Sunday, April 28: A's vs Orioles

[clapdiddy]

If Kimbrell is hurt, this team is in deep doo-doo.

[oriolediehard]

How about try Cade Povich for bullpen??  It wouldn't hurt to try to fix the problem, it is better than doing NOTHING!!!!!!

[eddie83]

1 minute ago, Tony-OH said:

Just like to say the Orioles are 0-2 when McKenna plays this year. 

Why would you take out O'Hearn and bat McKenna in a close game when your pen is terrible? Hyde will have to answer that one. Of course the press will lob softballs at their buddy so no accountability.

He was coming in for his glove over O’Hearn. Orioles were up a run. They aren’t leaving O’Hearn in for defense last 2 innings. 

[Philip]

3 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

Was Westburg available? We don’t know that. I listened to most on radio today, was he in the dugout? 
 

Bullpen usage was fine. Once again what should he have done different? If he knew Kimbrel wasn’t right he leaves Webb in longer. 

On the contrary. Hyde’s usage is awful, and has often been bad, and not just in hindsight.
He usually leaves starters in too long, but didn’t today. Akin isn’t being used as a starter but has a starters stamina, had 57 pitches, and could have thrown another inning. Kimbrel being overused.

4 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

Was Westburg available? We don’t know that. I listened to most on radio today, was he in the dugout? 
 

Bullpen usage was fine. Once again what should he have done different? If he knew Kimbrel wasn’t right he leaves Webb in longer. 

 

[Gurgi]

2 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Just like to say the Orioles are 0-2 when McKenna plays this year. 

Why would you take out O'Hearn and bat McKenna in a close game when your pen is terrible? Hyde will have to answer that one. Of course the press will lob softballs at their buddy so no accountability.

I have not heard a tough question from a Baltimore decade is so long I cant remember the last time I thought "wow tough question".  I hate NY but I do wish we had real reporters with real ballz.  

[Uli2001]

The Orioles will still win a lot of games this year, probably around 89-90 wins and possibly a WC. But you can't expect to win 100+ games like last year, it will never happen. Last year they were involved in a lot of close games too, and had bullpen meltdowns too. But they had Bautista for most of the year and they were lucky in close games. It's not just the bullpen either, the offense plays well from behind or tied, but they go into sleep mode as soon as they get a lead. 

[baltfan]

Westburg had stomach bug. 

[EddeeEddee]

1 minute ago, baltfan said:

Starters are pitching well but part of that is Hyde goes to the bullpen early.  

In terms of innings pitched, O's relievers have not been heavily used compared to other teams.  The O's are in the bottom third of the league. 

But I agree with Tony the O's approach to relief pitching in the offseason was far too lax.

[Philip]

Just now, eddie83 said:

He was coming in for his glove over O’Hearn. Orioles were up a run. They aren’t leaving O’Hearn in for defense last 2 innings. 

McKenna didn’t have to hit. He could have just come in on defense. There’s no reason to let Mckenna hit unless necessary

[Tony-OH]

1 minute ago, EddeeEddee said:

Totally disagree.  If Kimbrel does his job no one is talking about Hyde or anyone else.  Now if the team suspected Kimbrel might be hurt, that changes things a bit, though I doubt that's the case.

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.

[Tony-OH]

1 minute ago, baltfan said:

Westburg had stomach bug. 

McKenna supposedly took ground balls at 2B. He still could have moved McKenna to 2B in the unlikely scenario that Kjerstad homered to tie the game. Having Mateo bat in the 9th was a poor decision. 

 

[eddie83]

1 minute ago, Philip said:

McKenna didn’t have to hit. He could have just come in on defense. There’s no reason to let Mckenna hit unless necessary

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. 

[eddie83]

4 minutes ago, Philip said:

On the contrary. Hyde’s usage is awful, and has often been bad, and not just in hindsight.
He usually leaves starters in too long, but didn’t today. Akin isn’t being used as a starter but has a starters stamina, had 57 pitches, and could have thrown another inning. Kimbrel being overused.

 

He has a starters stamina? 

[baltfan]

1 minute ago, Tony-OH said:

McKenna supposedly took ground balls at 2B. He still could have moved McKenna to 2B in the unlikely scenario that Kjerstad homered to tie the game. Having Mateo bat in the 9th was a poor decision. 

 

I agree. I am only saying why Westburg couldn’t hit.  Smart thing would have been to just take your chances leaving O’Hearn in left.  He isn’t perfect but the ball would have had to have been hit to him

[Tony-OH]

3 minutes ago, Philip said:

On the contrary. Hyde’s usage is awful, and has often been bad, and not just in hindsight.
He usually leaves starters in too long, but didn’t today. Akin isn’t being used as a starter but has a starters stamina, had 57 pitches, and could have thrown another inning. Kimbrel being overused.

 

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.