Risky business
The Boston Red Sox placed Mike Lowell on the disabled list with a strained oblique muscle.
First, they steal our ballpark. Now they're stealing our injury.
It was pretty risky of manager Dave Trembley to remove starter Jeremy Guthrie tonight after 101 pitches and the Orioles clinging to a 2-1 lead. Guthrie had retired seven in a row and was cruising along. He's also the stopper on this team, and someone needed to put the brakes on a three-game losing streak.
Trembley called upon left-hander Jamie Walker, who wasn't exactly on the same roll as Guthrie. Then he needed Rocky Cherry to get the last out in the eighth.
It all worked out in the end. Walker and Cherry did their jobs, though Cherry made us sweat a little. The offense tacked on four more runs. The streak expired.
As I type this entry, I have no idea whether Guthrie approached Trembley in the dugout and said he was done. Or whether Trembley asked Guthrie how he was feeling and didn't get the desired response. Perhaps the decision was made before Guthrie's butt hit the bench.
Whatever the case, Guthrie earned his 10th victory and Trembley was spared the verbal beating that he would have taken from fans if Walker or Cherry had given it up.
Guthrie's also making me reconsider my choice for Most Valuable Oriole, though Aubrey Huff did nothing to hurt his chances. It's going to be very difficult to come up with a top three and not omit a deserving candidate. And that probably sounds a little strange, considering that the Orioles are a last-place team.
Down on the farm, Oscar Salazar went 3-for-5 with three RBIs for Triple-A Norfolk. Eider Torres was 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Kam Mickolio allowed an unearned run in two-thirds of an inning, and Jim Miller picked up his ninth save.
I heard the same thing that Dylan heard about Ramon being lazy behind the plate. But I listen to my XM all the time and I have heard more than once that Hernandez is lazy and that the Orioles simply waiting (more like praying) for some interest so they can dump him. Of course whenever we play the A's or the Padres last year all the do is rave about the past when Hernandez was actually good and a solid defensive catcher. On another note, why do we have our bullpen set up like it is when we are clearly out of it and the only legitamite prospects we have that are close to ready are middle relief prospects? I know McCrory is coming of injury, but why aren't Mickolio and someone like Jim Miller up here?
Roch,
I have a Rule 5 Draft related question - Not to dabble in the minutiae or anything, but can you ask one of the front office guys if they have ever thought of adding "poison pill" language to their draft pick contracts that would essentially serve as a Rule 5 Pick escalator clause? What I'm thinking is that in an effort to prevent other organizations from selecting your young talent, you have a provision in a minor leaguer's contract that act similar to the trade escalator clauses that you hear about from time to time, only this escalator kicks in if a team selects a player in the Rule 5 draft. Thus, the team selecting our young talent not only has to risk offering the player back to us if the player doesn't stay on the major league roster all year, but the team would have to deal with a significant contract as well. The player would benefit (other than the chilling effect of other organizations not selecting your young players and giving them a big league opportunity) because he makes more money early on. The team that develops the player benefits because they can in essence "protect" more than just the guys on the 40 man roster. I imagine someone's has already thought of it and the CBA addresses the issue, but I was wondering if you could get someone to confirm?
By the way - another big win for Guthrie. My man Markakis brought it again. Is he on a tear or what?
Roch, a correction. A last place team in the toughest division in Baseball and I don't want hear about the NL Central. They have the Reds & Pirates - Nough said.
i love how all the announcers, manager and Walker himself act as if him getting 2 outs in an inning are reasons to celebrate. His job is really really simple: Get more lefties out than not. His numbers may not look as horrible as they are, but i can't really remember a lefty who's been less effective against other lefties in a while. Seems like everytime he goes up against a lefty, he is amazingly ineffective. Wow, really?? a lefty who throws 80, can't keep the ball down, and STILL has a job? I'm just glad that he didn't blow it for Guthrie who deserves a MUCH better record thus far this season.
On an unrelated note, did anyone catch Dempsey absolutely butcher the name Shoppach? I believe he said it" Shoe-patch." His second attempt was almost as bad. Ironic, since he's one of the "professors" on the MASN commercial for pronunciation of players names and is the one who announces that some of those "students" need to be sent back down to the minors. SHOPPACH. Shop-ick.
Roch, can you let us know when Dempsey's job in the booth opens? i want to know when to audition. gracias
My point is Fahey is faster than Cintron and now that it's clear that Castro needs to be playing 5-6 days a week, what purpose does Cintron serve. You won't often pinch hit Cintron for Castro late in the game, it would be someone else. Scared me last night to see Cintron out there on defense late in a tight game.
Guthrie has been outstanding and I love the guy, but your MVO discussion must include Nick Markakis. That was a huge, huge hit tonight in the ninth knowing that george Sherrill was coming ou to close the game.
Following up on my last comment, the Cleveland announcers continued to lace into Ramon all the way through the 9th inning when he got thrown out at third and strolled at a snail's pace back to the dugout, holding up the game by their call. The Cleveland guys could not get over how unprofessional he was. They agreed that Eric Wedge would have had him benched at this point.
Great performance by Guthrie, Huff and Markakis tonight! Would still have Huff and Guthrie at 1 and 2 on my MVO list. #3 is too close to call right now.
It seems to me that Jamie Walker should be a righty-matchup pitcher for this season. He does so much better against righties, obviously. He should continue that role until he can show that he can effectively get lefties out.
And I just saw on the Baltimore Sun that the Orioles are close to a deal with Brian Matusz. Can you find out what's going on, Roch?
Trembley got lucky tonight, plain and simple. He did this same crap before, pulling Guthrie after a dominant 7th and it didn't work so well. We can thank the guy whom Cherry got out for lack of plate discipline and we can thank the offence for not forcing Sherrill to save a one-run game (something he hasn't looked adept at doing in quite some time). Chris Ray shouldn't be too nervous about getting his old job back. True we don't know what was discussed between Guthrie and Trembley, but do you really think a guy like Guthrie, in that kind of shape and having had that kind of 7th really told Trembley he needed to come out of the game? I don't. I like Trembley as a manager and think he has done a great job, but he gets overly rigid in these pitching change situations IMO. And it has cost us. Fortunately it didn't last night.
Great News on Matusz this morning. Sun reports he is flying to Balt. today for a physical.
I'll admit that I got extremely nervous When Jeremy didn't come out for the 8th last night. The morning after, having found out that Jeremy's back had tightened up on him two innings before and he pushed through, it's much easier to stand behind Trembley's decision (even if the outcome had been different).
Typical Red Sox...don't they know the oblique strain is sooooo last season?!
I thought the really gutsy call was bringing in Rocky Cherry. He has not exactly been number one on the runway in these situations. The MASN cameras captured the agony Trembly was experiencing with Cherry's pitches. It was difficult to watch. The job of Major League Manager would break the psyche of most people. I believe Dave Trembly deserves strong consideration for Manager of the Year and I'm so glad that he is our Manager. Win or lose.