What was the turning point of the season for the O's?

[wildcard]

For me it may have been August 1st to 3rd when Mike Wright went on the DL with a calf injury and Tyler Wilson went down with an oblique injury.

The O's were one game back of the wild card on August 1st.

Its not that I believe that these two pitchers would have won a bunch of games. Its that Buck trusted both pitchers enough to give them starts in the majors to off load the starting staff and possibly rest the staff enough to keep them from self destructing.

With both players on the DL Buck was reluctant to call up Chris Jones or any one from AAA to carry some of the starting work load. This ultimately caught with the pitching staff IMO.

It might be odd that two rookies could have made such a difference in the season, but their absence may have made everything unravel.

[OregonBird]

West coast road trip. Lost a couple of close games and then got no hit on the final game of the trip in Seattle. Offense seemed to stay in a funk thereafter.

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[SurhoffFTW]

For me it's pretty clearly the Minnesota series. The last 3 games were gut-wrenching.

[clapdiddy]

For me it's pretty clearly the Minnesota series. The last 3 games were gut-wrenching.

This. Getting swept by a team that was down and (seemingly) out was a killer. I'm not sure if things would change if we would have split that series...seems like this team just doesn't have it.

[SeaBird]

The off season of inactivity was the turning point.

[TheDirtyBird]

The off season of inactivity was the turning point.

This. This season has been a wild roller coaster with all the ups and downs, now strictly down. The pieces were never there

[MachoMachadoMan]

This. Getting swept by a team that was down and (seemingly) out was a killer. I'm not sure if things would change if we would have split that series...seems like this team just doesn't have it.

We had just swept the A's and then Hank smacked the walk-off homer to earn a split against the Mets. Looked like WE were the ones ready to ride adrenaline back into the playoff hunt. Then the Twins series debacle and it all fell apart from there.

[weams]

DelmonYoungDFA

[ChuckS]

The off season of inactivity was the turning point.

Bingo. Also, the SP rotation as a whole turning back into pumpkins.

The offense has been hot and cold all season, so it's not that. If our rotation had been able to keep us in games over the last month, we would still be around .500. The Minnesota series is when we started falling apart though.

[Babypowder]

The off season of inactivity was the turning point.

Yes, if only Duquette had overhauled the entire rotation like so many of us were calling for.

[Frobby]

For me it may have been August 1st to 3rd when Mike Wright went on the DL with a calf injury and Tyler Wilson went down with an oblique injury.

The O's were one game back of the wild card on August 1st.

Its not that I believe that these two pitchers would have won a bunch of games. Its that Buck trusted both pitchers enough to give them starts in the majors to off load the starting staff and possibly rest the staff enough to keep them from self destructing.

With both players on the DL Buck was reluctant to call up Chris Jones or any one from AAA to carry some of the starting work load. This ultimately caught with the pitching staff IMO.

It might be odd that two rookies could have made such a difference in the season, but their absence may have made everything unravel.

I don't see it. The O's went 10-7 in the first 17 days of August, and only lost two in a row once. They only allowed 3.76 runs/game in those 17 games. I don't think we would have seen much if any of Wright and Wilson in that stretch, except maybe in the bullpen.

I think the turning point was clearly the Twins series. I went into that series with every hope that we'd take 3 of 4, or even sweep it. The Twins were playing lousy baseball at the time. Losing all four to them, with blown saves from both O'Day and Britton, was a huge deflator. Our starters have a 6.77 ERA since the beginning of the Twins series.

[Ripken]

In the off season when they decided to give out a ~dozen arb raises and do nothing else.

[sportsfan8703]

All the Bud Norris starts where we were just giving away games. So the last road game against the Phils. I don't care if it were April or August but he had no business being in the rotation.

[Redskins Rick]

I don't see it. The O's went 10-7 in the first 17 days of August, and only lost two in a row once. They only allowed 3.76 runs/game in those 17 games. I don't think we would have seen much if any of Wright and Wilson in that stretch, except maybe in the bullpen.

I think the turning point was clearly the Twins series. I went into that series with every hope that we'd take 3 of 4, or even sweep it. The Twins were playing lousy baseball at the time. Losing all four to them, with blown saves from both O'Day and Britton, was a huge deflator. Our starters have a 6.77 ERA since the beginning of the Twins series.

I agree, I was there on of those nights, and that game was winnable and should have been, dang it,

[Redskins Rick]

All the Bud Norris starts where we were just giving away games. So the last road game against the Phils. I don't care if it were April or August but he had no business being in the rotation.

Bull Shoes!!!!!

Bud had a vital role in last year's season.