Winning is so much more fun than losing. Not too many Orioles other than Adam Jones and Bud Norris did a whole heck of a lot last night. Then again, every game has a different star. That's what the song says, although the truth is some games have no stars because they lose. The Orioles are 2-2 to start out their West Coast road trip. Every win will be big, especially with both Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma looming in Seattle.
Pitchers
LHP Hector Santiago, Angels
2014: 16 G, 12 GS, 66.2 IP, 4.32 ERA, 64 SO, 25 BB, .241 BAA, 1.31 WHIP
Last start (at Rangers): 6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 8 SO
This is not a promising beginning. Lefty with an underwhelming ERA? At least he's not a soft-tossing lefty, with a 91.4mph average on his fastball, but still. He's always had walk problems in his career, which will never hurt anyone against the Orioles.
Home runs, though, they will get you for that. The thing about the Orioles hitters is that it's one thing to know how to get them out, which probably every pitcher knows, and it's another thing to do it. Make a mistake, like Matt Shoemaker last night, and the baseball is prone to travel 443 feet into the stands.
Santiago's last appearance was in relief. Due to the All-Star Break, this is actually the first start he will be making in almost two weeks. Will there be any rust to shake off? If the Orioles could take advantage of that, that would be good news.
RHP Miguel Gonzalez, Orioles
2014: 16 G, 15 GS, 89 IP, 4.04 ERA, 69 SO, 32 BB, .276 BAA, 1.45 WHIP
Last start (vs. Yankees): 8 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 HR, 0 BB, 5 SO
Speaking of people for whom home runs are a problem, we have Gonzalez. He has already given up 16 home runs and he hasn't even thrown a hundred innings. Walk rate: up. Batting average against: up. Everything is up. Even his BABIP is up, sitting at .305 where it was .260 each of the past two years. That probably means he isn't pitching as well, when taken with everything else. Maybe it's bad luck. Maybe his magic ran out.
The O's could use a good start tonight.