When I read the options for ESR’s poll question of “What O’s problem will be their biggest going forward?” (lack of power, inability of starters to go deep, low on-base percentage, or bullpen struggles) this morning, I immediately thought, “No option for all of the above?” I kid of course, but each option is a concern and it has led to the .500 start for the Orioles after their first 24 games.
The lack of power is probably the least of my concerns. The weather and the combination of the quality of pitching the team has faced the first month have led to the power drought. All we have to do is look back to last week when the O’s played in a controlled environment in Toronto to see the bats can still hit with the best of them.
The inability of starters to pitch deep into ballgames has directly affected the bullpen. Buck Showalter is using guys more than he wants and when he does need to keep a game close (like he did Sunday), the bullpen has been unsuccessful. The Orioles finally had a starter pitch deep Saturday night in Wei-Yin Chen, but because of the score and the game going into extra innings, Showalter still had to use five relievers. Showalter has proved over the last couple of years that he will not overwork one individual in the bullpen, but the fact remains, until the starters find a way to pitch effectively into the 7th inning on a more consistent basis, the bullpen will continue to be inconsistent from one night to the next.
The lack of quality at-bats the Orioles have every game is the most frustrating part of the ballclub. Pitchers go into the game knowing they don’t have to throw a strike to get many of the hitters out. This is why the great pitchers not only dominate, but consistently pitch into the latter parts of the games against the team. The only way to fix this problem is to change the personnel – and that is obviously not happening. The team is who they are and over the long haul as they have proven, that is not good enough.
As fans, we just have to hope they come through with the big hit when they do get runners in scoring position and when the long ball returns, it is when runners are on base.
Other Notes:
* I don’t second-guess Showalter often, but with two open dates this week, why couldn’t Matt Wieters DH on Sunday? The team is already without Chris Davis, so with Wieters having the day off, the O’s are down two of their best hitters against one of the best pitchers in baseball. Would it have mattered in the end? Probably not, but James Shields had to be licking his chops seeing a lineup that consisted of only four legitimate big league hitters.
* Speaking of Davis, his injury proves that the O’s still have a long way to go in terms of building organizational depth. Dan Duquette has done a great job adding talent to the organization since he was hired, but not having ANYONE in the minors to come up and play first base is embarrassing. Nick Markakis can play first, but as he showed on Sunday when he had to make a throw in a rundown, there is a lot more to playing that position then just catching a baseball from an infielder. With Davis probably missing more time than the 15 days, Duquette needs to address this issue sooner rather than later.
* I think a lot of the lineup issues will finally be resolved when the team is fully healthy. They were so close to that happening with Manny Machado coming back as early as tomorrow, but now with Davis hurt, the wait will continue. Hopefully when Davis returns next month, the team wouldn’t have lost anyone by then so everyone in baseball can finally see a lineup that is deep enough that J.J. Hardy will be batting 7th.
* When Machado does return, who gets sent out? That is the big debate and one that I engaged myself in this week with a buddy. My friend believes Showalter loves Ryan Flaherty so much that Jonathan Schoop will be the one sent down. I don’t buy it. Showalter wants to win, and even with his recent slump, Schoop has already proven he can change a game with one swing. I’m not saying Flaherty will be the one that goes, but there is no way Showalter can spin that Schoop needs more time in the minors if he is indeed the one that gets demoted. I don’t know what position he will finally settle on, but Schoop looks comfortable at second, and maybe the offense (and defense, for that matter) will become more consistent when he finally is allowed to focus on one position.
[cardoza_wp_poll id=”19″]
