Can the O's hit Lugo and Wacha?

[Tony-OH]

They are a better match up on paper than Ragans, but I don't think that's really the issue here.

This offense has a puckered sphincter problem. They tense up at the slightest of pressure. The matchups probably don't matter at this point until someone will give them a lead and take off some of the pressure. Anytime this team gets behind they pucker up because the pressure is on.

If they can get a lead early, it will take some of that pressure off and maybe, they can win the game. If they get behind though they are done.

[Fiver6565]

I think Lugo pitched Saturday if I'm not mistaken.  If so, that's only three days rest.  Yes he only threw two innings, but we know that a lot of starters like to be in a routine, and three days rest is not the routine.  Maybe that throws him off a bit.

[LGOrioles]

18 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

I buy the chase rate. They could have had several walks.  Now, the ump was inconsistent and it caused them to chase at times. The borderline pitches I get. But there were a lot of pitchers that weren’t borderline that they looked awful on.

There were definitely some bad calls which make a good pitcher like Ragans even tougher to face. But yeah, still too many chases on pitches that weren’t particularly close.

[Tony-OH]

20 minutes ago, LGOrioles said:

They had a .120 xBA as a team yesterday. They’re lucky they had 5 hits - they were that bad. And if Savant is correct? They had a 53% chase rate against Ragans. That’s just absolutely pathetic if true and shows they have zero ability to calm things down and perform under pressure. 

When you're hitting philosophy is upper cut hack at anything close so if you hit it you can do damage, there is going to be days when the pitcher doesn't make that many mistakes and these days will happen.

Add in that this team does not hit well in pressure situations anyways, and you have recipe for what happened yesterday. If the Orioles don't fire all of their hitting coaches and strategists after the season then I will begin to question the leadership of this organization to get this team to the next level.

[Fiver6565]

1 minute ago, Tony-OH said:

They are a better match up on paper than Ragans, but I don't think that's really the issue here.

This offense has a puckered sphincter problem. They tense up at the slightest of pressure. The matchups probably don't matter at this point until someone will give them a lead and take off some of the pressure. Anytime this team gets behind they pucker up because the pressure is on.

If they can get a lead early, it will take some of that pressure off and maybe, they can win the game. If they get behind though they are done.

Fully agree.  Putting up a couple runs by the end of the third inning would make a world of difference for these guys - and for Eflin.

When they finally kind of broke out last week in game 1 vs NYY, the scratched across a run in the 2nd, and another in the 4th.  Something like that needs to happen again.  It was O'hearn w/ the big two-out, opposite field single to get the second run home in that fourth inning, after Kjerstad had an RBI ground out (what a concept - productive out!!).  Someone will need to come through in such a situation again to get it going.  I don't think I'd ever been happier to see an RBI ground ball than that one last Tuesday, LOL.

[Fiver6565]

2 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

When you're hitting philosophy is upper cut hack at anything close so if you hit it you can do damage, there is going to be days when the pitcher doesn't make that many mistakes and these days will happen.

Add in that this team does not hit well in pressure situations anyways, and you have recipe for what happened yesterday. If the Orioles don't fire all of their hitting coaches and strategists after the season then I will begin to question the leadership of this organization to get this team to the next level.

I don't think you're going to get your wish, but I hope you're right.  Its very clearly an approach issue vs a talent issue.  What we of course can't know is what is being told to these guys, and how well they are executing what they're being told.  But the results pretty much speak for themselves - limp dick offense = lame duck hitting coach in most cases.

[eddie83]

3 minutes ago, Fiver6565 said:

I don't think you're going to get your wish, but I hope you're right.  Its very clearly an approach issue vs a talent issue.  What we of course can't know is what is being told to these guys, and how well they are executing what they're being told.  But the results pretty much speak for themselves - limp dick offense = lame duck hitting coach in most cases.

I’m sure they will point out 2nd in AL in runs while no longer playing in a hitters park. 

[eddie83]

32 minutes ago, LGOrioles said:

They had a .120 xBA as a team yesterday. They’re lucky they had 5 hits - they were that bad. And if Savant is correct? They had a 53% chase rate against Ragans. That’s just absolutely pathetic if true and shows they have zero ability to calm things down and perform under pressure. 

The narrative about this team is there. They need to change it. The 60/70’s Cowboys were called next years champions until they broke thru. The Nationals lost every playoff series until 2019 and they won it all. I don’t follow hockey much but the Capitals are a great example. 
 

There are a million examples. They need some damn success. Eflin needs to step up and give them a chance to get into the game. 

[Moose Milligan]

1 hour ago, Sports Guy said:

 

There's a lot of swing and miss with these guys.  And I know strikeouts aren't considered as bad as they used to be, but the bat to ball skills with some of these guys has to be a concern.  Like you said, they needed a sac fly yesterday...that's all they needed.  But seeing Mounty missing pitches by two feet and Santander trying to hit everything at the shoulders into the stands was pretty awful.

I'd say they're pressing which might be true, but a lot of these guys are who they are which are guys that swing and miss an awful lot cause they're swinging from their heels....when all they need to do in certain situations is shorten up and make some contact.

[Tony-OH]

28 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

I’m sure they will point out 2nd in AL in runs while no longer playing in a hitters park. 

The league adjusted to their hitting philosophy and they stopped hitting. They make no in game adjustments nor do they change the approach for the situation at hand. I don't care about their overall stats, I care about how they hit with RISP and in key situation where a productive out is imperative. The Orioles hitters do neither well and to me, it's an approach problem.

[Moose Milligan]

1 minute ago, Tony-OH said:

The league adjusted to their hitting philosophy and they stopped hitting. They make no in game adjustments nor do they change the approach for the situation at hand. I don't care about their overall stats, I care about how they hit with RISP and in key situation where a productive out is imperative. The Orioles hitters do neither well and to me, it's an approach problem.

I agree with this.

They also chase a lot out of the zone.  

[Roll Tide]

3 hours ago, mddisney said:

we better, no team has lost the first game and won these three game series in this format.  I have faith.  Go O's!

Actually it’s 16 or 18 according to telecast last night. It can be done, I assume we start Eflin tonight so I like our chances. What we really need is to score a few runs early so our hitters aren’t pressing.

[sportsfan8703]

We probably need the standard 2+ HR to win.  Like I said in another thread, we have a all or nothing approach.  Let's hope today is that "all" portion.  

[baltfan]

2 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

Which is crazy since they put 7 on the board vs Ragans hitting all singles. They had an approach that worked and then they went away from it.

Exactly.  And in that game they were not trying to do too much.  It was one of the best hitting approaches of the entire season.

[Spy Fox]

3 hours ago, mddisney said:

we better, no team has lost the first game and won these three game series in this format.  I have faith.  Go O's!

6 minutes ago, Roll Tide said:

Actually it’s 16 or 18 according to telecast last night. It can be done, I assume we start Eflin tonight so I like our chances. What we really need is to score a few runs early so our hitters aren’t pressing.

G1 loser is 0/8 since the format became a permanent fixture in 2022. They were 2/8 in 2020 when there was a similar format due to an expanded playoff field. That year Oakland and San Diego both lost G1 at home, then came back to win the series.