I don't know about the first one, because there was still plenty of time, but in the 8th I think you have to pinch run Pie or Andino for Huff and bunt Mora. Tie game in the 8th, easy call IMO. Nonetheless, a veteran hitter like Mora can't swing through that hittable strike 3. Bad game for the offense all around, save Luke.

i hate the bunt in that situation for exactly the reason you gave. Your hottest hitter doesn't get to swing the bat! And you purposely did it.... Great! Managers with little or no faith in their 5-6 hitters to do what they get paid to do-HIT the ball-do stuff like that.You'll never convince me that sacrificing with your 5 hitter so they walk the hot-hitting 6 hitter to pitch to the cold-hitting bottom of the order is using your outs wisely. Never. Ever.
In that situation, I'll take my chances
swinging the damn bat.
I thought I read on a recent post about the discrepancy in the number of bunts, Mariners vs O's...Who cares that the Mariners have many more sac bunts than the O's? They are one game better than the stumbling bumbling base-running challenged RISP-funkified Orioles. If the O's get a hit with a RISP last night they win the game and we don't have to have any senseless arguments about the trumped-up importance of a sacrifice bunt.

I absolutely agree with you. A hit and run with Huff is a gamble and we know how that turned out. A promising top of the ninth goes down the drain. We wasted some good pitching with needless outs on the basepaths..pick offs, hit and run with a slow runner. Mora just isn't a clean up hitter, or number 5 hitter right now. However, he's there because we have too many lefty middle of the order guys. I'd rather see Scott or Reimold after Huff. Maybe if Weiters starts hitting like we hope, he can be moved up in the line up, but obviously he's not ready for that yet.

Thank you Pete!! I've been saying this about Trembley for the past couple of years. He refuses to ever bunt because he refuses to give up an out. I don't believe in always bunting to move the guy over but there are situations when it must be done. Last year Mora was up in a similar situation in a one run game and Trembley had him swing away. He hit into a double play costing us the game. I got into a spirited argument with another poster over him not bunting. Trembley is just too stubborn sometimes for his own good. A reporter questioned him about not bunting and he went off on him like "How dare he question him about baseball strategy".

I agree with your bunt suggestion Pete but the problem is that not too many Orioles can even lay one down properly. I can't remember the last time I saw Mora bunt successfully and here's a guy that's been around MLB a long time. Again, this speaks to lack of fundamentals, along with the baserunning blunders and hacking away at the first pitch against strike-zone challenged pitchers.
I have to question whether Trembley is ever going to become a competent manager at the major league level. He gets a pass for the first 2-3 years because he's new and he obviously isn't sending out the '27 Yankees out there. Now that we are getting closer to actually being in a position to contend soon, is he really the right guy??

You are right on with this one. Peter. I didn't see the game last night, because of the late hour, so I can't comment on the bunt situation with Melvin Mora. I can say that stupid base running (Not agressive, just stupid) has cost the Orioles MANY opportunities to score, and has extinguished countless rallies. This seems to be particularly the case with all the run and hit when Aubrey Huff is on base. I remember when Trembly first took over as the Orioles manager he emphasized better defensive play in the field, after all preventing runs cuts down on the run differential. Well guess what countless base running blunders does? Not only does it potentially cost the Orioles runs, it also gets the opposing pitcher off the hook. The Orioles are supposed to have a decent batting order, although that can't be proven by their recent performances, so let them hit and stop trying to run the bases like a speedy team made up of a bunch of slap hitters. This team is built on average and power. Hello Trembly, can you hear me!

I have to say, that as someone who has defended Trembley many times in the past, I'm beginning to wonder if he is the manager to take this team forward.
The Orioles have played a lot of sloppy baseball this season, with mental errors and questionable strategy involved in several painful losses. As a manager who talks a lot about the importance of fundamentals, that is one of his team's mst glaring weaknesses. They just cannot afford to keep throwing good pitching performances into the trashcan.

Right now roberts and nick are really having a bad time right now. Roberts looks completely lost out there

Doesn't really matter if they bunt or not considering only Luke Scott and Ceasar Izturis are hitting the ball. Aubrey Huff is getting good wood, but unfortunately, Safeco ain't Camden Yards.

Pete, is it time to move Melvin Mora to 2nd and Adam Jones to 5th in the lineup? A man with 2 homeruns batting 5th? Melvin can bunt better than Jones or likes to bunt more than Jones. Thats good for a number 2 hitter. Dont we need more power in the 5th position?

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Pete's reply: Maybe, but putting Adam fifth would cost him about one plate appearance every other game, so I wouldn't be in favor of that.

Thank you Pete! finally a voice of reason! The "bunt" seems to be a four letter word to Trembles! Mora should have bunted in the 9th, he is a good bunter and should have done it on his own, sign or no sign.And Izturis should have bunted with Reimold on in the 5th. It was obvious the game was a pitching duel and isnt that the job of a light hitting number 9 hitter anyway?? Trembles really has no idea how to manage a game...

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Pete's reply: Sacrificing was only one of the options. I would have had no problem with Mora just hitting in that situation. But I didn't see the sound strategy in starting Huff from first three times in a row. It forces the hitter's hand when the pitcher is the one who's behind on the count. I'm not even anti hit-and-run. I just don't think you do it every time it's a possibility.

I have been a big Trembley supporter but if the Orioles lose more games in that fashion I would rather have a more fundamentally sound manager. The baserunning is incredibly bad. Its like a poorly coached little league team. They gave away a game they should have won and they appeared content with that result. I was embarrassed at that game.

Overlooked in the tough loss was the great hustling that Reimold did on a routine ground ball to third, which turned into a base hit. Contrast that with several hitters jogging gently to first. Jones hustles occasionally to first. I love B-Rob, but he rarely runs at all. It almost seems that, if he doesn't get a hit, his mind shuts down until the next trip to the plate.

The sight of a fast runner, head down, tearing down the line (Suzuki anyone?) undoubtedly rushes any throw, or at least rushes the glove-to-hand transfer (note the error by Beltre...).

Or is it not "cool" to run out a ground ball anymore? Tell that to Ichiro --- his BA is probably up 10-20 points because of running out routine ground balls.

I miss Pete Rose.

The Orioles have been caught stealing more than any other team in the league this year, and no team has a worse percentage of success on the bases. They've got 29 stolen bases in 47 attempts. That's miserable. The Angels, for example, have 61 stolen bases in 77 attempts - more than twice as many steals with fewer times caught. Obviously, this isn't a running team. The overuse of the hit and run reminds me of those Indians teams of the early 70s, when Buddy Bell & Co would get caught as often as they succeeded. Not successful teams.

The sacrifice bunt, in general, is not a good strategy (though it is better than a strikeout-caught stealing); at best it produces one run (which would, admittedly, have helped in the ninth). The Mariners used it twice during the game (once with Ichiro at bat...sheesh, how dumb is that?) and got nothing out of it. The Orioles have run into some damned good pitching lately... oh, and they've responded with some pretty good pitching of their own (a good sign)...

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Pete's reply: You can't count Ichiro. He was bunting for a hit and Wieters made a great play. I don't care for it most of the time, but when you need one run to win, I like having the guy on second with two chances to get him home.

Could not agree more....We need to get to a point where we play sound fundamental Baseball. That comes from the manager and coaches. Even if it had wrked it would be wrong to do because stats win out every time and the best way to win iss to play sound baseball.

I do like the way the pithcers are :
Working Fast
Throwing Strikes- THANK GOD
Changing Speeds

Ray Miller be blessed.

Now lets go out and have 7 one game winning streaks....

First of all, I like Dave Trembley as a person and he is a great press conference entertainer. He treats each press conference as if it were October baseball, which entertains the heck out of me. Real deadpan serious squinting his eyes into the camera like Steve McQueen if he had managed a Game 7.

However, he is a terrible field manager. Someone buy the guy a copy of "Moneyball" ASAP! Or send him to Earl Weaver bootcamp, or listen to the youtube of Earl talking about what he thinks of stolen bases!

This lineup has 7 or 8 hitters on any day who could be 20 home run guys, and Trembley is trying hit and runs and "aggressive" base running? Why? Go to the Earl W style of solid pitching, good defense and the 3 run homer.

As Earl said "bring those big guys up to hit home runs, not have some fleas getting thrown out on the basepaths!"

Allowing the opposing pitchers to only need to get 23 or 24 outs when the O's need to get 27 takes the odds right out of our favor!

I also think Mora should have bunted, but I think Pie should have come in to run for Huff. Putting on a hit-and-run when the team is struggling doesn't make much sense.

Also, what is going on with Brian Roberts? He is one of my favorite Oriole, but I am tired of seeing him not running out grounders. Being in a slump in one thing; being a slacker is something entirely different.

Random ravens question-

The way things are going 2010 could be the first uncapped year in the NFL since '93.

Could this benefit the Ravens in a way that they can resign Suggs, Ngata, and anyone im forgetting long term, by frontloading their contracts during that year? Ya know, pay all of their bonus' and such that year so the rest of their contracts they only make 5 million a year or so when there is a cap?

Seems like this could work for a lot of teams. Thanks

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Pete's reply: Maybe, but the same could be said for the other wealthy teams.

Right you are, Pete. Once you've got the horses, you have to know how to drive.

Questions for Dave Trembley:
1. Why walk both Ichiro and Branyan in the 9th to load the bases, so that a walk would force in a run? Just walk Ichiro and pitch to Branyan, and the double play will be set up anyway. It doesn't help to have the bases loaded. And Beltre was the hot guy in that game. Why do you pick to pitch to him?
2. Why bring the infield in halfway? Wouldn't the percentages say you should sit back at double play depth and hope for a double play - or a strike out or pop out?
3. Trembley, why are you saying the game was lost earlier in the game because of offensive problems, and trying to deflect attention away from your poor decisions?

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Pete's reply: I think the infield was at the proper depth, though some obviously disagree. If you play back and somebody hits a slow grounder to short, the game is over. That ball would not have been a DP at normal double play depth. It was too far into the hold between second and third.

Peter, do you think the Orioles' history of "brainless fundamental mistakes," which has been a persistent problem throughout this past decade-plus of losing seasons, has anything to do with their inadequate spring training facilities, i.e., they just don't have enough fields available in the spring for the coaches to provide needed instruction to everyone on baserunning, bunting, cut-off plays, etc.? Or is it just that they have a bunch of guys who can't stay focused night in and night out for nine innings?

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Pete's reply: I don't think spring training has a lot to do with it, though they need to correct that situation.

Trembley takes too many chances - the O's give away too many outs on the base paths. The players are feeling like anything goes on the bases, resulting in the careless mistakes from last night. Trembley needs to traffic cop the movement on the bases. Good teams do not make outs like this. Hit to the situation - work counts, put pressure on the pitchers to make quality pitches, and for God sakes stop running yourself out of innings!

After looking at the home run called back by Huff...Did it look to any one like the ball went behind the screen on the fair side and ended up foul?? Thus making it a home run.

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Pete's reply: Saw the replay four times and, no, it was definitely foul.

Peter,

I'm impressed that you actually came right out and criticized DT. Good start. Keep up the good work.

I'm glad I'm not alone in noticing the high amount of times the Orioles have run themselves out of games this year.
I drives me a tad wacky watching the runners do things on the bases that have no way of working and then seeing a picture of Mr.. Trembley sitting in the dugout acting as if nothing wrong had happened. When is he going to relize the Orioles are a "hitting", not a running club. I would be willing to bet that the signs to run are coming from his seat on the dugout and he shares a large part of the blame for some of these games lost due to baserunning errors.

Tembley coaching and leadership skills are very much in question. He's a nice guy but clearly not ready for prime time--the peter principle at work I am afraid.

Hi Pete, with the offense struggling and the draft comin up, I've been thinking about the O's future. They seem to be leaning college pitcher at #5, but that won't help the offense much. And there are no stud hitters in free agency either. But I have read that the Padres will probably look to trade Adrian Gonzalez in the off-season. He will be very expensive in trade because he is young and has an affordable contract. It would probably cost the O's two to three pitching prospects to deal for him. Do you think that will be a price MacPhail may pay? I think we will have the pitching depth to at least consider it, but I keep thinking of Glenn Davis!

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Pete's reply: I think the Orioles would be interested, but not if it took more than one of their top pitching prospects.

Hey Peter: Can you comment or try to predict any trades that the Orioles may make/ try to make as the trade deadline next month draws nearer? Are they still going to attempt to move their veterans or pending free agents (e.g. Baez, Huff, etc)?

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Pete's reply: I'm having trouble speculating because I don't know how the team is going to play for the next three or four weeks. Two weeks ago, I would have said that they defintely would be trying to move some guys. Still think they'd deal Baez if they could get anything for him.

The guy seems like a "stand up" type of manager but the poor baserunning this year can only fall on him. The next Oriole to make his presence felt in Baltimore may not be a position player or a pitcher, it may be the guy calling the shots from the dugout.

Just how much longer before we start hearing Andy give his take on the magers position? It has to be soon.

All you need to know about the hit and run is that Weaver hated it. As Palmer has pointed out many times, when the HnR is on, the hitter has to produce ON THAT PITCH. There is no leeway. Otherwise, as we have seen, the runner is dead meat.

Weaver also hated the sacrifice. He always said that his statistical analysis showed that the was more of chance of getting a run in with no outs and a runner on first than with one out and a runner on second.

The SOP for Weaver's teams was fundamental baseball with pitching, defense and the 3R HR.

Right now, we are only getting pitching. The fundamentals are no one knows where. And with a bunch of youngins' on the pitching staff, you really don't know what your gonna get from one start to the next.

We all knew that Trembley was not going to be judged on wins and losses this year, what we needed to see was a progression, steady, basic, smart baseball, hustle, doing the little things. And so far, we have not seen that. And that comes down to the manager.

There is very little a baseball manager can control, baseball being such a game or percentages, there is no way really to say whether this move or that one is the right one.

But how a team plays, with enthusiasm, smart, fundamental, doing those little things, that is a direct reflection on the manager and his staff. And right now, it is hard to think the staff is putting the team in the best position to succeed.

The crap that's been going on lately, indeed all year, do you think Weaver would have put up with it??? Or Davey Johnson? There would have been hell to pay.

As you said, this year's O's don't have the talent to make dumb mistakes and get away with it.

I'm starting to think that poor game management and lack of sound fundementals defensively and around the base pads this season has cost us several games.

More importantly, if this team is going to change its character from pretenders to contenders, we really need to clean up the sloppy play and attitude. I know things are looking better but the little things in baseball count a great deal to your overall success. My question is how can we best address this?

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Pete's reply: I think it is a problem that will, in a sense, correct itself. I doubt you'll see Huff picked off third again any time soon and Reimold is still learning (and, apparently, leaning). The O's will start hitting again and things will improve.

Peter,

I was wondering if anyone would bring that up. I like Trembley, but sometimes his decisions are very amateurish. You can almost feel double play coming if you do not bunt late with no out. Less debatable is walking two men to load the bases, and then infield in?? It's easier to turn two 5-4-3 then it is 2-3, yet Beltre got it thru the pulled in infield. Bad managing all around.
I',

They have lost more than a few games already with base running "errors". The O funk is similiar to last year....a couple of high scoring games then a 2 week draught.....at least this year, with our new starters, we are still in all the games but an L is an L! What happened to patience at the plate? Mora bunt? HA!

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Pete's reply: Can't be patient at the plate when you start the runner every time you're ahead on the count.

Right on the money, Pete.

I don't mind losing well-played games, but that's not the case here; I HATE losing the way the Orioles are playing right now.

Time for a lineup shuffle, and get the dead wood jump-started.

The M's should have never been in the position to win that game in the ninth-I do like Trembley and what he has done but the baserunning mistakes are just unacceptable.

Pete- why is Mora still batting 4th and Wieters ahead of Riemold? Mora is not producing as a clean-up hitter and hitting Wieters behing Riemold might take some pressure off of him.

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Pete's reply: Mora was batting fifth.

We told you that Kool-Aid taste's bad!

not to mention the fact that even when we SUCCESSFULLY EXECUTED the hit and run with Huff/Mora in the 4th, pianobacked Huff STILL DIDN'T GET TO THIRD!!!! so what's the point of handcuffing Mora's atbat in the ninth inning of a tie game!? I feel for Dave, because he'll have been the sacrificial lamb when we inevitably hire someone with major league cachet to take these kids to the next level, but come on man! That's Little League-manager-is-a-tire-salesman-by-day strategy!!!!!

Pete

Thanks for not defending DT's decisions last night eventhough you normally defend him. When I question his decision-making, I get bashed by the orange kool-aid drinkers. Was I the only one that noticed the look on Mora's face in the 6th inning when he got the hit & run sign with a 3&1 count, one out and runners on 1st and 2nd? Look at the tape, it was priceless.

Also, who has decided that bunting a runner to 2nd is no longer a good play? And why won't Brian Roberts bunt anymore? I seem to remember a time in the past when he was struggling that a well placed bunt hit or two got him going

I was thinking the same thing while watching the game. Mora has not looked good at the plate and shouldn't even be hitting fifth. There were some bonehead plays, getting picked off 1st and 3rd base for example, but Trembley did his part in costing us the game.

Pete,

Following up on your Hit-and-Run strategy discussion about handcuffing the batter, I also feel that Dave did the same thing to his pitcher in the 9th. In that situation I don't understand why he didn't pitch to Branyan after walking Ichiro. Their best chance of getting out of (or extending) the inning were a Strikeout, pop-out, or double play.

If there were none out, walking the bases loaded would definitely be the right move, since you have to get the out at home or the game ends. But since a ground ball double play would have ended the inning, I feel this was a mistake.

With the bases loaded, obviously a walk loses the game. And when Johnson fell behind Beltre (a great hitter), he had no choice but to go with the heater every pitch. After fouling off 2 or 3 full-count pitches, it would have been great to try and get him out in front on a Slider. But since the bases were loaded he did not have that chance and had to stick with the heat every pitch... just like Mora had to swing at every pitch because of the hit-and-run.

If they were worried about Ichiro stealing, hey, give our heralded prospect a chance to throw the guy out. Even if he successfully steals you're in no worse shape than if you had walked the bases full, but you at least made them force the issue rather than backing your pitcher into the wall himself.

Just my $0.02. It's a shame they lost because Bergesen pitched a hell of a game.

Pete - looks to me like Matt Wieters isn't very comfortable from the right side facing major league lefties (who seem to start every game against the the o's since he's been up). From what I've seen, he can't get the barrel to an inside fastball. What's the scouting report on him as far as one side of the plate vs. the other?

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Pete's reply: There isn't much of one right now. He hit pretty good both ways in the minors.

The Orioles should have NEVER lost their game to ex-bird Eric Bedard. The veteran players still on the roster from Bedard's days here could have easily beaten him at his own pitching and instructed the new Birds how to hit him.

As for Jamie Walker; when Koji comes off the DL why should David Hernandez or Jason Berken be demoted to Norfolk instead of Walker?

Jamie's the one struggling so perhaps a stint in Norfolk will help him find his 2007 groove again. It would be a waste of $3 million to release Walker instead of demoting him to Norfolk.

The Orioles need all the pitching help they can get. To keep Walker in the pen and demote Hernandez or Berken is not good pitching strategy when these two are just starting to blossom as starters.

Can someone please get Dave Trembley a copy of MONEYBALL??? Stop screwing around on the basepaths and let the hitters hit!

I completely agree with everything you argue here Peter! Please keep pushing this. It is the worst thing about Dave Trembley as a manager. Like you, I normally like him, but he routinely kills rallies single-handedly with his dramatic overuse of the hit and run.

What about swapping Jones and Markakis in the lineup?

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Pete's reply: Wouldn't be surprised if there is a shakeup this weekend.

The hit and run is a terrible play. It is D,T. biggest weakness.

Good to know you were all our there watching that"comedy of errors" last night until 1 a.m. Basic mistakes, and poor base-running have been standard for the O's this year. (And many years preceding this one.) Since Earl W is out of the picture, are there any suggestions from you faithful fans as to who a replacement for Trembley should be? Chances are it is not going to happen, but it makes for a lively discussion on an off-night. Excuse the play on words.

The Birds look sloppy and unprofessional. The manager's strategies are failing consistently and are hamstringing his players' talents. If Trembley is so addicted to the (rally-killing) hit-and-run, let him go coach a National League team. Unlike Reimold, Matt Weiters looks overmatched at the plate thus far - indeed, the O's were on a winning streak that ended the day after he was called up. Send him back to the minors and bring back Chad Mohler. And when you have rookie pitchers doing well, for gosh sakes don't send them back down to the minors. Release the likable but very done Jamie Walker. Keep the rookies in the rotation. Put Koji in the bullpen as a long man. He gets tired and loses steam in the 5-6th inning of his games; he'd be deadly coming out twice a week for 3 innings (think Rodrigo Lopez, the so-so starter who was lights-out as a middle reliever. Of course, like Lopez, Koji would probably refuse that role and be out of MLB in 2 years).

It's getting painful to watch these O's games. If this junky play keeps up, I'll be done with them by the All-Star break - no more summer evenings or Sunday afternoons wasted watching them give away another winnable game.

The Birds look sloppy and unprofessional. The manager's strategies are failing consistently and are hamstringing his players' talents. If Trembley is so addicted to the (rally-killing) hit-and-run, let him go coach a National League team. Unlike Reimold, Matt Weiters looks
overmatched at the plate thus far - indeed, the O's were in a winning
streak that ended the day after he was called up. Send him back to the
minors and bring back Chad Mohler. And when you have rookie pitchers
doing so well, for gosh sakes don't send them back down to the minors.
Release the likable but very done Jamie Walker. Keep the rookies in
the rotation. Put Koji in the bullpen as a long man. He gets tired
and loses steam in the 5-6th inning of his games; he'd be deadly coming
out twice a week for 3 innings (think Rodrigo Lopez, the so-so starter
who was lights-out as a middle reliever. Of course, like Lopez, Koji
would probably refuse that role and then be out of MLB in 2 years).

It's getting painful to watch these O's games. If this junky play keeps up, I'll be done with them by the All-Star break - no more summer evenings or Sunday afternoons wasted watching them give away another winnable game.

This bitter pill is Oriole-flavored.

Add me to the list of those frustrated by last night's game. We are finally, FINALLY getting some decent pitching, and not only have the bats gone dead, but some poor decisions and fumbled fundamentals cost us an opportunity to win.

Huff got about as good a jump as he's going to get on a pitcher last night, but his lack of speed doomed him. That attempted pitch/hit & run should have never been considered.

Also, echoing others, why intentionally walk 2 batters in the ninth, loading the bases? Beltre has been hitting as of late, and Johnson got hamstrung once he threw him 3 balls. He had no choice but to put the ball squarely in the strike zone with the inevitable "not-so-lovely" results.

koji actually was a reliever in japan. i too think he would fit nicely in that role with the O's. wieters defenitly shouldn't be in the majors yet, it was obvious... moeller called great games!

One other thing that Trembley is doing that is questionable - batting Wieters ahead of Reimold. Reimold was really hot when Wieters came up, hitting with amazing power and had clearly shown he could hit up here.
Weiters hadn't exactly torn up triple A pitching. How many rallies has Weiters killed with Reimold on deck. It was working with Reimold in the 7 hole. It's not working with Wieters there.
And I question Trembleys explanation of putting Wieters at 7. He'd decided that in spring training and he stuck to it. That's just dumb. Maybe circumstances (Reimold) suggest you go a different route?