Series Results: Red Sox 2-1
The Good:
It’s early, but left fielder/designated hitter Nelson Cruz looks like the player he was before getting suspended last season. If Cruz can hit 25-30 home runs with a respectable average in the five-hole of the lineup, the offense should be one of the best in baseball. He already has two homers, and showcased that he is a complete hitter by driving one the opposite way in game 2 of the series.
Catcher Matt Wieters has gotten off to a strong offensive start as well, and hit .455 for the series. The Orioles recorded only four extra-base hits including both of Cruz’s homeruns, but Wieters is seeing the ball well. Wieters has looked good from the left side of the plate, which is important because his splits have gotten worse from the left side of the plate for the last several seasons.
Chris Tillman and Wei-Yin Chen struggled against the patient Red Sox lineup at times, but did a good job of limiting damage. The Red Sox consistently had the starting pitchers on the ropes, but the Birds did a good job avoiding the big innings. It feels weird to call a game like Chen’s where he allowed 12 hits in less than six innings of work a good one, but he kept the team in the game against a prolific offense.
The Bad:
The defense this year will be worse after breaking all-time records last season, and may be substantially worse if the team continues to put Nelson Cruz in left field. This is not to say the Orioles’ defense is not still very good, just that it could be better if Buck Showalter keeps Nelson Cruz out of the field whenever possible. His diminished range cost the Orioles a run in the third game of the series when he misplayed a ball off the bat of David Ortiz that left fielder David Lough (or even an average defensive left fielder) would likely have caught.
I know, I know, closer Tommy Hunter closed the door on Monday in the first game of the series. It wasn’t a reassuring performance though to fans who were concerned about Hunter, as he hit the first batter he faced, and after allowing a single with one out, had the tying run in scoring position. To his credit, he induced David Ortiz to fly out, and struck out Jackie Bradley Jr., but it was no less stressful than Jim Johnson’s closing last year when he blew nine saves.
Adam Jones’ lack of growth as he has aged is both impressive and disappointing. While it is a testament to Jones’ consistency that he is routinely hitting around .280 with 30 homeruns the last couple of years, his inability to stop swinging at breaking balls down and away out of the strike zone and his lack of willingness to walk consistently has stopped him from ever becoming an MVP candidate type of player. He did draw a walk, but he struck out three times in his other ten at-bats, primarily on pitches down and away in the dirt. He has improved throughout his career as a two-strike hitter, but he is still impatient at times.
Closing Thoughts:
The Orioles were held down in the first series offensively, but this offense will be fine; the low-scoring is likely a testament to the strength of the Red Sox’s pitching than anything else. The Orioles played the Red Sox close the whole series, as only the second game was not a one-run game, and while losing the series hurts, it is important to remember that the Red Sox are the measuring stick in baseball right now, coming off a World Series victory last fall.
Looking Ahead:
The Orioles schedule won’t lighten up anytime soon as they begin a three game weekend series in Detroit this afternoon, against the Tigers, who collected 93 wins last year and have won the American League Central division in three consecutive years. The pitching matchups are slated to be (Miguel Gonzalez vs Anibal Sanchez), (Bud Norris vs Rick Porcello), and (Chris Tillman vs Justin Verlander.)
