Aug 14, 2021; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Austin Wynns (61) pitches during the eighth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
BOSTON–In May, the Orioles had a 14-game losing streak, equaling the second longest in franchise history. They hoped not to repeat that, but after Saturday’s debacle, a 16-2 pasting by the Boston Red Sox before an announced crowd of33,118 at Fenway Park, they might be coming close.
In the first four games of a 10-game losing streak, the Orioles (38-77) set a franchise record by surrendering 10 or more runs in each of them. They gave up nine in the next two.
The 16 runs Saturday were the most allowed by the Orioles since they lost, 23-2, to Houston on August 10, 2019.
According to STATS, this is the third time in franchise history, the Orioles have had multiple 10-game losing streaks in a season. It also happened in 1954 and 2002.
“We really have no choice,” manager Brandon Hyde said when asked about helping his players see a light at the end of the latest tunnel. “We have to come out and play hard, do our best to try to stay in games, to try to compete and try to win as many games as we can. That’s been the mindset here. We haven’t pitched very well as of late. We’re not scoring a ton of runs, either. We’re playing defense well, but we’re not swinging the bats very well, and we’re not pitching.”
Starting pitcher Jorge Lopez (3-13) allowed the first five batters to reach in the first, and four scored. Kike Hernandez, who led off with a base hit, scored on a wild pitch by Lopez, and Rafael Devers hit his 29th home run of the season before there was an out.
“The first inning I felt really good,” Lopez said. “I just got unlucky. I got a couple of hard hits. I keep attacking guys. It was hard to get a strikeout today because those guys battle.”
J.D. Martinez followed Devers’ home run with a double, but he was third out trying for third on Hunter Renfroe’s grounder.
Alex Verdugo, who scored the second run, had an RBI single in the second, driving in Hernandez, who doubled with two outs. Xander Bogaerts, who Lopez hit in the hand in the first inning and scored the third run, hit a double to score Verdugo, who had four hits, for a 6-0 lead after two.
The Orioles faced Chris Sale, who was pitching for the first time since he underwent Tommy John surgery on March 30, 2020. Sale (1-0) allowed back-to-back, two-out home runs by Austin Hays, his 13th, and Trey Mancini, his 20th. It was Mancini’s first RBI since he homered on July 28th.
“Nice to watch Hays and Mancini hit a couple of homers,” Hyde said. “We were 14 runs short.”
In five innings, Sale allowed two runs on six hits and struck out eight. Sale is 9-2 with a 2.63 ERA in 21 appearances against the Orioles.
Lopez loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, and Paul Fry replaced him. His first batter, Devers, hit a run-scoring single for a 7-2 Boston lead. In 3 1/3 innings, Lopez allowed seven runs–equaling his season high against Boston on April 11th–on nine hits. He walked two, hit two and threw two wild pitches.
Adam Plutko watched his ERA balloon from 5.66 to 6.71 when he gave up seven runs while recording just two outs in the fifth. Bobby Dalbec and Martinez each hit two-run homers to put Boston ahead, 14-2. Plutko has allowed home runs in each of his last six appearances and 17 in 56 1/3 innings this season.
Cesar Valdez gave up the 15th run on Dalbec’s second homer of the game in the sixth.
Austin Wynns, who was behind the plate for the first seven innings, pitched the eighth and gave up Hunter Renfroe’s 21st home run.
“I think we’ve had some games get away from us,” Hyde said. “Getting down early quite a bit is hard. We need to get a good start to get things rolling. I’m not complaining about the lack of effort. I think our execution hasn’t been real good on the mound right now with some guys, and I think our at-bats have been a little bit out of control. We’re missing [Ryan] Mountcastle. That’s big for us right now for the middle-of-the order bat, but a lot of teams are missing people. We’ve just got to get better in all areas. We’re a long ways away.”
Notes: Keegan Akin (0-6, 8.23 ERA) will face Eduardo Rodriguez (8-6, 5.24) on Sunday. … The Orioles have hit back-to-back home runs five times this season. Hays has been involved three times.
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It is what it is… just saying…
Not a good day, but if we could only hear from the posters who know everything about being a manager/GM/pitching coach, we will be OK.
Hahahahahaha, preemptive strike! Will it work? Great experiment...
What does that even mean? Nobody should complain about this joke?
Good bye. Don't need children.
Kubatko is worried that Plutko is out of options??? Now THAT is funny! Somebody needed to be plunked today to send a message. Akin tomorrow??? OUCH! A manager with stones would have plunked someone. Oh, I did the math, subrtact Dalbec's stats against the orioles, and he's batting 167!
I can assure you that my friend Mr. Kubatko isn’t worried about Plutko being out of options.
He did mention it, however, Rich, maybe to get us riled up!
Lopez did hit 2 batters today. Both around the hands. Rather than hitting batters, Hyde would be better off suggesting that pitchers throw strikes and get hitters out.
There’s a pitcher named Gilbert tonite for the D-Backs pitching a no hitter thru 7 vs SD. He has a zero ERA which tells me he might be making his debut. I’m not aware of that ever happening.
He’s pitched three games in relief before this, Dave. The only time a pitcher threw a no-hitter was in 1892, which I just learned a few moments ago. His name was Bumpus Jones, and I leave you with that.
I meant a no-hitter in his major league debut.
Thanks Rich. It looks like the Padres are trying to make it easy on him as they all swung at the 1st pitch in the 8th inning and went down in order on just 3 pitches.
Can someone please tell me HTF! have the Tigers won 58 games???????????????? Is it the old American League Central thing again??
Buzz1979 it is the AL Central thing. The Tigers are tied for 2nd 3 games UNDER .500 while Toronto is in 4th place 9 games OVER .500.
Figures!
So, with the O’s now 38-77 and D-Backs 38-80, and the O’s having the 2nd most difficult remaining schedule in all MLB, it’s time to think about next years draft. I understand there’s a “generational” talent who will be the surefire top pick. What does anyone know about him? I’m convinced if O’s have the top pick they’ll take him just as they did AR. So, what does anyone know about this guy?
I’d hope they’d take the BEST player, like Rutschman, not like the last two yrs & go under slot...we’ll see, if it’s a generational talent, nut up & pay him...go O’s...
I know they will go underslot...god forbid they take the best player available with the first pick and have to pay them. Then they will wait until the 12th round to pick a pitcher. lol.
Austin Wynns pitches the 8th…
Actions like that used to be funny. When Chris Davis did it and retired the side, signs were posted around B’more saying Davis for Cy Young! That was funny.
Wynns pitching is not.
It’s a sign of utter hopelessness.
The O’s are now tied for the worst record in baseball, with only the basement in sight.
I’m declaring the once proud Oriole Way officially dead.
It’s not all the players’ fault. They’re quite simply employees for a poorly managed organization who thought they could do things better than what the Oriole Way espoused.
They were wrong, and the players are worse off for that. Do the players really believe they’ll get lucrative offers from other teams after coming from the O’s system?
The source of the O’s problems is management, plain and simple. (Yeah, I’m Capt. Obvious).
So please, stop slamming the players! How many of you have taken a job and, after a while, wondered what the hell is this company doing? I’ve had a few.
I’m done now. Goodbye.
CD pitched 2 innings in that game, picking up the win. He also struck out 5 times, and grounded into a double play…
CD at least pitched in college...lol...go O’s...
Glory Hallelujah that day has finally arrived. Aug. 14th and the opening day of RAVENS FOOTBALL ! Celebrated of course with a 17-14 WIN over the aint's. That's all I ask of the O's anymore. Just get me to August and the start of Ravens Football. Job done. See you in earnest in Apr.
We're lower than sea-level and Keegan Akin is up next. My God. Charles Dickens' "Tale of Two Cities" could be re-written into "Tale of Two GM's". Doesn't Elias realize there's more to building than the bottom up? Though I'll kinda give him a thumbs-up for building talent at the A and AA levels what he has done at the AAA and Big League levels is disgraceful. When does this Honeymoon period end anyway? Scary thing is you can't even count on him taking the best talent in the draft anymore. But I will continue to watch and complain because at this point that's all there is to do.
:)...go O’s...
Lower than sea level. That’s good imagery. Death Valley comes to mind.
It may not be part of “The Plan”, but theoretically, if Elias get the permission to use some of that Angelos largesse, does anyone think the O’s could sign an actual bona fide free agent this winter by overpaying? I’ve always thought that while we are confirmed bottom feeders that this wouldn’t be possible. Others have said money talks; a top tier free agent would sign for an absurd offer.
Thoughts?
I just don't know. Even with Davis' money coming off the books this financial sink hole may be too burdensome. I fear that even with Rutschman/Rodriguez here they'll still lose 90(or so) games. They're gonna need a lot more than those two.
CD is the new Bobby Bonilla, will we celebrate July 1st as Chris Davis day, he’s still getting his money until he is 51...then he can retire...lol...go O’s...