Nick isn't hitting a lick
Nick Markakis has been automatic lately, and not in a good way. He just flied out to left field with runners at second and third in the bottom of the fourth inning to come up empty for the second time tonight with runners in scoring position. In his second at-bat, he popped up with a runner at third in the second inning.
The scary numbers: Nick has not had a run or an RBI in his last 10 games and has not had a home run in his last 18 games (not including Thursday night).
The entire O's offense has treated former teammate Garrett Olson respectfully. They've gotten eight runners on base in the first four innings and have managed to get just two of them all the way around.






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Comments
I think it's always interesting to see how players respond when they are in the final year of a contract or the first year of a big deal. Markakis signed his big deal and has looked lost at the plate the last six weeks after a fast start. I think he will turn it around but forget the All-Star appearance or any other accolade. He just doesn't produce consistently enough.
Posted by: Jon | June 11, 2009 9:06 PM
At a time when the O's are desperate to manufacture runs, Trembley's dislike of the bunt has become infuriating. He just had Zaun up with a man on first and nobody out. Zaun's .200 average means he has a one-in-five chance of getting a hit. But Trembley refuses to bunt, and Zaun hits into a fielder's choice. Then, with two outs, B-Rob hits a double, which would have produced a run if Zaun had executed the sacrifice. Instead, both runners are stranded as Markakis continues his awful stretch with a fly out. I don't want to watch anymore. I'm taking the dog for a walk.
Posted by: Rockvillejake | June 11, 2009 9:13 PM
Gave Huff the day off. No reason why Markakis and Jones can't take a day off either. Both are struggling.
Posted by: Dave | June 11, 2009 9:14 PM
Ha Ha Hee Hee. Just amazing......Garrett Olson is kicking Orioles ass!! Is this team EVER going to be any good? Seems like players have to get the hell out of Baltimore BEFORE they perform. My God, is this ever going to end????
Posted by: oldetoys | June 11, 2009 9:15 PM
Nick swings at 3 pitches that would have been balls with men in scoring position and two down in his last at bat; he flies out to left.
Jones leads off the next inning ahead on the count and tries to pull an outside pitch and grounds out to short.
Posted by: Barry | June 11, 2009 9:38 PM
Yea, I pretty much come to expect him to fly out when he comes up now. I hope he eventually comes out of it (still a great player), but right now he is no threat at the plate. When you add in Jones being a little off hitting lately, it is no wonder we are not scoring many runs.
Watching this game and seeing how pathetic we are playing (losing to Olson and an offense challenged Seattle team is just about the worst), I am left to wonder how bad will attendance get? I hope things don't turn into Florida Marlins games. Of course it is hard to convince people to come to games when your twenty to thirty games out of first place (They will be this far out soon). Marketing a team playing like this has to one tough job.
Posted by: Keith | June 11, 2009 9:45 PM
This is discouraging. There is simply no clutch hitting on this team. This is about the point two years ago that the O's went so far in the tank, they couldn't get out of it, and away went Perlozzo. I am getting tired of these awful lineups that practically guarantee the other team a victory.
Posted by: FlaOsFan | June 11, 2009 9:45 PM
Olson doesn't have to get out of town to be any good, he just has to get out of town to face the Orioles. Who else could he beat with the stuff he had tonight? NOBODY! Maybe when we get a major league manager we will get a major league attitude.
Posted by: FlaOsFan | June 11, 2009 10:00 PM
I'm sick of this. I've been an O's fan for over 40 years. I've seen them have a lot of success, but I've also seen the absolute futility of the past decade.
Rather than rant, let me suggest that baseball needs to do what football has done. Share revenue and let every team have a chance.
What happens now? A team builds through the farm system, has a modest amount of success, and when their good players become free agents, they go to the big money teams, the Yankees, Red Sox, and maybe a few others.
Why are the Yankees and Red Sox always in the hunt? Because they offer more money than anybody else, so they attract all the quality players.
Texeira, dirtbag that he is, signs with the Yankees. Why? Because they offered the most money. Revenue sharing would help stop this.
I'm so discouraged, I don't even watch a whole game anymore. I just tune in to see how badly the O's are losing.
Enough is enough.
Posted by: Harold Cook | June 11, 2009 10:42 PM
Why did Trembley leave Zaun and Andino to hit in the 9th? Wieters and Huff instead?? I'm sorry, but Zaun's not going to spark a rally.
Growing tired of watching this team....and those lame MASN commercials where somebody gushes over their favorite Oriole. Instead of trying to sell me, how about making some moves on the filed to try to WIN a game???
Posted by: PeteyPablo | June 11, 2009 10:53 PM
I'm sick of people calling for salary caps and revenue sharing. That is not the Oriole problem. Having an owner preside over a horrifically run franchise for 10 years might be a good starting point. No amount of money was going to make the Orioles a competitive, smart, efficient baseball organization from the GM on down to the rookie leagues.
As an example, for the money they paid Gibbons, they could have had a presence in Latin America and Japan that might be paying dividends today.
Be wise in how you use the money you have. Try that for a change and see what happens.
Posted by: jim66 | June 11, 2009 11:58 PM
I cant stand the Orioles anymore. rebuilding, bah! I've been a a fan since 1968. watched the mariners series on TV, and couldnt believe how uncompetitive they are, and how uninspired they look. And who the blazes ever thought they were a good offensive club?!
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Pete's reply: I did and I still do.
Posted by: kevin | June 12, 2009 2:24 AM
To those who say the Yanks and Sox stay in the hunt because of the big bucks: Do you people ignore the other 27 teams in the Majors? Oakland always has great pitching and now they kinda-sorta have an offense (they'll have a great offense if their proven players would actually hit), the Angels are in the playoffs every year, the Dodgers have the best record in baseball (yes, the Dodgers), the Marlins always sneak up on people, the Royals are still fighting for first, the Phillies are still one of the top teams in the league (and y'know, the World Series champs), and I, for one, will never ever count out the Cardinals. Not as long as they have Pujols (a.k.a. the greatest baseball player since Hank Aaron and one of the Top 5 greatest EVER) and Tony LaRussa, who combined to win just as many World Series this decade as the Red Sox and two more than the Yankees. And this coming from an "easier" league and with one World Series coming in a year where they barely made the playoffs.
Sorry 'bout that, but when we gush over the Yanks and the Sox like that, it irks me that nobody talks about the other teams that perennially contend, including one that has one two World Series.
Posted by: Matthew | June 12, 2009 7:44 AM
Trembley-Please switch Markakis back to the three hole. Do not take Huff or Wieters out ot the lineup on the same day. .I know it is tough managing the Orioles, but someone has to do it. Use everything you have, pinch hitters, pinch runners, lefty specialist whatever you have to do. Please do not just fill out a lineup card and leave it from start to finish.
Posted by: cb coach | June 12, 2009 8:07 AM
Pete,
Has anyone asked Trembley why he doesn't rotate Markakis & Roberts through the DH slot once a week to keep their legs fresh?
Posted by: Cameron | June 12, 2009 11:07 AM