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It's fairly well-documented that the more the Orioles suck, the crazier that game threads get. Last night was one such example. This is fair because the Orioles drive us all nuts. When I started typing this post it was all in ebonics. I don't even know why. I decided better of it, but if the O's lose tonight then tomorrow you can enjoy a preview where I am talking like a gangsta.
Pretty much the farthest thing from gangsta are the Orioles right now. Even Robert Andino has shed the stickers from his cap. We've lost seven of the last eight games. Vlad Guerrero is still batting cleanup. Felix Pie is starting in left field tonight. And Jeremy Guthrie is on the mound, which we all know means that since the rest of the team hates him they won't be scoring any runs off of Alexi Ogando, the Rangers starter.
Ogando's journey to the rotation is one of those things that makes you hate the Orioles' luck, and also their proficiency in judging their own talent and other teams' talent. Ogando was signed out of the Dominican in 2002 by Oakland and he was a Rule 5 draft choice of Texas in 2005 in the minor league phase. He was an outfielder when Texas selected him, but they turned him into a pitcher and kept developing him even though he wasn't able to enter the USA until last year due to visa issues.
He came up as a reliever, with a 1.30 ERA in 41.2 IP last season. Then due to injuries, he was suddenly thrust into the rotation at the start of this year. He has a 2.86 ERA over 97.2 IP. His 2.03 BB/9 is even lower than Guthrie's. Ogando strikes out more guys, though, and gives up fewer home runs. And all this because another pitcher had a strained groin in spring training.
Why can't something like that ever happen to us? No, don't answer that. I already know why, and so do you.
| Orioles (J. Guthrie - R) @ Rangers (A. Ogando - R) | |||