This is a weekly wrap up of the goings on in with the Orioles and all throughout Major League Baseball. Each week I’ll dive into a few news items and include what teams are hot and cold. I’ll also give you the Orioles player of the week, as well as one from the American and National League.
All the joy of a series win in Tampa followed by a dramatic Opening Day victory over the Twins at Oriole Park came crashing down for the Birds over the weekend. A 3-3 record is nothing to get teary-eyed over, but for a team that’s striving to do something bigger and better this season, it’s not what they really wanted. The one thing most will point to right off the bat is that all three of the Orioles’ losses on the season have come in one-run games. The O’s had a total of NINE losses in such affairs last season. So, the national media must be right then, this team is doomed.
Let’s not get crazy folks. It’s six games, out of 162. The O’s battled the Twins over the weekend and had it not been for a few bounces of the ball they’d be 4-2 or maybe even 5-1 so far. The test lies ahead as a trip for three games against a red-hot hitting Boston ballclub looms. After that the O’s have to go into the Bronx where it’s never easy to beat the Yankees, no matter how beat up they are.
The Orioles are also battling the injury bug early. Brian Roberts went down with a hamstring issue and now it looks like Nolan Reimold could be dealing with a hammy of his own. Add that to the injury to Wilson Betemit and it’s starting to look a little crowded on the disabled list. Reinforcements from Norfolk will need to step up in a big way.
This week for the Orioles
The Orioles head up to Fenway today as the Red Sox hold their home opener. The teams play an afternoon game before taking Tuesday off. Night games in Boston Wednesday and Thursday will be followed by a trip to the Bronx to meet the Yankees for a three-game weekend set. Sunday’s contest will be featured on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, the first time the O’s have appeared in that spot since 2008 when they played the final game at Old Yankee Stadium.
And now for the rest of Major League Baseball
How about the Upton Brothers in Atlanta? Everyone must have thought it’d be fun to watch these guys swing it and play in the same outfield for the Braves, but could we have imagined we’d see what we did on Saturday night against the Cubs? Entering the ninth down a run, B.J. Upton homered to tie the game at five before brother Justin stepped up two batters later and gave Atlanta the victory with his second homer of the game. Both blasts came off Cubs closer Carlos Marmol, who can’t even be called that any longer. He’s the first closer to be replaced this season as Dale Sveum is going with Japanese import Kyuji Fujikawa from here on.
You have to appreciate the job that Yu Darvish did this week, even if you didn’t get a chance to view it (Anyone see what I did there?). Darvish went out in his first start (albeit against the Astros) and tossed 8 2/3 innings of PERFECT baseball before giving up a sharp single to Marwin Gonzalez. The same guy that the O’s beat in last year’s Wild Card game was brilliant in striking out a career-high 14 before allowing the hit. Darvish was less than outstanding in Sunday’s win over the Angels, but still moved to 2-0 on the season.
Speaking of huge pitching performances, can we talk about what Clayton Kershaw is doing for the Dodgers? The guy has been absolutely ridiculous in his first two outings. He tossed a complete-game shutout while allowing four hits and striking out seven in LA’s Opening Day win over the Giants. He also hit his first-career homer in that game, sparking the four-run burst for the boys in blue. Saturday’s performance against the Pirates may have been even better. Kershaw went seven innings and allowed just two hits and a walk while striking out nine. This guy gets overlooked when it comes to best pitchers in the game, but clearly he shouldn’t be. He’s far and away the best in the National League right now and might be atop all of baseball.
Only three teams in baseball are off to 5-1 starts while Oakland chimes in at 5-2 so far. Atlanta, Colorado and Arizona are all off to the hottest starts with the smallest of sample sizes. Five teams have just one win in six games — Pittsburgh, San Diego, Miami, Milwaukee and Houston.
Orioles Player of the Week
1B – Chris Davis: As if you had any doubt, right? Chris “Hulk” Davis, as he was dubbed by Orioles radio announcer Joe Angel, became just the fourth player in MLB history to hit a home run in his first four games of the season. Davis ended the week with a .455/.500/1.136 slash line and drove in an incredible 17 runs in the six games. Despite a blunder in the ninth inning of Saturday’s loss to the Twins, Davis gets the nod as the O’s POW.
American League Player of the Week
OF – Michael Morse (SEA): Mariners outfielder Michael Morse is enjoying a hot start in his return to Seattle after spending the last four seasons with the Nationals. Morse has clubbed five homers and carries a .310/.355/.828 slash line through his team’s first seven contests. He has eight RBI and could easily continue to produce like this when the team heads back to Safeco Field to the newly shortened fences.
National League Player of the Week
OF – Justin Upton (ATL): Justin Upton must like playing alongside brother B.J. in Atlanta. Upton has already gone deep five times at Turner Field and hit two homers, including the game-winner in Saturday’s comeback win over the Cubs. He boasts a .318/.360/1.045 slash line and has helped lead the Braves to a 5-1 start to the season.
That’s this week’s Birds Eye View. Go O’s!
