Saturday afternoon July 2: Orioles try to bounce back after tough loss vs Twins

[O's84]

Lopez crumbled like rose petals.  If only the offense did anything after the 4th inning, there'd have been more of a margin for error.

[LA2]

Oh well another tough loss. Wonder whether the Twins found a way to read Lopez's delivery.... This deserves much video study.

[bpilktree]

1 minute ago, maybenxtyr said:

Right. So a guy going from below mediocre to elite over night doesn't involve any luck?

He was a starter who was almost always great the first or second time through a lineup but would run out of gas.  So you put him in the bullpen and he has success.  

[LA2]

5 minutes ago, bpilktree said:

Horrible effort by McKenna.  Lopez has been almost unhittable til these last two games.  Crazy game. 

What was the McKenna play? What did he blow?

[maybenxtyr]

Just now, Tony-OH said:

Nah, talent is there. Twins are good and apparently have Lopez's number.

Still, can't blow two games in a row. It's a gut punch but luckily, I'm an Orioles fan, I can't be gut punched any more. i expect the worse and I'm glad when it doesn't happen.

He's very talented. I just don't believe anyone thought he was going to maintain the pace he was on. Some were comparing him to Britton's excellent season the other day. I think he's good...just not great.

[dtk9119]

Just a pathetic outcome the last 2 days. Fully expect a sweep tomorrow. 

As I said last night the offense is a crapfest right now putting more pressure on pitching late in games.

[bpilktree]

Lopez looked like we was almost throwing too hard if that gun is right.  Saw a couple 100 in there but he didn’t have his normal sink he gets when he 96-97.

[Surhoffan17]

The 2000 Orioles just called…jeez…just when you think they’re turning it around…just glad not to hear Thorne’s gleeful voice.

[Tony-OH]

The only thing good about this 4-game losing streak it's a reality check for the fans that thought the Orioles were suddenly contenders for the wild card. 

[Babkins]

I guess it’s a positive that I’ve started to get pissed off after losses again.

[Surhoffan17]

1 minute ago, bpilktree said:

Lopez looked like we was almost throwing too hard if that gun is right.  Saw a couple 100 in there but he didn’t have his normal sink he gets when he 96-97.

Too much of the plate on most pitches…and was ahead on the last hitter.

[Surhoffan17]

Just now, Tony-OH said:

The only thing good about this 4-game losing streak it's a reality check for the fans that thought the Orioles were suddenly contenders for the wild card. 

I would hardly call that anything resembling good.

[LA2]

1 minute ago, Surhoffan17 said:

Too much of the plate on most pitches…and was ahead on the last hitter.

Yes, exactly. Shd have thrown a breaking pitch or sinker off the plate on 0-2--don't know why it wasn't called for by Chirinos.

[SteveA]

4 minutes ago, LA2 said:

What was the McKenna play? What did he blow?

Kiriloff's double   It got over his head, he was a bit awkward turning around.   Not a great effort, but OTOH it probably would have been a SportsCenter top 10 play if he did make it.   It certainly wasn't a routine play or something that he botched.

But he was out there specifically for plus defense, and he was not plus on that play.

[bpilktree]

5 minutes ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

Is the league adjusting to Lopez or is he just in a slump right now?

He was getting no sink on the ball at all today.  Sometimes when you try harder and throw harder it tough to get that sink.  That was the incredible thing with Britton he still had great sink even when he was 98-99 that very hard to do.