The Yankee Series is Over. Baltimore Plays Houston This Weekend (6/21 - 6/23)

[DirtyBird]

The Astros run is probably coming to an end. They have been struggling this season and will have to make up a decent amount of ground to make the playoffs, but they have been playing a little bit better of late. 35-40 for the season, but currently 10-7 in June.

The driver behind their improvement has been their pitching - 1.18 WHIP, .655 Opponent OPS for June (1.31 WHIP, .706 Opponent OPS for the season)

Pitching Matchups:

Friday, 6/21: Grayson, RHP (8-2, 3.20 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) vs Jake Bloss, RHP (MLB Debut)

Saturday, 6/22: Burnes, RHP (8-2, 2.14 ERA, 1.04 WHIP) vs Ronel Blanco, RHP (7-2, 2.43 ERA, 0.97 WHIP)

Sunday, 6/23: Al Suarez RHP (3-1, 2.05 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) vs Framber Valdez, LHP (5-5, 3.91 ERA, 1.21 WHIP)

 

Although I predicted a sweep, and anything less will be extremely disappointing, it will be a challenging series. Game 1 is big, with the potential for a letdown after yesterday's output and the uncertainty that comes with facing a pitcher on debut.

Burnes will need to be at his best in Game 2.

Game 3 is a coin flip. Suarez will need to be better than he was in NY.

[Jim'sKid26]

They are a considerably amount less frightening without Kyle Tucker who is on the IL and will likely miss the series. (https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/astros-kyle-tucker-aims-for-baseball-activities-soon/).

Alvarez (.296/.365/.523) and Altuve (.296/.348/.451) are the only regulars who are hitting. 

Bregman has been pretty bad this season (.247/.309/.401). He and Jake Myers are the only other regulars with OPS+ above 100.

If the O's continue to pitch like they did in NYC, should be another series win.

[DirtyBird]

2 minutes ago, Jim'sKid26 said:

Bregman has been pretty bad this season (.247/.309/.401).

Bregman has an OPS of .908 over his last 24 games

[LGOrioles]

Their top 4 relievers pitched yesterday and Hader, Pressly, and Abreu have all pitched the last 2 games. Good opportunity for the O’s if they can get to the pen early tonight. 

[Just Regular]

Tonight it is Grayson's first game in his hometown.    That and the emotional high coming out of the Bronx should be fun to watch.

Georgetown guy feels almost like an intentional stab at inducing a reverse lock from the baseball gods.

Bloss does have a 1.75 ERA in ~60 innings but coming out of camp 2.5 months ago Dana Brown also didn't rate him ready for AA.

At least our injury stack hasn't gotten so extreme we had to throw Cameron Weston against the Astros or Yankees...I think that's about what is happening tonight.

[Bemorewins]

24 minutes ago, DirtyBird said:

The Astros run is probably coming to an end. They have been struggling this season and will have to make up a decent amount of ground to make the playoffs, but they have been playing a little bit better of late. 35-40 for the season, but currently 10-7 in June.

The driver behind their improvement has been their pitching - 1.18 WHIP, .655 Opponent OPS for June (1.31 WHIP, .706 Opponent OPS for the season)

Pitching Matchups:

Friday, 6/21: Grayson, RHP (8-2, 3.20 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) vs Jake Bloss, RHP (MLB Debut)

Saturday, 6/22: Burnes, RHP (8-2, 2.14 ERA, 1.04 WHIP) vs Ronel Blanco, RHP (7-2, 2.43 ERA, 0.97 WHIP)

Sunday, 6/23: Al Suarez RHP (3-1, 2.05 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) vs Framber Valdez, LHP (5-5, 3.91 ERA, 1.21 WHIP)

 

Although I predicted a sweep, and anything less will be extremely disappointing, it will be a challenging series. Game 1 is big, with the potential for a letdown after yesterday's output and the uncertainty that comes with facing a pitcher on debut.

Burnes will need to be at his best in Game 2.

Game 3 is a coin flip. Suarez will need to be better than he was in NY.

Two observations:

1) I don’t know if the Astros run is over. But this is definitely a down season for them (based on their recent history).

2) You surely can’t be serious with being disappointed if the O’s don’t get a road sweep? How long have you been a baseball fan? It’s a 162 game season. You’re not going to win them all, even if you are the best team. If we win 100 that still means we lose 62. I hope you already know all this and we’re just making a hyperbolic statement.

[BohKnowsBmore]

42 minutes ago, DirtyBird said:

The Astros run is probably coming to an end. They have been struggling this season and will have to make up a decent amount of ground to make the playoffs, but they have been playing a little bit better of late. 35-40 for the season, but currently 10-7 in June.

The driver behind their improvement has been their pitching - 1.18 WHIP, .655 Opponent OPS for June (1.31 WHIP, .706 Opponent OPS for the season)

Pitching Matchups:

Friday, 6/21: Grayson, RHP (8-2, 3.20 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) vs Jake Bloss, RHP (MLB Debut)

Saturday, 6/22: Burnes, RHP (8-2, 2.14 ERA, 1.04 WHIP) vs Ronel Blanco, RHP (7-2, 2.43 ERA, 0.97 WHIP)

Sunday, 6/23: Al Suarez RHP (3-1, 2.05 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) vs Framber Valdez, LHP (5-5, 3.91 ERA, 1.21 WHIP)

 

Although I predicted a sweep, and anything less will be extremely disappointing, it will be a challenging series. Game 1 is big, with the potential for a letdown after yesterday's output and the uncertainty that comes with facing a pitcher on debut.

Burnes will need to be at his best in Game 2.

Game 3 is a coin flip. Suarez will need to be better than he was in NY.

Expecting a sweep of any team on the road is always a tall ask

[DirtyBird]

3 minutes ago, BohKnowsBmore said:

Expecting a sweep of any team on the road is always a tall ask

We swept 4 in Tampa. It was easy.

[Rbiggs2525]

I agree with OP. First game always feels like the most important game of a series and especially with the pitching matchup. Blanco feels like a pitcher the Orioles normally struggle against. Hoping for continued success from Mullins, Hays and Urias.

[now]

55 minutes ago, DirtyBird said:

Although I predicted a sweep, and anything less will be extremely disappointing, it will be a challenging series. Game 1 is big, with the potential for a letdown after yesterday's output and the uncertainty that comes with facing a pitcher on debut.

Burnes will need to be at his best in Game 2.

Game 3 is a coin flip. Suarez will need to be better than he was in NY.

(puzzled emoji): How can it be "extremely disappointing" to not sweep, when you go on to list three good reasons they could lose each of the games??

[Roll Tide]

Georgetown’s Bloss has his first MLB start in this series.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5578523/2024/06/20/astros-jake-bloss-mlb-debut/

[DirtyBird]

8 minutes ago, now said:

(puzzled emoji): How can it be "extremely disappointing" to not sweep, when you go on to list three good reasons they could lose each of the games??

We have a must sweep series coming up and you just want to talk about me?

[Aristotelian]

Bloss has really good numbers, making the jump from AA. College draftee who has advanced quickly. 

Blanco coming off near no hitter will be an exciting matchup vs Burnes. 

Looks like a bit of a trap series. I would be very happy with 2 of 3.

[Frobby]

6 minutes ago, Just Regular said:

Tonight it is Grayson's first game in his hometown.    That and the emotional high coming out of the Bronx should be fun to watch.

Georgetown guy feels almost like an intentional stab at inducing a reverse lock from the baseball gods.

Bloss does have a 1.75 ERA in ~60 innings but coming out of camp 2.5 months ago Dana Brown also didn't rate him ready for AA.

At least our injury stack hasn't gotten so extreme we had to throw Cameron Weston against the Astros or Yankees...I think that's about what is happening tonight.

It’s 142 miles from Nacagdoches TX to Houston.  Not exactly Grayson’s “hometown,” but a little closer to it than Dallas (163 miles) I guess.   He’ll probably have a contingent there.  Normally I’d root for a kid from Georgetown, not exactly your baseball powerhouse, but hopefully the O’s crush him.  

I knew Blanco opened with a no hitter and then threw another 6 inning no-no last time, but I didn’t realized how good he’d been in between.  If he’s on his game, Burnes is in for a tussle.  

Valdez has had a pretty good June (3.12 ERA in 4 starts).  Last year we tagged him for 6 runs in 7 innings, so hopefully we can have some success.  

Houston’s 109 OPS+ is 7th in MLB, but their 4.37 runs/game is only 15th.  To a degree you can fault their RISP hitting, .737 OPS.   The O’s are superior in all respects, 122 OPS+ (1st), 5.27 runs/game (1st), .805 OPS with RISP (6th).   Tucker being out is obviously a big blow to the Astros.

Houston’s bullpen has a decent 3.56 ERA, 11th in MLB, while the O’s are 3rd at 3.20.   The ‘Stros have had bad outcomes, 10-16 W/L and 15 saves vs. 12 blown saves (56%).   The O’s pen is 18-11 with 24 saves, 14 blown saves (63%).

Feels like a series we should win, but it’s baseball.  



 

[Just Regular]

Here's one I haven't seen much - the GM saying his prospect SP throws too many strikes.

I think for a lot of pitchers these days, Driveline-y methods help sharpen the stuff, but it is anybody's guess if it goes in the zone enough.     Training is simplified at the extreme to the Raysian kind of tactic of giving Tyler Glasnow "one target".     It is Davey Johnson's aim down the middle anecdote coming to life.

Growing up on MacGregor, etc, it can be fun to call it "chuck and duck".    It is basically math that it keeps runs off the board though.

If the Orioles aren't baseball's best offense yet, as a group they are probably its best group of baseball smashers.    Hopefully they will like Jake Bloss' many strikes very well.     Don't get too excited tonight guys!