7/25: That Loss Stung

[cboemmeljr]

GAME RECAP

[Frobby]

My feeling is, we were long overdue for a loss like that.  Just don’t make it a habit.  

[webbrick2010]

At least Mateo saved the bullpen by booting his 4th ball in the past 3 games to prevent extra innings

Not like we have an elite SS prospect that is also OPS'in >.900 at AAA

[Oriole1940]

I was away.  Does anyone know why Felix did not pitch last night?

[orioles119]

10 minutes ago, Oriole1940 said:

I was away.  Does anyone know why Felix did not pitch last night?

Load management apparently.

[Oriole1940]

6 minutes ago, orioles119 said:

Load management apparently.

Now I have heard everything. I hope they all get rested up all Winter long.   

[bpilktree67]

It could have been worse we could have given up 4 in the 9th and lost like the Blue Jays did last night.  There are gonna be games that you lose late and games where you don't capitalize on getting runs early that come back and bite you when you play 162 games.  

[Bemorewins]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

My feeling is, we were long overdue for a loss like that.  Just don’t make it a habit.  

I feel the same. I don't think the odds were great that we would close out two back to back 1-run games on the road without using Bautista. There is a big gap between even Bautista and Cano. And then for all of the other relievers the gap is monumental.

If you go back to last week even, the non-Bautista bullpen has blown leads last Monday against the Dodgers (Baker), last Thursday agains the Rays (Cano), last Saturday against the Rays (Fujinama), Monday against the Phillies (Coulombe), yesterday against the Phils (Cano).

When people point to the pythag being out of whack for this team, THIS IS IT IMO. We have a very shaky bullpen not name Bautista. Typically whenever our other relievers enter the game 1 of 2 things happens. If we are loosing, the worse guys come in and the lead gets widen for the other team (blow out loses). Or our "better relievers" come in to protect a lead and most frequently the opposition scores (at least some).

There is a national narrative around the Orioles great bullpen and their 2 elite guys. I have heard so many national observes say, "If you don't have the lead by the 7th it's over". That is not true. The truth is, if we don't have the lead by the time Bautista comes in, then the opposition has a good shot.

[Sanfran327]

The two most annoying losses lately were due to defensive letdowns. Had Hicks caught the ball up against the wall early on in the grand slam inning, that GS would have never happened, and the damage would have been something like 1 run, or perhaps no runs. Catchable ball - no idea what happened on that play other than he was spooked by the way. Ced makes that play, and I have every reason to think that Ced will be 100% healthy by the post season, so I'm not too bent out of shape about that as a team weakness, because that will fix itself when our normal GG CFer returns.

Cano did not pitch poorly last night at all, IMO. Not great, but not poorly. Mateo let us down just as much as Cano did, and Mateo's time here could be coming to an end soon. Again, I'd like to believe that Joey Ortiz makes that play on Realmuto's hit, so I also see that as a situation that - if the club manages the situation properly - should correct itself as well.

Frobby's right. We were due for a loss like that. But that wasn't the full-strength O's squad, either. So... ho-hum. Nobody likes a loss, but they're gonna happen.

[Frobby]

41 minutes ago, Sanfran327 said:

 

Cano did not pitch poorly last night at all, IMO. Not great, but not poorly. Mateo let us down just as much as Cano did, and Mateo's time here could be coming to an end soon. Again, I'd like to believe that Joey Ortiz makes that play on Realmuto's hit

Most shortstops make that play.  But I’m not letting Cano off the hook that easily either.  He’d already allowed the game tying double on an absolutely crappy pitch.  And he still had a shot to escape the inning with the score tied after Mateo’s miscue, and didn’t get it done.  

We need to stop pretending it’s mid-May.  Cano has been quite mediocre since then.  We need another back end reliever pretty badly, and Cano’s role needs to be trimmed back.  
 

[FlaO'sFan]

Not scoring any runs with the bases loaded and no outs also didn't do us any favors. Just as important to the loss as Cano's pitching or the miscue by Mateo imo.

Edited July 26, 2023 by FlaO'sFan

[Sanfran327]

33 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Most shortstops make that play.  But I’m not letting Cano off the hook that easily either.  He’d already allowed the game tying double on an absolutely crappy pitch.  And he still had a shot to escape the inning with the score tied after Mateo’s miscue, and didn’t get it done.  

We need to stop pretending it’s mid-May.  Cano has been quite mediocre since then.  We need another back end reliever pretty badly, and Cano’s role needs to be trimmed back.  
 

No disagreement here. Just noting that Philly has a very stout lineup. Maybe not quite LAD quality, but close. Giving up a single to the MVP and a double to their cleanup hitter (agree again - terrible pitch there) isn't exactly getting rocked. And he got 2 quick ones to begin the inning, IIRC.

I think it's easy to expect perfection from a guy that was literally perfect for so long, and while I do agree that he's slowed down quite a bit since then, I probably wouldn't call him mediocre. I just hope he can rebound for September and October.

[Low Country Bird]

34 minutes ago, FlaO'sFan said:

Not scoring any runs with the bases loaded and no outs also didn't do us any favors. Just as important to the loss as Cano's pitching or the miscue by Mateo imo.

Especially with Westburg, Gunnar and Adley coming up.  That was the game right there.  We score two more in the second and we likely win.  

[sportsfan8703]

The game was lost when we had bases loaded with nobody out early on and did nothing with it. It’s hard for the pen to save 1 run leads constantly. 

[Frobby]

6 minutes ago, Sanfran327 said:

 

I think it's easy to expect perfection from a guy that was literally perfect for so long, and while I do agree that he's slowed down quite a bit since then, I probably wouldn't call him mediocre. I just hope he can rebound for September and October.

.853 OPS against since May 19.   I’d say mediocre is a generous description of that.