There’s not a whole lot to say after the Orioles’ weekend sweep of the Rangers in Texas. It’s a great way to start the second half of the season, but the work is really just beginning for this team. Whether it was clutch hitting, sensational pitching, or watching the Rangers make a mockery of the defensive fundamentals of baseball — watching the O’s this weekend was a blast for all involved. The Orioles improved to a season-best 13 games over .500 at 56-43 and have now won seven of their last eight contests.
And how about that mediocre starting rotation that Baltimore runs out there? O’s starters pitched to a 1.71 ERA in Texas over the weekend and have recorded an ERA of 3.00 over the last eight games. I’ve been saying it for a while now – the Orioles can win with this rotation. There is still a little bit to be seen with Scott Feldman and Jason Hammel, but any time Wei-Yin Chen, Miguel Gonzalez or Chris Tillman take the mound, fans can rest easy that the O’s should at least be in the game. What more can you ask for?
The promotion of Henry Urrutia should breathe a little life into the lower part of the lineup as well, specifically the designated hitter spot. Urrutia has been talked about an awful lot, so naturally the expectations will be high. While I don’t think he will have exactly the same impact that Manny Machado did upon his arrival in Baltimore last summer, I do think Urrutia can eventually settle into the DH role as an everyday player by the end of the season.
Urrutia’s arrival was also coupled with the departure of Nolan Reimold to injury. Many will look at this as just “another” injury for Reimold, but that’d be naïve. Reimold’s injury is actually just an extension of the spinal fusion that never properly healed. It’s a tough break for the 29-year-old, who had shown promise at times with the bat. I think many expected him to be able to compete and at least platoon with Nate McLouth in left field this season. Instead, his season is over and for a second straight year, there won’t be anything positive from it.
MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli spoke on MASN over the weekend and reported that Reimold’s setback would likely keep him from being fully healthy for the start of spring training next year. In my mind, that could spell the end of his career in Baltimore. If we have seen the last of him in an Orioles uniform, it would be a disappointment to a tenure that saw so much promise. Time will tell if that is the case.
As I said, the work that lies ahead for the Orioles is real, and it’s going to be a challenge. The next few weeks however, could provide a great chance for the team to make a climb in the standings. After the weekend, the O’s sit 3.5 games back of Boston in the AL East and two games behind Tampa Bay. However, after this week that includes four games in Kansas City and three back home against Boston, the schedule would appear to lighten a bit. Starting July 30th, here’s how the Orioles schedule shapes out for about a month:
3 vs. HOU
3 vs. SEA
2 at SD
3 at SF
3 at ARI
3 vs. COL
That’s a 17-game stretch against some of the weaker teams in baseball. We all know what the Astros and Mariners bring to the table. Despite the fact that the O’s lost two at home to the Padres earlier in the season, San Diego has fallen off dramatically. The Giants are about as inept offensively as the Mariners and Astros. The Diamondbacks have the worst record among division leaders in baseball and are likely going to be passed by the red-hot Dodgers (who the Orioles happen to be done playing this season) very soon. The Rockies have an alright ball club, but they are nothing the Orioles shouldn’t be able to handle.
That stretch is the most forgiving the O’s have left, and it’s a big one. Baltimore will have to do some real damage to make up some ground. After that run of games, the Orioles will play the Rays, Athletics, Red Sox, Yankees and Indians over their next five series. The other big positive about what remains on the O’s schedule is that there are still 12 games remaining against the Red Sox and seven more against the Rays. Those head-to-head matchups will be crucial.
On a national scale, things are really going to start to heat up over the next week and a half prior to the trade deadline. There are still a ton of teams that believe they can make a run, especially with the addition of the second wild card spot. There are probably only about 10 teams that truly believe they are out of the running for a postseason spot right now, which will undoubtedly make trades difficult to come by. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Orioles don’t make a splash, but I would like to see the team acquiring another bullpen arm, or a pitcher for depth. That will be crucial with the way the relievers have been used in the first half.
Because of the All-Star break, there’s no player of the week awards to hand out this week. I do want to let readers know to tune in to The Coach’s Buzz each Monday night at 7:15 p.m. on CBS Sports Radio 1300 in Baltimore to hear my weekly segment talking about the O’s. I’ll also be starting a weekly guest blog on MASNSports.com this Thursday. You can check out some more of my work there. I always enjoy the interaction with Orioles fans on Twitter too, so you can find me there: @AStetka
That’s this week’s West Coast View. Go O’s!
