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Post-series report 4/6-4/9: O’s vs Yankees

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Game 1-  O’s 10 Yankees 5. Game 2- O’s 7 Yankees 5. Game 3- Yankees 11 O’s 2 . OUTCOME: Orioles win series 2-1.

Player of the series: Nick Markakis- .500 AVG, 1 HR, 5 RBI’s, 4 R’s. Markakis was a beast for the 1st 2 games, but went 0-3 in the last game. Beside that, he had 2 rbi’s in game 1 and then had 3 rbi’s and a 2 run Hr in game 2. He also made a hell of a play in right in game 2, robbing a NYY batter of a hit. The MVP of the opening series goes to Markakis

Game of the series- game 1- opening day. O’s win 10-5. They also rough up CC Sabathia for 6 runs in 4 and a third. They also held hometown punk Mark Teixeira to an 0-4 game. Cesar Izturis also hit a 2 run bomb to put a good lead on the Yanks again, at 8-5.

Suprise of the series: Gregg Zaun. The vetern Zaun was veiwed as just a great defensive catcher coming into 2009, and a temporary stopgap until Matt Wieters is ready( which he will be come May or early June). But early on, Zaun has shown a good bat, going 2-7(.286 AVG), and has 2 runs to go with 2 doubles and an RBI. He also called great games behind the plate in games 1 and 2. with Guthrie and Uehara both getting wins.

Goat of the series: Brian Bass. I could have easily went with Chris Ray or Dennis Sarfate, but Bass’s bad game came at the most crucial time. going into the 5th inning, it was only 3-2 Yankees, but Bass allowed Alfredo Simoon’s inherited runs, and allowed  5 more of his own( 3 earned). The biggest bad play was when Bass threw a good pitch to get a NYY batter to get a hopper right back to the mound on a bases loaded, 1 out situation, and Bass threw it right over Chad Moeller’s head, letting 2 more runs come in and putting 2 more in scoring position. That is what got the game 3 blowout started. But people, mistakes are a part of baseball, and Bass is talented. He didnt make the roster for nothing, and hopefully he forgets this bad outing and puts all of his focus ahead of him.

Moment of the series: It was either Izturis or markakis’s 2 run homers, or it was watching Mark Teixeira get booed and have a pretty bad series and watching CC Sabathia get shelled haha. O’s power!

But you couldnt have asked for anything better. we won the opening series to start the season, and are looking good heading into the Tampa Bay Rays weekend series.

On another note, my prayers go out to LAA SP Nick Adenhart’s family, and the other 2 people who died in that accident. He was a talented young pitcher who’s life was cut short. A Silver Spring, MD product too. Just 22 years old.

                                                                                                                                                By- Logan Quick

Post-game report: O’s vs Yankees 4/6

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- Cesar Izturis ( with the Dodgers)

Opening day couldnt have turned out better. We beat the bronx bombers 10-5. And we shelled their 161 million dollar pitch C.C Sabathia and completely shut out their 180 million dollar 1B Mark Teixeira, who was greeted back to Baltimore with a chorus of boo’s, and he went 0-4. Jeremy Guthrie looked exellent in 6 innings, allowing just 3 runs to the Yankees, and striking out 3. The whole offense was explosive on opening day, as they had 10 runs, 14 hits, and 5 extra base hits. The only player that didnt get a hit was LF Luke Scott, and he had an RBI walk.

The offensive play of the day was Cesar Izturis’s 2-run HR in the 8th inning. The O’s were winning 6-5, after leading 6-1 2 innings earlier. NYY relief pitcher Phil Coke left a pitch hanging, and Izturis smacked it into the 1st row of the left field bleachers. It could have been fan interference with Johnny Damon, but it had looked like Damon’s glove was in the 1st row, so they did not call fan interference. I personally think it was a HR that ultamitely gave the O’s a 3 run lead.

The pitching/defensive play of the day was when it was also 6-5 O’s, and the Yankees had 1st an 2nd with just 1 out right after Matsui jacked Chris Ray’s pitch for a 2 run HR. Dennis Sarfate came in and Xavier Nady was up at the plate, and hit a groundball right to Melvin Mora. He tagged 3rd base and got Nady out at 1st by 2 steps for the double play. It killed the Yankee comeback and gave the O’s the momentum back.

If you did read my keys to the game on my blog before the game, you would see Guthrie did exactly what i said was neccesary, and the Offense looked more explosive in 2009, even though they were one of the top offense’s in 2008. If the Orioles pitching staff can hold up and the O’s offense can put up decent runs 75% of the time, you could see this club end up at .500 in 09.

Player of the game- CF Adam Jones- he went 3-3 with 2 walks and 2 RBI. His 2-run triple in the 3rd got the O’s offensive explosion started, and he showed great discipline at the plate and great patience. It looks to be a great year for Jones if this is what he brings to the table in 2009.

Tommorow the O’s and Yankees square up for game 2 of the opening series. Japaneese superstar SP Koji Uehara will go up for the O’s against Chien-Ming Wang. Stay tuned.

                                                                                                   By- Logan Quick

Live Semi-Blog 4/22 Jays v. O’s

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Gonna try something new here. Got the game on the radio, it’s not on Extra Innings (thanks alot Nats). I’m not going to stay everything that happens, but events of significance and whatever I feel like saying.

  • Brian Roberts is out another day with the flu that hit the Devil Rays, Chris Gomez is starting again in his place and Jay Payton will bat lead-off.
  • I hope I see something from Huff’s bat today, because so far I’ve been underwhelmed from this self-professed “slow-starter.”
  • Joe Angel says our bullpen has gave up only 1 run in the last 29 innings. That’s miles away from last year’s trashballers.
  • Scoreless first for Trachsel, 1 walk and nothing else. Let’s see the offense now.

Bottom of the 1st

  • The Jay Payton era begins NOW!
  • Gustavo Chacin’s picture on Gamdeday amuses me.
  • O’s got 1-2-3. Payton grounds out, Mora K’s, and Markakis pops out.

Top of the 2nd

  • Frank Thomas pops out.
  • The fact that Frank Thomas is now “old” makes me feel a tad older.  It doesn’t seem that long ago when he was a rookie on the White Sox with Jack McDowell, Wilson Alvarez, Alex Fernandez, and Robin Ventura. Geez,
  • Aaron Hill takes Trachsel yard. Jays 1 O’s 0
  • Trachsel strikes out Jason Smith to retire the side.

Bottom of the 2nd

  • Time to see Miggi hit with some power.
  • Alas, ground ball out.
  • Aubrey Huff is hitting .219, make it .215. He just popped out.
  • I think Joe Angel is awesome, but Fred Manfra isn’t my thing. He could describe an alien attack on spring break and it would sound boring.
  • Millar ground out. 1-2-3 inning again. Not a great start.

Top of the Third

  • Patterson slams in the walk making apparently a great catch on a ball hit by Royce Clayton. Manfra didn’t get too excited though.
  • I thought Royce Clayton was older. Royce Spencer Clayton is 37 years old. After being the guy LaRussa benched Ozzie Smith for (that’s what I remember him for),  he’s played for 8 different teams.
  • 3 up, 3 down.  56 pitches thus far for the elder statesman of the O’s pitching staff. I really hope he can go 7 or 8 today and give the pen a rest today. The pen’s been great, but I don’t want Jamie Walker and company having 100 inning a piece year. That’s one reason I miss Kris Benson, he could eat innings like fat kids eat ice cream.

Bottom of the 3rd

  • Nothing to see here. Another 1-2-3 inning. Keep moving.

Top of the 4th

  • Trachsel’s in a bit of a jam. Runners on 2nd and 3rd, but two outs.
  • Here’s something you don’t like to see, Ron Santo is in the hospital with an irregular heartbeat. Get well and back to work soon. If you haven’t seen the documentary “This Old Cub” , you should. I highly recommend it.
  • Trachsel gets revenge on Aaron Hill. Strikes him and gets out of the jam.

Bottom of the 4th

  • The no-hitter is over. Jay Payton singles for his first hit as an Oriole.
  • Melvin Mora is at bat. I’m surprised with the start that he’s had. I’ve always like Mora, but I thought after last season he’d be in decline phase and shouldn’t be batting second. 4 HR and 15 RBI is a fine start and should be batting 2nd.
  • Mora walks, 2 on and no out for Nick Markakis. Let’s get some runs RIGHT now!
  • Nick delivers with a TRIPLE that bounces off the top of the wall. An inch or two away from a homer, but that’s alright. We’re on the board and leading the game. Runner on 3rd, still no outs, and Tejada at the plate. O’s lead 2-1!
  • Tejada with a single and drives in Markakis. O’s lead 3-1!
  • Huff at the plate and…sigh..gets the first out. Apparently he’s more upset about it than I am.
  • Millar gets hit by a pitch.
  • Tejada’s on second, Millar 1st and Gomez at bat.
  • Gomez flies out, Patterson at bat.
  • Patterson flies out. Oh well, they got 3 runs. I’ll take it.

Top of the 5th

  • 2 outs and one on. Adam Lind at the plate. Trachsel is at 91 pitches. Probably going to see the bullpen after this inning.
  • Random Link: I wonder if they make this for dogs.
  • Joe Angel has a wikipedia page. Random fact: his son was a star in “Saved by the Bell: the New Class.” It wasn’t quite the classic as the original.
  • Trachsel got out of another jam. 2 on and 2 out and Wells pops out. He’s at 99 pitches, so it’s likely we’ve seen the last of him today.

Bottom of the 5th

  • Castillo lines out for the first out.
  • Jay Payton singles again. Welcome to the O’s, Jayton.
  • Mora is walked on 4 pitches. Runners on 1st and 2nd, with Markakis at the plate. Let’s hope he gets the homer this time and finish off Chacin.
  • Markakis doubles in a run. O’s 4 Jay’s 1
  • Chacin is done. The worm turned pretty quick for him, didn’t it? He embarassed the O’s for 3 inning and 1.1 innings later, he’s done for the day.
  • Scott Kazmir Victor Zambrano enters the game. Poor guy’s always going to be remembered for being traded for Kazmir.
  • Tejada singles in 2 runs! O’s 6 Jay’s 1
  • Random Link: Peter Angelos’ contribution list
  • Get on base, Huff.
  • Geez, Huff strikes out.
  • Millar gets hit…again.
  • The Marlins are thumping the Nats 12-2. Fine by me, since they’re on TV today and the O’s aren’t.
  • Gomez walks. Bases loaded for Corey Patterson, let’s get a hit here Corey and seal the deal.
  • More on the Nats: Starter Jerome Williams 6 innings, 9 hits 10 runs 9 earned 4 BB  2 K and 3 HR.
  • Patterson gets a hit and drives in Miggi. O’s 7 Jays 1
  • Castillo leaves them loaded.

Top of the 6th

  • Trachsel is still in. Hmmm. This could get a dicey.
  • Lead off walk to Overbay.
  • Patterson on the warning track, Thomas out.
  • Cards and Cubs are tied at 4 apiece in the 4th. Michael Barrett has hit his 4th homer of the year. He’s a very underrated player in my opinion.
  • Trachsel walks Zaun and he gets the hook. Shouldn’t have started the inning in my opinion, but I guess Perlozzo was hoping for one more inning of work to rest the pen.
  • Chadford Bradford comes in.
  • Where are they now? Tony Tarasco is now hitting coach for the Nats single A Vermont Lake Monsters.
  • Double play ends the inning.

Bottom of the 6th

  • Payton flies out
  • Mora gets a hit
  • Wells steals a hit from Markakis
  • Tejada gets a single, Mora to third
  • Huff….c’mon man. Ice this baby.
  • No luck…ground out. End of inning.

Top of the 7th

  •  Huff is really starting to bum me out. In the long run, he’s player who will help this team but for the time being he’s awful. He’ll come around, but it’s painful to watch, or in this case listen to.
  • Scott Williamson enters the game.
  • Final numbers for Trachsel: 5.1 innings 113 pitches 66 for strikes 4 hits 1 R 4 H 3 K 4 BB and 1 HR which bring his ERA down to 4.37
  • Bradford 3 pitches-2 strikes in 0.2 innings. He’s got a 1.23 ERA thus far.
  • Williamson has a 3 up, 3 down inning.

Bottom the of the 7th

  • I think I want to see more of Jay Payton in the leadoff spot, at least against lefties. Brian Roberts is my boy, but he’s having a rough start. It wouldn’t hurt to mix things up in the line-up. Bat Payton lead-off against lefties. Drop Huff in the order, that’ll happen when Ramon returns.
  • Millar better not get hit by another pitch.
  • Corey hits a one hopper to end the inning.

Top of the 8th

  • Jamie Walker comes in.
  • Walker K’s Wells.
  • Tejada gets Overbay out.
  • That was a quick inning.

Bottom of the 8th

  • Castillo out
  • Jay Payton…another single. Nice debut.
  • Mora at the bat. I’d love to see them lay it on at this point.
  • Cleveland got 4 runs in the 9th against Tampa and our friend Brian Stokes to win 6-4.
  • Mora hits into a double play, inning over.

Top of the 9th

  • Huff overruns a pop out.
  • Brian Burres is in.
  • Greg Zaun is struck out.
  • Hill pops out quickly to Markakis.
  • Here’s a sad piece on the family of the late Dodgers/Indians Tim Crews. Hard to believe it’s been 14 years.
  • Cubs have tied up the Cards 7-7 and the Braves beat the Mets 9-6.
  • Ugh, bases loaded….2 outs. This game needs to end NOW.
  • Chris Ray is warming up in the pen. It’s now O’s 7 Jays 3
  • It’s too bad Ray has to come in. He’s pitched 6 straight games.
  • Burres strikes out Lind to end the game
  • O’s win 7 to 3 and sweep the Bluejays!