BALTIMORE—Oriole pitchers are giving up home runs at an alarming rate. After surrendering five to the Oakland Athletics, they’ve given up 32 in just 12 games. They’ve allowed at least one in each game.
According to STATS, that ties a franchise record. In 1994, the Orioles allowed home runs in their first 12 games. The major league record is 16 by the 2009 Philadelphia Phillies.
Dan Straily, who was making his first start for the Orioles, gave up two, and Josh Rogers allowed three in their 10-3 loss to Oakland on Wednesday.
Signed on Friday after being let go by the Miami Marlins on March 25, Straily got the start when Alex Cobb was sidelined because of back spasms.
Straily, who gave up five runs in 1 1/3 innings in relief on Sunday, lasted just 3 1/3 innings against the Athletics.
“The competitor in me is really upset with the results, but I’m also able to take a step back and go look at some of the steps forward that I was able to take,” Straily said.
“I feel like I’m finishing up spring training right now, which is a tough place to be because it counts. It’s not like we’re up here getting ready anymore. I feel like my pitches were pretty sharp tonight.
“I wasn’t getting ahead of guys with my fastball, and that really puts me sometimes in a bind, but I feel like I’m really close to where I need to be. It’s just like a few small changes here and there that’s going to be a big difference for me.”
Straily also gave up five runs in 1 1/3 innings on Sunday against the Yankees, not a good beginning in his new home ballpark.
“It’s the major leagues,” Straily said. “Everywhere is tough to pitch, but it’s just another ballpark. I pitched an entire season in Cincinnati, and that’s a pretty small place to pitch, and I was quite successful there.
“It’s just one of those things where the ballpark really has no bearing on what I’ve done so far, just throwing the ball over the plate, throwing too many strikes that aren’t quality has been the downfall of my few innings down there. And it’s nice how close I am, even though how frustrating it has been today, to see how close my stuff is to being ready.”
Josh Rogers (pictured above), who was preparing to pitch the first game of a doubleheader for Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday, was told he was going to the Orioles instead.
Rogers gave up five runs in 3 2/3 innings and was sent back to the Tides immediately after the game. Another roster move will come before Thursday’s 12:35 p.m. game.
Frankie Montas retired the first 12 Orioles, then allowed Trey Mancini’s sixth home run and Rio Ruiz’s first. Ruiz hit a two-run home run that put the Orioles within 7-3 in the fifth.
“He’s a really hard thrower,” Mancini said of Montas. “He has some really good stuff, especially when he brought his changeup later in the game, second or third time around. He didn’t really show it too much early on; it was mostly fastball/slider and then he mixed in that changeup. So, it’s a tough mix. He gets it up there 99-100. When he throw that hard, it’s never too easy.”
Injured list for Bleier?: Richard Bleier, who had lat surgery last June, has had a rough start, giving up nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. He has a 14.54 ERA and gave up four runs on Tuesday, the first time he’s allowed that many.
“I’m not quite rebounding as well as I would like, especially yesterday,” Bleier said. “There are good days and bad days. Yesterday just wasn’t a good day.”
Manager Brandon Hyde had said that he was not using Bleier as often as he’d like to because he was being cautious with his recovery.
“My arm’s still attached, so that’s a good thing,” Bleier deadpanned. “This time last year, I felt completely different. I’m still dealing with issues after surgery.”
Hyde indicated that the Orioles are thinking about placing Bleier on the injured list to give him more time to rehab.
“He was pushing the fast-forward button, too,” Hyde said. “He wanted to break with the club. He wanted to be on this team. Getting off to the start that he’s gotten off to, he’s just disappointed. The stuff of his pitches isn’t acting like he’s used to.
“I don’t know how well his arm is responding…He’s getting checked out today. We’re still going to be patient with him. It’s a major injury he’s coming off of. I think it’s pretty cool that he was trying to be on this club, but I think it’s possible we’re going to reset him and see how that goes.”
Bleier is frustrated and isn’t sure what’s next.
“Sometimes it takes me longer than others to recover, so I may need the time off,” he said. “I’m not getting better not pitching, so it’s like a Catch-22, almost…I can only get better, so I’ve got that going for me.”
Davis’ streak continues: Chris Davis equaled the major league record for most consecutive plate appearances without a hit when he flied out to deep center in the ninth.
Davis, who didn’t start for the second straight game, pinch-hit for designated hitter Renato Nunez.
He’s 0-for-50 since his last hit, a major league record, and has not had a hit in 57 consecutive plate appearances, tying Cleveland’s Tony Bernazard, who set the record in 1984.
Davis, who will start Thursday, worked extensively with hitting coach Don Long before the game.
“I really liked his swings,” Hyde said. “He was out in front of a couple changeups. I liked his takes. I thought he wasn’t rushing out. I thought he was balanced and in his center. And he put a really good swing on a ball that he just missed, so really happy with that at-bat.
“I was hoping a good at-bat could spark him for tomorrow a little bit and find the right situation for him. And I was really pleased with his at-bat, and I hope he is, too. One thing about CD, what I find is really admirable, is the days he’s not starting, he’s ready to play.
“A lot of times when you have guys who have been playing every day for a long time and not used to coming off the bench, they kind of don’t know how to find their way throughout the game and not sure when or if you’re going to use them. But he’s ready from the fourth inning on. He’s always giving me eye contact. He wants to hit and so I love that, love that about him, love that about any bench player.”
Cobb update: Cobb, who was scheduled to start on Wednesday before being placed on the injured list because of back spasms, is feeling better, Hyde said. He thinks Cobb will be able to start when he’s eligible to come off the IL on April 16.
Jackson returns to Dodgers: Utility man Drew Jackson, who was put on waivers last week to make room for Straily, cleared waivers and was returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Jackson was selected in the Rule 5 draft by Philadelphia, which traded him to the Orioles for international signing bonus money, and made the team in spring training.
He was hitless in three at-bats with the Orioles.
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A check of the pitching statistics of the top three O’s farm teams doesn’t show much promise. It’s beginning to look like the Bad News Bears only without Walter Matthau to offer up some comedy. The joke is that people (not to many) are paying good money to supposedly watch Major League Baseball. A neighbor turned down tickets for tonight’s game saying that watching opponents taking batting practice isn’t his idea of entertainment. I’d written in prior posts that I’d rather go to a Bowie game but it seems that they are going nowhere as well (as are the Tides and Frederick Keys). What’s happened to all those hot prospects that we got last year? Just sayin...
The dirty secret is that we did not get that many prospects last year. For the most part, we got one top 75 prospect (Diaz) and a bunch of lottery tickets. The Orioles didn't want prospects, (see the Gausman Deal) but instead coveted international snake oil slots (or bonus slots). The genius front office (under Duquette) acquired these slots, (which were the primary return in the gausman and Brach deal) and effectively burned the slots or traded them for a bum of the month caliber prospect. They wanted the Mesa Brothers and/or Sandy Gaston, but they signed for less money to play for Miami and Tampa. (any competent front office would know this ahead of time) So in short, there are very few prospects that are potential difference makers in the system right now. Effectively the rebuild starts with the '19 draft.
Spot on. I do think we received 2 interesting prospects along with Diaz for machado. That was far and away Duquette’s best return. (As it probably should’ve been) I think Kremer has mid rotation stuff and Pop could be an interesting GB reliever. Of course they’re more of the complementary player variety which is pretty much all we have in the system. Aside for possibly Diaz or id say Austin Hays, who has a lot of question marks but a lot upside if he put all the tools together.
It’s laughable actually when you click on any other ML clubs top 30 prospects and you’ll see 50% of the players being foreign and then you get to the orioles and you’ll see 2-3 guys. I just cannot fathom why we could ever just punt a huge talent pipeline. Especially after the rules were changed and the huge signing bonuses were outlawed. How could it not have been advantageous to go take chances on guys?
The Gausman & O'Day deal was a salary dump. I blame the Angelos boys. No way Dan would not have tried to get pitching prospects from the Braves very good farm system for Gausman.
Goodness, If this trend of short outing continues by the starters, by the end of the year we'll be lucky to see a starter get out of the first! Also, if there are too many more games like tonight, the birds might have to get creative to entertain a crowd. Trading for Puig and bringing the "Nasty Boys" from Cincinnati (Dibble, Charlton and Meyers) out of retirement to start the occasional bean ball war might be fun. Side note: did anyone else think that Puig's and Archer's suspensions were long considering no one was hit and (to my knowledge) no punches were thrown? Not that long ago, I remember when these skirmishes would have to involve punches or headhunting to warrant suspensions.
Everyone calling for Mike Wright’s head, I hear you but remember all we have is guys like Rogers coming up right now. You saw what he gives us. I have a strong feeling that’s why Elias/Hyde and co. Haven’t pulled the plug yet. Our arms just aren’t up to par.
Dan Straily is a flyball pitcher who is going to get absolutely battered all year at OPACY. I like the premise of an innings eater in our rotation because God knows we need it but this guy isn’t the fit. You start looking at our pitchers and it’s just brutal. Mike Wright is a deserving and easy target but there’s more just like him.
The Orioles are certainly struggling at this stage and if I remember correctly that was the prediction being that this is basically a complete makeover.Personally I like Straily and he mentioned he did well pitching in the Reds band box of a park so I am holding off on whether he is worth it or not.For the price I have to say he is worth a bite considering the whole Oriole starting pitching position .Cobb cost a lot more and I hope the hell he starts getting and keeping healthy and pitches like he used to.Rogers was totally off his game last nite and I understand sending him right back after the game.We are all so damn impatient (myself included) as we tend to re evaluate the team after every single game. Today we see if Bundy can get on some kind of track and go 5-6 decent innings.
One thing to remember is that these pitchers(except Staily) are all Duquette leftovers. Still early to bury the trade acquisitions--I'd give them till next spring. What worries me is that the new somewhat disciplined hitting approach by the hitters could fall by the wayside as they pick up the "swing at everything" approach as the pitchers constantly put them in a run deficit hole(2018 ho hum attitude). Be careful coaching staff.
It is all Roger McDowell's fault when pitchers pitch badly. Remember that argument?
12:35 pm start today and a chance to even the series. Let's go Birds !
Say Davis had 2 homers, got excited, oops....lol
Saw