We all knew this sort of systematic meltdown was coming to the starting rotation. But for the life of me, I never thought it would happen this soon. I figured they would post an ERA around 4.00 for the first two months, all the pundits would write their "biggest surprises" columns and include the O's starters 2 - 5 in there... and THEN the bottom would fall out. Methinks Andy, Dave, Rick, et al. figured something similar would happen.

But 10 games into the season?!?

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Pete's reply: Let's not get carried away. Help is coming.

Just like Ringo Starr once sang, "Got to pay your dues if you wanna sing the blues . . ."

Can't anybody here pitch? This is awful.

Well, to coment on the 1st posters observations, I've said all along that this season may be the reverse of the past few. Usuall the birds turn to dry ice in the hot August and Sept. sun, I think this yr there will be a bit of a lift as fresh blood arrives starting afdter the AS game. I know one pitcher, at least, will be called up B4 Memorial Day, but other than Weiters (if healthy) I wouldn't expect much til after the AS game in July.

I accept that the rotation is dreaful but I had high hopes for the defense and it's been medicore at best. Jones and Huff both had key botches tonight and Roberts did the other night in Texas. Errors are bound to happen but this team needs to be excellent defensively to stay in most games.

Is it August already?

Can't anybody here pitch? This is awful.

So all the O's need to do is lose every game on the road and their starters and bullpen only have to pitch 8 innings! I think I'm okay with that until the Calvary is ready...

I think Guthrie is just snakebitten.Let's see we have bases loaded and Izturis hits a rocket that Mike Lowell manages to snag and Scott barely gets back to the bag.Adam Jones lets a ball doink off of his glove and somehow it's a base hit.Then Huff boots a routine ground ball that would have ended the inning.Then Jonesmisplays another fly ball and it leads to three runs.In the meantime,Mr.Trembley,who still can't manage going into year 3,has his batters swing at the first pitch five times after someone has been walked,twice Izturis,who is not going to be confused with Markakis,once by Luke Scott, once by Wigginton,and then once more by Zaun.Baez comes in ,they bring Wigginton in,why I have no idea with one of the fastest infields in baseball,and Pedroia hits one by him,Strikes out Ortiz,plunks Youkalis,and does hs send the pitching coach out to settle his pitcher down,heck no,he waits until he walks the next batter and throws two balls to the third one,none of them close.In the ninth,Wigginton gets on and Zaun and Scott swing at the first pitch and Our only hope is Felix Pie.Game over.Oh and in case you didn't notice Ryan Freel is already complaining about his role.We gave Boston 6 runs in my opinion,and although Gutherie didn't pitch great he deserved a better fate.Up 7-0 and lose 10-8.Get used to it O's fans.ANd it sure looked like Pedroia wa out but did you see Stoneface come out to argue.Of course not.The man cannot manage and never will.Enough said.Bad breaks,bad baserunning(by Roberts) who should have been on third on the ball Jones hot off the wall)and bad defense,equal a bad loss.29 runs the last 2 games,that says it all.Maybe we can bring in 37 more pitchers.And you think Pedro couldn't help this staff?I certainly do.

What a shame its going to be all summer, watching the O's waste a good offense as their rag arm staff tortures us for another season. Has anyone noticed that Guthry, our number one starter, seems to give up a big home run every game?

oriole1952 - look up "dry ice." your point is one I agree with, but dry ice doesn't melt. I, too, was fearing that the usual late-season collapse isn't about to be an April one.

Mr. Shmuck, If I said that M&T Bank Stadium isn't exactly a paradise for an opposing team's offense, I'm sure you'd probably be inclined to agree since the Ravens usually field a top-5 ranked defense almost year in and year out, on top of a bunch of rabid fans screaming at the top of their lungs. True, maybe it's not the stadium itself, but it's the team and the atmosphere.

Boston has feilded one of the most potent offenses in the league for the last several years, they constantly make the playoffs and they are the only franchise this decade to win more than one world series title.

This is the team that gets the last at-bat in a place where every game can take on a playoff type atmosphere with a full house of fans every game, heavily tilted towards the Sox with maybe a small number of Orioles fans scattered about when the O's are in town up there.

It seems to me that in Boston, the home team is prreetttyyyy good, so I agree with the notion of no lead being safe in Fenway. I won't say that the Orioles didn't implode on themselves in this game, because they certainly had their foot on the Red Sox' necks with the 7 run second inning, but even being up by a touchdown doesn't equate to being on easy street to a win in Boston, not even for a team like the Angels, Rays, Yankees, you name it.

Go O's

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Pete's reply: I don't disagree that Fenway is a bandbox, but it wasn't Fenway that beat the O's last night.

Pete,

Is Fenway only a bandbox when the Red Sox bat? Where was our run production after the second inning. In summary the O's bats basically took off after the second inning, some poorly played balls (beyond the scored error (there were several that should have been made) and Guthrie tried to be too fine with a 7 run lead. Fenway Park is a tough place to play as noted, I believe thats why Bergesen won't get the call until they return to Balmore!

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Pete's reply: You're already right on that. Hendrickson has been scheduled for Monday. I bet you can't wait.