Orioles squeeze Volquez
Since I've spent a lot of time ripping the Orioles for their lack of patience at the plate, I've got to give them a shout out for squeezing the heck out of Reds starting pitcher Edison Volquez in the first and second innings.
If you need numerical proof, Volquez had thrown 49 pitches before he got his second out of the second inning.
That didn't stop the Orioles from adding another wasted opportunity to their vast collection this year. After Blake Davis tripled home two runs with his first major league hit in the second and Volquez walked J.J. Hardy on four pitches, Nick Markakis swung at the first pitch and hit into a double play to strand Davis.
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Comments
what, you expect this patience thing to last more than a couple innings?
If you find something is working, abandon it. It's the New Oriole Way.
Posted by: jim66 | June 24, 2011 8:15 PM
what is this team's average with 2 outs and RISP? is it 100? Maybe they need to take BP with guys on the bases. Incredibly bad stuff. It's a team disease. And it's always the difference in the game when you have no room for error, or errors as the case may be.
Posted by: jim66 | June 24, 2011 9:03 PM
That was a rotten inning for Berken, who cannot 0 out the bottom of the Reds order.
The Reds bring a guy in who shuts it right down.
Not for nothing, but Andy MacPhail could not carry Walt Jocketty's briefcase. When the Reds needed to straighten things out, they got the right guy. The Orioles, well, what can you say?
Posted by: jim | June 24, 2011 9:24 PM
Hey Nick....How about the "approach" at the plate? How bout doing anything like even laying down a bunt to get the guy from 2nd base with no outs over to 3rd? how bout not swinging at the first pitch again and grounding it to 3rd in front of the runner>>>How bout some team baseball?
what a mess..
Posted by: smitty | June 24, 2011 10:52 PM
Buck has to be held accountable for not making good decisions. With Hardy on 2nd and no outs, you have to bunt. I don't care if it is Markakis, who mind you is a 270 hitter, you have to bunt. Have to! A fly ball wins the game. Of course, he doesn't bunt and Jones hits a fly ball to right on the next bat that would have won the game. And, the announcers say nothing about this WRONG decision. Please write something about Schmuck...PLEASE??????????
Posted by: Matt | June 24, 2011 10:55 PM
markakis knows his job is to get the guy to third base, yet he fails to do it. someone ask him if he really wants to hit second, because sometimes that's your job.
Buck should quit just for the hell of it.
How much can a guy take?
Posted by: jim66 | June 24, 2011 10:56 PM
The Orioles are giving us some entertaining games, sandwiched around some of the most frustrating efforts. You just need to pick the right night to go see them. It reminds me of wagering on jai-alai. With the human element, you can't help but think it's fixed. Doesn't matter, just pick the fixed team thats chosen to win-place-show. I'm not saying the Orioles games are rigged, just that it's great entertainment if you pick the right night.Way to go D Lee, love to see this as ignition point for him.
Let's face it, this year is going to be even more dificult than the last 10-12 years. We actually think they can compete, so now my (our) interest is whetted and we're emotionally involved (screwed). I guess it's an improvement?
Posted by: slug81 | June 25, 2011 10:14 AM