Orioles 9, Rays 3: Who Are These Guys?
by j.q. higgins on May 15, 2011 5:34 PM EDT
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This was one of those weird games that seemed close and destined for a disappointing finish until it wasn't.
At the outset, you had to feel good about the O's chances with Jake Arrieta facing off against Andy Sonnanstine, but early opportunities squandered and home runs being surrendered to punchless wonders tend to shake one's confidence. Through three innings, the O's had smacked three doubles (one by Nick Markakis, two by Vlad Guerrero) and managed to score three runs without delivering a knockout blow. In the bottom of the 3rd, Tampa utilityman Elliott Johnson led off the inning with his first career home run, then Sonnanstine appeared to settle down in the 4th and the Rays got back another run in the bottom of the inning. The worm appeared to turn yet again when Nick Markakis absolutely crushed a lead off homer in the top of the 5th. After opening the 6th with a walk to Johnny Damon, Jake Arrieta shut down the Rays in the 6th and then?
Well, to say the wheels came off for the Rays would put it mildly. How could Joe Maddon possibly know what a fatal move removing Andy Sonnanstine would prove to be? At any rate, Rob Delaney opened the 6th on the hill for the Rays and commenced failing at the task with which he was charged. Delaney was outfoxed by the Good Doctor, who worked a walk (yes, that's right...a walk) and then took second during the next at bat, which would end with Matt Wieters being walked. Reynolds followed Wieters and if you would have asked me which of the three true outcomes was imminent at the time, I would have tersely replied, "K." Reynolds also worked a walk and at that point, Maddon had seen enough of Delaney. Cesar Ramos was brought in to face J.J. Hardy and what followed, friends, can be classified as one of the most Birdlandish moments of this young season: Hardy smoked a 2-0 pitch deep down the line in left for a grand slam to give the O's an 8-2 lead and essentially wrap up the ballgame.
Arrieta didn't have his most dominating outing today, but he struck out 7 and gave six quality innings to earn his 5th win of the season. As has been a constant theme this season, the ump called an erratic game and Jim Johnson seemed to have a rough go of things as a result in his appearance. On the defensive side of things, Markakis looked great out in right today and Wieters threw out his 12th base runner of the season, snuffing out an attempted Tampa rally with Zobrist at bat.
The O's are now 7-9 against the East and head in to Boston for a two game set under a full head of steam. Rock on completely.
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mbp honorable mentions...
rays bullpen. zknower. vlad.
"the secret to a happy ending is knowing when to roll the credits"
What the hell is goin on here?
I want answers! Okay, so last week I’m talking about already looking forward to 2012, with the O’s looking completely uninspired and disrespectfully looking bored. But then they step up in every single game that did not involve Jeremy Guthrie…
I have had so much faith and hope for Bergie, and finally he pitched yesterday like I thought he would in 2009. And today, with Jake scuffling only slightly, the offense stepped up big time. This team is starting to look dangerous, right?
One game under .500 and I have faith again. Am I a bad fan?? Anyway, what a solid game. If we take two of the next four games (Boston, NYY), we’ve gotta be proud.
it's gonna be like this all year.
good streaks and bad streaks.
"Initially thought I had BieberFever but turns out I have pneumonia."
-Guts
You know. Ups and downs. Strikes and gutters.
Why the Buck not?!?
by PBR me ASAP! on May 15, 2011 6:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Jake seemed pretty pysched about his outing
@JArrieta34
Jake Arrieta
Cleared the mechanism like Billy Chapel. Big time series vic for the birds. Off to Fenway, here we go
!
"Complacency is your demise." - Kerry King
gran taco?
what is that about? It’s incorrect anyways.
Incorrect is adding an "s" to the end of anyway.
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=14746277&topic_id=9781914
by WestcoastO'sFan on May 15, 2011 6:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Auto-correct.
It’s my phone. Tough crowd, indeed.
Merriam Webster labels it as archaic.
"The form “anyways” is found in some dialects in the United States, but it is not standard English, and it should never be used in any situation where you want to be considered reasonably well educated"
“Anyways” should be used in a casual setting only.
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=14746277&topic_id=9781914
by WestcoastO'sFan on May 16, 2011 1:58 AM EDT up reply actions
Hardy
Ever since he’s donned the orange for us, I’ve been ecstatic. He’s been nothing short of a bonafide good majorleague shortstop. He doesn’t only make the routine plays; he makes them at a very high level. On top of that, he isn’t just the proverbial defense-first player “who has some pop.” He’s a good bat, period.
Keep in mind that, he was acquired by giving up two minorleague relievers. One of them, Jim Hoey, was demoted today to AAA. Niether factored to be more than minorleague depth for us this year or next.
And by taking on many millions in salary
Don’t forget that part, which is a huge part of why we got him for so little.
To be understood is to be a prostitute. ~ Fernando Pessoa
Good point.
Agreed. That’s not insignificant, of course.
Your point is important, and it’s what made that trade possible, but the Birds have been so far under their payroll capacity for several years in a row now, that they’re more interested in adding talent, period, than worrying about how such deals are cost-prohibitive.
Well, kind of
I mean, I am all for making deals where you take on salary – that’s a good way to get talent on the cheap. But while it may look good in the case of Hardy, it doesn’t look nearly as good in the case of Matt Reynolds, where we made a commitment for $20 million dollars in order to get him cheaply talent-wise.
To be understood is to be a prostitute. ~ Fernando Pessoa
That Matt Reynolds
whoever the hell he is.
by fishoutawata on May 15, 2011 6:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Mark Reynolds
may end up making Garrett Atkins look like a cheap loss.
"Complacency is your demise." - Kerry King
We still only gave up relievers for him
and he has plenty of time to come around and he seems to be slowly doing lately. The only other 3rd base option was Bell, who really needs to be in the minors right now. It’s not a huge commitment.
It's early yet
He’s having much better swings and ABs over the last few games. It’s a new league, maybe he just needs to see the pitchers a couple times.
I am eating you, motherfucker. You cannot hurt me. - PhilR8
not even close, I see little to no chance that a slugging third baseman entering the prime of his career can do anything but make Garret Atkins look exactly like what he was. he’ll come around to be the three true outcome player we all want him to be.
"I have fear, but I am not afraid."
Damn it feels good to be a contributor, Music City Miracles.
@DPR9
by danielreese05 on May 15, 2011 7:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Well, I was talking about Hardy..
…and then you have to bring in Reynolds. They’re not in the same debate for me. I am all for adding talent at all costs. Whether Reynolds has said talent is up for debate, so far. I’m all for waiting it out for him though.
I’ve sat through so many years with subpar defenders at 3B, 1B, and SS, that I think we can all agree that we finally have legitimate gloves there. Let’s not throw out the “good” for the sake of the “perfect.”
I can easily see why Reynolds would be considered both an awesome fielder and a terrible one at the same time.
"I have fear, but I am not afraid."
Damn it feels good to be a contributor, Music City Miracles.
@DPR9
by danielreese05 on May 15, 2011 7:41 PM EDT up reply actions
haha ;)
He makes some great standout digs for wicked grounders and bad hops. He also makes some very good reaction plays that you expect from an above-average 3B. But, yes, there are some plays that seem to be easier where he just inexplicably muffs or misplays it.
I’m impressed with his reflexes. He’s clearly a real 3B, and not a fake one we just put out there, like in past years. I’m not blown away by his range or coming in on the ball, which is probably the only thing that might hold me back in thinking he’s a great defender there.
...and taking on Harris' salary as well
"things like locig and prrofreading are actually valued here" - zknower
Not saying he is as good as him...
…but there are moments, where Hardy kind of literally looks like a shorter and younger Cal. It’s a completely surface observation, about as relevant as how I think Showalter has a resemblance to Earl. Or, maybe I am just reminiscing about the good ole Birds I used to see?
You're reminiscing
Cal did his work with his positioning to get to balls others might not. JJ likes to let his arm extend his range. Cal very rarely had to smoke a ball to first – he often didn’t appear to be throwing hard at all. JJ seems to send a laser on every other play.
"Complacency is your demise." - Kerry King
I think there are some similarities
JJ relies on positioning a lot the way Cal did, though he charges the ball a lot more quickly than I remember from Cal.
You're right on JJ charging the ball
He attacks a grounder the way a 10-year-old trying to impress his LL coach attacks a ball.
"Complacency is your demise." - Kerry King
I don't mean it in terms of anything to do with their actual performance...
…I meant it ONLY ONLY ONLY in terms of the way those two look. That’s why I mentioned Showalter, who can be a dead ringer for Earl from certain angles.
I think he plays the position more athletically than Cal did
and that he’s a lot of fun to watch, which Cal wasn’t, particularly. Of course, Cal’s greatness was in using his brain and his height to extend his reach, so he didn’t have to razzle-dazzle to make the plays.
by fishoutawata on May 15, 2011 7:38 PM EDT up reply actions
It's obviously Hardy
A little side note, I was reading this link via MLBTR to laugh at the Mets…and then about 10 paragraphs in I felt ashamed of myself – I had no idea the O’s are still paying Bobby Bo!
Mets got it way worse
Mets are on the hook for $1.2MM a year for 15 years STARTING this summer. O’s owe him $500K a year for two more years, and he has to split THAT with his ex-wife.
"Complacency is your demise." - Kerry King
And if you're wondering hos the Mets ended up as such a money mess....
But the Amazin’s still owed him $5.9 million for the next and final year of his bloated contract, so the two sides struck a deal: The Mets would put off paying until 2011 but would tack on 8 percent compounded interest, jacking the total tab to $29.8 million by the time it’s paid off.
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/met_has_been_last_laugh_p1sM43JlQuSwnJVfKQ69OP#ixzz1MSqbjX6H
"Complacency is your demise." - Kerry King
Deferrments like that actually happen all the time.
It just never gets reported as much, because they constantly get re-negotiated over and over, into smaller and smaller payments over the life of the deal. It happens in more sports than just baseball too. You sometimes hear about it moreso in sports with salary caps, where it immediately impacts what that team can do. But, such deals often happen beyond retirement.
I guess it’s just not as newsworthy to report how, such-and-such player renegotiated an already deferred payment plan, into more spread out sequence of payments, into an extended time frame?
Keep in mind that...
When we are talking about the kind of huge amounts of money that acquiring a pro player can be, even to a franchise, it represents entering into a contractual relationship that can last for decades. So it is a real committment. For the rest of us, the equivalent to that might be going into loans for schools, or buying property. The actual buying of property or services happen fairly immediately, but that loan can change form in all sorts of ways over the next decade plus, as you pay it off.
It's comically bad.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still laughing at the Mets. I was just slightly saddened to see that we have to pay for 71% of 2011 Duke every year to that freakin dude for the next 4.
I don’t even get joy from mocking the Mets anymore, they’re my NL mistress team which is the saddest thing ever, but also it’s like charlie horsing that kid with the twisted ankle: there’s no need to pile it on.
"I have fear, but I am not afraid."
Damn it feels good to be a contributor, Music City Miracles.
@DPR9
by danielreese05 on May 15, 2011 7:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, they're toast.
My fantasy team wonders if Mauer even makes it back this year.
Why the Buck not?!?
by PBR me ASAP! on May 15, 2011 7:13 PM EDT up reply actions
raise your hand if you expected us to be ahead of Minnesota in the standings on May 15th.
also; last year we got our 19th win right before we got our 50th loss. think about that for a second.
"I have fear, but I am not afraid."
Damn it feels good to be a contributor, Music City Miracles.
@DPR9
by danielreese05 on May 15, 2011 7:16 PM EDT up reply actions
on the other hand...
After we got back to within a game of an even record today, I was wondering when the last time was that the team was this close to .500 this late in the season.
Turns out, not that long ago. I had forgotten exactly what happened in 2008. We had a .500 record as late as July 11, and were within two games of .500 as late as August 15.
And then….. well, you know what happened then.
"I put a pepper rub on the scallops so you have a little contrast. You have sweetness from the coconut oil and a little acidity from the splash of lemon." – Luke Scott
sure beats 19-49.
"I have fear, but I am not afraid."
Damn it feels good to be a contributor, Music City Miracles.
@DPR9
by danielreese05 on May 15, 2011 7:34 PM EDT up reply actions
The upside of this start
Players like Guthrie and Hardy are building trade value, and the strong play of some younger Orioles makes it more likely that the club will be willing to move them (and Lee and Vlad and Scott if their performances improve) at the deadline for much-needed prospects.
All things being equal I’d rather look worse after the trade deadline than before.
To be understood is to be a prostitute. ~ Fernando Pessoa
IIRC, Olney was saying on twitter we could be the most active team at teh deadline.
This was a few weeks ago but as you pointed out, we could have tons of chips to move that wouldn’t impact us long term. With teh pieces you named I don’t see any reason we couldn’t get some solid return, especially if some of teh vets really tune it up come June/July and on. I’d rather not see Guthrie or Hardy go but if it yielded us someone like Alonso, wouldn’t it be worth it?
debatable.
"I have fear, but I am not afraid."
Damn it feels good to be a contributor, Music City Miracles.
@DPR9
by danielreese05 on May 15, 2011 11:04 PM EDT up reply actions
whether it would be worth it to trade these guys for someone like Alonso or not.
on one hand, he offers limited power from a power position. his stock’s also been dropping like a rock: in 09 he was a top 35 player, this year he’s barely top 75.
on the other, he offers years of control for a top 100 prospect that may play above his projected ceiling. we probably won’t have a clear idea on whether or not it’s a good idea until 3-4 years after the trade.
"I have fear, but I am not afraid."
Damn it feels good to be a contributor, Music City Miracles.
@DPR9
by danielreese05 on May 16, 2011 12:31 AM EDT up reply actions
Hardy is the bridge to Machado
So there’s your timetable for trading him. Not this June/ly.
by fishoutawata on May 16, 2011 3:20 AM EDT up reply actions
right
So we can keep him but idk about Guts. I love him but honestly, we can probably get good value for him by the trade deadline. He gets no run support. Honestly, he’s prolly a, what, number 2 starter? How many years does he have left under our control?
i think it all depends where we are in the standings at the trade deadline
"I put a pepper rub on the scallops so you have a little contrast. You have sweetness from the coconut oil and a little acidity from the splash of lemon." – Luke Scott
I remember that season
I’m pretty sure through 79 games we were 41-38. The offense totally overachieved in the first half.
"Tragedy is what happens to me. Comedy is what happens to you." -Mel Brooks
Voted for Hardy
Grand slams are wayyyy birdland.
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
Hoey sent to Rochester :(
I don’t know why, but I really want him to do well.
"I have fear, but I am not afraid."
Damn it feels good to be a contributor, Music City Miracles.
@DPR9
I find myself rooting against PHN
more than the MFY. When the camera cuts to mooks in the stands celebrating it makes me feel dirty
they’re all mooks.
"I have fear, but I am not afraid."
Damn it feels good to be a contributor, Music City Miracles.
@DPR9
by danielreese05 on May 15, 2011 9:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah
definitely rooting for what’s better for the O’s rather than either team but that happens to be MFY tonight but being pleased at the same thing as that crowd is difficult
I can't not root for Jon Lester tho.
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on May 15, 2011 9:18 PM EDT up reply actions
He plays for Boston
I’ve been crushing his head with my fingers for half an hour.
by Milk Steak on May 15, 2011 9:35 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I root for a meteor to smite both teams and that abomination of a stadium.
Why the Buck not?!?
by PBR me ASAP! on May 15, 2011 9:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Around the minors 5-15:
Norfolk topped Lehigh Valley 4-1. Ryan Adams went 0-3 with a walk. Brandon Snyder singled twice in 4 at bats, with a strikeout. Josh Bell doubled in 3 at bats, drew walk and didn’t strikeout. Nolan Reimold drew a walk in his pinch hitting appearance.
Bowie lost to Akron 5-3. Xavier Avery went 2-5 with 2 singles, 2 strikeouts and a caught stealing. His batting average sits at 224 on May 15. Caleb Joseph singled and walked in 4 plate appearances. Ronnie Welty went 0-3 with a strikeout.
Frederick crushed Kinston 9-1. LJ Hoes went 2-5 with a strikeout. Tyler Townsend went 1-4 with a single and a strikeout. Bobby Bundy went six scoreless innings, striking out 3, walking 2 and allowing 4 hits with 8 ground outs and 2 fly outs. He also hit two batters. So it looks like he has been sharper, but solid nonetheless.
Delmarva lost to Greensboro 7-6. Mychal Givens recent surge hasn’t gone unnoticed, as he batted second today, and responded by doubling twice in 5 at bats. Jonathan Schoop went 1-4. Michael Ohlman went 0-4 with 2 strikeouts. Ashur Tolliver threw two scoreless innings with 2 strikeouts, 0 walks and 3 hits.
As a reminder, Brian Matusz is going to be in Frederick tomorrow night for a rehab start. First pitch is at 7p. If you are close to Frederick, go!
If you look at those UZR ratings or whatever
what followed, friends, can be classified as one of the most Birdlandish moments of this young season: Hardy smoked a 2-0 pitch deep down the line in left for grand slam to give the O’s an 8-2 lead and essentially wrap up the ballgame.
First thought watching the ball sail way over Sam Fuld: birdland!
If you look at those UZR ratings or whatever
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