Sunday, April 28: A's vs Orioles

[baltfan]

3 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

A lefty was coming in. O’Hearn hit under .200 last year vs them and has 3 at bats all year this year. Come on. 

 I will take O’Hearn over McKenna all day long.  Lefty or no lefty.  He doesn’t get a chance 

[Aristotelian]

16 minutes ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

That is possible, but also it’s on Hyde burning out this bullpen one month into the season. Elias needs to start working the phones trying see if any pitchers are available. If Bradish and Means return to the starting rotation that will help, but Hyde needs to rely on someone besides Kimbrel to close out game. 

I was surprised we didn't at least make a shuttle move on the road trip. We don't even need outside help, but we do need to make sure guys are getting rest.

[EddeeEddee]

1 minute ago, Tony-OH said:

You can disagree all you want, that's your right. At the end of the day EVERYONE knew the Orioles were short in the pen going into this season and that was before Perez went down.

Hyde is no help to a bullpen either since he uses 5 or 6 relievers every game and was using his 36-year old closer like Sea bisket down the stretch!

Reliever are volaitile, but the quality or arms were lacking. Look at that A's pen just dominate the Orioles hitters. One guy after another coming out there throwing gas. 

Orioles running at Webb and Tate with their 92 mph fastballs and thinking Coulombe would repeat his miracle year was just not smart. 

Elias has proven he can build a winner, but he hasn't proven he knows how to build a sustained winner or a team that can win in the postseason. No one looked at this bullpen and thought it was set up for success this year. No one.

To clarify I agree with you about that the bullpen was a problem waiting to happen.  I did not like the offseason approach to the pen at all either.

But I disagree that losing this game or Friday's game is Hyde's fault.  He's dealing with the pitching staff he has.  Kimbrel pitched well coming into the weekend.  Then suddenly he doesn't. 

Compared to other teams, by innings pitched, the O's have not used relievers as much as most of the rest of the league.  Overuse doesn't feel like an issue here, though I'm not sure about specific pitchers. 

Yeah I agree this pen was risky the way it was constructed, but I can't fault Hyde for Kimbrel melting down based on what we currently know.

[baltfan]

1 minute ago, Tony-OH said:

Suarez should have come out for the 5th. Not sure why they pulled him other than they hope to use him as a reliever in the Yankees series.

At 57 pitches, Akin is out for at least two games, maybe three. Any more and it would definitely had been three games meaning he would have missed 3 of 4 against the Yankees. 

Suarez's short start put the team in a bind. Coulombe giving up a homer on two strikes to Nevin was a terrible pitch. Kimbrel had nothing once again. Is there no one watching him in the bullpen? 

Now he looks hurt, but honestly it might just be his feelings that got hurt after blowing two games in a three game stint to the A's.

But it's not his fault. He's been incredible overused for a 36-year old.

They are saying upper back and that would make sense to me as to why he wasn’t  locating. 

[eddie83]

2 minutes ago, baltfan said:

 I will take O’Hearn over McKenna all day long.  Lefty or no lefty.  He doesn’t get a chance 

Ok. Wonderful. My point remains. 
 

He wanted McKenna over him to hit and was coming in for his glove anyway. 

[Aristotelian]

21 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

He’s been used in something like 4 of the last 6 games. 

4 of 7. He pitched every other day going back to the 20th. No back to backs. That doesn't seem bad to me.  

[baltfan]

Just now, eddie83 said:

Ok. Wonderful. My point remains. 
 

He wanted McKenna over him to hit and was coming in for his glove anyway. 

If you recall when they gave him a couple of opportunities against lefties later in the year and he doubled and homered.   O’Hearn barrels balls.  

[baltfan]

Just now, Aristotelian said:

4 of 7. He pitched every other day going back to the 20th. No back to backs. That doesn't seem bad to me.  

He is 36 and has a bit of a dunlap over his too tight belt.  They needed to try to preserve him for the end of the season. 

[LA2]

22 minutes ago, Uli2001 said:

Kimbrel may be injured/overused. Fine. But I never thought he was a big-time closer. He had some good seasons. I just never thought this guy was really the deal. Perhaps it had to with that annoying stance he has.

Nine-time All-Star is a lot more than "some good seasons."

[dtk9119]

Have nothing more to add other than if they don't get 7 plus innings from every starter this week they are SCREWED 

[eddie83]

5 minutes ago, baltfan said:

If you recall when they gave him a couple of opportunities against lefties later in the year and he doubled and homered.   O’Hearn barrels balls.  

He was 5-26 off LHP last year. If he barreled balls vs LHP he wouldn’t be a platoon player. 
 

Either way you would think Mark Belanger just hit for Eddie Murray. 

[baltfan]

2 minutes ago, dtk9119 said:

Have nothing more to add other than if they don't get 7 plus innings from every starter this week they are SCREWED 

Yeah well no chance that happens.  Yankees hitters are patient nd will be more so knowing the pen is a mess. 

[baltfan]

1 minute ago, eddie83 said:

He was 5-26 off LHP last year. If he barreled balls vs LHP he wouldn’t be a platoon player. 
 

Either way you would think Mark Belanger just hit for Eddie Murray. 

Hose about Kiko Garcia for good Larry Sheets. 

[eddie83]

2 minutes ago, baltfan said:

Hose about Kiko Garcia for good Larry Sheets. 

I had to laugh at that. 

[Moose Milligan]

11 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

4 of 7. He pitched every other day going back to the 20th. No back to backs. That doesn't seem bad to me.  

Okay, so it doesn’t seem bad to you but he blew one Friday, blew one today and his arm hurts. 
 

What do the results tell you?