My final post at MASN's Orioles Buzz is a post I think I've done annually, looking at how ineffective just shelling out a ton of money for big-time free agents is without major progress from the guys already on the roster - in this case, namely Prince Fielder, CJ Wilson, Edwin Jackson, and Francisco Rodriguez. Check out the results here.
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My post for MASN's Orioles Buzz this week looks at Brian Matusz's awful season from a historical perspective. Check it out here. no comments
My post for MASN's Orioles Buzz this week takes a look at two topics I've hit on before; Jim Johnson's ability to close, if needed, and how signing Kevin Gregg was a bad idea. Check it out here.
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I know this is like two weeks overdue, but it's still worth looking at any good move made by the Orioles. This one had the Birds sending reliever Mike Gonzalez to the Rangers in return for reliever Pedro Strop. That makes twice this year the O's helped upgrade the Texas bullpen, and also spelled the end of a tumultuous run in Baltimore for Gonzalez (who should never have been signed in the first place, but I digress).
The Orioles save about a million bucks in the deal, and add a cheap, hard-throwing right-hander to their own pen. At 26 years old, Strop is pretty old for a guy with just 31.2 IP under his belt at the major league level. He got a relatively late start to pitching though, as he came up a shortstop in the Colorado system. When that didn't work out, the team moved him to the mound and thus moved back the clock on when he'd be ready for the big leagues.
Strop's career Triple-A number look pretty good, with a 3.42 ERA, 11 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in just over 100 IP. He's carried some of that over to the majors, with a 9.7 K/9 career (in limited innings in 2009, 2010, and 2011), while also having some trouble finding the strike-zone (6.5 BB/9).
The small sample of PitchFX data shows a 94-95 mph fastball without too much tailing action, a slider that's got just a bit of "curve" to it, and a relatively rarely used change-up with some sink. He's been able to miss bats with all of his offerings, which is nice.
If Strop can bring the walks down, he could certainly be a solid reliever for the O's. Maybe even the closer one day, depending on how things shake out (hey, if Kevin Gregg was given that job...). That's not terribly exciting - and it's not likely to do much to turn around the franchise - but trading older, more expensive players for younger ones who have some upside is, in general, the kind of move the Orioles should be making.
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The Orioles save about a million bucks in the deal, and add a cheap, hard-throwing right-hander to their own pen. At 26 years old, Strop is pretty old for a guy with just 31.2 IP under his belt at the major league level. He got a relatively late start to pitching though, as he came up a shortstop in the Colorado system. When that didn't work out, the team moved him to the mound and thus moved back the clock on when he'd be ready for the big leagues.
Strop's career Triple-A number look pretty good, with a 3.42 ERA, 11 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in just over 100 IP. He's carried some of that over to the majors, with a 9.7 K/9 career (in limited innings in 2009, 2010, and 2011), while also having some trouble finding the strike-zone (6.5 BB/9).
The small sample of PitchFX data shows a 94-95 mph fastball without too much tailing action, a slider that's got just a bit of "curve" to it, and a relatively rarely used change-up with some sink. He's been able to miss bats with all of his offerings, which is nice.
If Strop can bring the walks down, he could certainly be a solid reliever for the O's. Maybe even the closer one day, depending on how things shake out (hey, if Kevin Gregg was given that job...). That's not terribly exciting - and it's not likely to do much to turn around the franchise - but trading older, more expensive players for younger ones who have some upside is, in general, the kind of move the Orioles should be making.
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My post for MASN's Orioles Buzz this week is on one thing the O's pitchers have been especially good at this year... hitting. Check it out here.
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My MASN Orioles Buzz this week is on JJ Hardy, his bounce-back season, home runs, career progression, and platoon splits. Check it out here.
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After taking game one from the Blue Jays on Tuesday, the Orioles were not only shut out yesterday but slaughtered. A 13-0 loss which saw Bautista hit is 39th home run of the season. The Orioles look to bounce back and take this series against the Jays.
Blue Jays:
| Batting | Fielding | fWAR | |
| Yunel Escobar | .288/.363/.409 | 3 | 4.2 |
| Marcus Thames | .197/.243/.333 | -1 | -0.3 |
| Jose Bautista | .311/.451/.645 | -2 | 8.0 |
| Adam Lind | .258/.302/.449 | -2 | 0.7 |
| Edwin Encarnacion | .279/.339/.472 | -7 | 1.6 |
| Kelly Johnson | .215/.295/.421 | 4 | 1.9 |
| Brett Lawrie | .326/.381/.674 | 2 | 1.8 |
| J.P. Arencibia | .221/.282/.450 | -4 | 1.4 |
| Mike McCoy | .206/.336/.284 | 2 | 0.5 |
A decently good hitting lineup (highlighted by Bautista) and helped out by a good year from Escobar, this team is a pretty good team. Aside from having to play the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays 18 times a year each, this team could do some good things. Thames and McCoy are the two only weaker parts of the lineup.
Luis Perez:
| ERA | FIP | xFIP | K/9 | BB/9 | GB% | fWAR |
| 3.29 | 3.92 | 3.52 | 7.4 | 3.5 | 65.6% | 0.4 |
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The Good:
So Kevin Gregg blew the save, and then Willie Eyre gives up the go-ahead run (despite out-pitching Gregg - he gave up a triple on a ball that Matt Angle displayed a great deal of range on but misplayed (and didn't catch), and then the run scored on a wild pitch) before getting the win (which once again shows how dumb the win rule is). On the bright side... after Mike Gonzalez and Kevin Gregg, maybe even the casual Orioles' fan will now know that the team should not to give a fair amount of money to merely OK relievers (or solid relievers with injury histories, which is comparable). O's pick up the extra-inning victory in the first game of the series almost in spite of themselves. But I'll take it.
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- Other than the second inning - which had walk-walk-three-run homer - Jeremy Guthrie did a fine job. Final line; 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 K.
- Jim Johnson had two shutout innings in relief
- Matt Wieters hit a home run to dead center-field (his 15th of the year) and also singled and drew a walk. Plus nabbed a runner trying to steal, per usual (when actually given a decent chance).
- Mark Reynolds singled and walked twice, and looked pretty good at first-base (where he might be playing next year).
- Nolan Reimold had a couple hits and a walk.
- Nick Markakis walked twice - making it three straight games he's done that, which is not only a career high but is tied for the most for an Oriole since 1955. It also brings Nick's August walk rate straight passed 10% and up to 11% - easily the highest month since June of 2010.
- Ryan Adams had a couple hits, including his walk-off "single" to deep center-field.
- Bottom of the 8th, O's up 4-3, single and a walk put two on with none outs. So of course Buck has Robert Andino bunt. And of course Wieters gets forced at third. And of course, even after the next batter also walks to load the bases, the O's fail to score. The team's success rate using - or at least attempting to use - the sacrifice bunt is very probably now under 10% this year. It's actually kind of funny that as much as I complain about it though, the O's still have the fewest sac hits in the majors. But that doesn't count all the screw-ups, of course.
- The 9th inning was a mess. A hit and a walk from Kevin Gregg put two on. The Jays tried to give away an out with a bunt, but the batter pulled the bat back... and both runners advanced. The fielders moved in for the bunt, but that left no one covering third (and then second, when the shortstop started towards third). I don't think I've ever seen that play before. That was followed with a game-tying hit, and intentional walk to Jose Bautista, and unintentional walk to Adam Lind to load the bases, and then mercifully a inning-ending groundout.
- Does Buck learn? Apparently not. Bottom 10, Wieters and Reynolds on again, no outs, Andino up. Tries to sac bunt... ends up striking out (fouled off the two-strike attempt). If all I had was these two innings, I'd be OK with firing Buck (edit: apparently Andino was bunting on his own in the 10th, so Buck was only 0-1 instead of 0-2).
So Kevin Gregg blew the save, and then Willie Eyre gives up the go-ahead run (despite out-pitching Gregg - he gave up a triple on a ball that Matt Angle displayed a great deal of range on but misplayed (and didn't catch), and then the run scored on a wild pitch) before getting the win (which once again shows how dumb the win rule is). On the bright side... after Mike Gonzalez and Kevin Gregg, maybe even the casual Orioles' fan will now know that the team should not to give a fair amount of money to merely OK relievers (or solid relievers with injury histories, which is comparable). O's pick up the extra-inning victory in the first game of the series almost in spite of themselves. But I'll take it.
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The Good:
A valiant effort, and if you told me the Orioles would go yard twice and Simon would have 6 K's and last through 7 innings I think I might have predicted a Baltimore win. Oh well.
Some Mariano Rivera facts (coming into the game), since I looked them up:
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- Alfredo Simon looked pretty good, mixing up his pitches and occasionally getting the Yankees looking. He didn't generate too many whiffs though, and when he missed the strike-zone, it tended to be up. Still, a fine start against the majors' top offense. Final line; 7 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 6 K, 1 HR.
- Mark Reynolds hit his 31st home run of the season, which puts him just one away from his 2010 total and would also be tied for first in the NL.
- JJ Hardy hit his 26th, tying his career high (from 2007). He just loves those high and inside fastballs (though this one was more middle-in).
- Nick Markakis walked twice and stole a base.
- Other than the two solo homers, the O's didn't really have any offense. No singles, one double, plus three free passes.
A valiant effort, and if you told me the Orioles would go yard twice and Simon would have 6 K's and last through 7 innings I think I might have predicted a Baltimore win. Oh well.
Some Mariano Rivera facts (coming into the game), since I looked them up:
- Has appeared in more games vs. the O's than any other team;
- 3.13 ERA vs. the O's is 5th highest vs. any team
- OPS+ of 121 by the O's is also 5th highest, and that's despite just a .260 BABIP
- 6.7 K/9 versus the O's is his 3rd lowest
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With the storm having come and gone, the O's continued their series with the Yankees today with a double header.
Game 1:
The Good:
Jim Johnson and Kevin Gregg finished things off as the O's took the first game 2-0, making it 6 victories in a row.
Game 2:
The Good:
With the 8-3 loss the winning streak ends at 6. Not bad... that's actually the team's longest such stretch since the beginning of the 2008 season. And it makes avoiding 100 losses much more likely, as the O's only need to go 10-31 down the stretch (not that they haven't been that bad over 30 games before this year). no comments
Game 1:
The Good:
- Zach Britton had his best start in quite a while, perhaps going back to his shutout in May. He kept the ball down - when he missed the zone, it tended to be low - and that limited the Yankees' chances to increase their major league home run lead (181). And he did a nice job getting swings and misses with his off-speed stuff (~47% whiff rate with the slider, ~30% with the change). Final line; 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K. I don't love that he was left out for 120 pitches though, but given he didn't seem to be laboring all that much and the weather was OK I guess it's not too terrible.
- Mark Reynolds went 3-3 with a double
- Bartolo Colon countered Britton pretty well most of the game, as the O's didn't work a free pass, had just 7 hits, and where kept off the scoreboard until the 7th inning.
Jim Johnson and Kevin Gregg finished things off as the O's took the first game 2-0, making it 6 victories in a row.
Game 2:
The Good:
- JJ Hardy singled and doubled, while Nick Markakis doubled and drew a pair of walks.
- Brian Matusz averaged over 89 mph with his fastball, and looked alright minus the longballs (which are not insignificant, of course). Final line; 5.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 3 HR.
- Mark Reynolds and Ryan Adams each K'ed 3 times; the last of which were numbers two and three of the 8th inning, which started with the O's loading the bases. Vlad started the streak of punch-outs by swinging at a pitch that was so far out of the zone that PitchFX didn't even register it in their location box.
With the 8-3 loss the winning streak ends at 6. Not bad... that's actually the team's longest such stretch since the beginning of the 2008 season. And it makes avoiding 100 losses much more likely, as the O's only need to go 10-31 down the stretch (not that they haven't been that bad over 30 games before this year). no comments
