During the dreadful seventh inning, MASN Orioles analyst Mike Bordick put it succinctly. “This is hard to watch,” Bordick said.
In that awful inning, the Cleveland Indians scored five runs on their way to a 14-7 win over the Orioles. There were defensive misplays in the inning that weren’t counted as errors, but made it hard for Bordick–and Orioles fans watching at home to stomach.
The loss was the Orioles’ third straight and seventh in their last eight games, and their season record is 14-29.
In recent days, the Orioles had been buoyed by long starts, and in Wednesday’s doubleheader at Yankee Stadium, despite two more losses, David Hess and Andrew Cashner completed six innings.
While the Orioles had seen some longer starts from Cashner and John Means and a 7 1/3-inning gem by Dylan Bundy, there have been two many shorter starts for manager Brandon Hyde to add that fourth position player he craves.
Thursday night’s game proved why he needs eight pitchers in the bullpen. Dan Straily, who was handed a 5-1 lead, frittered it away in the third and fourth, and was out of the game after a 3 1/3-inning start.
While Straily could be running out of chances — his ERA now stands at an abysmal 8.51 — the most likely choice to replace him is Yefry Ramirez, who’s in the Orioles’ bullpen.
Last year, Ramirez was 1-8 with a 5.92 ERA in 17 starts, and has a 5.14 ERA in three appearances since his recall from Triple-A Norfolk.
Another candidate, Gabriel Ynoa, followed Straily to the mound, and he gave up four runs and took the loss. A few days ago, his ERA was healthy and now it’s up to 5.27. Ynoa won’t likely be starting anytime soon.
Because of Wednesday’s makeup doubleheader in New York, the Orioles will need a starter for Sunday’s game in Cleveland. Ramirez is the likely choice—unless the Orioles get another short start from Bundy tonight or Means on Saturday.
Josh Rogers could be recalled from Norfolk to get that start instead.
Straily was signed to eat innings for the Orioles, and he hasn’t pitched past five innings in any of his starts. The lack of an obvious replacement could keep him in the rotation for the time being.
Alex Cobb, who hasn’t pitched in nearly three weeks, isn’t anywhere close to returning. He’ll supplant an incumbent starter when his back is better.
Richard Bleier was activated from the injured list, and Jimmy Yacabonis was returned to Norfolk. In his first major league game action since April 8, Bleier allowed two runs in 1 2/3 innings.
A healthy and effective Bleier is key to solidifying the shaky Orioles bullpen.
Paul Fry and Miguel Castro both worked for the second straight day, and Hyde may not use them for a third straight.
Mychal Givens, who is the Orioles’ nominal closer, didn’t pitch in either game of the doubleheader or Thursday night’s game, and will head into Friday with four days’ rest. Perhaps Hyde will use him no matter what the score.
Oriole opponents have scored 10 or more runs six times, but Thursday night’s game was the first time they’ve allowed 10 or more since April 22.
Making things even worse was that this loss took nearly four hours to complete. The doubleheader losses took just two hours, 12 minutes and two hours 39 minutes to play.
Trey Mancini hit a three-run home run, his ninth, and Rio Ruiz hit his fourth.
Mancini, Dwight Smith Jr. and Stevie Wilkerson each had three hits.
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If you can’t bear to watch (and sometimes it is a challenge), just turn off the TV and read Rich’s recap the next day. Then check back in August, when the team may look quite different, if they start calling up a few prospects. Nobody said this year was going to be pretty.
Bases loaded, 1 out, ball hit to 2nd, tribe scores two, O’s get no outs, beyond not being pretty, no baseball IQ....by the way, ball was fielded clean...wow...
All the talk of “change”when it came to fielding for this team was disproven last night. Not only was the pitching (by everyone taking the mound) pathetic, the fielding was too. This team will challenge the patience of any true Oriole fan! I’m ready for them to flip-flop the whole lot of them with Norfolk. That should satisfy some the people who post her wanting to bring Mullins, Cisco, Hays etc back.
Ditto that Ekim ....I'm with you!
If we flip-flopped with Norfolk, would we be able to tell the difference? I don't think so!
Ekim: I have been a stanch supporter of the Oriole philosophy of letting our prospects (?) conquer AAA before bringing them up, as the front office has been touting. After watching Straily give up a 5-1 lead I have flipped and feel that it is time to bring up some of the pitchers we have and let them air it out in the big leagues. I know that it is not the "patient" thing to say, but after watching that game last night, all I was waiting for was the news that Straily had been DFA'd.
There would have to be arms in AAA who actually deserve a promotion.... Akin would be the only guy who you could make that argument for.
You don't want the mentioned players here instead of the crap here now? Not sure what you mean.
This isn’t part of a youth movement, most HS kids would’ve known what to do w/the ball, baseball IQ, doesn’t stand for I quit, I know they didn’t, but pretty pathetic effort...
Coudn't find anything on Netflix last night, so I caught all 4+ hours of that horror show. (but at least they hit the ball) You know things are getting bad when Mike Bordick lets his negative side show.
How the heck did we ever let Wade Miley get away? Big Game James Shields anyone? Heck ... last I saw, Bartolo Colon's arm was still attached to his body. At this point, I'd even consider kicking the tires on Chris Tillman or dare I say it .... Ubaldo? Can we get crazy and throw Dallas Keuchel's name out there? Noooooooooooo .... we get Dan Straily? Really? Who is he?
Nope .. things seemingly are going exactly as Mr. Elias has planned. Now if we can only get the Marlins to cooperate and win a few more games....
You should never lose a game when you score 7 runs! Pitching and defense has been awful this season and no signs of getting better! I fully understand the circumstances of a rebuild but at some point you have to start making changes. Straily, Hess and majority of the bullpen needs to be moved. Bundy to the pen for a while to maybe figure it out! Hopefully Hyde has this circus at the field bright and early today for infield practice!
Please put Martin back at short,Mullins yes Mullins back in CF,Wilkerson as DH if we must. But PLEASE don't let Alberto(another Beckham) or Stevie(I hate that name) wear a glove. Tighten up that damn defense. 2 weeks ago 3 runs score on single to center,last night 2 runs score on a grounder to 2nd--awful teams can do better than that.
I totally agree Orial. the offense will suffer for it but the games will be so much more enjoyable to watch.
Rich, do you think the Orioles put Cobb on the 60 day IL to free up a spot on the 40 man roster? Keagan Akin pitched 6 scoreless innings last night. I think at some point he should be given a chance to start.
I think Akin probably needs a little more time in Triple-A, but I don’t think it will be that much longer until we see him. Putting Cobb on the 60-day means we wouldn’t see him until late June. I would guess his injury isn’t that severe. I’m sure there are others from the 40-man they could trim.
The whole world has made fun of the Hanser lapse in the field trying to tag Lindor when all he had to to was throw to any base. Then Davis falling asleep . The writer said in the history of baseball it was the dumbest play he has ever seen.
"This is hard to watch". And a new T-shirt is born.
I do think I am done actually watching games for awhile. As suggested, I'll read about it here and when they seem interesting again, the TV can go back on. Scoring 7 runs and getting beat by 7 is not enjoyable baseball. Alberto should be benched, as should Nunez, and Rickard. None of them is part of the future, and none of them actually contribute much (Rickard and Alberto have come back to Earth now that they are getting regular playing time, NUnez is so streaky it just is ugly) . Not that it matters much with the arsonists they have coming in out of the bullpen to throw a little gasoline on the fire each and every night. What a disaster.
What was the point of signing straily? Having a 4a player signed to a minor league deal would have been cheaper (even though salary cap isn't a problem this yr). He's an innings eater like Guthrie, just without any upside and without any quality stuff.
He only got 850K. They obviously hoped he’d be better. It’s still not a lot of money for a professional team to pay a SP.
MLB doesn’t have a salary cap....
Correct, it has a Luxury tax and the O's seem to top out at or around 150-175m, unlike the big boys (NYY, BOS CHI, LAD etc.)
Biting the dust is not exactly the way you eat innings. What a shame.