WASHINGTON—The Orioles had a forgettable weekend in Washington. On Friday night, they managed just four hits. A day later, they scored five runs in the first and lost. On Sunday, they scored three in the first and lost again.
The Nationals beat the Orioles, 6-5, before 14,618 at Nationals Park. It was the Orioles’ sixth straight defeat and their 13th in 15 games. Their 17-29 record puts them 12 games below .500, one game more than at any time during last year’s 60-game season.
Starting pitcher Matt Harvey (3-5) lost for the fourth straight time. Again, he didn’t make it out of the fifth inning. In his previous start, Harvey recorded just five outs against the Tampa Bay Rays. Harvey allowed six runs, one unearned, on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.
“In my mind, a starter goes six, seven innings,” Harvey said. “Especially how we’ve been going the last week, two weeks, our bullpen has been used way too early and way too often. As a whole we have to be better at that. I’m the first one to blame on all those issues. I just have to keep going out and getting better and figuring out a way to get six, seven innings and save our bullpen.”
After the Orioles took a 3-0 lead on RBI singles by Trey Mancini, Anthony Santander and a run-scoring double by Maikel Franco, Harvey gave up four in the bottom of the first.
Franco’s sacrifice fly in the third tied it at 4, and Trea Turner’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth put the Nationals (20-23) ahead, 5-4.
After Harvey left in the fifth, Cole Sulser allowed a bases-loaded walk to Andrew Stevenson, and the Orioles were down, 6-4. They didn’t come back.
“I hate losing,” Harvey said. “I hate contributing to that. I feel like I’ve done that in my last three, four starts. It’s completely unacceptable. I don’t think any of us likes to lose. I personally hate it. It sucks right now. We’ve got to figure out a way to be better. When we score runs, we’re not keeping runs off the board ourselves. We have to better as a whole, and I take responsibility for that.”
The Orioles had 12 hits on Saturday, and 13 on Sunday.
Franco, Mancini, Santander, Austin Hays and Freddy Galvis each had two hits.
Mancini’s infield out scored Galvis to make it 6-5 in the seventh. In the ninth, Stevie Wilkerson led off with a single. Hays sacrificed him to second, a decision that didn’t please manager Brandon Hyde.
“No, absolutely 100 percent, no,” Hyde said.
Galvis flied to right, and Mancini was intentionally walked. Left-hander Brad Hand then struck out Santander to end the game.
On May 5th, John Means, who starts on Monday night against the Twins, pitched a no-hitter. It gave the team a 15-16 record.
Since then, there’s been little positive, except for Mancini, who has 41 RBIs.
“I don’t think we got complacent or think we made it,” Mancini said. “Obviously, that was an amazing accomplishment. I don’t think that has anything to with how we’ve been playing and how the games have been going.
“We’re just in a big rut. We’ve got a lot of younger guys who are learning a lot of things right now. It’s something we’ve got to get through and get over that hump and get back to being able to play the baseball that I know we’re very capable of playing.”
Lakins down, Waddell up: The Orioles optioned right-handed pitcher Travis Lakins to Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday and recalled left-hander Brandon Waddell.
Lakins was 1-4 with a 7.36 ERA in 16 games.
Waddell was claimed off waivers from Minnesota on May 8th and was 0-1 with an 11.25 ERA in four appearances with the Twins this season.
Hunter Harvey pitches: In his first rehab outing, Hunter Harvey, who has been on the 60-day injured list because of a strained left oblique, allowed two runs on three hits in two innings for Norfolk. He struck out two and gave up a home run.
Harvey relieved Spenser Watkins, who pitched six hitless innings against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
Sceroler improving: Hyde said that right-hander Mac Sceroler, who’s on the 10-day injured list because of tendinitis in his right shoulder, is getting strong in Sarasota. He has thrown a three-inning game and will throw four innings before he begins a rehab assignment.
Coming Up: The Orioles will play three games against the Minnesota Twins as the 10-game road trip continues. Means (4-0, 1.70 ERA) will face Matt Shoemaker (2-5, 6.08) on Monday night at 7:40. Dean Kremer (0-4, 6.35) will face José Berrios (4-2, 3.91) on Tuesday night, and Jorge López (1.5, 6.00) will face Michael Piñeda (2-2, 2.79) on Wednesday afternoon at 1:10.
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Harvey says all the right things, actions speak louder than words, if Hyde isn’t happy about a decision someone made then dammit do something about it...really could’ve cut & paste from earlier games, but WTH...go O’s...
A week ago it took the starters 3-4 innings to give up a nice lead,now they do it right away. The way it is now if the O's are losing 6-5 they just can't find a way to tie it up,if they're winning 6-5 they just can't find a way to hold the lead. A game of inches or may be a few inches. Well on to Minnesota for a showdown for the AL's worst record.
Playing for a draft pick now...hmmm, go O’s...
2 pet peeves about Austin Hays bunting in the 9th. First, while he is no longer a rookie, he hasn’t played long enough to freelance in a 1 run game in the 9th inning. You look at your third base coach. If he gets the bunt sign, bunt. If not, which is what happened, don’t bunt. The coaches job is to give instructions, not suggestions. One can only imagine an Earl Weaver or Frank Robinson responding. Second, why does he get credit for a sacrifice? He was bunting for a base hit. His failure to execute properly isn’t an excuse to give him credit where it isn’t due
Your point about being given credit for a sacrifice is spot on. No way he should get credit for a sacrifice for that play. All it achieved was that it enabled the Nats to intentionally walk Mancini. The comment about lack of baseball IQ hads been mentioned on here before and I believe it’s been mentioned more than once when discussing Hays.
Not to pile on to Hays, but this is twice in three games he has defied his third base coach. Ran a stop sign on Friday short circuiting a rally and today. Don’t want to hinder aggression, but he needs to play smarter. And while on the subject of Hays, would someone at MASN tell Scott Garceau to knock it off with “Action” Hays? It’s getting real old, real fast
Agree completely. I just never think levity, or even attempting it, while losing 13 of 15 isn’t a good idea. That might not be a fair thing to say but I’m simply being honest about how I’ve always looked at it.
I like Garceau and respect him for his knowledge and tenure, but he’s average as a TV play by play guy. Maybe average.
With regard to broadcast levity, yes, when you’re team is a basement dweller, I understand what your saying about laying off the silliness.
Then again, something to lighten the funereal mood may be occasionally warranted.
John, official scorers almost always give a batter a sacrifice even when he’s bunting for a hit. I’ve spoken to scorers about it. It’s not going to change.
Whole season of weddings & funerals...go O’s...
"...It sucks right now. We’ve got to figure out a way to be better. When we score runs, we’re not keeping runs off the board ourselves. We have to better as a whole, and I take responsibility for that." Glad to hear Harvey taking responsibility for his performance, hopefully he can bounce back to his late April to May 1st form when he won three in a row.
Ok , I know I’ve been saying it’s a process, and I still believe that. But, every game I watch with Severino catching , I’m scratching my head. Defensively I give him a “F”. He doesn’t receive the ball very well. He had a hell of a lot passed balls or wild pitches(?) Every pop up is an adventure. Now I question his game calling , if he’s even doing that. Now I’m not saying bring up the young guy, but we have other catchers in the system that could be used
Really disappointed you failed to mention Severino hit into a DP in the 1st. What the heck is happening to Severino hating standards on this board?!?!?
Hey dogs !!?. You been up to the beach?
Been watching the games but I am speechless in what I am observing on the field ! !!
Stick with em Dogs, they’re all we got …. For now
Harvey is a gamer. He was obviously pissed at being yanked. He’s still a serviceable pitcher and can compete, given some offense!
I know, I know, he can’t go 5 innings, what a baby, etc etc.
he’s thrown the ball pretty well for a guy from the backing the rack.
Still poppin’ the mitt with 95 mph and movement.
Again, he was another cheap, as advertised signing.
Sorry - meant “from the back of the rack”
Hey at least the pen wasn't that bad today. Chin up ... it's a process.
Fly United.
Ok everybody, huge series coming up in Minnesota. We all ready for this?
Time to see what they're made of. I'm psyched!
Oh my.
Let’s bill it as Battle Of The Basement Dwellers!!
The excitement is overwhelming.
Or is that underwhelming?
At any rate, keep those brooms ready
“I’ve failed many times in my life and career and because of this I’ve learned a lot. Instead of feeling defeated countless times, I’ve used it as fuel to drive me to work harder. So today, join me in accepting our failures. Let’s use them to motivate us to work even harder.” Phil Mickelson...should post that in the Os locker room
To keep your job, you fire others or bench them or trade them. You have to do the thinking for 25 guys, and you can't be too close to any of them.
Earl Weaver
I get what you’re saying about posting Phil’s comments on O’s locker room but golf has zero in common with any team sport. There is a reason so many elite athletes in every other sport love to play golf, and it’s because they can’t dominate it like they can their own sports. No one can. It’s what makes golf THE greatest sport there is. When other elite athletes are 50 years old they’ve been long since retired, yet Phil just beat the greatest field in all of golf. But yes, I agree with your sentiment that it’s something ANY athlete should heed. Hell, any person for that matter.
Shamus...This is my first post on here because of your reference to Sevi. I cannot understand what this guy is doing to help this team. Aside from his obvious defensive deficiencies, when he is scheduled to hit with RISP I already know the outcome. I don't now how we're going to get there. If there is less than two out, the ball will never leave the infield. If it is two out, take your pick on how he makes the final out. Yesterday's first inning DP was particularly egregious. Even Jim P. ripped into him. After four straight hits to the oppo field this guy reaches for a 2-0 low and away change and hits a sure fire DP to the SS. Next, Franco doubles to the oppo. What a rally killer. The night before, again, he left four on (three RISP). There are backup catchers in MLB that have more RBI than both of the O's guys combined. I go back a long way....back to the sixties with this team. Never, ever can I remember a pair of catchers so futile.
Severino is just collecting a paycheck, one of the laziest catchers I’ve ever seen, but he was signed by Mikey for way more than Sisco is getting, & according to Someone in the know, you want to play you need to play better, but difficult to play better if you’re not playing...they need someone else behind the plate...go O’s...
welcome aboard foody. I have been complaining about our catching for a month . I think it is time to see what Wynns can do.
Agree with you foodie - cripes even Andy Etchebarren hit better than than these guys.
Unfortunately we are stuck with “Sevy” for the time being.
Maybe we can make some calls and see if Taylor Teagarden, Wellington Castillo, Nick Hundley or maybe Geronimo Gil are still available.
Man, what a mess.
Don’t forget.. Caleb Joseph
Aw nuts .......I forgot about him.
And how ‘bout Greg Zaun?
Wieters is supposedly on the Olympic roster...go O’s...
Greg Zaun!!!!! Good one.. Dempsey’s nephew right?
Yes sir. Took a foul ball to the nads. Poor guy. He was out for surgery for a while as a result, if I recall correctly.
How is a team supposed to win with 1 (ONE) starter amd no relief pitching. Also you need more offense than from the outfield and 1st base. I guess I'm of the opinion that Genius1 don't know what he's doing. We may already have seen the top crowds even after the attendance quotas are lifted.
I think some would argue with the premise of your first sentence, in that many on this site, and I’m getting close to including myself with them tho I’m not quite there yet, don’t think they are supposed to win, or even try their best to win right now anyway. Of course I’m not referring to the players, I’m sure they wanna win.