PiR: “All or Nothing” Offense Looks Very Familiar

Reality: The Orioles are 11-7, but are 4-7 in their last 11 games.

Perception: After starting 7-0, the O’s have cooled off a bit. But that doesn’t mean that they aren’t good. They still have the 3rd best record in the American League.

Baseball has a very long season. You can break it down into nine 18-game segments. So after the first segment of the season, the Birds are 11-7. Now as they go into the second segment tonight, they need to find a way to win more than they lose in their next 18 games.

You can’t base your team on a series, or one winning or losing streak. You need to see how the team fares after a bigger portion of the season, so breaking it down into nine segments gives you a better perspective of your team. During most 18-game segments, your team is playing six series against different teams. It’s a much better measuring stick.

The Orioles have won the first segment of the season. As long as they can be above .500 in at least six of the segments, they should remain in the playoff chase. So, one winning segment down, just five more to go.

Reality: The Orioles rank 5th in MLB (2nd in the AL) in batting average.

Perception: Watching the O’s play, it’s very similar to last year. This team seems to find one inning to score a bunch of runs, but then they go scoreless for the rest of the game. It makes you wonder how they are leading in so many offensive categories…or at least it does me.

The Birds are going to hit a lot of home runs and strike out a lot. We all know that. If you watch as many of their games as I do, you notice that this team goes through a lot of long scoreless inning droughts. It’s happened over the weekend, and a few times this year already, and many times over the past couple of years. Instead of scoring one run here and one there, they tend to score a bunch of runs in one inning and then have eight other scoreless innings.

I’m not sure that is going to cut-it for the long haul. They need to find a way to be more consistent throughout the game which will translate to being more consistent throughout the season, which turns into more wins.

Reality: Baltimore Orioles outfielder Joey Rickard is 32nd in MLB with 22 hits in 18 games.

Perception: I’m not sure anyone saw this coming, especially the Tampa Rays, who let Rickard go in the Rule 5 draft. Rickard has been nothing short of exceptional with the Birds. He is hitting .289 with a .309 OBP. He has been a solid defensive outfielders for the O’s too, giving them the everyday corner outfielder they have been craving.

Rickard might not be able to continue at this current pace, but if he can keep finding ways to get on base, he will be exactly what the Orioles needed.

Reality: Pedro Alvarez is hitting .150, which is 13th out of the 13 Orioles hitters.

Perception: Alvarez was the last Oriole to sign this offseason. He was supposed to bring some extra pop to a line-up already full of it. After 13 games and 40 at-bats, Alvarez has only been able to get six hits and 1 RBI, with no homers.

He has walked a bunch and not struck out very much, but overall he has not been the offensive player the O’s had hoped to get.

It is by no means time to give up on Alvarez at all, but I do think it might be time to give another guy a few more at-bats. Hyun Soo Kim deserves a few more at-bats. Nolan Reimold could see a few more at-bats. Even Caleb Joseph should see more playing time (moving Matt Wieters to DH at times).

For a team that is searching for a little spark on offense right now, giving Alvarez a few nights off wouldn’t be a bad thing – if not, let’s hope his two-double performance on Monday night is a sign of things to come.