The Orioles have faced some tough competition lately and this upcoming series against the Toronto Blue Jays will be no different. The saying in sports is “not who you play, but when you play them” and that is exactly the case this weekend. The Blue Jays have struggled for most of the season and they are still a team that has more losses than wins, but they have won eight straight and have only lost four times this month. This is another test for the Orioles, but they don’t seem to care. Winning five of seven against the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers proves that.
As the Orioles head into another tough series, here are a few observations about the team:
Defense:
“Defense wins championships” is a phrase that is often said in football, but hardly used in baseball. It is all about the pitching in October, but when watching the O’s, you get the feeling that if they are fortunate enough to make the playoffs that this could become a difference maker.
Every game they seem to make a play that ends up on the highlights. More than that, they make the plays they are supposed to make. With the shaky starting pitching, the Orioles can’t afford to give teams more outs than they should. That was an issue last season, but Nate McLouth and Manny Machado have turned that completely around. The Orioles make the plays they should, while taking base hits away on a regular basis.
Speaking of Machado, there isn’t much more that needs to be said. He continues to make one of the most difficult positions in baseball look easy. This site did a Twitter poll if the Orioles should ever move Machado back to shortstop. Fortunately, this debate won’t happen for at least another season, but with each diving stop that Machado makes, the decision to move him back to his natural position becomes more difficult.
Nick Markakis:
To truly appreciate a player like Nick Markakis, you have to watch him every day. He does everything well, but doesn’t do anything great. Mix in that he is a teammate of Adam Jones, Chris Davis, and Machado, and it is easy to understand why he gets lost in the shuffle. Markakis’ defense has been top-notch and his offense has complemented an offense that is one of the best in all of baseball. Markakis’ at bats against Justin Verlander the other night were something that should not go unnoticed.
Buck Showalter used the phrase “it is an honor to watch him play,” when speaking about Markakis recently and I couldn’t agree more. He is the exact player that every team should have and I hope he finally becomes an All-Star this season so he gets the recognition he deserves.
Starting Pitching:
The starters did well against the Red Sox and the Tigers, but pitching in Toronto has proved to be a difficult task for teams. The Orioles will pitch Jason Hammel, Miguel Gonzalez, and either Zach Britton or Freddy Garcia this series. The next two weeks is very critical for this group. Wei-Yin Chen should return in early July and his addition will be a huge boost, but if one or two of these guys struggle, the pressure will be on Dan Duquette to make a move to improve the rotation. I don’t think the Orioles will target Cliff Lee, which will be a disappointment for most fans, but there are other guys they can acquire who can help the team down the stretch.
As summer begins, it is great to once again have a baseball team that has positioned themselves to make some noise over the next three months.
