A classic O's game. The kind we've become very very used to. Sherrill gets a very well earned and DESERVED blown save and LOSS.

Pete--That was a tough loss. The play that hurt the most was the infield grounder by Byrd with two outs in the top of the 8th that Izturis somehow did not make the make the play on and made the game 4-3.

That play looked routine and Izturis' failure to make it was a killer.

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Pete's reply: Agreed.

Ouch that hurts a little. I question our last at bats. 2 pitches two outs.

But the left on runners hurts. BUT Sherrill still should have closed it out.

From far away and box score only, is Ray getting on track? How soon till we start him back in the closer roll. how long is Sherrills leash.

This is ag ame we should have won. More Runs should have been had, and we we should have been able to save it.

Good game from Koji.

Stop your apologies for Cheryl (I am using the female spelling because he pitches like a girl!)
Cheryl has one job to do, one thing only and he failed miserably at his job tonight. His first half last year was a total fluke. He is not a closer, never has been, never will be. The Orioles need to put him back in the eighth inning setup role or specialist role and put Chris Ray back where he belongs as closer.
Look at the Rangers guy....that is how a closer is supposed to pitch...three up and three down the vast majority of the time...even when Sherrill lucks out either a save or a hold, it is not without giving up hits/runs often. He fools nobody and his stuff is nowhere in the ballpark of being a closer.

Sherrill is NOT a closer! He has made every save opportunity an adventure. A closer should provide confidence to a club in tough situations.

Sherrill is terrible to watch. He may be the Oriole I least enjoy watching since Alan Wiggins. They should have traded this independent league fluke last year when he was at his peak. Nice job on that Orioles.

I hope he gets a minor injury and misses the rest of the year. Thats embarrassing.

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Pete's reply: David, you're the second person who has reacted to the loss of a baseball game here and said he wants somebody to get injured. Please keep things in perspective. I would never root for someone to get injured, if only because Karma is a female dog.

I have no faith whatever in Sherrill.
Sure the O's had chances to score earlier, but the plain fact is Sherrill blew it. When quality starts are such a rarity, it hurts double to throw one away. Has this guy ever had a 3 up 3 down inning? Very very discouraging.

You hit it on the head, Pete-this game should never have even required Sherrill.

Wigginton is awful at the plate.

Wow....I know you can't lay the blame on Sherrill, but he is not a closer. Feel like I am watching Stanhouse from the days of my youth. This is going to be one LONG season.

Was that Don Stanhouse closing the game tonite?

Gregg Zaun is down to .116. I know his lack of hitting isn't going to get Wieters to the majors any sooner but the bottom third of the Orioles' lineup is just brutal right now.

Not Sherrill's fault. This one is on the management of pitchers. Uehara deserved to stay in until he allowed another baserunner. Chris Davis hadn't done anything against him, with 2 out nobody on good chance Uehara would have gotten through 7 at least. Then Ray could have pitched the 8th and Johnson could have gotten a rest. He struggled last time out and this was bound to happen. Every move further depleted the bullpen and now we have not only a loss but used up a bunch of pitchers doing it. Recipe for tired arms and more injuries. Sorry to be a downer but this team has great potential if the pitchers can be handled.

Not Sherrill's fault. This one is on the management of pitchers. Uehara deserved to stay in until he allowed another baserunner. Chris Davis hadn't done anything against him, with 2 out nobody on good chance Uehara would have gotten through 7 at least. Then Ray could have pitched the 8th and Johnson could have gotten a rest. He struggled last time out and this was bound to happen. Every move further depleted the bullpen and now we have not only a loss but used up a bunch of pitchers doing it. Recipe for tired arms and more injuries. Sorry to be a downer but this team has great potential if the pitchers can be handled.

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Pete's reply: The hindsight doesn't work. Koji had given up a home run and a shot to the center field fence and Davis had lit him up in Texas. Can't argue the pitching change there, but would have brought Ray back for a couple of batters in the eighth.

How much longer are we going to let Sherrill close games for us? He hasn't been struggled since prior to last years all star game. He allows to many baserunners.I have no faith in his ability to close games and I would be shocked if his team did either. Get him out of there.

Well Pete, Tremblay gave another one away, by yanking Ray and putting Johnson in to pitch the 8th, even though Ray seemed on tonight and Johnson had pitched the last 2 nights. He's determined to pitch Ray in the 7th,Johnson in the 8th and Sherrill to close in the ninth, no matter what. It bit him again , about the 3rd loss this season for Tremblay for meddling with the reliefers. It just may be what gets him fired this year , later on , if it continues. You don't even need A Manager if you simply put the same ones in for each inning late in the game. That's not managing. That is more like playing Russian Roulette. The last 3 games you sure cannot blame the starters. This should be 3 in a row, if not for mismanagement or no management. It's a shame for Koji. He deserved much better.Hope that we have a young manager in the minors to come up with the young pitching staff, or we may never see improvement.

How much longer are we going to let Sherrill close games for us? He has struggled since prior to last year's all star game. He allows to many baserunners.I have no faith in his ability to close games and I would be shocked if his team did either. Get him out of there.

Tough loss. Sherrill just isnt a true closer. Also he is a 3 out closer as far as I am concerned--asking for more from him is unfair.

I disagree about laying it on Sherrill. Sure, it would have been nice for the offense to get him some insurance and not squander opportunities, but he's the closer for a reason and needing just one out to get the win, he gives up the single and then a dinger. How do you let Young have anything to hit in that situation? I like Sherrill, but I have always thought he's overrated and the All-Star game only worsened that last year. He never makes it look easy. I remember a few years back when Ryan would come in...the game was already over. The REAL closers in this league don't make you sweat the way Sherrill always seems to. Even Ray before his injury gave me far more confidence when he entered the game. Like I said, I disagree...lay it at Sherrill's feet. This loss is on him.

I won't blame it all on Sherrill, but come on. The guy simply doesn't get enough people out to validate him as a legitimate big-league closer. It's time they give up on that experiment and move Ray back into that role. It's clear his arm can handle it. I have no confidence that the Orioles will hang on whenever Sherrill comes in ... Definitely one of the most overrated closers out there.

Another mishandled game in the bullpen by DaveTrembley.Why take Koji out to only use Chris Ray for 1 batter?Look at George Sherill's record in multi inning game situations.Not good to say the least.And to leave Jimmy Johnson in as long as he did was pathetic.This team will never win with Trembley as manager,I gaurantee it.He has soon me no ability whatsoever to manage a pitching staff effectively.No reason to pull Bergeson the other night and none to pull Koji tonight.Sherrill makes one bad pitch,and there goes the ballgame.And for those of you who rag on Melvin Mora,he's better offensively and defensively than Wigginton,and it's cost us dearly already in 4 or 5 games.To lose agame like this after another wasted pitching performance is disheartening to say the least.And Dave will say his usual blah,blah,blah,we'll just have to come out tomorrow and put this behind us,and try harder,etc,etc,etc.Enough to make one puke.

When does Mora get back? Wiggy had multiple opportunities to drive in runs and, if I recall correctly, repeatedly swung at first or second pitches each time, making inconsequential outs and leaving 6(?) stranded. He shouldn't be batting fifth (although the bottom third of the batting order is also a disaster). Maybe Trembley has Wiggy fifth to avoid 4 zeros in a row.
And when can we expect to see those stellar defensive plays that Izturis is supposed to make?

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Pete's reply: Don't know when Mora gets back. He's probably going to spend a few days rehabbing in the minors and then return.

Mariano Rivera had almost the same exact stat-line as Sherrill tonight.

1.1 IP 3H 2ER 3K. 1 hit and 1 K more than Sherrill. Now Sherrill is no Rivera obviously, but guys will get hit. This is the first BS of the season, it's going to happen. The question is how he and the team respond to these early issues. The defense has been sloppy, the offense has been poor in key situations; it's a whole team issue. We've shown great potential, but the little things are eating us up, and no single person is to blame.

Sherrill is the most overrated GOOF of a closer in the bigs. Can't just close a game out, like Papelbon, or Rivera, no he's ALWAYS got to up the antee walk a couple, or give up a hit or two, but tonight takes the cake. If Uehara could speak english he might tell Sherrill, YOU SUCK!!!

Well...we are supposed to have two good set up men and a good closer...and here's what happened:

Ray sets up the Rangers comeback by allowing them to cut a three-run deficit to a two-run deficit. Johnson further sets up for the Rangers comeback by allowing the Rangers to get within a run in the eighth, and Sherrill closes it out by making sure not only to give up the tying run and get the official blown save, but to close out the Orioles by putting them behind in the ninth when they weren't hitting. It's not all on Sherrill, the bullpen altogether had a lousy effort and they were plenty rested. So much for them being a strength. Sherrill is a Jamie Walker-type specialist. He flourished in that role in 2007. I'm not ignoring the 31 saves, but let's face it, almost any closer who stays healthy an entire season can get that many (you can give up as many as two runs in some situations in the ninth and still get the save). I think Ray will wind up getting the job back from Sherrill before the season is out. This loss may be a good thing for the O's future.

Replace the Babe Ruth statue with a Peter Angelos statue. Nothing else seems to be working.

Pete,

George Sherrill had a bad night, it happenss and good teams move on! Mario Rivera blew a save last night too, it happens. One of the amazing things I found in managing Adult League and American Legion baseball, sometimes your best guy just doesn't have his best stuff and if a set up or long guy is really ON, stick with him. Even the best, Mario Rivera, any of them have bad nights, tonight was Sherrills! Unfortunate but it happens.

Sherrill was a 3 month flash in the pan. He was terrible through the last half of 08 and he's pick right up on that.
Zaun can't even see the Mendoza line from where he is, so what was up with using him as a pinch hitter the other day?

Wow. Reading these comments makes me concerned for the type of people populating the roads in MD.

If this type of knee jerk reactions rule the way they view an insignificant sport, how will they handle a real life crisis?

He blew one save and all of a sudden he needs to be on the next boat out of town? How about, "shake it off George, you'll get the next one?"

Of course we probably should have expected this considering the knee jerk "bring the Baysox to Camden Yards" rants we were reading after Bergeson's start...

Hans,
Its not knee jerk when I proposed we trade Sherrill last year when he was at his peak. The problem with telling him to "Shake it off, you'll get the next one", is that he has the worst probability of all baseball closers to actually get the next one.

I am not freaking out over a baseball game and I react pretty well to real life crisis. The guy is paid to close games. If he can't, fire him and get someone else.

Stop bashing the fans because they care about the team. If a player is not doing his job the fans should be all over him.

Also, if you notice, the Orioles set their team up this year as a season long tryout that will result in bringing up minor leaguers throughout the season. The young guys should not be rushed but the fans are just showing they care and want the future to arrive. Stop busting on the fans.

You know, Sherill looks like he put on some weight since last year. I know who he reminds me of.

Terry Forster, the original "fat tub of goo."

You guys need to lay off Sherrill. He was an All-Star last year (do you not forget the multiple inning heroic effort he put in for the AL?). Besides Sherrill was never a closer in Seattle he was forced into the closer role here because of the Ray injury. So all of these crazy fans comparing Sherrill to premier closers such as Mariano, Papelbon, or even BJ Ryan is just straight up preposterous. This man had 31 saves last year with only 6 blown. Give him a chance. Its one blown save for crying out loud. Even Brad Lidge proved that he can blow a save.

It might help Sherrill if somebody would hide the twinkies. Is my TV distorted, or, has this guy gotten HUGE?

It looks like he's able to get the ball up there at 90-91 sometimes, but when he throws a strike, it's always right down the middle of the plate, and the batters usually don't miss it.

Yeah, he "only" blew 6 last year but they were all in the second half (in only about 12 second-half opportunities). And many times when he did get a save, it was after loading the bases and giving back one run of a 2-run lead.

As other posters have pointed out, Sherrill simply doesn't have closer stuff. He is constantly walking the first batter and giving up key hits.

Ray is better suited to being the closer, and has better stuff. Sherrill must have some pretty incriminating photos of Trembly.....

Hey "an occasional reader" I'm not quite sure where you got that statistic that Sherrill's six blown saves all came after the all-star game last year because that is incorrect. That couldn't be any further from the truth considering the fact all six of those blown saves came before the all star break last year. Perhaps you should do a little homework (or at least a google search) before you start attempting to look like you have any sort of baseball knowledge.

- incriminating photos of Trembly? Way to be mature bro.

oh and "occasional reader" next time you post you should actually put your real name so I can make fun of your baseball inaccuracies directly. man up.