Jeremy Guthrie has a solid outing and leaves with the lead, Sam Perlozzo pulls Guthrie too early, Chris Ray hangs a slider in the 9th to a power hitter and crushes the ball into next week...sounds a bit redundant.
The Orioles came into Anaheim red hot and had the opportunity to take 3 of 4 from the Angels. In fact, the O's led in all four games at one point or another. But the O's didn't get the clutch hits, Jay Gibbons is just awful, Steve Trachsel had a rare bad outing, and the supposed "revamped" bullpen is blowing games.
All the blame doesn't belong to Chris Ray...its rare to find a perfect closer. We had someone close to perfect, but now he's playing north of the border. The word is out on Chris Ray. In pressure situations, he's eventually going to throw you a fastball. So like Vlad and A-Rod, hitters in the league are gonna sit on the fastball or knock a belt-high slider out of the park. Speaking of Chris Ray's fastball, where did the bite to that thing go? He's throwing beach balls fatter than Rosie O'Donnell.
Guthrie is being a team player in the post game interviews...what a class act. He never points the finger at anybody, but I wonder what he REALLY thinks. If the O's aren't careful he's not going to want to stay in Baltimore when his contract comes up. This kid reminds me of a young Mike Mussina, but with a BETTER fastball. Like Mussina, Guthrie could end up a Yankee if Angelos plays the waiting game (as he always does) when his contract expires.
Speaking of not letting people go, the O's should make sure Nick Markakis is a lifetime Oriole. The catch he made in right field on Saturday was spectacular! Check it out here, it doesn't get any better than this:
http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/media/player/mp_tpl.jsp?w_id=575619&w=mms%3A//a1503.v108692.c10869.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/10869/v0001/mlb.download.akamai.com/10869/2007/open/tp/archive06/060207_balana_markakis_def_tp_350.wmv&pid=false&gid=2007/06/02/balmlb-anamlb-1&vid=7758&mid=200706022001938&cid=mlb&fid=400&v=2&mType=w&urlstr=&mUrl=&type=v_free&_mp=1
The draft is coming up this week...I'd like to see them take a power hitting outfielder or a pitcher. Also, still waiting on this Teixiera trade...they've gotta get this done. The Rangers will be asking for a lot, but if I'm Mike Flanagan or Jim Duquette I'm offering anyone but Markakis or Bedard because we are in desperate need of a clean-up hitter (see my previous post).
Bedard vs. Hernandez tonight...should be a great pitcher's duel. I think this one will be low scoring, which means the score will actually be 13-10. Will we see the Orioles collapse after a 3 game skid, or will we see them bounce back?
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