Aubrey Huff
He loves Baltimore.
I think Baltimore loves him a lot more these days.
Huff has his second two-homer game of the season, and eighth of his career. He's totaled eight homers and 21 RBIs in his last 20 games.
Is this guy trying to make the All-Star team?
I disagreed with the decision to remove Garrett Olson in the sixth after Kevin Millar's error prevented the second out from being recorded, but another writer in the press box thought it was the right move because Olson was about to implode.
Olson had struck out Miguel Olivo and induced a grounder from Mark Teahen that Millar fumbled. His pitch count stood at 89, and another left-handed batter was coming to the plate.
Adam Loewen allowed three straight singles to reduce the Orioles' lead to 7-6 and load the bases.
Mark Grudzielanek singled off Chad Bradford to tie the game, and Alex Gordon's sacrifice fly has moved Kansas City ahead, 8-7. More updates to follow.
Has anyone seen Lance Cormier? He threw four scoreless innings in relief of Olson Saturday night in Washington, allowing one hit and walking a batter. Hasn't surfaced since that night. I'm pretty sure his arm has recovered.
The back-to-back triples by Adam Jones and Brandon Fahey were the first by the Orioles since Aug. 4, 2000 at Tropicana Field.
Quick quiz: Name the two batters. Answer to follow.
Jay Gibbons is hitting .311 with four homers, 15 RBIs and a .607 slugging percentage in 15 games for the Long Island Ducks.
I missed this transaction: The Astros signed former Oriole Val Majewski from the independent Newark Bears on June 21 and assigned him to Double-A Corpus Christi. Majewski was batting .368 with 47 RBIs.
Ivanon Coffie and Luis Matos had the back-to-back triples at Tropicana Field, in a game that lasted 15 innings and provided Jason Johnson with his first victory in nine decisions.
Comments
The point of this season is to develop your younger players. Especially the starting pitchers, stretch them out.
Manager flaps his lips out needing the starters to go longer but he continues to coddle these guys with the quick hook.
Posted by: Scott | July 3, 2008 9:16 PM
Another series of blown moves by Dave Trembley.Another manager who can't handle a bullpen.You have a rested bullpen and you choose to bring out Olson who has barely gone past 6 innings because you have never let him do so,leave him in to face three batters after a 4 pitch wak to start the inning and the best you can do is Loewen and Bradford.I told you,the implosion is coming.and Fahey goes to cover second base and the runner isn't even going and the ball goes right to where he was supposed to be standing.Sorry when the dust clears in the next two months we'll have a destroyed bullpen and another sub .500 season.One man's opinion.
Posted by: Burt from Essex | July 3, 2008 9:27 PM
No to Eckstein.
No to Millar
No to Loewen.
No to Bradford.
No to Jones batting behind Millar & Mora.
Posted by: bill ths 85 | July 3, 2008 9:37 PM
remember last year when watching the Orioles bullpen was like watching gassoline run towards a lit ciggarette? i forgot what it was like until this week. I dont know if any of you heard me drop an "F-Bomb" from new york. If you did, sorry for the language.
Posted by: rv | July 3, 2008 9:38 PM
Why didn't Trembley just put in Cormier right after Millar's error? He's a much better pitcher right now than Loewen is. Great point Roch.
Posted by: Tom | July 3, 2008 9:41 PM
No to Eckstein. Not enough of an upgrade, if any.
Posted by: j. roberts | July 3, 2008 9:41 PM
Why didn't Trembley just put in Cormier right after Millar's error? He's a much better pitcher right now than Loewen is. Great point Roch.
Posted by: Tom | July 3, 2008 9:41 PM
Hey Rcoh - what about Jerry Hairston? He would be a nice upgrade and is playing great short for the Reds right now? I trade Huff the first good offer I get - sorry, he's never going to be more valuable. the O's are rebuilding and the only keep if keep if I can get good value in return is Roberts.
Posted by: Gary | July 3, 2008 9:44 PM
Wow... Ivanon Coffie.
I disagreed with taking out Olson at the time too, especially to bring in the lefty Loewen. I don't know if he's the kind of guy to bring in with some runners on and a bit of pressure. Maybe he should be a guy to start an inning fresh instead -- who knows. That 7-run inning was pretty painful to watch.
Posted by: Matt K. | July 3, 2008 9:44 PM
No worries. I can only count a few times this has happened this year. It happens about once a month. Last year it seemed to be every week.
Posted by: Scott | July 3, 2008 9:49 PM
quick! trade huff before he starts popping up everything in sight. its a shame he still has another year on his contract. that fact alone will diminish his trade value. although... he is having a great year by his standards.
Posted by: matt k | July 3, 2008 10:16 PM
Every time I see Adam Loewen, one name comes to mind - Cole Hamels, who was drafted 17th the same year Loewen was taken fourth. I've never seen anything from Loewen to make me believe he will ever be a solid major league pitcher. The injuries haven't helped either.
Posted by: Jon | July 3, 2008 10:36 PM
I agree with you Roch, at the time, and after the game. Trembley said he did it to keep Olson from taking the loss, but with a 7-3 game i think it WAS Olson's game to lose.
I like the Jerry Hairston Idea as I picked him up in a few fantasy leagues and even held him while he was on the DL.
Posted by: Ben H | July 3, 2008 10:54 PM
When did the Orioles release Val Majewski?
Posted by: Tom | July 3, 2008 11:42 PM
What games are you watching Scott.It's happened three times this week.It happened 7 or 8 times with Walker.It's already happened three or four times with Bukvich.It's happened 9 or 10 times with Bradford.It's happened at least 4 times with George Sherrill in non save situations.Your bullpen was rested,Cabrera went 9 innings,you have Francisco Cabrera,Lance Cormier and Jim Johnson in your bullpen and you bring in Loewen and Bradford?Give me a break,and Millar is starting to take his batting struggles into the field,that's his third routine eror in the last 8 games he's played,after playing stellar defense all year.Unreal!
Posted by: Burt from Essex | July 4, 2008 12:36 AM
matt k,
Why do you believe Huff having another year on his contract diminishes his trade value?
I'd think a GM would feel more inclined to surrender a good prospect if he wasn't just renting Huff for half a season.
Posted by: Jeff K | July 4, 2008 4:07 AM