BALTIMORE—After John Means threw his no-hitter on May 5th, the Orioles were within one game of .500 and hoped that marvelous performance would provide a spark. Instead, they’ve skidded.
Since then, the Orioles have lost seven of eight. On Saturday night, they were beaten soundly, 8-2, by the New York Yankees before 10,767 at Oriole Park.
The Orioles (16-23) have lost the first two games of the series to the Yankees (22-17) and have lost the first six series at home. They’re 5-15 at Camden Yards.
Jorge López (1-4), who had not allowed a run in the first inning in his previous seven starts this season, had an awful first. He began by walking DJ LeMahieu. Luke Voit singled, and Aaron Judge walked to load the bases. After Gio Urshela struck out, LeMahieu scored on Chance Sisco’s passed ball, and Voit and Judge came home on a two-run single up the middle by Gary Sánchez. The Yankees led, 3-0.
In the second, LeMahieu singled with one out. With two outs, Aaron Judge homered to left, his 11th of the season and third in two days. Six of Judge’s 11 home runs have come against the Orioles.
López was pulled after two innings and 71 pitches. He allowed five runs, one unearned, on six hits.
“He’s been so good early in the game,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “They jumped all over him.
“Lopie’s been working ahead of hitters and finishing them … He just couldn’t do that in the first couple of innings tonight.”
Lopez was not available for the media after the game.
Keegan Akin, who was a candidate to start Sunday’s game, replaced him for the third and pitched three scoreless innings. But he seemed to tire in the sixth when the Yankees loaded the bases on three singles. Tyler Wells replaced him with one out.
Wells balked before he threw his first pitch, scoring Brett Gardner. Luke Voit singled to score two more, and the Orioles trailed, 8-0. Akin was charged with those three runs.
“I’m really disappointed that those three runs scored that inning because it doesn’t dictate how well he threw,” Hyde said. “I was really encouraged with his aggression. He was attacking a good lineup, using multiple pitches.”
The Orioles had a threat in the bottom of the third. Rio Ruiz led off with a single and, with one out, Chance Sisco doubled. Cedric Mullins walked to load the bases, but Austin Hays hit into a double play to end the inning.
They finally scored against Domingo Germán in the sixth when Trey Mancini’s infield out scored Sisco.
Germán (3-2) allowed one run on four hits in six innings. He’s 6-0 against the Orioles with a 2.29 ERA.
Ramón Urías’ RBI single in the ninth scored the Orioles’ final run.
The Orioles haven’t announced a starter for Sunday’s game. Hyde said that the Orioles could use an opener and make it a bullpen game. The team did not make a roster move after the game.
Notes: Mike Baumann threw two hitless innings for Low-A Delmarva in a rehab start. Baumann, who has been held back by a forearm injury, walked three and struck out in two in the Shorebirds’ 12-2 win over Fredericksburg. … Gunnar Henderson, who was playing third base, had four hits, drove in four runs and is batting .366. … The Orioles’ recorded their fourth sellout of the season.
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Typical Akin... either very good or very bad. I watched him (in person) at Bowie and I nicknamed him Gump for Forrest Gump. In the movie one of his famous quotes was about life being like box of chocolates where when you pick one you don’t know what you’re going to get. I can remember being at a game and watching him pitch a dominant game and really being impressed. The following game (I was not there) and reading how he was “rocked” so made a point of following his progress (or lack of) and I’ve done just that... and he’s still the same. You never know what you’re going to get with him. NOT someone to build a rotation on and, watching last night, not someone to count on from the bullpen.
Moving on... I saw Armstrong filling a perfect roll last night... mopping up. In that roll Hyde won’t have to use a position player. Just saying...
Armstrong looks great when nothing is on the line, doesn’t he?...he shouldn’t go in a game where the O’s have a chance to win, unless they have a HUGE lead...go O’s...
The Yankees throw out there an intimidating starter(German) from their International Corp and the O's end up with a chubby country boy(Akin) on the hill hitting that proverbial "wall" designed JUST for Orioles pitchers. Until that direction reverses we'll be stuck in mediocrity. Come on 2023/2024--can't get here soon enough or in the International signees case--2025. Glad I pumped Stewart up yesterday--he struck out 3 times. Geesh. On a more upbeat note:these minor league numbers are looking super impressive(minus the Jones/Diaz injuroies).
They won’t get stronger because Hyde doesn’t know how to extend their innings, wouldn’t be surprised with all the time off that Means conditioning hasn’t diminished...go O’s...
CP, you do realize that these guys work out and throw on the side between starts right? Means will be fine.
I do, perfectly fine to throw today...not sending the younger guys the right message, he’s not a young kid anymore...go O’s...
It seems "The Lopez Experiment" has run it's course. Same goes for "The Armstrong Experiment". Please, Mr. Elias, let the O's fans have some pride left for their team. Three years and that's all you can come up with, Lopez and Armstrong? And that's just on the pitching end.
But we really like Lopez's stuff.
As do the Yankees.
As the newly self appointed Fantasy GM for the Orioles, this is my "direction" regarding starting pitchers throughout the organization:
#1 Starter Means
#2 Matt Harvey
#3 Kremer
#4/#5 Zimmermann/Akin, with Tyler Wells stepping in if either Zimmerman or Akin falter/slump over 4+ consecutive starts
Lowther could benefit from some seasoning at AAA. Hopefully Baumann can progress through rehab assignments and take regular turns in the Tides rotation starting early-mid June. No else showing much promise at AAA currently.
Watching DL Hall, Kyle Bradish, and Kevin Smith at AA closely for promotion to AAA early-mid July.
The entire staff at A+ Aberdeen has been terrific so far this young MiLB season, promotions to AA to replace Sedlock and Bishop, if they continue to struggle, could happen as early as mid June.
All five of our starters at A Delmarva are 21-23 years old, we need to be careful with their innings loads and promoting too quickly at this point. So instead of promoting Delmarva starters to Aberdeen after Aberdeen starters are promoted to Bowie, we will look at moving current relievers at Aberdeen (Gillispie, Farmer, Young) into Aberdeen's rotations.
As a thoughtful Fantasy GM, I always look forward to reading others thoughts and suggestions about how to best improve our club! Thanks! OFGM
Load monitoring in professional athletics is BS, they’re paid to play, play then...go O’s...
Dear ____CalsPals___,
Thank you for your input! It is so good to hear from concerned fans like yourself!
I have to disagree with your characterization that load monitoring in professional athletics is umm as you put it "BS". We regard each player as an individual but also as an organizational investment and will use load monitoring, especially after a truncated 2020 season, to maximize the lifetime return/performance of our players/investments.
Proper and timely maintenance is a good practice be it on an auto, home, or body. The Orioles are determined to practice good physical maintenance for all the players in our organization.
Sincerely,
OFGM
FantasyGM now huh, whatever...go O’s...
Be careful Fantasy GM, you’re going against the narrative here....
Plutko looking AWESOME...go O’s...
Another of the savvy offseason acquistions.
It was a "savvy" acquisition when measured against management's definition of "savvy": a below average MLB salary. Performance a secondary consideration.
So I guess I’ll ad my two cents on the subject of monitoring pitchers innings. When did this become a thing? I don’t recall Palmer, Ryan, Seaver, Gibson, Carlton, Sutton etc. ever having their innings “monitored”. I really don’t wanna hear about how hard these guys throw the ball now because I still haven’t seen any of them throw harder than Ryan. My guess is that they’re maybe not playing enough different sports when they’re younger and maybe not developing all their muscles but what do I know. I’m also hearing stories of kids as young as 12 having TJ surgery. Actually Tommy John himself has become one of the most outspoken critics of the surgery named for him.
Palmer, Seaver, Gibson , Ryan also didn’t have to deal with a shortened season caused by a global pandemic
You're throwing this on the pandemic? Dude ... they've been monitoring pitches for quite a few years now.
Honestly the first I heard of load monitoring was when Kawai Leonard needed to do it, now it seems like the cool thing to do, I’ll agree with not enough different sports early...my biggest concern with Means is he’s 28, what message are you sending the rest of the pitchers & regular players, as a starting pitcher you play a fraction of the regular players games, do you think Cal Ripken ever thought of load management & needing a day off...turning into wimps...go O’s...
Load balancing is a networking term, borrowed by the jocks of the world.
So by dealing with a global pandemic, less wear & tear on their bodies, if they’re truly professional they should’ve come into this season in even better shape because they were never pushed in 2020...go O’s...
C'mon Dave, to throw Ryan out there as the benchmark comparison isn't fair. Few threw as hard or as long as he did. Better yet, NOBODY I've ever witnessed did. He was a machine. A FREAK of nature. I believe that these guys do throw harder than they used to. When you're throwing into a 15x15 inch square strike zone, and a 240 lb behemoth with a bat is leaning over it ..you'd better throw maximum velocity.
Now I'll give you the not playing enough sports when they're young theory. And I also understand that TJ surgery is getting to be more than common with the kids.
Notice some of the responses to my comments about monitoring pitches after a pandemic short season. Just out of curiosity, do you turn the sound down when Ben McDonald talks? Ben has been saying this all year. So has Hyde. Elias was interviewed during the game today and said the same thing. This is not unique to the Orioles. I’d love to see Means pitch as much as possible, but I don’t want him blowing his arm out in July. Giving him 2 extra days of rest in May isn’t going to cost the Orioles the World Series. He’s still going to make 30 starts or so and pitch 200 innings. But they are going to give him an extra day if they can help it. Same as they did with Kremer and Zimmerman. Seem to work for them
So are you saying that this limiting innings pitched just started ... since the pandemic? All I said is this is nothing new, that this has been going on for many years now. If the pandemic had never occurred, this 'monitoring' ,or what used to be called counting pitches by us cave men, would still be going on.
Can't speak for anyone else.
And no, I don't pay particularly close attention to Ben McDonald. Palmer maybe.
Company line with Ben, if he wants to keep announcing...don’t know that Cole has had any of his starts moved twice, or anyone else that was healthy for that matter...go O’s...
Per Baseball Reference, Gerrit Cole has made 8 starts this year. After pitching Opening Day, pitched on 4 days rest. His last 6 starts have all been on 5 days rest. So it’s not just the Orioles.
Zimmerman looked terrific, he’s a starter, why didn’t he start the game instead of Plutko?...go O’s...
Maybe Hyde wanted a little Polish Power today? But you're right, Z looked good against the Yankees...not easy to do.
Valdez as a closer just isn't working.
Totally agree, glad the had a five run lead, bad part is the three batter minimum, they need to try closer by committee...go O’s...
BRR and CP - you two are hilarious! Thanks for the laughs!
I for one, will be here all week. Remember to tip your waitress and ....
Drink Pepsi