I Cannot Believe The Way This Team Has Folded.

[ORIOLE33]

Even if they'd played marginally good, they'd still be in the thick of the WC race. I know pitching is the proverbial whipping boy, and rightfully so, but our offense has been an utterly embarrassment this month. Not one player has risen to the occasion in September. They played this entire month like they were just going through the motions.

This is, by far, the most I've been disappointed with this group since Buck has been the coach. Again, if they'd played just average baseball, they might actually be neck and neck with the Twins considering we're still 5.5 games out. SMH

[allquixotic]

It's impressive just how mediocre you have to be to get into the second AL Wild Card this year. The Orioles have lost 11 of 13 and are 5.5 games out? What in the world?

Imagine if we went almost .500 and won 6 of 13 instead of 2 of 13. Those extra 4 wins would put us 1.5 games out! And we'd most certainly have a realistic chance to pull ahead.

4 games. We've lost so many winnable games, but if we just won four of them, we'd be in legitimate contention still at the start of play on September 21.

4 games!

[vab]

They spent themselves grinding out 6, 7, 8 runs a game just to have a chance to win. Can't keep up that pace. It all goes back to the pitching, no way around it.

[allquixotic]

1 minute ago, vab said:

They spent themselves grinding out 6, 7, 8 runs a game just to have a chance to win. Can't keep up that pace. It all goes back to the pitching, no way around it.

So just because they scored a bunch of runs in past games, that means they have to be unable to score a run for 26 consecutive innings?

Is there a quota on how many runs a team can score over a given period of time?

Have we surpassed that quota? Last I checked, several other teams in the major leagues score a lot more runs than we do.

[ORIOLE33]

Just now, allquixotic said:

So just because they scored a bunch of runs in past games, that means they have to be unable to score a run for 26 consecutive innings?

Is there a quota on how many runs a team can score over a given period of time?

Exactly. No one expected them to keep up August' pace, but no one was expecting the kind of drop off we've seen in September.

[jjnono]

12 minutes ago, ORIOLE33 said:

Even if they'd played marginally good, they'd still be in the thick of the WC race. I know pitching is the proverbial whipping boy, and rightfully so, but our offense has been an utterly embarrassment this month. Not one player has risen to the occasion in September. They played this entire month like they were just going through the motions.

This is, by far, the most I've been disappointed with this group since Buck has been the coach. Again, if they'd played just average baseball, they might actually be neck and neck with the Twins considering we're still 5.5 games out. SMH

Gausman gave a fine performance on Tuesday, but the Os threw in the towel well before that.  The Yankee series was the death knell.  It's disappointing, for sure, but I won't go so far as to say I can't believe it...

[vab]

There's also the demoralization of being down 4, 5, 6 runs in the 2nd inning every other night. I also think Buck rode the starters too hard which has led to fatigue but, once again, that was done because they had to win nearly every game due to the hole they were put in by the god-forsaken starting pitching. They have to trade any and every position player who can bring a good starting pitching prospect in this offseason. If they don't this year will look good in comparison to what we will see going forward.

[Three Run Homer]

One theory being floated by some talk-show callers is that Trumbo got mad about being pied after a game winning hit, and clubhouse chemistry has not been the same since.

Buck mentioned something about several players being affected over the last couple of weeks by whatever illness kept Manny out of the lineup last night.  

My own theory is that the team got discouraged when Duquette couldn't acquire Miguel Gonzalez or any other back-end starters to replace Tillman/Jimenez before September 1.   They got a couple of really bad starting performances shortly thereafter and I think the offense just threw in the towel.  

[webbrick2010]

LOL, Perhaps they just have less talent than their opponents?

[ORIOLE33]

2 minutes ago, webbrick2010 said:

LOL, Perhaps they just have less talent than their opponents?

Not exactly. We were a few games over 500 not too long ago. We might not have been a WS threat, but we were never this bad until now.

[AnythingO's]

15 minutes ago, Three Run Homer said:

My own theory is that the team got discouraged when Duquette couldn't acquire Miguel Gonzalez or any other back-end starters to replace Tillman/Jimenez before September 1.   They got a couple of really bad starting performances shortly thereafter and I think the offense just threw in the towel.  

Well there is Hellickson lol, but really I think they just quit and Buck has lost the ability to motivate them. this team has Buck's fingerprints on it and those players have largely not performed this year. You can blame DD for the pitching options but guys like Miranda and Bridwell are gone IMO because they didn't fit Buck's template.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

1 hour ago, vab said:

They spent themselves grinding out 6, 7, 8 runs a game just to have a chance to win. Can't keep up that pace. It all goes back to the pitching, no way around it.

Offense has been bad 2.9 runs per game in September.  Pitching is just as bad giving up 5.6 runs a game.  Just a total collapse, I would start all the youngsters, Trumbo and Davis can watch from the dugout.  And Adam Jones can start getting ready for 2018, he has to be worn out from the WBC and a full season of baseball.  

[eddie83]

57 minutes ago, AnythingO's said:

Well there is Hellickson lol, but really I think they just quit and Buck has lost the ability to motivate them. this team has Buck's fingerprints on it and those players have largely not performed this year. You can blame DD for the pitching options but guys like Miranda and Bridwell are gone IMO because they didn't fit Buck's template.

So they waited until they were in WC contention in September to say the hell with Buck? 

[eddie83]

1 hour ago, Three Run Homer said:

One theory being floated by some talk-show callers is that Trumbo got mad about being pied after a game winning hit, and clubhouse chemistry has not been the same since.

Buck mentioned something about several players being affected over the last couple of weeks by whatever illness kept Manny out of the lineup last night.  

My own theory is that the team got discouraged when Duquette couldn't acquire Miguel Gonzalez or any other back-end starters to replace Tillman/Jimenez before September 1.   They got a couple of really bad starting performances shortly thereafter and I think the offense just threw in the towel.  

I missed the comment about whatever Manny has others having.  Makes some sense. 

[Can_of_corn]

The original run was based on power, defense and the bullpen.

The defense hasn't been special for some time.

This year the bullpen isn't special.

Everyone hits for power now.

I just don't think it is that talented a team overall.  The defense can't help the starting pitching, the starting pitching overly taxes the bullpen and the offense can't outscore other teams with their low OBP now that their advantage in power has dissipated.