The only reason this team will not make the playoffs...

[Frobby]

It was the starting pitching that cost us the game though.

Tillman' outing was such a buzzkill. We had Walker on the ropes after allowing 2 runs and making him throw 33 pitches. A quick inning there and we may just come back out and pummel Walker into submission. Instead, it takes Tillman like 25 pitches and 20 minutes to record the third out of the inning, and we're down 4-2.

[TheDirtyBird]

The starting pitching just sucks the wind out of everything. The offense certainly can't feel like any runs they score are ever enough when it's highly likely that the SP will give runs right back. I'm impressed the bullpen is doing so well considering how many innings they have to pitch and various situations.

I really wish Tillman didn't roll his ankle, who knows how this past week would have gone then

[Bmorebirds24]

I said it in another thread but DD already had the core when he got here and he plugged in a few pieces and this team has one hell of a manager. This off season Dan really tanked and it's showing.

This team is a .500 team nothing more nothing less. This off season should be very telling about how this team intends to move I. The future. Right now I see the glass has half empty and am worried about the teams future

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Babypowder]

I said it in another thread but DD already had the core when he got here and he plugged in a few pieces and this team has one hell of a manager. This off season Dan really tanked and it's showing.

This team is a .500 team nothing more nothing less. This off season should be very telling about how this team intends to move I. The future. Right now I see the glass has half empty and am worried about the teams future

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

How do you propose he should have fixed the starting pitching in the offseason? You knew Tillman would take big steps backwards? You knew Norris would completely implode? You knew Gonzalez would fall apart in the middle of the season?

[Bmorebirds24]

How do you propose he should have fixed the starting pitching in the offseason? You knew Tillman would take big steps backwards? You knew Norris would completely implode? You knew Gonzalez would fall apart in the middle of the season?

In speaking in general about the team. OP believes it's just the pitching and that's fine. But he could have tried to move Norris in the off season when Gausman was knocking on the door after a heck of a run last year. Jimenez was like a FA pick up because he has given us much better then what he showed last year. Chen is solid. I'll take my lumps with Tillman he's been a bill dog.

How much money has this team investe in players the DFA this year alone? Again DD wet the bed this off season in not replacing the pieces we lost and trying to upgrade in other areas.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Babypowder]

In speaking in general about the team. OP believes it's just the pitching and that's fine. But he could have tried to move Norris in the off season when Gausman was knocking on the door after a heck of a run last year. Jimenez was like a FA pick up because he has given us much better then what he showed last year. Chen is solid. I'll take my lumps with Tillman he's been a bill dog.

How much money has this team investe in players the DFA this year alone? Again DD wet the bed this off season in not replacing the pieces we lost and trying to upgrade in other areas.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I was an advocate of moving Norris for sure, but knew they wanted the depth. The starting pitching has very clearly been the weakest link in this year's team though. So since Duquette screwed the team up in the offseason, how did he screw up the starters? I'm curious.

We didn't need Cruz or Markakis, the offense is just as good, maybe even slightly better than last season. So, how did Duquette screw up the pitching?

Here me out: Maybe, just maybe, players underperform sometimes and this sport isn't exactly predictable. They wanted to keep together a rotation that was very good at preventing runs last year. Sounds very reasonable. This year however, they haven't done it as well. Stuff happens.

[Bmorebirds24]

I was an advocate of moving Norris for sure, but knew they wanted the depth. The starting pitching has very clearly been the weakest link in this year's team though. So since Duquette screwed the team up in the offseason, how did he screw up the starters? I'm curious.

We didn't need Cruz or Markakis, the offense is just as good, maybe even slightly better than last season. So, how did Duquette screw up the pitching?

Here me out: Maybe, just maybe, players underperform sometimes and this sport isn't exactly predictable. They wanted to keep together a rotation that was very good at preventing runs last year, very reasonable. This year however, they haven't. Stuff happens.

Ok can I ask a few questions?

Did they not send the best 5 out there at the beginning of the season? Didn't Norris look awful in spring training? Didn't they keep running Norris back out there before finally demoting him to the pen?

And if we had Cruz the pitching would have a bit more run support that's for sure.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TINSTAAPP]

Chen shouldn't be mentioned with the other starters. He's had two bad starts in his last ten starts and the Orioles won both of those games. He's the only consistent starting pitcher on this team. Everybody else is fair game though. Remember how Fangraphs, Zips and other predictor models were criticized for stating the Orioles starting pitching isn't that good coming into the season? Jonah Keri said the Orioles starters were historically good at preventing runners from scoring when they were in scoring position last year and it was unlikely to carry over to this season. All of the starting pitchers had awful FIPs except for Gausman. Well, all of them have been proven to be right about the Orioles starting pitching.

[birdman333]

Starting pitching is definitely a huge issue with this team. Seems like it's nearly impossible in recent weeks for the rotation to put together two quality starts in a row.

In a way it's amazing the team has been able to perform so well over the last few seasons as they have given the lack of a top level rotation. Year after year the Orioles fail to acquire a top of the rotation starter and instead get by with guys that are slotted above their abilities.

Duquette said that the priority at the trade deadline was acquiring an outfielder and more pitching. No surprise at all to see pitching being the main factor derailing this team right now after Duquette failed to acquire the very thing he deemed so important...

[Babypowder]

Ok can I ask a few questions?

Did they not send the best 5 out there at the beginning of the season? Didn't Norris look awful in spring training? Didn't they keep running Norris back out there before finally demoting him to the pen?

And if we had Cruz the pitching would have a bit more run support that's for sure.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, as I said I would have moved Norris. No arguments with that part.

And if the starting pitching was as good as last year, no one would care that the O's didn't overpay Cruz. That deal was pretty universally accepted as a bad deal from jump street and even though he's having his best year ever in year 1, it still has a good chance to turn out that way. As for Markakis, he wouldn't have made much difference and I'm almost 100 percent sure that deal turns out poorly. I wouldn't be in the business of paying the going rate for 2 wins or less in free agency.

[Bmorebirds24]

Starting pitching is definitely a huge issue with this team. Seems like it's nearly impossible in recent weeks for the rotation to put together two quality starts in a row.

In a way it's amazing the team has been able to perform so well over the last few seasons as they have given the lack of a top level rotation. Year after year the Orioles fail to acquire a top of the rotation starter and instead get by with guys that are slotted above their abilities.

Duquette said that the priority at the trade deadline was acquiring an outfielder and more pitching. No surprise at all to see pitching being the main factor derailing this team right now after Duquette failed to acquire the very thing he deemed so important...

Instead he traded a pitching prospect for a rental for us to finish around .500 and miss the playoffs.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bmorebirds24]

Yes, as I said I would have moved Norris. No arguments with that part.

And if the starting pitching was as good as last year, no one would care that the O's didn't overpay Cruz. That deal was pretty universally accepted as a bad deal from jump street and even though he's having his best year ever in year 1, it still has a good chance to turn out that way. As for Markakis, he wouldn't have made much difference and I'm almost 100 percent sure that deal turns out poorly. I wouldn't be in the business of paying the going rate for 2 wins or less in free agency.

I'm ok with Markakis going. I didn't like seeing Cruz leave with no back up plan in place.

In the end we both want the same thing for this team to turn it around and somehow scratch a playoff spot. However, I'm not confident.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[El Gordo]

Did we send the Royals out in Orioles uniforms last night?

OK second best. You don't get my point?

[Babypowder]

OK second best. You don't get my point?

3rd in the AL by both Fangraphs defensive rating and DRS.

But yes I do.

[El Gordo]

3rd in the AL by both Fangraphs defensive rating and DRS.

But yes I do.

Then why bother with the nitpicking snark?