2nd and 3rd, nobody out; Jones, Markakis and Wieters all K

[Dipper9]

So when we had bases loaded and no outs on Sunday and bases loaded one out and got one run,the pitcher turned it up. We are not hitting well with men in scoring position. We have left numerous guys on and don't situational hit. Trembley on the postgame basically said we don't advance runners and get good at bats with men on.

Don't get me wrong....I fully admit we stink! Stink to high heavens we do. But I'm also saying in that situation yesterday, we were facing a damn good pitcher. That's all.

[NewMarketSean]

While watching last night, Markakis, Wieters and Tejada were coming to the plate. I laughed to myself and said, "this is the 'heart' of our line-up. I bet the other pitcher is scared."

How pathetic.

[AgentOrange]

While watching last night, Markakis, Wieters and Tejada were coming to the plate. I laughed to myself and said, "this is the 'heart' of our line-up. I bet the other pitcher is scared."

How pathetic.

Really? You think that trio is terrible?

[Lucky Jim]

Totally agree here.

Our struggles aside, I just chalk it up to how filthy Burnett's stuff is. Maybe thats how I cope with things but I dunno...his breaking pitch was nasty. McDonald gave good insight on it.

It's Bard redux. The thing about guys with plus-plus stuff is elemental: if a guy has a plus-plus fastball and a plus-plus breaking ball (let alone a third "show-me" pitch), then the hitter is at a significant disadvantage. If that pitcher is commanding those pitches (and Bard and Burnett were commanding the heck out of their pitches) then the hitter is, almost as a rule, helpless.

[Old#5fan]

It's Bard redux. The thing about guys with plus-plus stuff is elemental: if a guy has a plus-plus fastball and a plus-plus breaking ball (let alone a third "show-me" pitch), then the hitter is at a significant disadvantage. If that pitcher is commanding those pitches (and Bard and Burnett were commanding the heck out of their pitches) then the hitter is, almost as a rule, helpless.

Helpless my ass. If Jones and Markakis lay off those breaking pitches like they should have after seeing the first one break in the dirt and only be looking for them above belt high, then Burnett was in trouble, not the other way around. That is total balderdash.

[Sports Guy]

Helpless my ass. If Jones and Markakis lay off those breaking pitches like they should have after seeing the first one break in the dirt and only be looking for them above belt high, then Burnett was in trouble, not the other way around. That is total balderdash.

LOL...You just continue to show you know nothing about baseball and are totally inconsistent.

You complain about Nick taking close pitches and not taking the bat off his shoulders...and walking as a result.

Now, you complain about him swinging at a ball that appeared to be a strike at first and dropped off the table...He was protecting the plate...Do you think he would have swung at it if he knew it was going to break in the dirt?

Do you think Brooks or Frank never swung at a pitch like that?

You really have no idea what you are talking about.

I think Tony should re-open the childs forum and let you post there...That way you can try and relate to people more on your level.

[kakesmvp]

I realize that AJ is a good pitcher, but at some point, our "good" hitters have to start winning some of these matchups or it becomes a very real possibility that our "good' players simply aren't that good. As another poster mentioned, it is not unacceptable that we didn't score in that situation last night..its unacceptable that we NEVER seem to come through in these situations. We couldn't even put the ball in play, much less get an actual clutch hit. Its depressing to have these kind of situations all the time and to actually feel like we won't score. I was pretty frustrated with the fact that we wasted such a golden opportunity. Our young core has to start learning how to step up in these situations. This is another major reason I am in the camp of us getting the big DEPENDABLE bat that we desperately need...so we can take some of the pressure off our young guys.

[orioole28]

What a killer that was. And going into this season, you'd have said that those three players were the absolute core of our future in terms of position players. Not one guy even got a ball in play. How pathetic.

And yes, I'm particularly galled by Markakis striking out there. We all know Jones is struggling, and he strikes out a lot anyway, so I can chalk up his K to his general vulnerability right now. In Wieters' case, there were 2 outs already, so a strikeout vs. any other kind of out doesn't really matter. But for Markakis, that strikeout was the only K he has had in his last 31 trips to the plate, and he's been very hot. What a time to have your first strikeout in 7 games.

As soon as that inning ended I knew we'd lose.

That was the straw the broke the camels back for me! I've been connected with the Orioles because of DH, watching every game. Now I'll probably just watch them every 5th day. Maybe deep down that's why I want him to be a starter so I don't have to watch them everyday.

[Old#5fan]

LOL...You just continue to show you know nothing about baseball and are totally inconsistent.

You complain about Nick taking close pitches and not taking the bat off his shoulders...and walking as a result.

Now, you complain about him swinging at a ball that appeared to be a strike at first and dropped off the table...He was protecting the plate...Do you think he would have swung at it if he knew it was going to break in the dirt?

Do you think Brooks or Frank never swung at a pitch like that?

You really have no idea what you are talking about.

I think Tony should re-open the childs forum and let you post there...That way you can try and relate to people more on your level.

I watched Frank sonny boy, when you weren't even on the planet yet and he might swing at the first pitch like that but he would rarely if ever get caught doing it twice in a row, especially with RISP.

[The Wedge]

Ahahahah, sonny. Uphill, both ways, in the snow.

[Hank Scorpio]

I watched Frank sonny, when you weren't even on the planet yet and he might swing at the first pitch like that but he would rarely if ever get caught doing it twice in a row, especially with RISP.

You can't possible mean to say that Frank Robinson NEVER did something like that.

That is the single most ludicrous thing you've ever said.

[Frobby]

Let me say, first of all, that I was following the game on GameDay and didn't see the pitch sequences in question.

Second of all, SG does have a point that sometimes the pitcher is just nasty and beats you. Just for example, when Matusz struck out Posada and Jeter in succession with 2 runners on in the 7th in his final start of 2009. Nobody here was saying that Posada and Jeter had choked, we just gave all the credit to Matusz for making his pitches.

With all that said -- NOBODY could put a ball in play? In a situation where putting the ball in play might score a run even if it wasn't a hit? And these are supposedly the three core guys of your team?

[Sports Guy]

You can't possible mean to say that Frank Robinson NEVER did something like that.

That is the single most ludicrous thing you've ever said.

Not even worth talking about...He is so completely wrong its not even funny.

[Sports Guy]

Let me say, first of all, that I was following the game on GameDay and didn't see the pitch sequences in question.

Second of all, SG does have a point that sometimes the pitcher is just nasty and beats you. Just for example, when Matusz struck out Posada and Jeter in succession with 2 runners on in the 7th in his final start of 2009. Nobody here was saying that Posada and Jeter had choked, we just gave all the credit to Matusz for making his pitches.

With all that said -- NOBODY could put a ball in play? In a situation where putting the ball in play might score a run even if it wasn't a hit? And these are supposedly the three core guys of your team?

What difference would it have made anyway?

We lose 4-2 instead of 4-1?

[AgentOrange]

What difference would it have made anyway?

We lose 4-2 instead of 4-1?

Really? We could have scored up to 3 runs that inning, putting us up 3-0 with Matusz pitching. You can't assume they score 4 runs last night if we had a 3 run lead.