Tonight's terrible 9th inning from the offense!

[BarclaySouthway]

And if Jones had just stood there with the bat on his shoulder (not a single pitch to him was a strike), he would have walked to load the bases with one out and Davis coming up.

Far too often, Jones looked like a really bad Little League hitter.

Actually one was a strike that was called a ball. So Adam had 4 strikes. Not that it helped. He was overmatched. He's being exposed and really needs to adjust to what the're doing to him. As in, not throwing strikes after strike one.

[nevadaO]

This is hyperbole. Obviously Holland wouldn't have thrown exactly the same pitches in the same location if the count were different.

This is an example of what bothers me a lot about these types of conversations.

If Lough is PR for and ends up on 2nd, either by the steal or a passed ball, whatever, why does everyone always assume that the events that happened are the SAME things that are going to happen every time? If Lough is on 2nd base they are probably going to pitch Manny inside in order to get a grounder to SS or 3rd so Lough can't advance. Everything changes. Just because Manny hit the ball there in that exact situation does NOT mean that when different events take place he is going to do the exact same thing.

[eddie83]

He was walking about 5 per 9. You absolutely work the count.

If a guy swings at a first pitch fastball that is a strike I have no issue with it. Once you fall behind you are in big trouble. Laying off the junk was key.

[Sanfran327]

I just don't get how Jones can't make this adjustment. For a hitter with his talent and abilities, he is just maddening to watch.

It's getting to the point where he's a real life Pedro Cerrano. Why anyone would ever throw him a fastball - or even a strike - right now is mystifying.

[olehippi]

Someone should tie Adam Jones down for the next 24 hours and force him to watch endless reruns of his 9th inning AB. Maybe then he'll get a clue because he sure doesn't have one now.

[O's84]

I've been concerned for awhile but now I'm starting to be worried. Were almost at June an this team still isn't hitting.

[eddie83]

This team needs a whole new approach. Teams have figured out that they can just keep pitching these guys outside. Only Nick and Cruz seem to put good swings on the ball going the other way on a somewhat consistent basis.

These guys are who they are. AJ Pierzynski goes to Boston and he is the same hitter. Jones has to look at the game situation better, but I doubt he ever will.

[Tycho Brahe]

My complaint about Adam Jones is that he's the only person who doesn't realize he is Adam Jones at the plate--the pitcher knows it's Adam, the managers know it, the fans know. So he continually gets pitches off the plate and keeps hacking at them, as if it's some big surprise that this is how he's pitched, and that he's not getting strikes to hack at.

You're Adam Jones, Adam Jones! Until you lay off the crud, you're going to get a steady diet of crud. So frustrating. Jones was never going to get the kind of pitch he can get a long fly ball on in this situation. All he was going to get was crud. Which he struck out on. TWICE. In the same at-bat.

[ShaneDawg85]

The Manny swing at a 3-0 count drove me nuts. I was running on a treadmill at the gym and I wanted to throw my water bottle at the expensive TV. I know, coaches may give hitters the green light in those situations, but still, why would you swing in that situation? If he throws a strike on the next pitch then so be it, at least the pitcher will have earned it. That at bat really made me lose my mind, and it sounds like it was just one of many.

[Guest]

Let's remember how they got the only run. Stolen base then RBI single we need a catcher that can throw peeps out.

[O's84]

This is an example of what bothers me a lot about these types of conversations.

If Lough is PR for and ends up on 2nd, either by the steal or a passed ball, whatever, why does everyone always assume that the events that happened are the SAME things that are going to happen every time? If Lough is on 2nd base they are probably going to pitch Manny inside in order to get a grounder to SS or 3rd so Lough can't advance. Everything changes. Just because Manny hit the ball there in that exact situation does NOT mean that when different events take place he is going to do the exact same thing.

Yup. It's like in a tv show where there go back in time and are warned that anything they do will effect the future.

[Sanfran327]

The Manny swing at a 3-0 count drove me nuts. I was running on a treadmill at the gym and I wanted to throw my water bottle at the expensive TV. I know, coaches may give hitters the green light in those situations, but still, why would you swing in that situation? If he throws a strike on the next pitch then so be it, at least the pitcher will have earned it. That at bat really made me lose my mind, and it sounds like it was just one of many.

No reason to EVER swing at a 3-0 pitch. Kevin Youkilis claims he never swung at a 3-0 pitch in his major league career. True or not, he had tremendous plate discipline, and I get his point. Manny might end up in the HOF one day, but right now, he's hitting like crap. Take 3-0, dummy!!!

[glenn__davis]

I don't have any problem at all with Manny swinging 3-0. Looked like he got the pitch he was looking for an just missed. With the team down by just a run, I thought that was perfectly acceptable.

Would've liked to have seen a squeeze from Jones in the 9th. We could all see the K coming a mile away. Wonder if Buck would've had the stones to call for it?

[Three Run Homer]

Absolutely. This was by far one of the most undisciplined things I've seen from and Orioles hitter and unfortunately tells me something I don't want to think about Machado. Machado has always been a "heady" baseball player, especially on defense. but when a guy is hitting as poorly as he is so far this season, you don't swing at 3-0 in this situaiton, you just don't. To me, it was an undisciplined and selfish act and I hope the Orioles coaches said something to him.

You just don't swing in this situation.

I agree that Machado's 3-0 pop-up was a horrible at bat. But at least he had a good at bat against Holland in the 9th--he laid off a pitch out of the zone and took a pitch the other way for what should have been a crucial hit.

I don't think Manny is a hopeless hacker the way that AJ is.

[VeveJones007]

Somebody tweeted it a couple days ago, but the O's have the highest swing% at pitches outside the strike zone in MLB. That's unacceptable.