O’s-Sox: The Patriots’ Day Morning Start
Much as I’m inclined to hate on all things Boston, there’s something cool about the Orioles being involved in the annual Patriots’ Day celebration and the 11 am start that comes with it.
For a quick primer on the holiday, here’s the Wikipedia entry. Essentially, it commemorates the opening battles of the American Revolutionary War. It probably ought to mean as much the the whole country as it does to the New England region, but things are the way they are.
I’ve grown tired of disparaging the pitching staff for now, so I’ll just say that I’m pulling for Mark Hendrickson in hopes that he can hunker down and give us a chance to win.
The pitcher he’ll oppose — Justin Masterson — has given up seven hits in six innings this year en route to a 4.50 ERA, but he also boasts an impressive seven strikeouts against just one walk. All of his stats so far have come in relief — this start is a fill-in for Matsuzaka.
Adam Jones is unavailable due to a tight hamstring.
Early though it may be, I see a chance to make a statement. The O’s battered but still 6-6. Winning puts them above .500 and avoids a five-game losing streak.
It’s not a “must” win, but it’d be a big win.
I HATE HATE HATE Izturis in the two hole. Just throwing that out there.
Damn you, Mark Hendrickson.
Yikes — Freel got hit in the head by a pickoff throw at second base and left the game. Hope he’s OK.
The last thing the Orioles need is the backup guys getting hurt (although with Freel’s history, he isn’t going to avoid the DL this year). Yikes.
This lineup is making me gag on my cornflakes. It’s got huge holes in 2, 7, 8, and 9. There will be no rallies at all today.
And by the way, in case anyone missed it – Nolan Reimold was named IL Player of the Week. He is on fire.
Hendrickson has thrown 72 pitches through three innings.
That’s not a typo.
Sox have won the last 5, and 7 of the last 8 games on Marathon Monday…
Can’t believe this one is still close after that 1st inning…
For all the shit-talking on Hendrickson, he’s done an amirable job today going 5 innings with 6 k’s.
I miss Melvin Mora.
Yeah, I can’t complain about Hendrickson – especially when the defense has been downright awful behind him.
I think Wigginton has done well in place of Mora, but its days like today when the bench is stretched to its breaking point where you realize the lack of positional depth from the Orioles is really, really a big problem.
Someone didn’t read the scouting report…
Liz’s struggles against Boston are well documented he had no right being out there…
This is hideous. How is the bullpen this bad? It’s putrid. Didn’t we all think this would be a strength of the team? I know I did.
Really, this is much worse than I imagined it could be. I didn’t expect a win, but this…this is horrifying.
Anyone watching this one? I’m just getting updates at work. How does Markakis have an error in addition to apparantly being at fault for an Ortiz triple?
Liz is a complete disaster. I assume he gets sent back down after the game. I think Albers has to go back down too. He’s been awful. Bring up anyone, maybe Wilfredo Perez?
If our hitting regresses back to the mean this season is going to get horrifying real quick.
And there’s the blowout.
*vomits all over the website*
@Greg – there’s something really disturbing about that statement. You didn’t throw up on your screen displaying the site, instead you climbed into my computer all Tronned out and just starting throwing up on the bright blue tubes. You’re defiling the code itself and there’s nothing I can do about it.
hey let’s play wheel of fortune
fo_tb_ll
hahaha i fucked it up oh well
Got a couple of football posts coming actually. Amazingly, I know.
Wow…0_o
So…HOW ‘BOUT THEM CAPS MAKING THE PLAYOFFS!
YEA-oh, they’re down 2 games to nil. Shiiiipwreck.
Um…’So Yeah Dood’ beer post? Soon?
I woke up this morning and it was raining. Just a terrible day to follow a gorgeous weekend. I was standing waiting for the light rail to take me to work and I just felt that somehow today the Orioles were not going to please me.
So I tuned into Fangraphs to follow the game. You know it’s bad when you are actually thrilled by a 3-run 5-inning effort from your fifth starter, but that’s about where it ends. I think this is interesting:
When Liz came out:
Bay: Walk
Lowell: RBI Double
Varitek: Ground out
Green: HBP
Ellsbury: RBI Single
Pedroia: RBI Single
Ortiz: HBP
Albers comes out.
Youkilis: RBI Single
Carter: RBI Sac Fly
Bay: Single
Lowell: RBI Single
Varitek: STRIKEOUT
Despite how awful Liz and Albers looked getting singled to death, the Fangraphs page of the game pegs most of the blame squarely on Ty Wigginton. He hit a fly out, a force out, and into two double plays. If you buy into the WPA thing like I do, Wigginton was twice as helpful ruining the Orioles chances of winning as the worst pitcher (Sarfate). Bet you didn’t see that coming?
In any event, while I hope Freel is okay… I’m really excited about tomorrows game against the ChiSox.
1. The O’s are back in town.
2. Sweet Lou getting the call up for Freel.
3. Adam Jones returns to CF.
4. BRAD EFFING BERGESEN.
If it’s BLUE SKIES tomorrow while waiting for the train, you can bet the Orioles are gonna take game one!
Oh man…no matter how bad the O’s woes are, at least we’re not the Washington Nationals Natinals.
Good gravy that’s awful.
Yeah, but are you going to waste Jim Johnson or Chris Ray on this one? Sarfate didn’t pitch well and after that, when you know Liz is going to be optioned after the game, you might as well use him to soak up innings. Too bad he couldn’t even do that.
The last 5 games have been September-esque. I don’t recall bullpen implosions like this in April before. Fortunately, the guys who were supposed to be good are getting there (Ray, Johnson, Walker, Sarfate until today), the guys who suck we figured would suck (Liz, Bass), and the wildcards haven’t been going our way very much yet (Albers, Baez). By the way, what happened to Matt Albers? He dominated last season when he was healthy. Do we figure his shoulder is still bum and his stuff isn’t there? Or what? Not having a Matt Albers type of guy to eat up the 6th inning is really killing us.
But hey, I’d rather all this shit happen right now then mid-season. Let’s find out who really has no right being on this team as soon as possible and make some changes.
It isn’t BLUE SKIES this morning.
DAMN
@Tomás –
LOL, there’ll be one today over at SYD on my most recent BJCP class (mashing and porters and stouts), and then one probably Wed. or Thurs. on Malting if that is at all interesting to you
Yay, Lou Montanez is up!
It begs the question: if Lou is playing well when Freel’s time on the DL is up, what then? Can O’s fans swallow another Montanez demotion, especially for a $4million .200 hitter in his 30′s?