, the first home playoff win in 15 years and it kind of felt like they won the World Series.  The fireworks started going off, im slapping high fives with random people and yelling at the top of my lungs.  For at least a brief moment all the heartache of 15 years gone and forgotten.  Baseball was back in Baltimore and it felt fantastic.

Chris Davis' 2 Run Single to put the O's up for good http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25364151&c_id=mlb

Jim Johnson gets the Save and tied the ALDS at 1-1 http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25365099&c_id=mlb

Maybe the most enjoyable part of these two games was enjoying it with my family.  Its amazing what affects sports have on you and I saw that first hand in those 2 games.  The city of Baltimore has been aching for a winner and in 2012  they got one.  Will this lead to more winning seasons?  Only time will tell but being excited for next baseball season is a weird and wonderful feeling.  No the Orioles didn't win the World Series and some would argue they should have actually won that series against the Yanks, none of that matters.  The Orioles gave the city of Baltimore a season none of us will soon forget.

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Maryland witnessing a Baseball revival

There are a lot of people who live in the state of Maryland, and among the masses a lot are baseball fans.  To be brunt baseball fans have not had a lot to cheer for in recent years.  Well forget cheering its been down right embarrassing to say you were a fan of either the O's or Nats.  However something has changed in 2012, and for some reason the baseball gods have smiled down on this region.  Unless you have been living under a rock you know that the Orioles and Nationals are playing some of the best baseball all year.  As of now the Orioles are 81-62 tied for first and the Nats have a 8 1/2 game lead in the NL East with a 89-54 mark.  I don't know how long it will last or if even both teams will even make the playoffs but damn this has been a fun ride.

Since the Nats moved from Montreal you could say that they have been mediocre at best (81-81 being best record until this year).  Then in back to back drafts they were lucky enough to land Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper, both being huge parts of their success this season.  They traded for Gio Gonzalez in the off season, signed free agent Edwin Jackson and there was a buzz about this team.  Not many thought they would be this good but playoffs was not out of the question.  At times the Nats hitting has struggled, however when nobody in your starting rotation has an ERA above 4, you don't need to score a lot.  Other than maybe the Reds no other team has played better and more consistent than the Nationals.  The Nats caught fire early starting 14-4 and have never really looked back.  It's unfortunate that for the majority of this season the "Strasburg Shutdown" has been the main topic of conversation when it comes to the Nats.  I look at it this way, Strasburg pitches once every five days and even though he is a great pitcher, baseball is not a one man game and Strasburg is not the only reason the Nats are in first place.  That being said if the Nats fall short in the post season the shutdown will be questioned for a long time.

One of my favorite Orioles Moments

Now for the Orioles, just like everybody else I really don't know how they are playing as well as they are.  In a game where stats are more important than any other sport, the stats tell you the Orioles should really be in last place.  They have a negative run differential, which I hate talking about but its true, 16th in runs, 21st in batting average, and 18th in team ERA, and they are 19 over .500.....huh??  Now I know those numbers aren't great but the O's do have some impressive stats.  They are 27-7 in one run games which is the best in MLB history, and they have won 13 straight extra inning games.  Not to mention a bullpen that ranks top 3 in ERA in the American League.  The best way to describe the Orioles in 2012 is the song Orioles Magic.  "Every day there's a different star, that's the magic of Orioles baseball".  Its true, just look at the recent 3 game series against Tampa.  Game 1, JJ Hardy had 4 hits and 5 RBIs, Game 2 Nate McClouth game winning hit in the 9th, Game 3 Manny Machado game winning hit in the 14th.  This truly is a team that believes it can win every single game and through 5 1/2 months who's to argue with them.

The best thing about these teams playing well is the fans coming back to the ballparks.  Both for numerous reasons have struggled drawing fans over the past few seasons, with neither cracking the 2 million fan mark.  The last time the Nats had over 2 million was 2008 (first year of Nats Park), for the O's 2007 was their last time over 2 million.  In fact the O's and Nats have only drawn over 2 million in the same season twice, 2005 and 2006, well 2012 might be that year as well.  As of now (Sept 14) the Nats have already hit the 2 million mark with 2,078,208.  The Orioles have some work to do, right now its at 1,893,421 with 7 home games left.  Is it doable, i think so as long as they average 15,200 fans a game they will hit 2 million, and with Boston coming to Baltimore and Brooks Robinson statue being handed out, it should happen.  Bottom line its nice to see excitement for baseball in Maryland.

In a region that is mostly dominated by football with the Ravens and Redskins, baseball is making a strong push, of course this hinges on the O's and Nats playing well consistently and not being one year wonders.  You know what would really help, a battle of the beltways World Series.  What?? it could happen, and just remember when it does you heard it here first.

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Ravens vs. Orioles, Same City but Worlds Apart

Today was the last day of baseball's winter meetings. Just like every other year some big moves were made. Unfortunately another repeat is the Orioles being very quiet. Well not too quiet they did pick up the amazing pitcher known as Dana Eveland, who has the incredible career ERA of 5.52. Now i am not naive, I know to get players to come here they have to want to come here. My main problem with the Orioles is that they tell us they want to get better and yet do nothing to strive towards getting better. New GM Dan Duquette has stated that the goal for the Orioles in the 2012 season is to be at least .500. I know the regular season is still a couple months away, but as an O's fan you cant feel confident with how this past week has gone. That is what leads me to the comparison to the Ravens, but really its how they are nothing alike.

Back to how the Orioles don't add the players they need to become competitive. Before the 2011 season the Orioles picked up players like Vladimir Guerrero, Derrek Lee, Mark Reynolds and JJ Hardy. Out of those four players JJ Hardy is really the only one who played well in all facets of the game. Both Vlad and Lee were and are past their primes, and Reynolds while the power numbers were there, he couldn't play third to save his life. As for the Ravens they don't miss nearly as much as the O's do. Now I understand football is different than baseball, but the general concept of picking up the right player for the right situations should not change. Just look at some of the Ravens off season pick ups. Bryant McKinnie, Vonta Leach, Andre Gurode, Bernard Pollard and Lee Evans. The only argument you can make is Evans because of his injury. Other than that each one of those guys have contributed, and some in a big way. The Ravens know when they have a weakness and address it accordingly. The Orioles say that they do and try to convince you they will be a winner. However the glaring differences don't stop at player acquisitions.

The front offices are incredibly different as well. First the Orioles, the major concern from fans and baseball experts is the involvement of Peter Angelos. Mr. Angelos has always been criticized for how he handles the team. Angelos has never given the reigns to his GMs to do what they need to turn the team around. Since Pat Gillick (the last successful GM) the Orioles have had five men try, all have failed and none have last more than four seasons. I am willing to bet that Angelos is the main reason it took forever to find a new GM this season, and why the guy they hired hadn't been in baseball for 10 years. The Ravens have had one figure head who has made all the football decisions, Ozzie Newsome. Plenty of guys have left who were under Newsome, but since he was hired in 1996 Newsome has been the man. Neither Modell or Bisciotti have never been known to meddle, and in my opinion its a huge part of the Ravens success. From 1996 on the Orioles have had two winning seasons (96 & 97), the Ravens have had eight winning seasons, two division titles and a Super Bowl. The numbers speak for themselves.

Baltimore might be one of the most unique sports cities in America, not saying that its a good thing. You have one franchise that does everything right, and even if there are complaints they aren't major ones. The other franchise does everything it possibly can to frustrate its fan base, not on purpose but sometimes it feels that way. One last thing, the Ravens make you proud to wear their jerseys and colors. When I tell people I am an Orioles fan a look of pity comes to their face. I don't know when the Orioles will be winners again and until they do me and most of Baltimore will continue to reluctantly suffer through the baseball season so we can enjoy the Ravens.

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