Series Results: 2-1 Orioles
THE GOOD
There have been very few – if any – occasions this season where we could point to a series and make the blanket statement, “the starters led the way.” Perhaps for a game or two, but for an entire series? A rare sight indeed.
For that reason, it was wonderful to watch the Birds starters set the tone against the Red Sox. This graphic, c/o MASN, sums things up nicely:
A total of 21 innings pitched by the starters, while allowing just a single earned run, 14 hits, six walks, and 16 strikeouts. Wei-Yin Chen may have been the best of the bunch, and certainly would have been given the chance to pitch the eighth inning, were it not for an hour-plus long rain delay. Chris Tillman dealt with two rain delays admirably, and though he was the shakiest of the three, and looked on the verge of disaster a couple times, he worked his way out of some jams to give up just the one run.
The bullpen was just as good, as Darren O’Day, Zach Britton, Ryan Webb, Tommy Hunter, and Brian Matusz combined to toss six scoreless frames in the series. The Red Sox scored just ONE run all series.
Chris Davis showed some signs of life with the bat in the first and third games of the series. He hit home run number 10 and also doubled on Wednesday night, and added a single on Monday. Sandwiched around an 0/3 3K sombrero Wednesday, that gave Crush a 3-for-11 for the series. Hopefully he stays hot this time.
Adam Jones had three hits on Monday, including his 10th home run, and added an RBI double on Wednesday. Nick Markakis saw his 14-game hitting streak snapped on Tuesday night, and also went hitless Wednesday, but he contributed two knocks and two RBI in Monday’s win, and made this spectacular throw on Wednesday night to cut down Dustin Pedroia at second base:
As a team, the Orioles drew FIVE walks on Wednesday night, which Rick Dempsey later described as “miraculous.”
THE BAD
You’d like to think that in a series where the other team managed just a single run, the O’s would be able to pull off the sweep. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, as Wednesday’s 1-0 loss was sandwiched between the two victories. Boston’s Brandon Workman combined with Andrew Miller, Junichi Tazawa, and Koji Uehara to shut out the Birds while allowing just two hits and one walk, and throwing only 94 pitches in 9.0 innings.
Workman had a no-hitter going until Ryan Flaherty singled in the sixth. Steve Pearce‘s single leading off the ninth against Koji was the only other hit.
Woof.
Manny Machado was hitless in the series, going 0-for-11 and being dropped down to seventh in the lineup for Wednesday’s game. Manny is now 0 for his last 18, and doesn’t have a hit since last Friday night. You have to think all the drama this week is wearing on him a bit. Perhaps he should drop his appeal and just take his five-game suspension now, but it doesn’t look like that will be the case.
J.J. Hardy was not only 1-for-10 in the series, dropping his average to .286, but he made another throwing error late in Wednesday’s win. Hardy now has seven errors on the season – he had just one prior to June 4, but has SIX since. Disturbing, to say the least.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Again, it would have been great to get the sweep, especially considering that the opponent managed just a single run. Still, it was crucial for the O’s to at least take two of three from Boston with Toronto coming to town, and they did just that. While the Red Sox appeared quite listless as a whole, hopefully what we saw from the starting pitching will be contagious and a sign of things to come.
Looking Ahead
This four-game set against the Toronto Blue Jays is about as critical a series as one in June can be. The Jays currently hold a 4.5 game lead over the Birds in the AL East. If the O’s can pull off the (admittedly, improbable) sweep, they would cut the lead to just a half game. If they can take three of four, they can pick up two games and Toronto would leave town just 2.5 up. If, on the other hand, the O’s lose two of three or :gulp: get swept, they’d be down by 6.5 or 8.5 games in the division – hardly an enviable position, no matter what the calendar says.
While I personally think the Blue Jays are about to pull a 2005 Orioles (read: remember who they are and still finish the season with a losing record), that’s hardly a guarantee. Maybe they’re for real. Either way, the Orioles have a golden opportunity in front of them this weekend and they NEED to take advantage.
First up, Kevin Gausman tries to repeat the dominance he displayed on Saturday against Oakland, taking on Mark Buehrle, who is a stellar 10-2. In game 2, Ubaldo Jimenez (ugh) takes on Drew Hutchison, it’s Bud Norris vs. R.A. Dickey Saturday, and in the finale, we’ll see J.A. Happ against Chris Tillman.
Just a huge – HYOOOOGE – series. Take care of business, O’s.