REALITY: The Baltimore Orioles bullpen has once again proven to be a major asset to this team.
PERCEPTION: Say what you want about Dan Duquette’s failure to bring in quality outfielders after losing Nick Markakis and Nelson Cruz, but the bullpen continues to be a place that DD has succeeded. Zach Britton, Darren O’Day, Brad Brach, and Mychal Givens have been really good. As much heat as they have taken this year, Chaz Roe and Brian Matusz have been really good too.
David Schoenfield of ESPN says he could see the Orioles bullpen being a major threat in the American League playoffs. The Orioles bullpen is ranked 4th in all of baseball. The Birds were 54-0 when entering the 9th inning with a lead… until Sunday. But for the most part if the Orioles have the lead after seven, O’Day and Britton will get the win for the team.
As we get closer to the playoffs, the question becomes, can the other Orioles pitchers help keep them in the lead for the first seven innings and can the offense get enough hits to produce them the lead?
REALITY: J.J. Hardy is hitting .220 with 7 home runs and 32 RBIs.
PERCEPTION: Offensively, Hardy is on pace for his worst season in Baltimore and one of his worst professionally. In October, Hardy signed a 3-year contract, keeping him in Baltimore through 2018, that was worth $40 million.
I loved the deal when it was announced. It was not a normal thing that the Orioles have been known to do, but Hardy is an above average shortstop who has produced well for the Birds. Unfortunately, it hasn’t continued this season. Hardy has not been healthy and is headed back to the DL again, but it could be more about his age than anything else. The older you get, the more your body breaks down and the harder it is to produce at the plate.
Let’s hope Hardy can get healthy this offseason and get back to what the O’s need him to be. If not, it could become another terrible contract the team has given out.
REALITY: According to ESPN Stats & Info, Chris Davis has been robbed of a home run by an over-the-fence catch four times this season. Only one other player has been robbed more than once.
PERCEPTION: It nearly happened again in extra innings Sunday. But think about that for a second. Davis has had a very good season at the plate. But add in another four home runs, some with runners on, and not only does it change his numbers for the better, but it could also increase the Orioles record by a few games. It really has been amazing to see the tough luck that Davis has had multiple times this year.
REALITY: The Orioles are 62-61 and trail the Texas Rangers by 2.0 games for the second AL Wild Card.
PERCEPTION: It has been a long season, as every season is, but the way that the Orioles have played this season has made it seem every longer. The ups and downs of this season have taken their toll on the fans for sure. From being way down, to winning 18 of 23 and getting to first place, to going on a losing streak and being no-hit, the season has felt really long for many. But through it all, the O’s have kept pace in the AL East with the playoffs within their reach.
The downfall of the 2015 Orioles is their inconsistency. They get no-hit, then win a bunch in a row. Then they turn around and lose a bunch in a row. They get solid starting pitching but can’t hit the ball. They score a bunch of runs but their pitching doesn’t help. There is just too much up and down with this team to show their real abilities. Many fans have written this team off multiple times this season, but each time the team has responded, and when you look at the standings you see the Orioles are right there. But so are a lot of teams… Texas, LA, Minnesota, Tampa, are all within 2.0 games of the final playoff spot. So there is a lot to play for with 39 games to go.
It feels a lot like 2013, when many people said the Orioles had a better team than the 2012 playoff team, except the 2013 team did not make the playoffs. I am not sure this team is better than the 2014 Orioles, but they are good enough to be in the playoffs, and they might miss out.
At this point, even if the Orioles somehow make it in the playoffs, does anyone have any real confidence that they can win in the post season? I guess you hope to make it there and start over because anything can happen, but the frustration level is evident for fans and even for the team.
I have not given up hope, yet.
