Baltimore Orioles

I thought it'd be fun to use Baseball-Reference's Split Finder tool to see how the O's are doing in various situations. There's some interesting data and fun observations to be had here. All stats are through Sunday. Pitching Splits Away: 3.81 ERA, batters are hitting .252/.319.388 against O's pitchers. Home: 4.87 ERA, batters are hitting .258/.341/.440. The offensive boost given by OPACY rears its head here. vs. right-handed batters: 3.93 ERA, batters are hitting .238/.315/.383. vs. left-handed batters: 4.74 ERA, batters are hitting .273/.346/.444. We see now where the damage is being done. Bonus split: lefty-on-lefty. 4.23 ERA, .260/.295/.418. O's lefties get hit pretty hard by left-handed batters. Not what you want to see. Starters' splits by times through lineup: First time faced: 3.87 ERA, .234/.311/.382. Second time faced: 4.76 ERA, .263/.336/.432. Third time faced: 6.91 ERA, .311/.378/.547. Basically, if you face an Orioles starter for the third time in a game, you hit like Mike Trout. Yikes. By first-pitch strike: In plate appearances that begin in a 1-0 count, O's pitchers allow a batting line of .271/.385/.433. In plate appearances that begin in an 0-1 count, O's pitchers allow a batting line of .214/.270/.351. You can see the correlation of success and a first-pitch strike in these numbers. The worst count for an O's pitcher to be in is, oddly enough, 1-2. In this count O's pitchers allow an OPS+ that is 21% worse than the rest of the league. (There are worse counts, but either the sample size isn't meaningful or the BABIP for those counts is too high.) The best count for an O's pitcher to be in is 1-0. In this count O's pitchers allow an OPS+ that is 22% better than the rest of the league. Batting Splits Away: On the road, O's batters hit .273/.326/.451. Home: .256/.322/.418. You can see why the O's lose at home; the pitchers allow an extra run every nine innings and the hitters do worse than they do on the road. vs. RHP: .278/.340/.447. vs. LHP: .232/.286/.408. Why can't we hit lefties? Bonus split: lefty-on-lefty. .228/.282.368. Against starters multiple times in a game: First time faced: .300/.344/.533. The O's like to score early! Second time faced: .236/.295/.398. Third time faced: .284/.355/.420. It's fascinating to me that the second matchup is so bad but the third one is quite good. By first-pitch strike: In plate appearances that begin in a 1-0 count, O's batters hit .264/.372/.450. In plate appearances that begin in an 0-1 count, O's batters hit .256/.289/.394. O's batters have done the best in even counts (0-0, 1-1, 2-2). In these counts, batters' OPS+ is 18% better than the rest of the league. O's batters have done the worst in 0-1 counts. In this count, batters' OPS+ is 9% worse than the rest of the league.

Through 42 games, your Frederick Keys are 22-20, a game and a half behind the Lynchburg Hillcats in the Northern division of the Carolina League. The Keys are third in the eight team league in attendance. Who is hot? Eduardo Rodriguez is a 6' 2" 200 pound 20 y/o southpaw signed out of Venezuela a few years back. He comes in as a top 5 Oriole prospect and even merited some attention on top 100 lists coming into the season, and is being noticed by other friends within SB Nation. Through 50 IP this season, he carries a K/BB of 42/14 with a FIP of 3.29. I would expect him to be on an innings limit of around 130, since he threw 107 last year. It has been a great start and you have to wonder where he would end up on top 100 lists if he can keep this up. The other pitcher garnering a lot of attention is Tim Berry. 2013 is Berry's second tour of duty in Frederick, so that is a pretty significant qualifier when looking at the 22 y/o southpaw's pitching line. In 43.2 IP he carries a K/BB of 46/13 with a FIP of 3.60. This is an improvement on his 2012 numbers at Frederick, where he posted a FIP of 3.84 and a K/BB of 61/20 in 75 IP. I really feel like the time is now for him to be in Bowie, and hopefully he will get that chance and run with it. Pretty impressive for a 50th round pick... Zach Davies is the other starter worth following in Frederick. Davies is a 20 y/o righty who was something of a bonus baby a few years back. Davies has posted a K/BB of 33/12 in 44.1 IP with a FIP of 4.05 and a GB/FB ratio of 1.82. He has not the easiest go of it of the starters mentioned so far, as his FIP is shinier than his ERA (4.26). 20 year old Nicky Delmonico is likely the best hitter on the team. He bats from the left side, and while he missed some time due to a concussion and then a hamstring injury, he has posted the following slash line in 18 games: 328/463/625/1.088. That is a very impressive 18 game spell in Frederick. He has a K/BB of 17/16 in 64 at bats. Hopefully he can stay healthy, which he has struggled with, and can produce. You almost wonder if health was on the scouting scale, what # would be assigned? 50? But you look at the age against level, ability to draw a walk, and his ISO, and you wonder. The other issue with him is the glove, but it's hard to really measure anything statistically on that front given different fields and other playing conditions. Christian Walker was just promoted, but I think it's fair to leave him to the Delmarva article. But to get back to guys who spent a great deal of time in Frederick... Who is not hot? Glynn Davis is a guy easy to root for, with his Catonsville roots and all, but I continue to struggle to close my eyes and see what some see. The silver lining is his ISO improvement, but nonetheless his slash line is 233/328/358/687 with six steals against 3 times caught. He carries a 28/17 K/BB in 120 at bats. While he is still only 21, I am just not certain of what the Orioles have in him. He also hasn't played in a week. Brenden Webb, the 23 y/o Californian, has also struggled in the Carolina League. He is batting .197, OBPing 287 and is slugging 311 with an OPS of 597. He has posted a K/BB of 41/15 in 132 at bats. Jesse Beal is a guy of interest out of the bullpen. A former bonus baby, the 22 y/o right handed Virginian stands 6' 6"; this year he has struck out 19 in 18.2 IP, though he sports an ugly ERA north of 8! Part of me wants to believe in Trent Mummey, but he's only played in two games this season. So who are you following? Any love for Trent Howard?

Upon reflection, I'm not sure I can fault Buck's bullpen management at all last night. He got precisely what you want out of Sweaty Freddy. Didn't press his luck and potentially get Whammied by bringing him out for 1 inning too many. I can quibble with the decision to go with Patton over Matusz. But if you can't trust Patton to get out the Lyle Overbay's of the league, then what exactly is he still around for? O'Day looked good and shut down the 8th after the O's had retaken the lead. And, as for using Johnson, I can understand Buck wanting to show confidence in what has been his best bullpen arm by bringing him back out. Even with 3 lefties due up. That benefit of the doubt is gone now, for me. Johnson needs to be removed from high leverage situations for the time being. Give him the KGregg treatment for now. Maybe give Tommy Hunter some looks there? Remember that commercial you made last year, Buck? The one about the 'Save' rule and the 'Win' rule? Time to put up or shut up. Oh, and hey Jim, how about not shaking Wieters off so much next time. Let him do the thinking for you. He put down the sign for an off-speed and you shook him off wanting the FB away. And away it went...As for Pedro, some may want to unleash their venom on him. But he had been money over his last 11.2 IP, allowing but 3 hits and 2 ERs. Anyway, enough editorializing. Here's some links. PressBox: Shell-shocked Orioles Suffer Another Gut-wrenching LossI find it to be more of a comedy than a tragedy, myself. School of Roch: Because You Asked - Revenge of the FallenRoch runs through a litany of topics Pitching plays, and the Orioles can't contend unless theirs improves - CBSSports.comNo *&$!, Sherlock. Hunter always monitoring his important changeup | orioles.com: News10 mph difference, Tommy. Keep the same arm speed and that 10 mph separation and you'll be fine. Baltimore Orioles Baseball & MLB Breaking News, Schedule, Stats, Scores, Photos and Video from The Baltimore Sun - baltimoresun.com ?Anarchy in the OP / It's coming some time and maybe / Give a wrong call stop a ball game / Your future dream is a replay scheme? Kevin Gausman, MLB Ready? | FanGraphs BaseballThe Gausman love-letter post shared in the comments of yesterday's BDs. Braves reliever Eric O’Flaherty to undergo Tommy John surgery | HardballTalk The Patron Saint of Birdland is going under the knife. Alex Sanabia Might Be In Trouble For Spitballing | FanGraphs Baseball Linked for use of the word 'expectorated'. And the awesome .gif. Today marks the 27th Birthday for Matt Wieters.

At a certain point you have to wonder when the Baltimore Orioles are going to start to question themselves during this losing streak which has now reached six games after last night’6-4 loss to NY. Jim Johnson blew his third straight save on Travis Hafner‘s ninth inning home run an NY took the lead in the tenth to secure the win on Vernon Wells‘ RBI-double followed by another Hafner moment, this time an RBI-single. Pedro Strop took the loss, however it’s Johnson blowing the save which people will remember. There were two things about Johnson’s outing that were positive. At the beginning and the end of the inning his stuff was pretty crisp, and he minimized the damage. In previously blown saves he’s allowed the tying and go-ahead runs. The Orioles were tasked with beating possibly the best southpaw in the league in C.C. Sabathia. Obviously Sabathia was non-decisioned, however the O’s got to him. NY took a 1-0 lead early on Robinson Cano‘s solo home run in the first inning, followed by David Adams‘ solo shot in the second (his first big league home run). Aside from that, Orioles’ starter Freddy Garcia pitched very effectively. Garcia’s line: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K. Garcia was lifted after throwing only 66 pitches, as manager Buck Showalter claimed that he was starting to be “not as crisp” in his last inning. While Troy Patton immediately came in and surrendered a home run to Lyle Overbay to break a 2-2 tie, the devision to lift Garcia didn’t really figure into the game’s ending. Chris Davis continued to stay hot with his second inning solo home run which cut NY’s lead to 2-1. Nick Markakis also singled home Steve Pearce in the last of the fifth to tie the game at two. This game also featured two egregiously bad calls, both of which were made by first base umpire Eric Cooper, and both of which went against the Orioles. In the sixth Bret Gardener walked, and appeared to be picked off by Matt Wieters at first base, however he was ruled safe. In the last of the inning Matt Wieters his a deep grounder to third and appeared to beat the throw, but was ruled out. Showalter protested vehemently and at one point appeared set to be ejected from the game, but to no avail. It’s worth mentioning that neither of those plays affected the final outcome of the game, but from the Orioles’ standpoint that doesn’t mean that the nature of the call went unnoticed. Courtesy of Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports Alexi Casilla singled to start the seventh inning with the Orioles trailing 3-2, however Nick Marakkis’ RBI-double tied the game. Markakis would later score on an RBI-double by J.J. Hardy, and the Orioles had the lead. As for Jim Johnson, it’s tough to say what he’s thinking at this point. After the game Buck Showalter said he’s sticking with Johnson as his closer. That’s really all you can do, and in fact I would say that the next time the Orioles have a large lead going into the ninth inning they should consider putting Johnson in. Perhaps pitching without the pressure of a one-run game might help him to garner his confidence back up. The Orioles had a runner at third base in the eighth inning, so getting an insurance run would have been nice also. Showalter was quick to use the term “we” in his post game presser, indicating that it’s not all on Jim Johnson. You win and lose as a team, and that’s important to note. If someone doesn’t strike out here, or someone doesn’t pop out there, it might be a different game. It’s not all on Johnson. The two blown calls illustrate how things go when you get on a cold streak like this. In no way should ANY Orioles fan think that there’s some sort of conspiracy to prop up the New York Yankees. I do feel that some teams get the benefit of the doubt a bit more than others, but I don’t think that the league is trying

The Baysox won 4-3 in 12. They surrendered 2 in the bottom of the ninth but were able to come back. Ty Kelly went 1-5 with a double. Neither Xavier Avery nor Henry Urrutia played. Clay Schrader gave up 1 ER in 1.2 IP while not allowing a hit, but walking two, striking out none with a GB/FB of 1/2. Jason Gurka also struggled, giving up 1 ER in two thirds of an inning but also allowing 3 hits. He recorded neither a walk nor a strikeout, and he posted a GB/FB of 1/0 while also managing to hit a man. Anyway, Brian Ward, he of the cannon for an arm, hit a homer in the 12th to win it. The Shorebirds lost 3-1. Lex Rutledge scattered 2 hits and a walk in 2 scoreless innings, striking out none and recording a GB/FB of 4/1. Miguel Chalas had a rough night, giving up 4 hits, including a homer, in 1.1 IP. He was charged with 1 ER and recorded a K. Joel Hutter went 0-2 with a walk and a K. Torsten Boss made his return to the lineup and went 0-2 with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts. Gregory Lorenzo went 0-3 with a sacrifice. Your minor league boxers.

The Orioles lost their sixth game in a row tonight, an absolutely heartbreaking affair that featured Freddy Garcia outpitching CC Sabathia, an umpire screwing up two calls at first base in favor of the Yankees, a late inning comeback by the Orioles, and Jim Johnson's third consecutive blown save. I honestly don't know what to think about Johnson right now. On one hand, three games is a small sample size and all players have bad days. On the other hand, it raises speculation that he might be hurt, which of course none of can know anything about. I don't doubt JJ's skill or ability to be an awesome pitcher. He seems like an emotionally strong dude, but at what point does this kind of thing become a self-fulfilling prophecy? It's a tough situation. I think it's too early to pull him (unless he's injured, of course), but how long until he's straight? But I'm getting ahead of myself. Recapping backwards, if you will. Let's start with the beginning. Freddy Garcia gave up just one hit in the first inning, unfortunately it happened to be a home run to Robinson Cano. He also gave up just one hit in the second inning. It was a home run to David Adams, someone whose name I had never heard before today. Just like the that Yankees had an early lead, and with CC Sabathia on the mound, it was enough to make a person worry. Chris Davis cut the lead in half in the bottom of the second inning with his 13th home run of the year. It was pretty, a shot to center field that cut the lead to 2-1. After giving up a homer with one out in the second inning, Garcia retired the next eight batters he faced, giving the Orioles time to come back and tie the game. Steve Pearce doubled to lead off the bottom of the fifth, then came around to score on an RBI single by Nick Markakis. J.J. Hardy, who was batting third tonight due to his career numbers against Sabathia, also doubled in the inning, but both he and Markakis were stranded as Manny Machado and Adam Jones could do nothing to help. Both Machado and Jones had rough nights, going a combined 1-for-10. Garcia got into some trouble in the top of the sixth inning, and a botched play by first base umpire Eric Cooper didn't help matters. Garcia walked Brett Gardner with one out, and Gardner was dancing all over the place at first. He got a really big lead at first and Matt Wieters snapped a throw to first. Gardner was undeniably out, but was called safe. Garcia lost his way for a bit after the injustice and walked Cano. Thankfully second baseman Alexi Casilla was able to make a really sweet play on a tough ground ball by Travis Hafner to start a double play. It was Casilla's second good play on the night. He is a lot of fun to watch out there. Eric Cooper was back at it in the bottom of the sixth inning. After Chris Davis singled, Matt Wieters hit a soft ground ball to third base. Now, we all know that Wieters cannot run. He is as slow as molasses in January (as my 7th grade science teacher Mr. Foster used to say). But Wieters was busting it down the line and beat the throw. An infield hit....until Cooper called him out. Wieters, who is normally a very reserved player, couldn't believe it. He jumped around at first base, jawing at the umpire until Buck Showalter came out to argue his case. I don't have a picture of that one, but all replays showed that he was safe. The Orioles did not score in the inning. Showalter took out Garcia after six innings and just 66 pitches. A questionable move, certainly, but not one that I think was a terrible idea. You never know when things might fall apart for Garcia, it was a tie game, and the Yankees lineup had seven lefties in it. Showalter turned to Troy Patton, who isn't quite as magical this season as he was in 2012. The very first batter, Lyle Overbay, homered to give the Yankees the lead back. As the Yankee fans in attendance jumped around and screamed and were generally super annoying, the O's offense proved that it wasn't finished yet. Sabathia had quieted th

Rotation Freddy Garcia Remember when it seemed great that the O's had a bunch of guys that could easily plug into the 5th starter role and give a decent outing? Those days seem part of the distant pass as Garcia is manning the 3rd spot in the rotation and getting flat-out hammered. Wednesday proved to be his worst start of the season, as he was tagged for 4 runs in less than 4 innings. Tonight, he gets the nod against C.C Sabathia. Who will own it? I can take a guess. Jason Hammel 2012 is looking more and more like a fluke as 2013 progresses. Hammel just hasn't found the same touch he had last year, notching just 3 quality starts. He was absolutely torched by the Rays on Friday night, allowing 7 ER on 10 hits in his shortest start of the season. Jair Jurrjens After some decent success in the minors this year, one would hope he could replicate it at the majors, but that just didn't happen. After two scoreless innings, Jurrjens got rocked for a bunch of extra base hits and left the game after allowing 4 ER. Considering the current health of the rotation, he'll probably get another start. Hopefully he can get deeper into the game and limit the hits. One promising stat was the SO/BB ratio, which was solid at 5:1. Chris Tillman Considering the starts from his fellow members of the rotation, Tillman was absolutely brilliant. Even if you ignore the other guys, he was still very good. His first start of the week included 7 innings of 4-hit ball (just 1 ER). His second start was not as sharp, as the Rays got him for 3 ER over 6 innings, including 2 homers. Still, for a guy who loves to walk batters, 3 walks to 11 strikeouts in 13+ innings isn't shabby at all. Bullpen Jake Arrieta DNP Alex Burnett Not much went right for him on Friday, as he allowed 3 ER in just a third of an inning. The inning included 3 hits and 2 walks, which just isn't getting it done. He's been busy riding the Chris Tillman Memorial Yo-Yo, but with outings such as this, it seems likely he won't be the next call up. Tommy Hunter Considering his recent success and past performance, it was likely Hunter was going to allow something at some point. He did that on Wednesday against San Diego (Tommy Goes Boom!), but rebounded nicely against Tampa on Saturday. Jim Johnson After a streak of 35 consecutive saves, Johnson has now blown two in a row. Seven earned runs, two walks, and no strikeouts in just 1.1 innings. When that sinker doesn't sink, somebody had better alert air traffic control. Brian Matusz Just 1.2 innings pitched, but that's what you get as the lefty specialist. He's performing that role very well and did not allow a base-runner this week. So disappointing to see a first round pick limited to such a specialized role, but somebody has to do it. With the bullpen taxed by scores of poor starts, will he get another opportunity to expand his role? T.J. McFarland Maybe it's his arm slot, but I'm genuinely curious as to how he continues to get guys out. It's not by the strikeout (3 in 4.1 innings) or by overpowering stuff (FA velocity averaging 87.3 MPH), but somehow, he's doing it. Darren O'Day His control issues remain disconcerting, although he's still one of the least worrisome individuals on the staff right now. ERA still below 2.00, but his FIP is cruising up towards 4.00 Troy Patton It's possible he's getting overworked, as he's become rather hittable over the past few weeks. With poor performance from the rotation, he's seeing some extended outings, which might be contributing to the fact more hitters are catching up to him. Pedro Strop Although he did allow a run to score this week in 2.2 innings, he's slowly moving in the right direction. Progress. Lineup Alexi Casilla It really is funny how little this guy gets to play, considering the leash afforded to he of the .100 BA, Flaherty. Instead of gi

There exist in the world Yankees fans who are not the stereotype of a Yankees fan. I was as surprised to find this out as anyone ever could be. With the Orioles and Yankees set to begin a three-game series tonight, it's time to check in with a recurring Camdencast guest, my good friend and fellow blogger Tanya Bondurant from Pinstriped Bible, to get a Yankees fan perspective on the upcoming series and the season to date. ** Q: Let's dive right in to the biggest burning question there is: as a Yankees fan, do you have to personally contribute a vial of blood to the dark magic Brian Cashman performs? This must be why Vernon Wells is slugging over .500. Tanya: I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that it may incriminate me in some way, but it's totally not anything that Dan Duquette didn't also do with Nate McLouth! Let the record show that there were not any bandages on either one of our arms. Q: Wells is just scratching the surface for unlikely comebacks from suckitude. You've also got the surprising performance of Lyle Overbay and Travis Hafner. Do you think they will keep contributing for the rest of the year? Tanya: I want to believe, but honestly, I don't think there is any way that all of them can sustain their success over a full season. Luckily, they shouldn't have to once a few of our invalids come back...if they come back. Q: The MASH unit that is the Yankees is one of the big stories in baseball this year. Who do you think will be trickling back in over the next couple of months, if anyone? Tanya: Mark Teixeira seems to think he'll be back before the end of May, but Jose Bautista tried to return from the same injury too soon last year and ended up needing season-ending surgery, so hopefully Tex doesn't rush it. Ivan Nova and Joba Chamberlain could be back by the time the next series begins, but honestly, I don't think anyone is missing either one of them too much right now. Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez are both due back after the All-Star Game, but both are old and had pretty concerning injuries, so banking on either one of them wouldn't be the smart bet. Q: It doesn't even sound like you miss them that much! I can imagine patience with Chamberlain is wearing thin after that incident with Mariano Rivera. Can you give us a little something to feel better about? Maybe the Steinbrenners miss the $22,354 per hour they are paying to players on the DL, something? (The Orioles are paying $5,038 per hour to DL players.) Tanya: Well geeze, when you put it that way... ugh, that is ugly. No wonder people think that the goal of a $189 million dollar payroll is becoming less of a goal by the day, if you ever really believed it was a real goal to begin with. Phil Hughes isn't on the DL, and after his last start against the Mariners, that should at least make you feel better. It doesn't provide me with any comfort. Q: What would you do with $22,354 per hour? Let's say you were getting paid for the privilege of watching the three games of this series. Tanya: That's a nice gig, someone should make that happen. I'd say that I'd buy season tickets in those seats for people who don't know what a home run is behind the plate at Yankee Stadium, but I'm pretty sure they don't let you in there if you are planning to show up for the game or intend to pay attention. Q: Also, I think that would buy you precisely one Legends seat for one game, and not even one that would get you on TV. Tanya: Instead, I'd use it to pay Robinson Cano immediately. Q: I was thinking maybe I would use it to get a head start on a mortgage some day, but I might feel a little differently if the Orioles had a player who's played at least 159 games each of the past six seasons and been worth 4+ fWAR in five of those six seasons. Must be nice to have a guy with that kind of track record of health and performance. Tanya: Sure, take the practical route! I need to make sure Robbie is always a Yankee for my happiness. No financial security can mak

These are dark days in Birdland, as the gloom of a five-game losing streak hangs over our heads. Buck up, though, fans, because four games back in May is nothing; after all, the 2012 Orioles were ten games back in mid-July. The O's will try to salvage this 0-5 homestand in a three-game set against the Yankees before heading to Toronto. Monday, 20 May: Freddy Garcia vs. CC Sabathia Career Numbers Garcia vs. Yankees Sabathia vs. O's IP 81.1 184.0 ERA 4.09 3.03 FIP 4.20 3.38 Slash Line (Past Teams) .218/.273/.354 .239/.289/.349 Slash Line (Current Players) .329/.392/.503 .272/.302/.414 This matchup is one big reason why I don't just quote pitcher vs. team statistics, but pitcher vs. current player stats, too; with only the former, you might be persuaded into thinking that this was a surprisingly even matchup. Maybe Garcia has some success against the Yankees' A-squad, but whatever you want to call their current hodgepodge, it's hit him well in the past. Sabathia, meanwhile, pitched eight innings against the O's earlier this year, giving up as many hits, but surrendering only two runs and zero walks while striking out nine. Well, hey... reverse lock? Maybe hot: Alexi Casilla(!?) (1.292 OPS, 14 hits in 24 PA), Travis Hafner (1.379 OPS, 4 HR in 36 PA) Likely not: Matt Wieters (.516 OPS in 36 PA), Curtis Granderson (.475 OPS in 40 PA) Tuesday, 21 May: Miguel Gonzalez vs. Phil Hughes Career Numbers Gonzalez vs. Yankees Hughes vs. O's IP 19.2 80.2 ERA 2.75 5.47 FIP 4.01 4.57 Slash Line (Past Teams) .211/.282/.338 .305/.350/.488 Slash Line (Current Players) .118/.196/.196 .280/.315/.486 Now, here's a matchup we can feel good about. Gonzalez has been our Yankee-killer in the past, though I'd prefer he doesn't give up five walks against them like he did last month. Hughes, meanwhile, generally gets knocked around by the O's, such as when he gave up five runs in three innings in that same series. Let's hope that an opposing team he's had success against, and quite a bit of run support, get Miguel's return to the rotation off to a good start. Maybe hot: Nate McLouth (2.392 OPS, 6 extra-base hits in 13 PA) Likely not: Matt Wieters (.573 OPS in 33 PA) Wednesday, 22 May: Jason Hammel vs. Hiroki Kuroda Career Numbers Hammel vs. Yankees Kuroda vs. O's IP 51.0 24.1 ERA 5.82 1.85 FIP 6.06 3.42 Slash Line (Past Teams) .310/.376/.538 .202/.216/.274 Slash Line (Current Players) .269/.302/.462 .186/.222/.254 If both of these pitchers were performing the way they did last year, this would be an interesting matchup. Sadly, only one is, and he isn't the Oriole. Hammel just hasn't looked like the 2012 version at all, and this rotation desperately needs him to revert to that form. His success is starting to look more and more like a fluke, much like that 53.2% groundball rate, which has dropped to 42.8% this year. Kuroda, meanwhile, is picking up right where he left off last year. True, his 1.99 ERA is largely due to a .228 BABIP and a 0.46 HR/9, but regression would only lead to a still-respectable three-something ERA. Maybe hot: Ichiro Suzuki (1.050 OPS in 22 PA) Likely not: Nate McLouth (.375 OPS in 24 PA) Pitching is the most important, most delicate, and most challenging part of the game. You never have it all figured out. - Earl Weaver

Everyone knows the Orioles are slumping.  It is an unavoidable fact that even good teams do go through losing streaks.  To this point, the Orioles really have not played their best baseball, and yet they are still very much in the thick of things. Among other pieces of good news for the struggling Birds, Pedro Strop has been pitching much better recently. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports Despite the fact that they are just 3-7 in their last 10 games, there are some positive signs that could point to a change in luck for the O’s. Pedro Strop is pitching much better Pedro Strop seemed to lose his way towards the end of last season.  While he pitched well in the World Baseball Classic for the champion team from the Dominican Republic, he has been unreliable and wild through the first 4-5 weeks of this season.  Strop seems to have turned it around a bit, allowing only 1 run in his last 13 appearances.  He’s throwing more strikes, keeping the ball down, and his confidence is clearly up. J.J. Hardy is finally hitting JJ Hardy’s bat has been asleep for most of the last year.  In the last week he’s gone 8 for 23 (.348 BA) with 3 RBI.  Instead of letting out a collective sigh when Hardy comes to bat, lately O’s fans have been excited to see this guy step into the batter’s box. AAA Norfolk call-ups are making an impact The bats of Chris Dickerson, Yamaico Navarro (as compared to Ryan Flaherty at least) and most recently Danny Valencia are exciting to watch.  With the early season injury to Brian Roberts, and the lack of production from Oriole DHs, a bit more pop has really lacked from the bottom of the order.  Perhaps one or more of these Norfolk additions will end up making a solid impact. Miguel Gonzalez returns to the mound on Tuesday After being sidelined since May 3, Miguel Gonzalez will make his first start in nearly 3 weeks on Tuesday.  Gonzalez had much success against the Yankees last season, and he hopes to return to last year’s form tomorrow night.  While he has not blamed the blister on his right thumb for his early season inconsistencies, O’s fans are hopeful for a turnaround on Tuesday night.  Gonzalez has looked great at points this season, and less than stellar at other times. Feeling any better O’s fans?  This too, will pass.