9th inning comebacks make great theatre, but I'd prefer steady runs throughout the game

[Roy Firestone]

I've had a theory, we can score early sometimes, then not again. Or not score early and get our runs late, sometimes too late. That's what happened in the Thursday game against the Jays.We scored to make it close and then just went away until the ninth. This is NOT championship baseball. It shows a lack of discipline , inability to put a rally together in the middle of the game. This is so frustrating because this lineup is loaded with good hitters and we should fare better against a struggling pitcher like Gausman who had the worst home ERA in the majors. The Orioles often seem to play their worst against the most struggling pitchers. I can't explain it. I'm also so sick of mediocre to poor pitching.Kremer seemed to find his groove, but then lost it again. 9 baserunners in 4 and a third isnt going to win many games. I thought he was lousy and so was the defense.We shouldve won at least two games in this series, but the pitching and bullpen let us down again. I'm aware we still have among the best records in baseball but it's an illusion because the Orioles are a sub .500 team for about 6 weeks. I dont know that its going to get better with Grayson on the shelf, and not many alternatives that can prop us up. The Yankees keep losing too. If we played even reasonably well in the last few weeks we might have a respectable lead in the division, right now though, they are just limping to the finish line, with little or no hope in sight. Too many injuries, and far too many mediocre performances.

Edited August 9 by Roy Firestone

[Spy Fox]

Roy, some of these theories are just incorrect and that is why you remain mystified when you return to them again and again. 

Of course there are games where they score early and not late, or late and not early. It would be far weirder if they always scored a neat and tidy 3 off the starter and 3 off the bullpen. That's not lack of discipline, that's just normal baseball, and the same thing would happen if the game was played with dice instead of human beings. 

And as for playing their worst against the most struggling pitchers, it's a fun meme after you get beat by a bad pitcher, but I think you know it's not really true. How about the fact that the team's last four wins are off of SPs with ERAs of 5.44, 4.91, 7.36, 8.31. Tonight's particular "struggling pitcher" finished 3rd in the Cy Young voting last year and threw a complete game 10 days ago. 

As for mediocre to poor pitching on the Orioles side? Well, can't disagree with you there. 

[Roy Firestone]

2 hours ago, Spy Fox said:

Roy, some of these theories are just incorrect and that is why you remain mystified when you return to them again and again. 

Of course there are games where they score early and not late, or late and not early. It would be far weirder if they always scored a neat and tidy 3 off the starter and 3 off the bullpen. That's not lack of discipline, that's just normal baseball, and the same thing would happen if the game was played with dice instead of human beings. 

And as for playing their worst against the most struggling pitchers, it's a fun meme after you get beat by a bad pitcher, but I think you know it's not really true. How about the fact that the team's last four wins are off of SPs with ERAs of 5.44, 4.91, 7.36, 8.31. Tonight's particular "struggling pitcher" finished 3rd in the Cy Young voting last year and threw a complete game 10 days ago. 

As for mediocre to poor pitching on the Orioles side? Well, can't disagree with you there. 

I agree on some of the things you said...it IS "normal baseball" but I do see a pattern of erratic and inconsistent offense at times. Gausman was good last year but hasn't been good this year, he was indeed struggling going into this game.We should have played better against this Toronto team, a shell of a team with many of their stars traded or injured.We simply didnt pitch well all series, with the exception of Suarez.

[Frobby]

If the O’s were scoring exactly one run every inning, you’d be questioning why they weren’t scoring two runs an inning.  

Let’s be super clear about this: the problem with this team is run prevention, not run scoring.  JULY 3 WAS THE LAST TIME THE ORIOLES WON A GAME IN WHICH THEY SCORED FEWER THAN 6 RUNS.   And, in their last 9 losses, they’ve allowed 6, 6, 6, 9, 8, 10, 8, 5, and 7 runs.

It’s the pitching, aided by the poor defense, that’s causing the O’s to be so mediocre right now.   Period.  

 

[sportsfan8703]

I’d prefer Sydney Sweeney. 

Failed 9th inning comebacks can sometimes carry that momentum over to the next game. Momentum is real. 

[Jagwar]

I'd prefer that the O's score one more run than the opponent when the game ends. 

[Moose Milligan]

3 hours ago, Frobby said:

If the O’s were scoring exactly one run every inning, you’d be questioning why they weren’t scoring two runs an inning.  

Let’s be super clear about this: the problem with this team is run prevention, not run scoring.  JULY 3 WAS THE LAST TIME THE ORIOLES WON A GAME IN WHICH THEY SCORED FEWER THAN 6 RUNS.   And, in their last 9 losses, they’ve allowed 6, 6, 6, 9, 8, 10, 8, 5, and 7 runs.

It’s the pitching, aided by the poor defense, that’s causing the O’s to be so mediocre right now.   Period.  

 

100% on all points.

[Aristotelian]

Sometimes the pitcher makes a difference

[Sports Guy]

The Orioles have a run prevention problem right now. The entire IF is struggling defensively. OHearn isn’t an OFer.  Adley is framing poorly and not throwing runners out.

And the starters have been very shaky and now Grayson is hurt.

I know the rule of thumb used to be that a run saved is worth more than a run scored. I’m not sure if that adage is still true but I would tend to think it is.

Have to get back to preventing runs.

[Baltimorecuse]

I'm wondering if we can save a pIayoff spot.  

[The Goob]

38 minutes ago, Baltimorecuse said:

I'm wondering if we can save a pIayoff spot.  

I keep seeing this and it drives me crazy.  This team even with all their injuries is not missing the playoffs.  The team we would have to stay in front of to assure a playoff spot is the Red Sox based on today's standings. 

The Red Sox are 61-52 on the season, a .540 winning percentage.  If they were to win 55% of their remaining games they would end up with 88 wins.  To match that and make the playoffs the Orioles would need to go 20-26, a .434 winning percentage.  They are 5-1 against the Red Sox this year and play them 7 more times only needing to win two to have the tiebreaker over them.  Their worst month in the last two seasons was July and they went 12-13.  As bad as they have been lately I can not see a scenario where they lose more than 26 of their final 46 games.  

 

 

 

[Hank Scorpio]

You wouldn't give a floating turd if they won the game, hahaha... c'mon.

[Baltimorecuse]

17 minutes ago, The Goob said:

I keep seeing this and it drives me crazy.  This team even with all their injuries is not missing the playoffs.  The team we would have to stay in front of to assure a playoff spot is the Red Sox based on today's standings. 

The Red Sox are 61-52 on the season, a .540 winning percentage.  If they were to win 55% of their remaining games they would end up with 88 wins.  To match that and make the playoffs the Orioles would need to go 20-26, a .434 winning percentage.  They are 5-1 against the Red Sox this year and play them 7 more times only needing to win two to have the tiebreaker over them.  Their worst month in the last two seasons was July and they went 12-13.  As bad as they have been lately I can not see a scenario where they lose more than 26 of their final 46 games.  

 

 

 

The pitching is gone.  If it doesn't get better we won't make it.  We couIdn't out sIug Toronto.  

[SteveA]

Our offense is GOOD.   We are one of the 3 highest scoring teams in MLB.   And even during this long stretch of mediocre results, it hasn't changed significantly.   It was good early in the year, it was good before the All Star Break, and it's been good since.

PERIOD.   All this silliness about scoring early and not late or late and not early is absolute worthless crap.   A run in the first inning counts as much as a run in the 6th inning and as much as a run in the 9th inning.   All it does is give you something to whine about in the game threads.

If our run scoring is in the top 3 in the MLB, and it is consistent and not in a slump -- which are true statements -- then the offense is fine.   That doesn't mean someone isn't in  a slump that they need to come out of.  In April and May Santander hit .207; since then he's been hot.  Adley has had a terrible slump.   Gunnar has sl umped.   Should we try to improve the offense by getting guys out of slumps or replacing slumping guys with guys who aren't?   Of course.   You'll notice that Cedric's % of games started has dropped lately.    

But overall our offense is good.  The manager and GM should make moves to try to keep it good or improve it because that is their job 100% of the time.   But it isn't a major problem and you can't turn it into one by trying to find weird patterns about when we score.   We are scoring as well as the best teams in MLB.   Over 5 runs per game, which only 3 teams can say.   And that's despite playing half our games in Baltimore which is now a net pitcher's park because of the Wall.

[glenn__davis]

1 hour ago, The Goob said:

I keep seeing this and it drives me crazy.  This team even with all their injuries is not missing the playoffs.  The team we would have to stay in front of to assure a playoff spot is the Red Sox based on today's standings. 

The Red Sox are 61-52 on the season, a .540 winning percentage.  If they were to win 55% of their remaining games they would end up with 88 wins.  To match that and make the playoffs the Orioles would need to go 20-26, a .434 winning percentage.  They are 5-1 against the Red Sox this year and play them 7 more times only needing to win two to have the tiebreaker over them.  Their worst month in the last two seasons was July and they went 12-13.  As bad as they have been lately I can not see a scenario where they lose more than 26 of their final 46 games.  

Not only that, but the remaining WC teams would also have to play relatively well to catch us.  We're 3.5 games up on KC and 4 up on MIN.  Neither by themselves would be otherworldly comebacks but all 3 would need to play pretty well.

Is it a possibility that we totally collapse and miss the playoffs?  Sure, anything's possible, but it's not likely with this offense.

I will never understand fans who just can't wait to proclaim doom and gloom.  It just doesn't compute in my brain.  But I've learned that everyone needs to fan differently.