Guthrie and Showalter on the loss
After the Orioles lost 3-1 to a depleted Minnesota Twins team Thursday night, starting pitcher Jeremy Guthrie placed the blame on himself.
Guthrie allowed two runs on seven hits – including a solo homer by Jim Thome – in seven innings, walking none and striking out four. Pretty solid outing.
But Minnesota’s Scott Baker was better, allowing just four hits and fanning nine in seven scoreless innings.
“I was outpitched tonight. I didn’t make the big pitches where I needed to,” said Guthrie, who dropped to 1-3 despite a 3.12 ERA in his first four starts of 2011. “It is a reoccurring thing and it’s not good enough, not good enough tonight, not good enough last time, not good enough the time before. So we’ll work on it. Try to get better, make better pitches.”
The good news for Guthrie is that he is feeling better after being weakened the past two weeks due to pneumonia.
“I felt much stronger today than I felt the previous two outings. I think that’s a good thing for me, to feel better,” Guthrie said. “I felt good going into the last start, but you get a few pitches into it and you realize the body maybe isn’t all the way back. So tonight I felt as good as I felt in that first game, so hopefully that continues and the body is all the way back.”
The Orioles split the series with the Twins, despite Minnesota coming into the four games with a depleted lineup. The Orioles had a chance to win the series, but couldn’t solve Baker.
“They are missing big, big parts of their lineup. So to not be able to get that win tonight is huge,” Guthrie said. “I have all the respect in the world, though, for Baker. … He did what a (No.) 1 does tonight. He held the team to zero runs and pitched great and pitched out of jams when he needed to. So you tip the cap to him and hopefully I can be better. It is expected of me.”
Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he thought tonight that Guthrie is back to full strength after the energy-sapping pneumonia.
“His health, he’s turned the corner. He’s in good shape. He gave us a real chance to win. Deserves a better fate. Just ran up against a guy who was as good as he was tonight, and maybe a little better.”
Here’s what Showalter said about the lack of run support for Guthrie: “We just didn’t put much together offensively. We didn’t square up many balls at all. We knew Baker was going to present a challenge coming in, locating the fastball, especially on the inner half. A two-seamer running in there. We got some balls we put in play, but you could just tell they weren’t squared up.”
The Twins tacked on a key run in the eighth when Michael Cuddyer hit a solo homer against Michael Gonzalez, who has allowed runs in five of his six outings.
“Changeup. We gave up two home runs on changeups tonight. Mike’s had four days off,” Showalter said. “Obviously, that wasn’t the story of why we lost, but we know Mike’s capable of pitching better. It’s going to be hard doing it just sitting down there. But he’s better than that. He showed that the last month or so of the season. But we’ll see. He’s got to get better and he knows that.”
A Baltimore native, 
Comments
OK, Buck.... tell me this:
Eighth inning, score 3-1, Twins.....
Orioles get runners on first and third after Lee's double and Guerrero's RBI infield hit.
Gardenhire is smart enough to bring in a hard-throwing lefty to face Luke Scott.
Why weren't YOU smart enough to counter that move by bringing in Jake Fox to bat for Scott instead of letting Scott stand there and be overmatched and popping out.
I mean it's a no-brainer, really.
Then Fox goes into left field and is still available if needed to catch.
"Sometimes, you gotta be aggressive."
Yeah...... right !
Posted by: Bear the Birdfan | April 22, 2011 12:36 AM
I thought Guthrie did a hell of a job out there. No way he's 100%, but even if he is, he pitched well enough to win. I love that we are in the midst of 4 straight quality starts from our starting pitchers. Not happy about losing, but the bats will come around so if the pitching can continue, good things can happen!
Dan/Jeff,
I can't take Gonzo anymore and it seems like Buck is putting him on notice. The last line of this post sounds like what he said to Tillman about continuing to be a starting pitcher. Do you sense Gonzo is on a short leash?
--
The leash isn't long, but the amount of money owed and the lack of experienced lefties in the organizaton probably makes the leash longer. But his appearances in key situations have to be dwindling until there's better production.
Posted by: Birdland Todd | April 22, 2011 12:47 AM
It is by no means Guthrie's fault we lost that game. He pitched how he was expected to pitch. The results of the outing he had would be good for any pitcher on any night.
I know Guthrie is just trying to be a team player and he doesn't want to sound like a jerk to the media, and I'm sure he knows this, but it was all on the offense tonight. They need to score more than three runs. They need to score more than a run. Look at that lineup. They need to start producing.
I know it's still early. It's too early to start making cases to swap players out for others and all that jazz. But seriously, we need more than one or two guys a night to start hitting in order to win ball games. That's what's always plagued our pitchers - espedcially Guthrie - before, and that was supposed to be fixed this year.
It isn't expected of you to be better, Guthrie. You did your job tonight. You do your job more often than not. The offense didn't do their part, like so many times before for you...
Posted by: Alex S | April 22, 2011 1:26 AM
Oh Birdfan I hear ya!
Posted by: O's Fan In Az | April 22, 2011 1:30 AM
Anybody want to bet we pound CC tonight?
No?,me either.
I don't remember Buck getting second guessed at al last year now every loss has the second guessers coming out. Move Nick down in the line up,release Gonzalez,make Koji the closer.
Oh shut up this is about track records,haven't you heard yet?
Posted by: John | April 22, 2011 6:23 AM
Birdfan is dead on. Why do we have Fox if not for that situation?
My other concern with last night is, with our whole bullpen available, why are we seeing Gonzalez in a 2-run game?
That guy needs to be mop up duty only until he has a clue. That infuriated me, and that 1 run was huge. I'm convinced that rally in the 8th goes differently if we are only down 2.
Enough with the track records Buck, when people are struggling, you put in the guys who aren't and try to win the game.
Posted by: pjclark4 | April 22, 2011 7:08 AM
A few questions while wondering if Jeremy Guthrie is pondering what his record would be if he pitched for a team that had some hitters.
-Is "Mark Reynolds" Swedish for 'Garrett Atkins?
-Has anyone filed a missing-person report on Nick Markakis?
-Is Luke so loopy on the silly birther nonsense that he has forgotten that his job description is "ballplayer" not "pundit?"
-Should Andy Mac take a remedial course in assembling a bullpen?
Posted by: rockvillejake | April 22, 2011 7:23 AM
Bear the birdfan your 100% spot on with your posting.I love Buck but i am already tired of this bull crap about players having track records and history. That particuliar part of the game doesn't have one thing to do with what scott did last year it has everything to do with the fact that he has been completely overmatched so far this year. If fox is on the team and you don't use him in that situation get rid of him. And by the way please don't tell me he is the only back up catcher on the team, they could find somebody to put in there in a case of emergency.
Posted by: blancione | April 22, 2011 8:33 AM
Birdfan i was thinking the same thing.
Posted by: bruce hoffman | April 22, 2011 10:21 AM
Gonzo Gotta Go! Gonzo Gotta Go! If you can't stop the other team in close games, I don't care how he pitches when the O's are 5 up or 5 down. If you can't pitch clutch as a reliever, you be not doing your job.......
Posted by: Radik Bonk | April 22, 2011 12:41 PM
I know it's early , but the games in April os just as importent as September .
We need for Lee, Reynolds, Scott, and Markakis to start hitting . This is a very good hitting club . When that happens , look out .
Thanks for letting me post !!
Curt
Posted by: Curt S.S .MD | April 22, 2011 3:41 PM
I hate to see anyone fail at what their doing, but I think it's time to let Gonzalez go and cut our losses with him . We have to have someone we can depend on . My goodness man I think it might be over for you . Take your money and go fishing . Your a nice man , but you can't pitch anymore .
Curt
Posted by: Curt S.S .MD | April 22, 2011 3:58 PM