Here’s a weekly look at players making an impact, for good and bad, for the Orioles this week:
Birds Up
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Ty Wigginton (2B/1B) - So, how do you get an up arrow with a batting average of .200 for the last six games? By taking eight walks and having a OBP of .414, that's how. Ty is doing everything he can. Too bad the rest of the offense (aside from the right fielder) resembles a bad Robin Williams movie. |
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Matt Albers (RHP) - He appeared in two games, had 2.2 IP, allowed three hits and a walk, but had one strikeout, allowed no runs and left two inherited runners stranded. For our bullpen right now, that's magic stuff. |
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Nick Markakis (RF) - Another week, another .400 OBP for Nick. He's batting over .300 for the season now, and while he did have six strikeouts in six games, he also took three walks and hit a HR and no GIDP. Of course, that would require someone in front of him actually getting on base. |
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b2b (2B) - He did bat 6-for-20 over the week, although without taking a single walk or hitting anything more than a single. But at this point, I'll take a .300/.300/.300/.600 slash line. |
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Frank Mata (RHP) - First week in the bigs, and two appearances, six batters faced, one hit, one walk, three inherited runners yet no runs scored. I'll take it |
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David Hernandez (RHP) - He only made it into one game as a reliever this week, but with 2.0 IP and three K's with zero hits, he did his job. |
O's down
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Scott Moore - He's hitless in his past five games, can't get out of his own way at second base and generally serves only to block b2b's presence on the field. That's not enough. |
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Adam Jones (CF) - And, just like that, Adam Jones isn't hitting again. An OBP lower than his AVG (which is hard to do, since his AVG was just .231) and no walks. This is getting painful to watch. |
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Cla Meredith (RHP) - Where to begin with Claw Megadeth? Well, half the batters he faced made it on base in two games this week, he had an ERA of 9.00 plus all three inherited runners scored. That's a bus ticket to Norfolk. |
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Miguel Tejada (3B) - The defense is getting painful to watch at times (although the arm's still there), and batting? Miggi's looking lost again, with a .233 OBP for the last seven games and and OPS of .471. Ouch. |
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Garrett Atkins (1B/bench) - I know it's like kicking a terminally diagnosed equine, but Garrett Atkins is just bad at baseball right now. Five games, a .154/.267/.385/.651 slash line, and no hope on the horizon of betting those numbers any better. Yeah, he hit a home run Wednesday. Whoopty-freakin'-doo. |
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Matt Wieters (C ) - SHJ batted just .158 for the week, and the bat is looking a bit sloooooooooooow. He struck out six times, managed just three hits, but did take four walks. Matt, really, feel free to start hitting again. Really. |
Dishonorable mentions: Luke Scott (1B/DH) - .154/.214/.154/.368 in four games; Lou Montanez (LF/RF) - hitless in three games; Mark Hendrickson (LHP) - 3.1 IP, 4 ER, 8.10 ERA, two inherited runners scored; Brian Matusz (LHP) - 5.0 IP, 6 ER, eight hits allowed; Alberto Castillo (LHP) - three games, 1.1 IP, 3 R + one inherited runner, 1 HR. |