MVN - Most Valuable Network

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly…

Last night was painful to watch, real painful as the Orioles blew a game that they should not have, 10-7.

We have the free-swinging Rangers on the docket this 4th of July weekend, but first, last night started off so well and then became an unadulterated train wreck.

Garrett Olson started off well, and the Orioles pounced the Royals for seven runs — including two long balls by Aubrey Huff — however, in the sixth inning, Olson would wilt and the game would be turned over to the bullpen.

Adam Loewen did not look good at all, but the meltdown was not all his fault as Kevin Millar committed a critical error that opened up the flood gates, and down — the Orioles never got back up. Chad Bradford came in and the K.C. hit parade continued.

When all was said and done, the Royals would put seven runs in the sixth inning, and their bullpen shit us down.

Baltimore just needs to shake off this loss, and start the weekend off strong. If the Orioles can go into next Monday with a .500 or better record, this season so far will have been above and beyond anyone’s expectations.

Two questions for you all. One, do we continue trotting Adam Loewen out there, considering the absence of Albers — or should he work himself out in the minors? Two, if you’re Andy MacPhail, what changes do you make in the second half (for example: Do we keep or trade Huff and do we really need David Eckstein)?

Pictures from Last Night: The Oriole Post

The Good Daniel Shows Up Last Night

We can officially say that Daniel Cabrera is an engima. He had a great April-May; however, the tall righty went winless in June, but last night — he was masterful. Who knows if he will ever be consistent, but when he’s good — he’s real good and has the goods to be a top flight starter in the game.

He went nine innings, gave up two runs on seven hits en route to his sixth victory of the season as the Orioles defeated the Royals, 5-2 last night at Camden Yards.

Despite giving up an early home run to David DeJesus and an RBI in the third to Mike Alives, Cabrera shut down the Royals thereafter, including retiring 13 batters in succession until the eighth inning. The game was played in a brisk 2:16, and Daniel had a little help from Aubrey Huff and 15th home run, as well RBI’s from Brian Roberts, Nick Markakis and Ramon Hernandez (who also had three hits).

Guys, what do you think of D-Cab’s performance last night and what does it bode for Baltimore?

Preseason Predictions, Revisited

The Orioles have just passed the midway point of their season and they sit at a surprising 42-40.  That by itself is a bit of an accomplishment.  If it were not for the phenomenal rise of the Tampa Bay Rays the Orioles would be the story of the AL East and Dave Trembley would be a candidate for Manager of the Year.

The Orioles have played with a chip on their shoulder all year and busted a lot of early predictions, let’s take a look at the big guys:

ESPN:

Stark         63-99 5th
Kurkjian   65-97 5th
Olney       56-106 5th
Law          65-97 5th
Phillips     64-98 5th

For the Orioles to beat the rosiest ESPN prediction they only need to win 23 more games.  That would mean going 23-57 over the remainder that is a .287 winning percentage.  To match up to Buster Olney the Orioles would need to somehow go 14-66.  That is a .175 winning percentage.

I suppose that is possible.  I mean Nick Markakis’ legs could fall off or something.

How did we do here at Orioles Magic?

Me - 72-90.  That would require a .375 clip for the rest of the season.

Anthony - 67-95, a .325 clip over the remainder.

The Orioles are surprising a TON of people, including us here at Oriole Magic.  And looking at some of the comments on those posts they are surprising you as well.

So, at midseason, I think the Orioles have a real shot at 80+ wins.  But I am going to stick to my guns, due to recent injuries to the pitching staff and ineffectiveness of some guys in the minors, and say this team tops out at 78 wins.

Open thread - Are you rethinking your preseaon predictions?

Flat and breezy is back! O’s win.

George Sherrill probably did not expect to be used last night.  Coming into the ninth, nursing a four run lead, the Orioles went to Dennis Safarte to close out an effective start for Radhames Liz and relief performance from Adam Loewen.

Safarte ended up getting only one out and walking two batters - Trembley went to Sherrill.  George got the second out quickly, but then gave up a soft single that plated two runs.  Alex Gordon came to the plate representing the tying run.

Everyone in the stadium inhaled sharply.  Why?  Because in the top of the first, off of Liz, Gordon hit a homerun.  To say that this ball was hit hard is to say the Atlantic Ocean is “damp”.  I mean this was one prodigious homerun, it was like something out of the bible.  Gordon’s ball sailed over the flag court, landed just in front of the new Warehouse Bar, hit the sidewalk and hit a window on the warehouse on one bounce.

It was a shot.

So here is Gordon, a homerun away from spoiling Sherrill t-shirt night.  Fans were in full voice in support of George.  Chants of “let’s go George!” showered down from the stands.  It really was quite a sight.  And George delivered, after a steady diet of fastballs he got Gordon to chase a wicked slider and the game was over.  The crowd erupted.

Liz pitched well.  he was in control for most of his start last night.  He gave up two homeruns, both were solo shots, and things seem to fall apart in the fifth but he pitched out of trouble and finished with one to build on.

Adam Loewen pitched two solid, scoreless innings of relief.  The recovering starter got one strike out, one of six total for the O’s last night, gave up one walk and two hits.  His breaking stuff was working well and he was definitely getting rid of some rust but he looked good.

I know Dave Trembley said that the Orioles intend to keep Loewen in the pen for the rest of the year, but that was said when a healthy Matt Albers was sitting out in left-center field.  With Albers down you have to think that Loewen is the next man in line.

And frankly he should be.  The way that some people have given up on this guy is laughable.  My prediction Loewen is in the rotation by the end of the month, Burres heads back to his long-man/spot-starter role.

Stunned Part II: The Royals Steal One & Sherrill Serves It Up…

After serving up a two-run walk off homer to Washington’s Ronnie Belliard in a 3-2 loss on Sunday, George Sherrill was on the mound last night against the lowly Kansas City Royals and it looked like Baltimore was on it’s way to a 5-4 win. With two outs, and two strikes on Miguel Olivo — a guy, much like Belliard whom you probably not expect to go deep in a two out situation — DID.

With one swing of the bat, Olivo’s ball sailed into left field, and over the fence to tie the game, 5-5, pretty much completing a comeback after being down five runs. Baltimore would eventually lose in the game in the 11th inning, as Jose Guillen’s singled the go ahead run off Chad Bradford and the Royals won, 6-5.

The Orioles were up 5-1 at one point, but the bullpen could not hold onto the lead. Brian Buress pitched well, coming off an illness, as he went five-plus innings, allowing one run on five hits and three walks while striking out three.

The loss was Baltimore’s second in a row, and now the talk in at least some parts of the Internet are questioning whether Sherrill should be shipped out, despite his 26 saves at the halfway point and being unflappable for the whole season.

Now, everyone - we’re only a game over .500 now - we have to calm down; it’s the life of a closer.

Sherrill left two pitches up in the strike zone on two consecutive days and paid for it. He’ll be fine, and we as fans have to simmer down. Stuff like this happens all the time in baseball, and although we did lose two close games to teams we should have perhaps beaten, it’s all part of the game.

If we need to feel better, Sherrill showed quite a bit of emotion after the game:

Olivo’s blast, which denied Brian Burres his staff-leading seventh win, was the Royals’ first pinch-hit homer since Sept. 24.

“I’m not going to my fastball enough,” Sherrill said. “[Olivo] struggles with breaking balls, but not that one.”

As he walked off the mound after the ninth inning, Sherrill flung his gum into the grass. Then, he tossed his glove into the seats behind the Orioles’ dugout. Finally, he tossed a bucket that was in the Orioles dugout, the gum that was in it scattering all over the grass.

“That’s just a frustrating situation, and if you’re in the arena, you know that feeling,” said Orioles first baseman Kevin Millar said. “Georgie is very competitive and just made one bad pitch. He did a great job, two sliders in the dirt, then put one over the plate and Olivo hit the ball out. But we’ll be OK.”

I think we have had more devastating losses with Chris Ray on the mound than Sherrill.

Oh yes, and now Alex Cintron may be hurt. Do we go after Felipe Lopez or do we let Brandon Fahey man the infield for now?

Stunned

In the game of baseball, a difference between winning and losing is determined sometimes by an inch or the judgment of an umpire.

That theory could be applied to Sunday’s rubber match against the Baltimore Orioles on a hot, sunny day at Nationals Park.

With two outs in the bottom of the twelfth inning, and Baltimore ahead 2-1, thanks to a valiant comeback in the top the frame, the Washington Nationals were seemingly on their way to a second straight loss, and dropping the Battle of the Beltway series against the Orioles.

Baltimore closer George Sherrill had to only throw a strike to end the game; however, he walked Dmitri Young on a very close pitch that could have called in their favor. A pitch that might have been called a strike, if it was only a fraction of an inch closer within the zone perhaps may have set up the dramatic moment to finish off a strong weekend.

Ronnie Belliard, the next batter, had his shot against Baltimore’s unflappable closer and was behind in the count, 0-2. The third pitch in the sequence to Belliard looked to be close in the strike zone and could have ended the game; however, he would lay off the pitch and it was called for a ball by the home plate umpire.

On the next pitch, Belliard took Sherrill’s slider that missed its spot and deposited it over the field fence at Nationals Park.

When all was said and done, he rounded the bases like a little kid; thus, upon reaching to home plate, Belliard got a hero’s welcome as he was awash in a sea of red with his teammates giving him high fives and much deserved congratulations.

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O’s Lose To Nats in Washington, Staying the Course & Felipe Lopez

After a huge series at Wrigley Field, where they took two of three from the Cubs — the Baltimore Orioles returned home — sort of, as they played a road game down in the Nation’s Capital last night.

It rained and poured literally before the game, but after a brief delay, the Orioles and Nationals tangoed in the second round of the Battle of Beltway. Baltimore looked flat and very lethargic, and in the end they would lose the NL’s worst team, Washington, 4-2, last night.

In a game full errors and miscues on the field, along with looking woeful at the plate; Daniel Cabrera was serviceable — not good — as he got charged for two runs in the both the first and seventh innings to fall to 5-4 on the year. Besides those two innings, he looked fine, but was hittable on the night.

In a lineup not featuring Aubrey Huff — by in large, the team’s hottest hitter and Luke Scott, the Orioles offense suffered. Nick Markakis and Brandon Fahey drove in runs for Baltimore, but they just could not get the engine going.

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Orioles clobber Cubbies, win series. Nats Tonight.

The Baltimore Orioles went into Chicago underdogs of the highest caliber.  The Cubs had won their last 14 home games and were coming off a VERY convincing sweep of their cross-tow rivals.

The Cubs had only lost ONE, that is one, home series all year.  The Orioles seemed doomed.

After escaping with a win in game one the Orioles had two chances to win the series.  In game two Brian Burres was a late scratch with flu-like symptoms.  Matt Albers amde the start but lasted only 1/3 of an inning as he came out with a sore shoulder.

Lance Cormier came into pitch.  Cormier pitched effectively, but the damage had been done.  The fact that the game ended 7-4 was in itself impressive.  Two two-run homers from Jay Payton accounted for all of the Orioles runs off of Ted Lilly.

That brings us to game three.  Radhames Liz was coming of a disastrous start in Milwaukee and frankly no one was expecting much from him in the Windy City.  But the young Liz surprised O’s fans as he took a hard-fought shut-out into the sixth inning.

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Birds escape with win in Chicago

The Orioles went into Chicago last night, where the Cubs haven’t lost in 14 games, and snuck out with a win by the skin of their collective teeth.  The funny thing is, this had all the makings of a rare Baltimore rout.

The Orioles were up 7-1 at one point behind another masterful performance from Jeremy Guthrie and an offense that took full advantage of every opportunity that the Cubs gave them. Most notably three unearned runs that came off of a terrible Eric Patterson error.  At the time they seemed superfluous but in the end those runs were the difference in the game.

A Jim Edmonds three-run homer in the seventh and an Amaris Ramierez RBI single in the eight would cut the lead to two.  Orioles closer George Sherrill, called on to get the last out of the eighth, was  and proceded to WALK THE BASES LOADED.

With the bases loaded, no out and clinging to a two-run lead George Sherrill finally hit the win button and struck out the next three batters.  Game over, O’s win.  Had it all the way.

I swear, the look on Lou Pinella’s face after the third strike-out was a look of amazement.  Not that is was a bad call but one that was saying: “Did they just somehow change pitchers and not tell anyone?  What just happened here?”

Tonight the Orioles will go for the series win in Chicago with Brian Burres on the mound.

On another note, Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts earned his 1,000th career hit last night.  Roberts is now batting .292 with five homers; 30 RBI and an OPS of .853.

Better deal: Bedard for Jones, Sherrill and three others or NOT Trading Brian Roberts?

Brew Crew Takes Two Of Three from Baltimore

After a successful home stand where they won an incredible six out of seven, the Orioles are now on the road on a nine-game interleague swing.

Well, the Birds’ first stop had them in part of America’s heartland – Wisconsin – where they kicked off a three game set against the Milwaukee Brewers. Baltimore won on Friday night; however, they got kicked around in the final two games of the series and are now in a two-game skid as they have go into Chicago to face the Cubs.

Lest we forget, the Cubs swept the AL Central leading White Sox over the weekend in the inter-city rivalry.

The Milwaukee series may have exposed some of the Orioles’ weaknesses — young pitchers who are still learning to be consistent on this level (item: Garrett Olson and Daniel Cabrera), not being able to do much with hitters in scoring position and a bullpen that has had a lot of pressure put on them.

Needless to say, the Orioles have been playing well; however, their weaknesses may undo the success they have had so far.

One of the glaring problems in their lineup has been shortshop, and this weekend the team released Freddie Bynum. Obviously, he was not doing the job (he was batting under .200), and was versatile, but being unable to hit at the major level cost him his job.

Alex Cintron will be the shortstop, as he’s better at the plate than Bynum or Hernandez ever was; however, his glove is suspect along with his range. In addition, will his throwing arm, which has been a problem, hold up?

I expect MacPhail to make a move for a better, everyday shortstop in the weeks ahead. The shortstop position has been a problem offensively all season, and something needs to be done.