Tony-OH

The key to making the playoffs, beat up the bad teams and play .500 against the good ones: The Orioles record in 2023 so far: Against .500 or better teams: 7-8 (.467) Against below .500 teams: 15-4 (.789) So they've actually beat up the bad teams by a little more than 3 games to 1 and with the two losses this weekend fallen to one game below against the good teams. The Orioles are entering a 19-game stretch with .500 or better teams so going 10-9 would put them back on track to playing .500 against the good teams.

I just perused the 1st and 2nd pages of the Orioles board and saw two "negative posts" one started by Roy called. "The reason this good team(Orioles) will not be a great team" and one by Frobby called, "Captain Obvious: the O’s won’t beat good teams pitching like this" so i guess I don't get where people are saying there's all this negativity or threads being started when other threads are open. maybe you can help me understand what I'm missing.

Gwynn certainly passed way too young!

Nah, but this is kind of one of those posts that are complaining about the complainers, and that is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. But it's turning into an ok thread! Either way, I think most people in this thread understand what's going on. This weekend wasn't fun because we lost two close games and close games always are easy to pick on because it's one at bat here and there that can be pointed too. But, as many of us have said, The Orioles were one pitch by Coulombe from winning 2- of 3 from the Braves and went 12 innings for the Braves to outlast them yesterday. I'll be honest though, I'm a little worried about going into a series with the Rays short-handed in the pen. They really need a 6+ inning start from Gibson tonight or the bats have to be on their game.

Coming into this season: "Home teams went 113-103 in extra-inning games last year and are 262-263 in extra innings since the runner on second rule started in 2020, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Home teams were 312-294 in extra-inning games from 2017-19." The ghost runner stops games from going 15 and 16 innings and destroying a bullpen. Both teams get the exact same advantage. It only sucks when we lose because of it!

But the game threads are designed for that. it stops from cluttering up the board elsewhere with game time emotional comments. No one should be held responsible for the game thread chats. But its not for everyone. Some people prefer to stay in their little positive bubble the whole game nd if that's the way they fan, then great for them. The game thread is the almost no-holds bar rollercoaster ride. Bringing it up here or acting like it makes the whole board irrational is not correct.

The fact is the start was mirage. This team is not a 100 win team which is what they were on pace on before the Braves series. Now is this team a terrible team that is going to collapse, no, but it does have flaws that they've been able to get over thanks to some real good relief pitching. But those guys are bound to get burnt out at the rate of innings they've had to cover because of starting staff that can't consistently eat innings. Close wins can be frustrating especially when it just would have taken one hit here and there to win the game, but the Braves pitchers get paid to and they pitched to the weaknesses of our hitters on Sunday. Saturday was a tougher pill to swallow because Hyde made a questionable bullpen move that backfired, but as sketchy as Bautista has been of late, who's to say he wouldn't have blown it? It's baseball. You win some, you lose some, and sometimes it rains.

You mean like this thread?

Sure, some people are over the top, but the vast majority of people understand we lost two close games to one of the best teams in the National League and baseball overall. Is it fun to watch a game that goes 12 innings and your hitters suck, nope, but sometimes you have to tip the cap to the other team's pitching. The Braves just slightly outpitched us and we just ran out of bullets in the last game having to throw one of our struggling relievers in a tough spot.

May 1st list..

It's worth noting that the conversation of Norby to a corner outfielder may have begun. Only two of his six starts were at 2B and he committed an error in both. He started two games in LF and one in RF.

That's really the toughest part of this loss. I think the team is going to have to make a move for a fresh reliever who can provide some length.

Ben certainly showed well today.

Can't be too upset. It was a good game overall to watch. The pitching was really good for both teams. We just ran out of bullets. They had one better reliever than us. Remember, if Mountcastle just has a professional at bat back in what, the 3rd 4th inning, then the Orioles win. Sometimes it's those little things.

First rule of reverse jinx is to never talk about the reverse jinx.

True, but sometimes you really do have to tip the cap. In my mind, that was a tip the cap kind of throw!

Again, good game overall. We are not getting out of this one.

Especially if they actually pitch to Pillar.

Hey look folks, it's Pillar against a Lefty! Just walk him.

But its about getting that run home. You increase the chances by being on 3rd with one out.

That's what Stowers needed to do. Then that ball gets down the line. Uggh!!!

I think everyone knows I'm a big believer in Stowers, but yikes, this was one brutal, brutal game for him. He looks like way over matched at the plate.

It keeps working. I'm not going to stop.

Why would it mattered in an extra inning game. It's not like this team has been hitting well with RISP. Might as well get to 3rd. It took an amazing throw and that's what he did.

How about Baumann there. Happy to be wrong. Baumann really bared down there. Had some blood flowing to get to 99.