Happy Friday, Camden Chatters. We made it to the weekend!
The Orioles kicked off their four-game series with the Yankees by getting their butts kicked. Cade Povich gave up three runs in five innings with the help of four walks. Chayce McDermott had another poor showing. His new bullpen role is not working out very well so far. And the offense was stymied by lefty Max Fried, who pitched seven shutout innings with 13 strikeouts. Gunnar Henderson was the only player in the lineup who did not strike out against
him. You can get all of the details of the ugly loss in Tyler Young’s game recap.
I want to talk about last night’s starting lineup. Fried is a tough pitcher, one of the toughest lefties in the league. However, he is not a player with significant splits between left-handed and right-handed batters. That is the case both this year and over his career.
And yet, the Orioles last night rolled out a lineup that was missing lefty batters Dylan Beavers, Jackson Holliday, and Colton Cowser. The way Cowser has been batting, I don’t mind seeing him miss a day, except that it means Jorge Mateo had to play centerfield. I also don’t think we should ever have to see both Mateo and Luis Vázquez in the same lineup.
But Beavers is the most exciting player on the team right now. After a brief dip in performance, Beavers has been back on track. He has homered in each of the last two games. He’s not in danger of passing the 130 AB that would lose his rookie status. Why not see what Beavers can do against a pitcher like Fried? Let him get that experience?
It has been an ongoing issue for the Orioles this season that they seem to prefer putting inferior right-handed bats in the lineup against left-handed pitchers, regardless of the circumstances. It was frustrating early in the year when we didn’t yet know how bad the Orioles would be, and it’s frustrating now. I want to see Beavers!
I’m not saying the lineup last night was the difference between a loss and a win. The Orioles weren’t even close to winning the game. I’m just saying, why not give us anything worth watching?
Tonight, the Orioles face a righty pitcher, Will Warren. And for the Orioles, it’s team ace Trevor Rogers. Rogers has been a bit less sharp in his last two starts, but still quite good. I continue to look forward to his starts.
Links
With HBCU night, Orioles hope to reach fans who have felt ‘disengaged from baseball’ – The Baltimore Banner
From Andy Kostka, a story about the smaller number of Black players in MLB. It’s well done and includes the perspective of Marcus Sanders, the son of first base coach Anthony Sanders.
Orioles pregame notes on Mountcastle, Holliday, Dubin and more – MASN Sports
For all the Shawn Dubin fans out there, it’s good news. He does not need surgery after feeling elbow discomfort.
What is Mountcastle’s future with the Orioles? | MAILBAG – Baltimore Baseball
Rich Dubroff answers questions on Ryan Mountcastle and also…bunting? (Never bunt. I say that – not Dubroff)
Which Teams Have Suffered the Most From Injuries? – FanGraphs
According to Dan Szymborski, the Orioles lost the second-most potential WAR to injury this year. The first team, the Astros, are going to the playoffs. So don’t let that be the Orioles’ excuse.
Birthdays and History
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have five Orioles birthday buddies, including Randy Myers. Myers turns 63 years old today. He was the closer for the Orioles in 1996 and 1997. In ‘97 he led the league in saves with 45. At the time it was also an Orioles record, though it was later broken by Jim Johnson. Myers was an All Star in 1997 and came in 4th in both the MVP and Cy Young voting. Myers made 12 postseason appearances for the Orioles in his two years.
Other former Orioles born on this day are DL Hall (27), Danny Valencia (41), Nick Johnson (47), and Bob Turley (b. 1930, d. 2013).
On this day last year, Shohei Ohtani created a new club – the 50/50 club. He did so in one of the most incredible offensive games you could ever hope to see. He had six hits, three of which were home runs. He stole two bases and knocked in 10 runs. He finished the season with 54 HR and 59 SB.
Also last year, the Orioles walked off the Giants for their 85th win of the season. Zach Eflin pitched six innings with two runs. Seranthony Domínguez blew the save in the top of the ninth, then Anthony Santander’s 42nd home run with Gunnar Henderson on base sent everyone home happy. I mean, except for the Giants.
