Markakis is the Key!

[Capn Vivi]

Nick Markakis was injured during an at bat in the 5/29 game against the Blue Jays in Toronto. In 28 games since he went on the DL, our offense has managed a paltry .639 OPS and 3.57 runs/game. In spite of that, the team has gone 13-15.

Meanwhile, our pitching staff has a 4.66 ERA over that span, allowing 137 runs (129 ER) or 4.89 runs/game.

Our pythagorean record since Kakes went on the DL is 13-15, so despite how it looks on the field, we aren't really getting lucky out there in our victories. Our team is playing poorly. What this means, however, is that once our pitching staff stabilizes and our line-up returns to normal, there's no reason we shouldn't continue to play above .500 baseball. This rough period isn't the team "returning to earth," this looks more like a collective slump to me.

Our team simply isn't going to hit this poorly or pitch this poorly for the rest of the year.

In the first 50 games (the ones before Nick Markakis left the line-up), our offense was collectively OPS'ing .755 and put up 229 runs (4.58/game) while going 29-21.

The pitching staff managed a 3.65 ERA and allowed 218 runs (190 ER), good enough for 4.36 runs/game.

Our pythagorean record during our first 50 games was 26-24.

The question remains whether the hitting will return to the level it was performing at earlier in the year when Markakis returns or whether the pitching will bounce back. If both return to earlier levels, this team could really be a contender. Trade Schoop, Matusz & Avery for another SP and this pitching staff could become a lot more reliable.

Once Markakis returns, I see them going to the following starting line-ups. I put each player's career platoon split beside their name in parenthesis (only ML stats).

vLHP

2B Roberts# (.712)

SS Hardy (.824)

RF Markakis* (.755)

CF Jones (.690)

DH Thome* (.768)

CA Wieters# (.830)

1B Reynolds (.878)

3B Andino (.651)

LF Pearce (.844)

Bench

UT Flaherty* (.667)

1B Davis* (.731)

3B Betemit# (.662)

CA Paulino (.851)

vRHP

2B Roberts# (.788)

RF Markakis* (.844)

1B Davis* (.766)

CF Jones (.807)

DH Thome* (.1037)

CA Wieters# (.762)

SS Hardy (.722)

3B Betemit# (.826)

LF Flaherty* (.438)

Bench

UT Pearce (.583)

UT Andino (.619)

1B Reynolds (.784)

CA Paulino (.630)

[OFFNY]

Nick Markakis was injured during an at bat in the 5/29 game against the Blue Jays in Toronto. In 28 games since he went on the DL, our offense has managed a paltry .639 OPS and 3.57 runs/game. In spite of that, the team has gone 13-15.

Hey, are you in Pasadena, Maryland, or Pasadena, California ???

Because if you're in Pasadena, California, we'll be expecting you to make it to at least one of the Angels games later this week. :laughlol:

http://forum.orioleshangout.com/forums/showthread.php/122861-Calling-All-So-Cal-O-s-Fans-vs-Angels-Next-Weekend

[Moose Milligan]

I don't see how Markakis has anything to do with the quality of the pitching. No one gave him any credit for it when he was healthy, no one should be giving him any credit since he's been hurt.

He's not the All-Star .875-.925 OPS guy we thought we were getting but he's still pretty damn solid. It'll be nice to have him back.

[El Gordo]

Stabilizing the SP is the key. From June 1-16 we averaged 4.7 R per G without Markakis. We ran into a string of tough SP and an offensive slump, buit the SP meltdown is what really hurt us.

[OFFNY]

I don't see how Markakis has anything to do with the quality of the pitching.

This is true, no question ...... although, the pitchers might have been helped a little if Markakis were out there instead of Ryan Flaherty, Chris Davis, etc.

No one gave him any credit for it when he was healthy, no one should be giving him any credit since he's been hurt.

I don't agree with this line of thinking. Sometimes, you don't know what you have until you lose it. Just because you take someone/something for granted when they are available, doesn't necessarily mean that they are not a key piece to your overall product. I'm pretty sure that a lot of Oriole fans that took Nick for granted when he was playing were absolutely missing him (both on offense and defense), and wishing that he were healthy and on the playing field ........ particularly in light of a lot of the buffoonery that we have seen in the outfield in his absence. I would bet a lot of money that Adam Jones misses Markakis dearly, and feels that he can't get back soon enough.

.

[Moose Milligan]

This is true, no question ...... although, the pitchers might have been helped a little if Markakis were out there instead of Ryan Flaherty, Chris Davis, etc.

I don't agree with this line of thinking. Sometimes, you don't know what you have until you lose it. Just because you take someone/something for granted when they are available, doesn't necessarily mean that they are not a key piece to your overall product. I'm pretty sure that a lot of Oriole fans that took Nick for granted when he was playing were absolutely missing him (both on offense and defense), and wishing that he were healthy and on the playing field ........ particularly in light of a lot of the buffoonery that we have seen in the outfield in his absence. I would bet a lot of money that Adam Jones misses Markakis dearly, and feels that he can't get back soon enough.

I don't know, I don't see how Markakis not in the field has anything to do with Matusz being able to command his stuff, for example. Sure, there might be a double or two in there that Nick could have tracked down but overall a double or two isn't Matusz's chief concern.

[OFFNY]

I don't know, I don't see how Markakis not in the field has anything to do with Matusz being able to command his stuff, for example. Sure, there might be a double or two in there that Nick could have tracked down but overall a double or two isn't Matusz's chief concern.

I said that it would have helped the pitchers a little. And I said that right after I said that you were unquestionably correct on that point. Did you not read that in my post ???

[Moose Milligan]

I said that it would have helped the pitchers a little. And I said that right after I said that you were unquestionably correct on that point. Did you not read that in my post ???

A little. But by and large the pitching issue has nothing to do with whether or not Markakis is standing in RF. El Gordo was actually right, we ran into a buzz saw of great SP.

[OFFNY]

A little. But by and large the pitching issue has nothing to do with whether or not Markakis is standing in RF. El Gordo was actually right, we ran into a buzz saw of great SP.

Milligan, must you get the last word in ??? You obviously failed (or simply chose not to read) what I said in my post, and then you ignored it again when I said it a second time. You aren't disputing what I said, you're just repeating yourself, and ignoring the fact that I said that you were correct overall about Markakis not helping with the pitching.

[Moose Milligan]

Milligan, must you get the last word in ??? You obviously failed (or simply chose not to read) what I said in my post, and then you ignored it again when I said it a second time. You aren't disputing what I said, you're just repeating yourself, and ignoring the fact that I said that you were correct overall about Markakis not helping with the pitching.

I just like seeing you get all riled up.

Nick is a key, but he's definitely not THE key. IMO, the ASB can't come fast enough, this team needs an extended rest.

[OFFNY]

I just like seeing you get all riled up.

Nick is a key, but he's definitely not THE key. IMO, the ASB can't come fast enough, this team needs an extended rest.

OK, I agree with that. The horrible starting pitching definitely was more of a factor in our losing than the absence of Markakis. Even Chen and Hammel laid eggs their last time out.

[El Gordo]

Markakis and Thome will definitely help the offense with OBP and God knows we need that. But things wont get turned around until we get at least one more SP who can give us the consistency of Chen and Hammel.

[Greg]

Markakis took BP today

[OFFNY]

Markakis and Thome will definitely help the offense with OBP and God knows we need that. But things wont get turned around until we get at least one more SP who can give us the consistency of Chen and Hammel.

Do you think that Chen and Hammel will return to form from here on out, and that they simply had a bad game last time, or do you think that one (or both of them) are about to steadily decline ???

[Frobby]

Our pythagorean record since Kakes went on the DL is 13-15, so despite how it looks on the field, we aren't really getting lucky out there in our victories.

Where are you getting that information? The O's have been outscored 137-100 in those 28 games. That produces a pythagorean record of 10-18, 3 games worse than our 13-15 record in that stretch.

Markakis will help us when he returns, but we need a whole bunch of players to snap out of slumps, and we need our starting pitchers to do a better job.