16-20 over last 36 games

[Tony-OH]

When the Orioles lose once again to the Guardians tonight, the team will now be 16-20 over their last 36 games. This is not a slump, this is team that not good in any facet of the game. 

What is their strength?

The hitting? They hit home runs, but when they don't, they don't win because they don't get on base consistently. Their hitting philosophy is terrible. Their two hitting strategy coaches need to find new work because they have failed in their attempt to get everyone to hit home runs vs take what the pitchers give them, have good PAs, an work pitchers.

The Fielding? This team has the defensive fundamentals of a local Little League team. Can't catch a pop up, can't perform a run down, and anything that seems like its hit 100 MPH+ on the infield can't be handled.

The pitching? Outside of Burnes, starters can't put batters away and the the bullpen is made up of DFA guys and pitchers the Phillies didn't want basically.

The Indians are a good team, but they have dominated this Orioles team. Thankfully, Elias made moves that may pay off more in 2025 because maybe he even realizes this team is going no where IF they make the playoffs. 

Sure, teams can get hot at the right time, and maybe some of these guys will, but they clearly did not get a boost from the trade deadline and look dead vs a good team. 

 

 

[Hank Scorpio]

Too much boneheaded baseball lately. That crap with Mountcastle just can’t happen on a major league field. 

They need guys like Rodriguez and Rogers to step up. I think they’ll get on base and score runs… but boy they have been giving them away lately.

[Orioles0615]

The whole coaching staff is an issue it seems like. Along with Elias' fascination with projects. People can blame the injuries, but we will have all the same ones next year except Bautista back. Bradish, Wells, Coulombe, Means (if he is resigned) all probably won't pitch much next year. 

[O's84]

1 minute ago, Hank Scorpio said:

Too much boneheaded baseball lately. That crap with Mountcastle just can’t happen on a major league field. 

They need guys like Rodriguez and Rogers to step up. I think they’ll get on base and score runs… but boy they have been giving them away lately.

They've really been maximizing the number of runs for their opponents in situations.  Errors, walks to bad hitters followed by HR's.  That sort of thing.  It will get better but boy is it brutal to watch lately.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

The team has no chance right now when Burnes or Grayson isn't the starting pitcher. Combine that with bad defense and Gunnar & Adley slumping it translates to under .500 baseball. If anything it could be worse the team needs to snap out of it before the limp into a wildcard spot and early playoff exit.

[LGOrioles]

I think the offense will generally be fine. They’ve been crap with RISP and situationally the last month+ but it wasn’t a big issue the first 2 months of the year and wasn’t last year with much of the same roster. They have been more patient lately too which is nice to see. 

The fielding has been horrendous so not much to say on that, but I think it just comes down to the pitching. For the most part, they win when their good starters pitch. Tonight not withstanding, hopefully the BP improves and Kremer/Rogers are better than what they’ve gotten out of the bottom of the rotation so far. 

[Chavez Ravine]

They somehow have managed to suck the joy out of being 65-46. 

[Roy Firestone]

I dont care that hes a major league pitcher...to get ONE freaking hit off Carlos Carrasco is completely unacceptable...This team always seems to hit its worst against pitchers who are barely on a major league rotation, it's embarrassing. And another thing, when we get something going early, we cant tack on runs after that.....when we have nothing going early,  we score late, almost inconsequential runs...this team just cant play consistent baseball...I look at all the talent in our lineup and compare it to the Indians lineup and there shouldn't be that kind of domination from them.... We have better hitters, but I wonder if they are smart hitters?..look at Mountcastle always swinging at pitches in the dirt over and over again...and Adley? Dont get me started...also we had some horrific balls and strike calls against us. If this team DOES make the playoffs, I dont see them going very far. I dont get it. We have great talent but just cant put it together.

[Bemorewins]

Thankfully there is enough time to turn it around.

[baltfan]

Last year they went to NY and lost the first two. It looked like that was going to show they weren’t ready for prime time.  They won the next two. Let’s see if this team has that kind of chutzpah. 

Edited August 3 by baltfan

[Just Regular]

At least if we get pushed to an ALWC, Burnes, Grayson, Eflin, Coulombe, Cano and Seranthony can pitch all 27 innings.

I said in the game thread I don't think it is an accident Holliday or Mayo never got to meet Austin Hays, for example.

It is on brand for SIGBOT to assemble a bunch of talented pieces.    We're only at the beginning of getting to see how it is all going to fit together.

Some of the higher leverage work of Hyde's tenure managing players expectations through whatever tactics get developed is coming up.    Has Gunnar lost his leadoff job?    Kimbrel lost his closer job?    Will Eflin and Rogers be quicker studies learning people's names than Burnes?    Who's the boss?

@baltfan - good call on the Yankee Stadium series last summer.

I do think it is a little more unsettled now as Elias has taken some actions affecting some individual's ideals about what the track was going to look like.

Edited August 3 by Just Regular

[LGOrioles]

14 minutes ago, baltfan said:

Last year they went to NY and lost the first two. It looked like that was going to show they weren’t ready for prime time.  They won the next two. Let’s see if this team has that kind of chutzpah. 

They also lost the first 2 at home against the Rays last September before winning the next 2. And did the same thing in Cleveland a week later, both with the division on the line. I don’t question their grit or effort or anything like that. They seem to bounce back pretty well.  

That said, it does feel like something has been “off” the last month and a half. It could be that the offense slumping with RISP, the defense playing poorly (especially Gunnar), and the pitching injuries catching up to them with their replacements turning into pumpkins, somehow all happened at seemingly the same time. 

The offense is better than last year. Their 1-3 starters are better than last year. They need Kremer and Rogers to at least keep them in games and stabilize the bottom of the rotation. They need to clean up their fielding. And they need the BP to keep it together. Excluding Soto, the highest ERA out of their current relievers is 4.18 (Perez), and he’s the only one above 3.44. They don’t have a true shutdown guy but they have a number of decent options especially when Coulombe gets back. 

They have a more talented roster than they did last year. That doesn’t mean they’re a better team than they were last year, because that team clicked so well together. But then again, they didn’t win a single playoff game and only one of those games was even close. It still feels like this team has never truly gelled or fired on all cylinders yet, even when they were winning a lot the first 2 months of the year. While Cleveland is and has been a bad matchup (even though Kremer, Rogers, Povich, and Suarez have started the games they’ve won this season series), I still don’t think there’s a more talented team in the AL than the O’s, so hopefully they find their groove these last 2 months to situate themselves well going into the postseason. 

 

[SteveA]

From June 6 to September 8 last year, the Rangers went 36-44.

Hopefully our stretch of bad play won't last as long as theirs did.

[casadeozo]

1 hour ago, Tony-OH said:

When the Orioles lose once again to the Guardians tonight, the team will now be 16-20 over their last 36 games. This is not a slump, this is team that not good in any facet of the game. 

What is their strength?

The hitting? They hit home runs, but when they don't, they don't win because they don't get on base consistently. Their hitting philosophy is terrible. Their two hitting strategy coaches need to find new work because they have failed in their attempt to get everyone to hit home runs vs take what the pitchers give them, have good PAs, an work pitchers.

The Fielding? This team has the defensive fundamentals of a local Little League team. Can't catch a pop up, can't perform a run down, and anything that seems like its hit 100 MPH+ on the infield can't be handled.

The pitching? Outside of Burnes, starters can't put batters away and the the bullpen is made up of DFA guys and pitchers the Phillies didn't want basically.

The Indians are a good team, but they have dominated this Orioles team. Thankfully, Elias made moves that may pay off more in 2025 because maybe he even realizes this team is going no where IF they make the playoffs. 

Sure, teams can get hot at the right time, and maybe some of these guys will, but they clearly did not get a boost from the trade deadline and look dead vs a good team. 

 

 

Really well articulated. I’m sure every fan watching these games is feeling the same.

Tony what sort of changes would you make? For the hitting getting rid of a player like Mountcastle is priority 1. His impatient approach I feel has made normally patient hitters like Adley be more homer happy.

I could also see us not resign Santander with his homer prone swing. 
 

that said there really just needs to be more balance to this lineup. Seeing hitters like Kwan and Ramirez really make you appreciate pure hitters.

[bpilktree67]

Baseball is a funny game.  The Phillies looked like they were just gonna Cruz through the season and playoffs.  Now since July 11th they have the 2nd worst record in baseball behind only the White Sox.  They are also getting hammered again.