BALTIMORE—Chris Davis didn’t have a hit in five at-bats on Monday and established a major league record for position players with 49 consecutive at-bats without a hit.
Davis’ streak goes back to last season, and he’s one short of the major league record for most consecutive plate appearances without a hit. Tony Bernazard holds the record of 57, set in 1984.
In his first three at-bats, fly balls to right and two to left, Davis hit the ball sharply, but he struck out in his final two at-bats. His teammates picked up the slack in a 12-4 victory over the Oakland A’s.
“The first three at-bats were really good,” manager Brandon Hyde said.
“So, I’m taking that as a positive moving forward. How about the defense he played? Made a diving play, made a couple really nice plays. He helped us win the game.
“To go through what he’s going through and to still play the defense he’s playing and still to have the attitude he has, speaks really highly of his character. Tough to put yourself in his shoes and what he’s going through. I admire him for being out there and playing his butt off and throwing the defense out there that he’s throwing out there. Good for him. I was hoping one of those balls would fall. but it just didn’t.”
Andrew Cashner is among those rooting for Davis, who also received support from Monday night’s small crowd of 6,585.
“Everybody in here’s pulling for CD,” Cashner said. “The guy used to be one of the most feared hitters in baseball. So, it doesn’t just affect him, it affects us. We don’t want to see him do bad. We want to see him do well. His first three at-bats he really hit the ball pretty good, squared it up. I thought today was definitely a step in the right direction. He came up big with that play down the line. He brings more than just his bat, but I know he wants to hit and I think it will come.”
Offense breaks out: The Orioles set season highs for runs and hits in their 12-4 win over the Athletics.
The Orioles had 15 hits. Richie Martin and Trey Mancini had three each. Jonathan Villar, Renato Nunez, Cedric Mullins and Jesus Sucre had two each.
Mullins had two triples, his first two in the majors. He became the first player in Orioles history to hit his first two triples in the same game. He scored on the first one on an error by Athletics second baseman Jurickson Profar.
“We put a lot of pressure on their defense and make a lot of things happen,” Mullins said. “My first triple, we were able to put pressure on them to make a good throw. The ball got away and I was able to score.”
Martin, who is a Rule 5 draft pick from the Oakland organization, insisted that there was nothing special about playing well against the A’s.
“I mean, every day you’re playing big-league baseball so you’re facing good arms and good teams every time,” Martin said. “So, no, not at all.”
Mancini and Villar homered. It was Mancini’s fifth in 10 games, and Villar’s third.
The Orioles broke their four-game losing streak and won for the first time at home this season. They’re 5-5.
Small crowd: The announced attendance of 6,585 is the smallest paying crowd in the history of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The previous low was on April 9, 2018 when 7,915 attended a game with Toronto.
It was the smallest crowd for the Orioles since May 11, 1989, when 1,201 attended a makeup game with Oakland at Memorial Stadium.
Means gets a start: John Means will get his first major league start on Tuesday night against the Athletics.
“I was excited that they had that kind of trust in me,” Means said. “Obviously, that’s what I’ve done my whole career.”
Means will be the first left-hander to start for the Orioles this season. He’s 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA, and has struck out nine in 5 2/3 innings.
He learned the good news on Sunday.
“[Hyde] called me into the office, and he pointed to the board, and he’s like, ‘You’re starting Tuesday.’ He wanted me to give whatever I could.”
Means threw a hitless inning on Saturday night in relief of Dylan Bundy.
“That outing the other day was basically my bullpen,” Means said.
He’s not sure how long he can pitch.
“I don’t know. We’ll see how it goes,” Means said. “We’ll see if we can keep the strength up throughout the game and play it by ear.”
Means, who didn’t think he’d make the ballclub until he got word at the end of spring training, is happy with his early-season performance.
“I think they’re taking note of it, too, and they have trust in me,” he said.
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As far as Davis--no comment(you're welcome everybody). Smallest crowd--I hear people saying that when the lease expires in 2022 the franchise could make a drastic decision. I always said no way,come on now,historic franchise,etc,etc. BUT if they keep drawing under 10,000 a night--you never know. Come on Baltimore.
This faint reference to a "drastic decision" is total foolishness. There is nowhere for the team to move to in North America. If the Orioles weren't in Baltimore, and OPACY was sitting there unused, how quickly would it be before the owners of the Rays and Athletics moved their teams here??
Being that the patriarch of the Angelos family is the singular reason for the team being in the current state of disrepair, they're going to have to fix what they broke.
There are other external factors such as the invaders from D.C. (fully promoted by MLB themselves) and "unrest" resulting from Fred Grey. They are going to have to figure these challenges out, and they will.
Nowhere in North America you say? Foolishness? I'm will to bet that the good people of either Vegas or Portland amongst several other towns, would love to have a team. Don't fool yourself into thinking it can't happen.
Pick a big city, be it Portland, Montreal, Charlotte, OKC etc. and I'll bet I can find you a group of businessmen and fans who would love to have professional baseball being played downtown. If you build it, they will come. Now MLB and the rest of the big 4 have nailed their colors to the sports gambling mast, it's only a matter of time before Las Vegas poaches someone. And if you think having a "great tradition" will save you, go ask a Brooklyn Dodger, New York Giant or Philadelphia Athletic fan what that will get you.
As for the patriarch, once Peter goes on to argue his final case before the Ultimate Judicial Authority, the Angelos boys come under the crushing internal revenue thumb of Uncle Sam. Then the biggest, shinest black and orange asset in the portfolio becomes just that, an asset to be dealt with. Is a team based in Baltimore, unfriendly to big business, in a 25 year old stadium (older than the now defunct Turner Field and Ballpark at Arlington), with dreadful attendance and a much better run operation 30 miles down the road swallowing up its new fans, really an attractive option?
Better question; have you noticed that Mike Elias "genius" moves are reducing the teams payroll liabilities for future ownership down to the bone? Is he even here for a rebuild?
Well said BanMo ... as always.
I found it great that the crowd was so vocal in its support of Chris Davis last night. He is an Oriole and if you call yourself an Oriole fan, you should support him. It is very easy to support a guy when he is on top. What good does booing do? Don't you think he feels bad enough? What is the point of making him feel worse?
For the longest while, I sort of felt sorry for Davis, but no more. If he were truly a "team player", he would do what's best for the team(and himself), and that's go down to the minors . He could start out in class A, then, once he gains a little confidence, he could work his way up to AA or AAA before returning to Baltimore. If he goes to the minors and still has problems hitting, then that should tell him and the O's front office that it's time to retire, be released, etc.. I know Davis would have to agree to go to the minors, but if he's that great of a team player, then he would do it.
Ironically it is that same Angelos family that could the. could be the saviors that keep the team in town.
The less said about that poor man, the better.
Woof. While I realize that it was a rainy night with a (semi) local team playing for a national title in another sport, I'm not sure we've seen the last of Rich's "Smallest Crowd Ever" headline in 2019. And now the question is how long Peter, John and Lou can hold their nerve through The Great Tank. Again, you can dump 100 games a year in mega-cities like Houston and Chicago, you have the population to withstand it. In Baltimore, where people wouldn't show up during a playoff race and a vastly better and interesting team is gobbling up all the new fans just a short drive down 95, it might not be advisable.
Excellant observation. Never even considered the populstion differences between Chicago/Houston vs Baltimore. Yes they may wanna think twice on this one. Hmmm.
What exactly is the alternative?
I don't agree with that anyway, years 2-4 of the Astros rebuild the pulled in <2M fans each year and were at the bottom of the league for attendance . The Orioles can sustain that, and unlike the NFL, MLB doesn't really seem to like relocating franchises.
Sad but not surprised about the crowd. I’m hearing this rebuild is more like 4-5 years rather than the original 3. No way Orioles fans will stand for a 4 year rebuild. Too much to ask of a sports fan.
Where are you hearing about the length of the rebuild, deqalt?
MLB network when they did 30 for 30 at the end the broadcasters talked about 4-5 year rebuild. Last night , Joe Girardi and Al Leiter talked about 4-5 years.
I've always wondered if the paying crowd is the same as the actual attendance. It didn't look like 6500 people were at the game. Also, how many people pay for tickets and don't go, I understand things happen and you can't make it but, if I am paying I am going.
Devo, it is number of tickets sold, which includes season tickets.
Obviously the attendance will bounce up and down this summer, depending on the opponent, the weather, etc. But it should also increase once the club starts promoting a few of the prospects from Norfolk. And the Angelos brothers have been pretty consistent in saying that the O’s aren’t leaving town anytime soon. If they were skittish about sparse attendance figures, they wouldn’t have given Elias the green light to embark on a total rebuild.
The only upward bounces in attendance will occur when either the Red Sox or Yankee fans invade the park. Otherwise, sub 10,000 numbers will be the norm this year.
Then there will be plenty of good seats available, and shorter lines at Boog’s BBQ stand. Again, I’m sure the Angelos brothers have been expecting this.
We also slashed payroll by what 40 million dollars? They knew it was coming. The orioles aren’t going anywhere this is part of the rebuild.
Boog : I think you are correct . I’m planning on going Thursday afternoon and I’m hoping for a small crowd .
"I have no intention on moving this team. This is so jerky, so silly"
Robert Irsay
January 20 1984
But other than Davis the major league payroll will be going lower and lower. That was the reason for the Gausman and O'Day salary dump trade. And the O's will probably be getting revenue sharing $. Some of the worst attendance teams in the past have shown a profit because of low payroll and revenue sharing.
How can people say and write so much about a player who gets no hits and fans who don't show up?
To start with, the player with no hits gets $24 large per year which hamstrings the entire organization.
A lot of piling on here and bewilderment from my perspective.I am sure management and ownership is well aware of the situation and with the brothers supposedly now in charge you have to hope for the best.This is the time the team needs its fans and backers to be optimistic and supportive of the organization. The groundwork was laid out for a rebuild and it seemed like everyone was onboard but there there is a different revelation after every game..After the Yankee opening series we were going to have a run at the pennant, and nary a week later we are now bottom feeders.Too many explosive negative opinions and some surprisingly from what seems like long time dedicated Oriole fans (at least from your monikers)Not saying I don't bitch and complain because I do my share but sometimes too much negativity creates negativity.No one knows where this team is headed so putting a time frame on when the rebuild will become a success is pure speculation on anyones part.As far as Davis' is concerned when is enough enough? I have seen some things being said the last couple days that I would be ashamed to say in the backroom of a pool hall.Nothing too far on this forum per se, but rather on other different sites.He is a Baltimore Oriole and I don't see where he is necessarily asking for this public humiliation,Some may say people in the public eye sign up for this and maybe rightfully so but not to the extent I have been noticing lately.Criticism certainly can provoke changes and attitudes in a positive way but sometimes things become overstated and exactly the reverse happens..I am hoping this team can get the support it needs so they can continue forward in a positive manner and we can preserve the Baltimore Orioles history for a long time more. I may (I will actually) continue to second guess ownership,management decisions,etc. but not to the extent of some of the comments I have seen being written.As always,just an amateur giving my professional opinion. Tony
Ironically it is that same Angelos family that could the saviors that keep the team in town.
Tony,
Well said, I agree, and I thank you.
I come here from a different perspective as I don't live in the Baltimore area. Sadly, I live in the Rochester, NY area which is where I was able to grow up watching the Palmers, Powells, Weavers, Flanagans, Bumbrys, etc. before they were big leaguers. Unfortunately, I no longer have that opportunity as the local idiots threw off the yoke of the Angelos and dumped the organization in favor of the Minnesota Twins.
Last season, I forked up bucks for MLB.TV so I could watch the O's. How's that for timing? If you want to blame last season on someone, blame it on me. :-) But, seriously, I feel so much better this year than last. Yes, this rebuild is going to take time but, I'd much rather watch a team struggle with a roster loaded with players who's best years are in the future than last years cast of characters that were on their way out of town regardless of how well or poorly the Orioles played. I remind everyone Machado, Jones, Britton, and all did not become household names overnight and the current crew will not either.
Let's be patient. If Mullins keeps hitting triples like last night, he'll be an attraction. Trey Mancini is quietly but, surely moving into the Adam Jones role as team leader. There are finally signs of some help on the way in the minors and an important draft is not far away. When the team grows, the attendance will grow with it. Let's be optimistic!
Well ButchBird we have something somewhat in common as I live in central New York around the Utica area about 35 minutes from the Baseball Hall of Fame and maybe a couple hours from you..Maybe because we cannot attend Oriole games as frequent as others we have developed more of a appreciation for the team..However compared to the diehard fans I think we are about the same as we all share the same enthusiasm.
Thank you Tony and BB 59 for your positive outlook. I'm actually enjoying this team and its underwhelming cast of characters. Triples, doubles, singles and speed are much more enjoyable than the home runs that are glorified
... by MLB. Now, if we could only get some decent pitching out of these guys. I'll keep watching and cheering for our Baltimore bums.
Declining attendance is the new normal because of Netflix and amazing television sets. Those crowds in Toronto were small and that city’s population dwarfs Baltimore.
Any new stadiums built (I’m looking at Oakland, Tampa, Vegas, or Portland) are going to be 25-30,000 seat stadiums.
I also think concession prices should be cheaper. This would drive more fans into the ballpark which would generate more interest and thus impact TV ratings, which is the real honey pot for baseball owners.
Davis: I appreciate the fan support last night. It’s probably the end of his career and I will remember the many bombs he hit when our team was thriving.
Lol he helped us win the game. Hyde is saying all the right things. The way I look at it Davis is making about 40 grand for every out he makes. Cashier you been asleep it’s been three years since he was one of the most feared hitters.
Yet another bad record for the O's to go down in the history book to go along with 0-21, most runs given up in a game, Dylan Bundy had that record bad start last year. I think there was a few other bad records that happened last season.
I think the best thing to do right now is to support Davis, he's not worth the effort to boo. It's sad to see him struggling so badly. Maybe some support from the fans can help lift him. It definitely can't hurt!
That's sweet of you to day Devo ... but don't worry, he'll never hear me booing from my couch.
Devo is it sad to see him earn $135,000 a game. Like Hyde said this is a result oriented game and he has no results I man hits . Lol
He has results, they just haven’t been good....lol
Hyde said he helped us win the game last night. That was even better then any of Bucks one liners.
Crush's annual salary is $23 million (which he will receive for four more seasons, including this year) ... the combined salaries of the other seven position players who started (and won) for the Orioles last night is $9 million.
Set Davis, trade him, take him off the 40 man roster. We still have to pay him, but his offense stinks, Last night the announcers were talking about his defense, but they were making excuses for him. Give him the money and get rid of him. He hasn’t learned anything new. His swing is the same as last year. Say bye bye.
There’s nothing left to say... you guys said it all...
Just read on Camden Chat that the Orioles economic advisor was against signing Davis to this contract . He advised DD but Angelos like we know was pursahrd
Persuaded by outside forces one of who possibly was none other then our friend Bucky to sign him. He advised no more then four years as there were signs he was already going downhill. So instead of three more years this would have been his last year. Anyway I expect by all star break the latest Mr Davis will sitting home in Texas with that big smirk on his face enjoying in affluent retirement. It also says Mr Snake Boros went directly to Angelos to get the deal
Maybe it was Buck, or maybe it was Brady, or maybe it was Boras. We can speculate, but we may never know.