Tony-OH

The good news is it's 11:30 and I can go to bed and not be up feeling like I should still check in to this hard to watch team right now. As fun as the 2023 Orioles team was to watch, this team is as frustrating to watch as any Orioles team that I can remember. But hey, the orange colored glass wearers will point to season stats to tell us the offense is not really that bad.

Down four is like being down 20 with this POS offense.

Maybe Kevin Brown could calm down his man crush on Ohtani and remind himself he's not doing a national game right now.

Why are they not just intentionally walking him?

Lol, two run double on a bouncing ball where Urias would be playing if the offense could show any life.

This is where the wheels fall off.

Orioles get one hit. Immediately hit into double play to erase that mistake.

Where there's one of the three Orioles hits of the night!

"Man, hitting is hard" - 2024 Orioles offense

Nice job by Povich there! Kept pouring in quality strikes.

Gunnar is the only player in the organization you don't trade. You are reluctant to trade Holliday, Mayo and Basallo (who may be better than them all at the plate).

Hasn't made an error in 61 innings so far at 3B.

Not when you get back a TOR with two and half years of control in the middle of what should be three pennant drives. I do think Holliday will figure it out, but it's not as cut and dry as some seem to think. I'm a big believer in having impact starting pitching is the only way to go deep into the playoffs. More important than a good 2B.

Maybe Hyde should drop him in the order since he's pretty bad right now.

Well here comes Mr. disappointment.

I notice the people who were laughing at anyone who would consider trading Holliday have been quiet as his strikeouts have gone through the roof once again. I don't know if he would have been available for Skubel, but I still would rather have Norby and Skubel than Holliday and Rogers. I still think Holliday figures it out, but he's definitely overmatched on most nights with major league pitching right now.

Best part about this, he hit a home run the pitch before this but the umpire called it foul. everyone including the Jacksonville announcers thought it was a home run. So what do he do on the next pitch? Hits a long home run to RCF! lol

I said this during my 105.7 spot. Soto has actually thrown the ball well since his disastrous start.

If he pitches like an ace in September and in the playoffs will I call him an ace? I'd say he pitched like an ace. Is he a legitimate ace that you can count on to pitch a good game when you need it, he just showed us this August he was not. Honestly, while he was pitching well, he wasn't exactly dominating like aces do anyways so no, I will call him a good #2 who was pitching like an ace. Let's hope I can say that.

It's been a long time since I felt the Orioles had a real ace, maybe all the way back to Mu$$ina. I have high standards for an ace. I don't think Aces wilt under the August pressure of a stretch drive. I don't think Aces give leads right back up after their teams come back for them. I don't think Aces put up 7+ ERA over a 6 start stretch in August. You can. I have no issues if you feel Burnes is an ace because really, there is no true definition. Is he the clear #1 starter on this team, yes, he should be. Could Eflin be that guy if he returns and pitches like he did before his injury, sure. Eflin was proving to be that guy before the injury. As you said before, Burnes wasn't exactly dominating. He was pitching well, but it's not like he was going out there with unhittable stuff more times than not. Burnes was not missing the bats like an ace should and he has struggled in the 5th inning most of the year. So yes, I'm going to say Burnes is not an ace. He's solid #2 going though a rough patch.

Yes, he did go from an Ace to a #2 based on him wilting under the pressure of this stretch run. If he suddenly starts to pitch like he's capable in September, then maybe he can be considered an ace again. Players do figure things out and Burnes has the stuff to do so, but he's doing things that aces don't do. Show me an Ace pitcher that wilted in August during a stretch run like Burnes has. It's easy to just sit back and say, "Oh he's an ace" and don't question how small he's coming up, but this is exactly what a true ace does not do. they may have a bad outing here and there, but they don't put up an embarrassing month in August, right after the trade deadline when a team can do nothing else really. Eflin went down and it's like Burnes crapped his pants knowing he was now the guy-guy. It's sad because I expected more from him but he's showed us that he can't be trusted to give a good outing when the team needs one like Aces do.

Aces pick up their defense when they let him down. They don't fold like a house of cards. Aces don't give up more runs right away when their teams claw back into games. Aces don't falter when injuries occur to the pitching staff that makes their starts really matter. Burnes has come up small when this team has needed him the most. They needed a real ace to depend on, and they've gotten a guy who is 1-3 with a 7.36 ERA since the trading deadline. He was very good before that, but it just appears he's not been the guy they thought they got when they traded away Ortiz and DL Hall. He still has time to right his ship, but he no longer has my trust as a guy who is going to give you a good game. And while he's still a good pitcher, he's not a guy I'd consider a TOR any longer. A solid #2 yeah, but TORs are special and Burnes has showed this August is not able to dig down and find that extra gear when his team needs him most.

Yeah, that bowling ball fastball is definitely part of that high ground ball rate and why I've liked him so much prior to him just losing his command. Hopefully it's something mechanical, but even his body language shows his frustrations in not being up to consistently execute his pitches. He's pretty emotional on the mound and sometimes forgets the situation, like turning his back to the catcher after a strikeout when there are runners on base.

Yeah, that was a nice PA. I love seeing young guys lines balls oppo, particularly lefties and against left-handers.

It was definitely down and in and that contributed to the swing, though he could have gotten on top of it with a less vertical swing. I doubt the Orioles hitting coaches are giving these new draft picks too much new instruction as the team typically let's these guys go play for the rest of the summer than give them things to work on in the offseason. Overn did pop 8 homers at USC this year, so it's not like he was a punch and judy hitter. I He's not a big guy and he's probably not going to be big time home run guy, but he'll pop a few here and there for sure.