Thursday, July 28, 2016

Hot Night Turns Cold


The Orioles bats could not get it done. 

The team squandered a chance to increase their American League East Division lead by losing 3-1 to the Rockies.

The game began as a pitching duel. Dylan Bundy had a perfect game going into the 6th inning. And then it turned ugly. By the end of top half of the inning, the Rockies had three runs on two hits. Both hits were home runs. 

Adam Jones on Third Base
4th Inning Versus Rockies
July 27, 2016
The Orioles had left three men on base in the fourth inning. They had runners on the corners with no outs and then based loaded with one out but failed to push a run across the plate. Their only run of the night came on a solo home run from Manny Machado in the bottom of the sixth.

Best play of the game? Chris Davis' bunt down the third base line against the shift in the second inning to break an 0-24 hitless streak. 

Frustration of the game? The umpires! The can't get the calls right. Three of four challenged calls were overturned and the one that was not overturned should have been--that would have given Matt Wieters a home run. Here is what Buck Showalter said after the game: “I’m not real sure what they’re looking at. We got a real good definitive shot that it’s a home run. Sometimes you’re kind of stuck with what the original call was, even though you know in your heart that it was wrong.”

And that is why I am not a believer in video replay. If they can't get it right in the booth in slow motion, then they need to quit. Failing to get that one call right materially changed the game and the outcome.

With the loss, the Orioles lose only their second series at home all season. The bats continue to be eerily quiet despite the heat. The pitching is strong, but not over powering. Frankly, it is weird to go to a game and see the O's score only a few runs, I am used to seeing numbers in excess of 5 on the scoreboard for the birds. 

But, these are the Dog Day's and perhaps the bats have been chased away.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

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