The Sting of Losing Winnable Games

[OFFNY]

OFFNY said:

 

Just a few days ago, it seemed to some like the Orioles' season was coming to an abrupt end.

And now ......

Gomez, Valbuena Help Astros to Sweep Mariners

(By Kristie Rieken)

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/sports/article88126417.html

 

o

 

The Mariners lost their 4 straight game last night ........ or, did they ??? o

 

DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN !!!

 

Mariners Play Excellent Game of Baseball, Win 3-2

(By By Kate Preusser)

http://www.lookoutlanding.com/2016/7/7/12126188/mariners-play-excellent-game-of-baseball-win-3-2

 

o

[Frobby]

1-6 against a mediocre Mariners team is so frustrating!

It beats going 0-7 vs. the Twins last year.

I don't know why the Mariners are so mediocre. To me, all the elements of a pretty good team are there.

[Redskins Rick]

It beats going 0-7 vs. the Twins last year.

I don't know why the Mariners are so mediocre. To me, all the elements of a pretty good team are there.

The same could be said of the Orioles bad in the 14 year bad spell, at times, they had some elements of a good team.

[Frobby]

The same could be said of the Orioles bad in the 14 year bad spell, at times, they had some elements of a good team.

But I mean the Mariners seem like they have enough. They're 6th/15 in runs scored, and they're 4th in ERA (starters are 6th, bullpen is 4th). That should add up to a playoff contender. There's no glaring weakness on the team. They've outscored their opponents by 39 runs and their Pythagorean record is 48-38, but their real record is 43-43. I'll go on record as predicting that they'll be in the wild card race come September.

[OFFNY]

o

 

(vs. GIANTS, 8/14)

This loss has gotta sting for the Giants and their fans.

 

o

[Palmoripken]

o

(vs. GIANTS, 8/14)

This loss has gotta sting for the Giants and their fans.

Certainly if I were a Giants fan, I'd be steaming now.

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[Machado13]

This one makes up for Oakland debacle.

Having said that, it sure looks like the home dominance has to continue and road play has to continue to improve.

Houston and Detroit will have easier paths towards wild card spot(s)

[Ruzious]

When you look at the score differentials of the O's vs Toronto and Bahston, there really shouldn't be any sting. We're +38, Toronto is +88, and Boston is +103.

[Tx Oriole]

Certainly if I were a Giants fan, I'd be steaming now.

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Really glad the O's won.

[Morgan423]

When you look at the score differentials of the O's vs Toronto and Bahston, there really shouldn't be any sting. We're +38, Toronto is +88, and Boston is +103.

Boston's doesn't rally mean anything though. The first month and a half of the season (when their offense was scoring seven runs a game) they had a bunch of blowout wins and really cranked the run differential up. But it makes no difference if you win by one or if you win by six... in the end, a win is a win.

[OFFNY]

OFFNY said:

o

 

The last 2 losses have been hard to stomach. Last night, the Orioles blew a 3-run lead heading into the 7th inning. The night before, they jumped out to a 3-0 lead early in the game, had the bases loaded with nobody out an inning later, and failed to blow the Rangers out of the water. The Rangers subsequently came back to win the game by a score of 4-3. The Orioles had a runner on 3rd base with less than 2 outs in the top of the 9th inning, and Matt Wieters struck out (we needed only a sacrifice fly to tie the game.)

Those games hurt a lot.

We've also seen it go the other way.

There was the game against the Yankees on June 5th which was so frustrating for the first 7 and 2/3 innings. It appeared to be a game that the Orioles were destined to lose, as they kept coming up short in situations in which they could have at least tied the game, or even taken the lead. But Matt Wieters, with 2 outs and 2 strikes on him, came through with a 2-RBI single up the middle, and a 3rd run scored on the overthrow when Aroldis Chapman failed to back up his catcher on the throw to home plate. Zach Britton shut the Yankees down in the top of the 9th to cap the Orioles' win.

Then there was the game against the Angels in which the Orioles were down to their last strike in the top of the 9th inning, trailing by a score of 1-0. Matt Wieters came through with a 3-run home run, saving the Orioles in an otherwise bad offensive game for the team. Zach Britton again came in to shut the opponent down in the final inning, sealing another Orioles win.

So yes, these losses sting a lot. The unexpected wins seem great. Unless you are a team like the 2001 Mariners, the 1998 Yankees, or the 1984 Tigers (all of whom could easily afford to blow a game here and there without it causing the team and its fans much concern about their place in the standings), both the stinging losses and the glorious come-from-behind wins are going to happen throughout the course of the 162-game season. When they go against you, there is nothing that the team can do except put it behind them and go out and try to win the next game. There is nothing that the fans of the team can do except root for their (proverbial) heroes to do just that. Let's go Orioles, against the Padres tonight.

 

o

o

 

The last 2 games have been a microcosm of the OP.

Against the Giants, the Orioles pulled one out of their butts.

In the very next game, the Orioles threw away a very winnable game. The same hero (Jonathan Schoop) who contributed greatly toward saving the team against the Giants failed on both offense and defense against the Red Sox.

Over the course of a 162-game schedule ..........

 

o

[O's84]

We've scored 21 runs in the last 2 games and are 1-1. Not what you'd have guessed.

[MDtransplant757]

[eddie83]

Rather lose that by 7 than 1 if that makes any sense.

[OFFNY]

eddie83 said:

 

Rather lose that by 7 than 1 if that makes any sense.

 

o

 

I understand what you are saying, but this was not your typical blowout, like when the Orioles got their heads handed to them by a score of 8-1 by the Red Sox on Wednesday.

This game was different because the Orioles had a big lead early in the game, and squandered it.

Ultimately, a loss is a loss, though. As MDtransplant757 said, "Tomorrow is another day" ........ which is obviously how the Astros handled yesterday's blowout loss to the Orioles. If the Astros can do it, so can the Orioles.

 

o