I consider Jones to be the goat of this game

[Todd-O]

Our "best" players just aren't that good. Our pitching is the real deal, even some of our starters, but the lineup is a joke. Middle of the pack when they're red hot. Down in the cellar with the Mariners when they're not. And they're not for most of the season and all of the postseason.

You just can't have the entire lineup slump for the entire postseason. It's completely unacceptable. I am really regretting the Jones signing right now, and I hope we don't sign Wieters long term, or Reynolds. Way too streaky to ever win a do or die.

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This is ridiculous. I love it when things go south an the "fans" start crapping all over their players. Classy.

[Braydog 9]

This is ridiculous. I love it when things go south an the "fans" start crapping all over their players. Classy.

Exactly. It is frustrating to lose like that. It really really is. But this is a team nobody expected to be .500 and they ARE IN the POSTSEASON. I mean, ok being a little upset that they are slumping "the entire postseason," that is fair. But to throw them under the bus and say our best players just aren't that good? Come on man. Who does he think got the O's to the postseason? The easter bunny?

[Dr. FLK]

Our "best" players just aren't that good. Our pitching is the real deal, even some of our starters, but the lineup is a joke. Middle of the pack when they're red hot. Down in the cellar with the Mariners when they're not. And they're not for most of the season and all of the postseason.

You just can't have the entire lineup slump for the entire postseason. It's completely unacceptable. I am really regretting the Jones signing right now, and I hope we don't sign Wieters long term, or Reynolds. Way too streaky to ever win a do or die.

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Good lord - overreact much? I don't know where to start with this nonsensical post.

The lineup was middle of the pack for the entire season but 2nd in HR. So, if you're saying they are only middle of the pack when they are red hot, then I guess they were red hot all season long?

And "you can't have the entire lineup slump for the entire postseason"? Maybe you should enlighten Buck with that statement...maybe they just don't know that's unacceptable. I mean - it's their first time in the playoffs...maybe they thought that was how it's done.

And now - because of a poor offensive showing in 3 playoff games, you want to jettison the young nucleus of a team that just won 93 games and is hanging in a series with the best team in the AL?

And - "way too streaky to win a do or die" doesn't even make sense. Streaky implies they could go on a hot streak - which would make winning a do or die entire plausible. Or, do assume that they only go on cold streaks in big games...you know, based off the fact that they lost all of those big games down the stretch and never bounced back from adversity this season. Oh, wait...

Look, this team might lose tonight and end their season. But this team is full of fighters. And, I'll ride with Jones, Wieters, & Co. any day. I certainly don't plan to change my opinion of those guys because they aren't thriving in their first playoff experience - and I won't extrapolate three bad playoff games against a great team to to predict the rest of their careers. Let's hope they win tonight. But, let's also look forward to additional playoff runs once the nucleus matures a little bit and gets some more pieces around them.

[Todd-O]

Hey allquixotic... Feel free to jump over to the Nats! Open invitation!

[Tx Oriole]

I don't want to blame just one guy. I would like to see the bats wake up.

[RipkenWay]

I don't want to blame just one guy. I would like to see the bats wake up.

This is where I'm at as well. Jones missing the ball off the bat of Jeter was huge but man we just aren't hitting. I can't think of anybody in the lineup who is actually hitting well at the moment. I'm guessing the guys are just pressing too much, particularly Jones. Dude is up there hacking at everything.

[hoosiers]

I don't want to blame just one guy. I would like to see the bats wake up.

No kidding. This Jones' criticism has got to stop. Goat? Are you kidding me?

Mark Reynolds can't get to second on a towering pop-up to the pitcher's mound (OMG, errors happen in playoff baseball?).

Nate McClouth slides off the bag after a SB.

Ryan Flaherty - no clutch hit with bases loaded.

Os bullpen - picked a fine time to blow a save in the ninth and lose the game later - first loss all year after leading after 7.

OK for board to criticize Jones for failing to advance a runner earlier in the series, but much less criticism when Wieters fails in Game 3.

There were mental errors, hustle errors, failure to play fundamental baseball, bullpen failings and lack of clutch hitting (Jim Thome is swinging at air and missing everything on the outer third of the plate, for crying out loud).

Blaming this game on Jones for his error is patently ridiculous.

[MDK02]

I wish Adam had the same poise as one Manny Machado.. this is Manny's team heading foward IMO. He is just a natural leader by his demeanor and he does not live in the moment like other players. Adam WANTS to be the leader but he just isn't. That is not a knock against Adam it is just my point of view. Some players have the natural leadership and I see that in Manny.

[Pedro Cerrano]

I predict at least 5 swings and misses at sliders low and away tonight.

[TXOriole]

A young team not coming up big in their first post-season experience against good pitching. It's happened before. All we can do is hope they learn from the experience and become hungrier next year and get back and do it right next time. We'll all live through this. I promise.

On the other hand...am I the only one that thinks Buck should have Ibanez's bat checked? The guy has like 4 or 5 pinch hit HR's to tie or win a game in the last 3 weeks. It's just a little fishy to me that a 40 year old can come off the bench and hit like Babe Ruth all the sudden.

[blid]

I wish Adam had the same poise as one Manny Machado.. this is Manny's team heading foward IMO. He is just a natural leader by his demeanor and he does not live in the moment like other players. Adam WANTS to be the leader but he just isn't. That is not a knock against Adam it is just my point of view. Some players have the natural leadership and I see that in Manny.

Adam is the leader. He led the team all season didn't he?

[Mondo Trasho]

A young team not coming up big in their first post-season experience against good pitching. It's happened before. All we can do is hope they learn from the experience and become hungrier next year and get back and do it right next time. We'll all live through this. I promise.

On the other hand...am I the only one that thinks Buck should have Ibanez's bat checked? The guy has like 4 or 5 pinch hit HR's to tie or win a game in the last 3 weeks. It's just a little fishy to me that a 40 year old can come off the bench and hit like Babe Ruth all the sudden.

I want to believe this. I really do. But I fear that this sort of thing (going from up 2-1 to down 2-1 in two swings by the same over the hill bench warmer) ruins franchises. I wouldn't be surprised if we have another 14 year streak.

[Burg]

Hey allquixotic... Feel free to jump over to the Nats! Open invitation!

Their season is going to end before ours does.

[Fiver]

I want to believe this. I really do. But I fear that this sort of thing (going from up 2-1 to down 2-1 in two swings by the same over the hill bench warmer) ruins franchises. I wouldn't be surprised if we have another 14 year streak.

IF they have another bad streak of seasons, it will have absolutely ZERO to do with Raul Ibanez.

I mean, there's being down after a loss, and then there is a post like this one. Suddenly because of two swings of a bat - in a game that didn't even end a series!!! - we are out of the playoffs until 2027. WTF.

[Gus]

Our "best" players just aren't that good. Our pitching is the real deal, even some of our starters, but the lineup is a joke. Middle of the pack when they're red hot. Down in the cellar with the Mariners when they're not. And they're not for most of the season and all of the postseason.

You just can't have the entire lineup slump for the entire postseason. It's completely unacceptable. I am really regretting the Jones signing right now, and I hope we don't sign Wieters long term, or Reynolds. Way too streaky to ever win a do or die.

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This team is a bunch of .220-.245 hitters.....you aren't going to win in the playoffs with those kind of bats. They need more professional hitters otherwise they will keep coughing up these kind of games.