There’s no way around it: Pedro Strop is struggling this season. Strop entered the last game of the Angels series with the Orioles looking to complete their first sweep of the season. Jason Hammel had pitched to the tune of six innings, seven hits, and two earned runs. After giving up a single and a walk to start off the seventh inning, Strop relieved Hammel, and the Orioles clung to a 4-2 lead.
Strop gave up an infield single off his glove – that is likely a double play if he doesn’t jump and touch it – and that’s when the wheels fell off. He gave up a bases loaded triple, which ended up scoring four runs on a throwing error by Ryan Flaherty – effectively, a grand slam. As Jim Palmer noted on the broadcast, Strop can be partially blamed for this as well, as he was backing up home plate instead of third, where he should have been.
Pedro then seemed to get back on track by getting Mike Trout to ground out to third, but then proceeded to walk J.B. Shuck on four pitches. Strop then served up ameatball, which allowed suddenly 87-year-old Albert Pujols to homer to left center.
Strop was left screaming into his glove and stomping around the mound as Pujols literally hobbled around the bases.
Many Oriole fans were excpecting Strop to bounce back after his great run with the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, when he could do no wrong.
According to CamdenChat.com, Strop appeared in six games for a total of 6 2/3 IP, allowing three hits, 0 runs, 0 Walks, and racking up seven punch-outs to help the Dominican Republic to the WBC title.
via (WHERE HAVE YOU GONE, THAT PEDRO??)
Strop wasted no time letting Oriole fans know that he would not be bringing his WBC performance with him back to Baltimore. Strop started slow and ended up giving up seven earned runs in eight innings in April.
This year Strop has given up 16 earned runs on 18 hits in 19 innings over 24 appearances and has a 7.58 ERA and a 0-3 record, after only giving up 18 earned runs in 70 appearances last season. He’s also already given up double the amount of home runs this year as he did last year.
The decline in performance for Strop has many wondering – why does a pitcher who is struggling this bad keep getting into game (especially games that the Orioles have a lead and have a chance to win)?
I think Buck Showalter is trying to get Strop to figure his struggles out for himself, similar to his approach a few weeks ago with Jim Johnson. Strop performed well for Showalter last year, so I think Buck is giving Strop a longer leash than he may give others.
It seems as if the Orioles will try and ride this Strop storm out; they cannot send him down and would have to send him through waivers. I don’t think there is a chance that Strop would go unclaimed, as he has a very live arm with a decent track record, and a struggling team would pick him up in a heartbeat.
Here’s to hoping that Strop figures it out, and can get back on the right track.
