Opening Day Reactions

[Dipper9]

Tejada 0-5, 7 LOB

You can say he smoked the ball in the 9th, but he had other opportunities and couldn't deliver.

The cleanup hitter has to deliver in that situation.

You saw them pitch around Markakis, and that is going to continue until Trembley puts an actual threat behind him.

Yeah, lets ignore Roberts looking absolutely lost at the plate all night and bash Tejada!

1 for 12 with runners in scoring position is not gonna win you many games, BUT, the fact of the matter is we got to our closer with a lead, and that's the point of the game. Gonzalez needs to close that out, and he didn't. I have never missed Sherril as much as I do right now!

[Tony-OH]

Gonzalez not impressive.

Straight fastball, horrible mechanics, falling off, fastball up and 90-92 mph... brutal.

This....

Add in the fact that the guy was so amped up that he looked like it was his first major league game. Color me unimpressed. Can't throw like that and be 88-91 while just touching 94 once.

Let's hope he was just overly nervous in making his debut, but that was not closer stuff, regardless of the outcome.

That might be the worse Orioles debut ever due to what he blew although Steve Kline's debut was pretty horrible as well if I recall correctly.

[Dipper9]

Horrible pitch calling selection in the 9th, seriously, they over-trusted and over-worked Gonzales fastball, i don't know if it was all wieters calling, but Gonzalez doesn't have a can't see me fastball, after the K i knew it would hunt us, he must work more with off-speed stuff, then get them out of balance with A OCCASIONAL fastball. Just my opinion.

Gonzo was shaking Wieters off like crazy. Go back and rewatch it. If it was bad pitch selection, you can blame that on the pitcher as well.

However, regardless of the pitch selection, all of his fastballs were up in the zone. That won't work in the AL East brother!

[Smokin' Joe O]

Granted, our bullpen needs to close out one-run leads in the 9th when they occur, but this should have been a comfortable lead by then. Way too often we did NOT come through with men in scoring position and less than two outs. Even if we don't get clutch hits, we have to make productive outs much more often.

There were plenty of things to be excited about, but I hope this isn't a trend since it would be a familiar one.

[scOtt]

This....

Add in the fact that the guy was so amped up that he looked like it was his first major league game. Color me unimpressed. Can't throw like that and be 88-91 while just touching 94 once.

Let's hope he was just overly nervous in making his debut, but that was not closer stuff, regardless of the outcome.

That might be the worse Orioles debut ever due to what he blew although Steve Kline's debut was pretty horrible as well if I recall correctly.

Is what I'm hoping.

But then again I'm the hugest homer...

[Dipper9]

Granted' date=' our bullpen needs to close out one-run leads in the 9th when they occur, but this should have been a comfortable lead by then. Way too often we did NOT come through with men in scoring position and less than two outs. Even if we don't get clutch hits, we have to make productive outs much more often.

There were plenty of things to be excited about, but I hope this isn't a trend since it would be a familiar one.[/quote']

Said from the perspective of an Orioles fan.

The Rays also had many opportunities to score runs, and our pitching held them down as well. The game of baseball is played by two teams, not one. We can't say "Man, our bullpen looked really good" rather than "the Rays were also awful with men in scoring position" but then flip it and say "The O's sucked with RISP" rather than "The Rays bullpen looked great!" It all depends on perspective. We are O's fans, so we say we didn't hit well with RISP, but you got to give the Rays pitching credit as well.

The point is we had the lead in the 9th and the guy making 6 million a year blew it. That's HIS job. 3 outs in the 9th inning. Last night he did not do his job.

[tvz1997]

Gonzo was shaking Wieters off like crazy. Go back and rewatch it. If it was bad pitch selection, you can blame that on the pitcher as well.

However, regardless of the pitch selection, all of his fastballs were up in the zone. That won't work in the AL East brother!

I noticed this too. I certainly hope that Matt had a conversation with him after the game. Those guys need to be on the same page and I bet that even in his second year, Wieters has a pretty good idea how to go after AL East hitters.

[weams]

George Sherrill

miss him miss him miss him

[Old#5fan]

Gonzalez not impressive.

Straight fastball, horrible mechanics, falling off, fastball up and 90-92 mph... brutal.

His mechanics make Chris Ray look like Jim Palmer. Any type of slow roller towards first base or a bunt that way will never be fielded by him and this would be taken advantage by teams in a close game which closers routinely are part of. Andy McPhail really dropped the ball big time with obtaining this guy. He joins the long line of losers such as Jorge Julio, Mike DeJean, Steve Kline, Dannys Baez, et al. No wonder this team can't win one run games!

I saw this coming from a mile away last nite. When the backup catcher almost hit it out for a walk off- all I kept think of was Julio's meltdowns at Tampa years ago. Pathetic is what it is as rest of the pitching staff did a wonderful job.

[wildcard]

I was impressed.

1) Everyone should see that the O's have a cleanup hitter and a leader in the making with Adam Jones. He has been slugging all spring and did I when it counted today. He is speaking out to the media and I feel sure he is doing it in the clubhouse. I want runners on board in front of Adam. Switch Adam and Miggi in the lineup.

2) I am concerned about Nick and Miggi. There is a ban on guns in baseball and Nick and Miggi both had them on display last night. What a throw from Markakis.

3) Scott does not want to sit. Slammed that homer.

4) 3 homers on Opening Day. That's good to see. Especially from Wieters who started slow in ST.

5) Pitching was very good until Gonzo. He gets some more chances before there is too much concern.

On the other side of things.

1) Why didn't Trembley pinch run for Atkins in the ninth? What is the use to have a bench if you are not going to use it. Lugo should have been in there.

[Peace21]

Wow people, enjoy hitting whatever is below after you jump off the bridge. I know the loss hurts but the Os have many more games to play.

[Roll Tide]

Was Gonzalez really 11 out of 17 last year despite otherwise good numbers?

Pretty stinky save % ...Pretty sad start!

[jjdman]

Honestly, to see so many players choke so many times... They all share one thing in common: their hitting coach. As Earl Weaver once said: Terry Crowley is lucky he's in bleeping baseball. I may be in the minority, but I am not a fan. I think he's mediocre, at best.

His students are on pace to hit 486 homers this year

[JanJaap]

I think we found out last night why Rafael Soriano did most of the closing for Atlanta last year.

[Guest rochester]

All I could think about is how much it stinks that April (schedule) is so important this year...