Forget About Everything Else And Start Hitting.

[ORIOLE33]

Everyone knows we got a raw deal on this series, but the O's need to buckle down and do their job. The Red Sox could care less that the O's are pissed. 

The absolute best revenge is to start playing better. I see very little fire right now.

[allquixotic]

Agreed. Nothing else matters if the O's start pushing runs across the plate. Might even goad the Sox into hitting somebody again and losing a player to suspension.

[sportsfan8703]

Hitting would be nice. Facing these lefties is tough. That means we lose Kim and Smith's OBP. 

[LookitsPuck]

Another year, another major problem against lefties. 

[Spy Fox]

3 minutes ago, LookitsPuck said:

Another year, another major problem against lefties. 

I like our lineups with Kim and Smith a whole lot better than our lineups without them. 

[InsideCoroner]

The team has a 6-6 record against lefty starters this year. 10-4 against righties. 

[sportsfan8703]

4 hours ago, InsideCoroner said:

The team has a 6-6 record against lefty starters this year. 10-4 against righties. 

Rep to you SIr.  Finally, still too mad to figure this out.  We're a completely different team without Smith and Kim.  At least offensively.  

[TheEldestTorres]

Missing Castilllo too. The bottom of our lineup is about the least intimidating I can think of with gentry, hardy, joseph.

[maybenxtyr]

2 hours ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Rep to you SIr.  Finally, still too mad to figure this out.  We're a completely different team without Smith and Kim.  At least offensively.  

Smith and Kim should be staples in the line-up until they hit less against left handed pitching than their platoon counter parts. Both are better hitters than Joey and Mancini and of course Gentry. Also, Flash should get a few more reps at SS and 333rd depending on how much they want to tease Manny with playing SS. 

[MattStepp]

JJ has looked terrible past two weeks...I agree Kim and Smith gives the line up a different look and feel.....despite all the mess yesterday that was a winnable game but the offense just couldn't do anything....

[InsideCoroner]

3 hours ago, MattStepp said:

JJ has looked terrible past two weeks...I agree Kim and Smith gives the line up a different look and feel.....despite all the mess yesterday that was a winnable game but the offense just couldn't do anything....

I know it's early and SSS and all, but this is the worst I have seen Hardy look at the plate. So far it's even worse offensively than his dire 2015 season. His BB rate is below his norm, K rate above his norm. Right now his OPS is .504 (lower than Joseph and Rickard), and he's just hitting a lot of harmless fly balls, rather than the hard ground balls and line drives that normally jump off his bat. I don't expect a shortstop on the verge of 35 to tear the cover off the ball, but he was solid last year, so I was hoping for more of the same. 

[Tx Oriole]

17 hours ago, ORIOLE33 said:

Everyone knows we got a raw deal on this series, but the O's need to buckle down and do their job. The Red Sox could care less that the O's are pissed. 

The absolute best revenge is to start playing better. I see very little fire right now.

I know the BSox couldn't care less. I want the team to start hitting also. 

[Tx Oriole]

15 hours ago, allquixotic said:

Agreed. Nothing else matters if the O's start pushing runs across the plate. Might even goad the Sox into hitting somebody again and losing a player to suspension.

They don't lose pitchers to suspension. That only happens to the Oriole Players. 

[Tx Oriole]

14 hours ago, Spy Fox said:

I like our lineups with Kim and Smith a whole lot better than our lineups without them. 

Me too. Play Kim against LH and see what he can do. I believe the man could adjust to them.

[PaulFolk]

4 hours ago, maybenxtyr said:

Smith and Kim should be staples in the line-up until they hit less against left handed pitching than their platoon counter parts. Both are better hitters than Joey and Mancini and of course Gentry. Also, Flash should get a few more reps at SS and 333rd depending on how much they want to tease Manny with playing SS. 

Smith has already had 11 seasons to prove that he can't hit lefties. He's got a .202/.282/.311/.593 line against them in 559 career PAs. As unimpressive as Rickard and Gentry are, I'd certainly take my chances with them over Smith against southpaws.

Kim, though, hasn't really been given a chance to prove whether he can hit lefties. I'd be fine with giving him more starts against lefties, but Buck doesn't seem interested.