Orioles Keep At It

Wednesday was Nate McLouth’s turn to play hero.

The Baltimore Orioles magical season continued when McLouth, the newly anointed leadoff man, blasted a lined shot off the right field wall in the bottom of the ninth with Manny Machado standing on second base. The walk-off single ended the game at 3-2.

The win, Baltimore’s seventh in their last ten games, moves the Orioles three game ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East. The New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox and remain tied with the Orioles atop the division.

Tampa Bay leadoff hitter B.J. Upton started the game with a first inning homer to left to give the Rays an instant 1-0 lead. Baltimore responded in the bottom half of the inning with RBI singles from catcher Matt Wieters and designated hitter Wilson Betemit. The Rays tied the game in the third on left fielder Ben Francisco’s double to left.

The Orioles are lucky to have kept this game close. Starter Miguel Gonzalez spread six hits and five walks over six innings pitched. In ten at-bats with runners in scoring position, Tampa only scored one man. While Gonzalez finished with a no decision, his 6-4, 3.57 ERA year has been a revelation.

Last year, Gonzalez was an 0-7 pitcher with a 5.40 ERA over 56.2 innings pitched at all three levels of Boston’s farm system. Released in December 2011, the Orioles signed Gonzalez this March to a one-year deal for an undisclosed sum assuredly below his season’s value. In his first year in the big leagues, the 28-year-old has allowed 2 earned runs or fewer in seven of his 12 starts.

The Baltimore bullpen once again pitched lights out, with Darren O’Day, Pedro Strop and Jim Johnson each contributing an inning of scoreless relief. The right-handed trio leads the bullpen with the seventh lowest ERA in baseball.

On top of scoring the winning run, Machado also recorded the defensive play of the game. With two outs in the top of the ninth and Tampa pinch-runner Rich Thompson on second, Evan Longoria topped a slow roller to third. With no play at first, Machado barehanded the ball and feinted a throw to first. Machado followed the fake with a pirouetting throw to shortstop J.J. Hardy who was covering third without Thompson’s notice. As Thompson rounded the bag, Hardy caught the ball and started a rundown that eliminated a potential scoring threat. Both team’s praised the young converted shortstop’s awareness.

At 80-62, the Orioles stand 23rd in on-base percentage, 25th in quality starts and have been outscored by 21 runs. They are also 26-7 in one-run games, a division-best 34-24 against the AL East and 63-0 when leading after seven innings.

Plain and simple, the Orioles know how to win. In an age of sabermetrics and advanced statistics, there is no explaining the Orioles beyond the fact that they score when they need to and never blow a late lead. That equation seems simple enough.

The Big Guy

Look At Me Now!!!

The Baltimore Orioles stand tied atop the AL East standings with 25 games to go. In a year where every Oriole seems to have hit a stretch strong enough to carry the team for a few games, Mark Reynolds currently fills that role.

Mark Reynolds, 8/30: .221, 12 HR, 42 RBI

Mark Reynolds, 9/6: .235, 20 HR, 56 RBI

No misprint. Over a course of seven games, Reynolds has blasted eight home runs, collected 16 RBI and boosted his batting average 14 points. Only three of his hits have stayed in the ballpark. He also walked four times.

The Orioles are 5-2 during Reynolds ridiculous run. In last night’s 10-6 victory over New York, Reynolds sent two balls into the left field stands and drove in three runs. His two-run eighth inning shot made it a three-run game and gave the Orioles breathing room.

Reynolds September production, six homers with 13 RBI, identically matches his August production, albeit in 58 fewer at-bats. Many teams would have dropped Reynolds from the lineup after months like this:

• June: .218, 4 home runs, 11 RBI, .326 OBP, 27 K
• July: .207, 2 home runs, 10 RBI, .301 OBP, 29 K

But in magical seasons, an underperforming corner infielder can seemingly flip a switch an become the big bopper his team hoped for all year. Reynolds will likely finish with his lowest home run total since his 2007 rookie campaign. However, a man with 141 home runs from 2008-2011 will strike fear into any pitching staff. A week ago, Reynolds numbers belied his otherworldly power. Not anymore. Pitchers beware.

The Big Guy

A Night in the American League

Every night The Big Guy breaks down the action in the American League.

Biggest Win

White Sox 4-Mariners 3: On a night when the AL Central-second place Tigers defeated the Angels, Chicago was able to beat both Seattle and the elements. In a rain-shortened seven inning game, the Sox scored two in the bottom of the seventh on Tyler Flowers’ two-run 453 feet bomb. Starting pitcher Gavin Floyd exited after two innings pitched with right elbow (pitching arm) discomfort. At 71-55, the White Sox remain 2.5 games ahead of the Detroit Tigers.

Best Hitter

Boston Red Sox infielder Pedro Ciriaco went 3-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI in an 8-6 victory over the Kansas City Royals. The 26-year-old Dominican has 13 hits over his last six games. He now owns a .360/.374/.500 line through 42 games. The non-roster invitee has made quite an impression on his new club after signing in free agency from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Best Pitcher

Max Scherzer allowed one run and two hits over 7 IP with 9 Ks in a 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. The win was Scherzer’s 14th on the season. His 11.35 K/9 puts him first in the statistic through Major League Baseball, 0.02 K/9 ahead of Washington’s Stephen Strasburg.

Stat to know

Remember Josh Hamilton’s June and July woes? Forget ’em. The Texas Rangers left fielder is batting .292 in August with 5 HR and 23 RBI. His seven doubles is the most of any month this season and his August on-base percentage is a respectable .343.

Tomorrow’s Note

The Rays and Rangers open a three-game series between AL titans. The 70-57 Rays lead the Wild Card race and the 75-52 Rangers lead the AL West by 5.5 games over the Oakland Athletics. Tampa ace David Price takes his 2.28 ERA to the Texas bump against 8-6 Derek Holland and his 4.92 ERA.

The Big Guy

How the Baltimore Orioles keep on winning

The numbers do not add up. How can a team outscored by 46 runs against its opponents stand 12 games above .500? How can a team with the fourth fewest quality starts and the sixth lowest on-base percentage find themselves tied for the second American League Wild Card spot with 36 games to play? Casual fans may know Adam Jones, Baltimore’s All-Star centerfielder. More avid fans may know their two other All-Stars, closer Jim Johnson and catcher Matt Wieters.

The answers to the Orioles improbable are not unusual. Any given year a team can find a spark, a bit of confidence the heavyweights of the baseball world do not want the little guys to have. All of a sudden, Texas leaguers begin to drop. Guys not listed in the pregame program hit momentum-altering home runs. The signs of a blessed season are all there for Baltimore. Here are a few:

• 23-6 and 12-2: The records, respectively, of Baltimore in one-run games and extra-innings games. No other team comes close to the O’s winning percentage in tight games. Division rivals New York and Tampa Bay are 15-18 and 18-21, respectively. When the game passes the ninth frame, Baltimore is again the best in the business. Only Washington also boasts double-digit extra-innings wins, standing 11-6. This year’s Orioles could rival the daring and chutzpah of a Cirque du Soleil act. Shockingly, the O’s cannot attribute their close game success to solid fundamentals— their 94 errors are the second most in baseball. Just imagine if they could stop kicking the pearl around.
• Chris Davis, professional slugger: Sent to Baltimore in the trade the shipped relief pitcher Koji Uehara to Texas, Davis finished 2011 with five home runs in 59 games. However, in 2009, in his age-23 season, Davis recorded 21 home runs with Texas. Given the opportunity for consistent playing time for the first time since ’09, Davis has 23 home runs and 64 RBI with a .256/.306/.461 line. Splitting time between first base and designated hitter, Davis’s power has been impressively consistent. He recorded four homers in April, five in May, four in June, five in July and five in August. His batting average numbers have dipped throughout the year, but Davis connects the most with runners on base, batting .311 with runners on compared to .218 with none on.
• Lights out bullpen: Baltimore was projected to be 58-68 at this point. A huge reason for the 22-game disparity is the fact that Baltimore is 54-0 when leading after seven. Think about that. Baltimore counts six bullpen pitchers with ERAs of 3.02 or lower. Setup man, and former player to be named from Texas, Pedro Strop boasts a flossy 1.43 ERA. Submarine righty Darren O’Day owns a 2.49 ERA. Lefty Troy Patton, 26, has a 2.58 ERA is his first full big league season. Righty Matt Lindstrom has found reprieve from the environs of Coors Field and Minute Maid Park in Baltimore and sports a career-low 2.72 ERA. With 61.2 innings pitched, Luis Ayala has been the bullpen innings eater. You know things are good when that guy has a 2.77 ERA. The most publicized bullpen pitcher in Baltimore owns a relatively high 3.02 ERA; however, closer Jim Johnson owns a 0.99 WHIP and counts 39 saves against three blown chances. The combined WAR of these six pitchers: 10.2.
• Manny Machado: Called up on August 9, the 20-year-old top prospect sports a .259 average with three home runs and nine RBI. However, his impact transcends statistics. Machado’s call-up embodied an all-in move by Orioles management. Machado was batting .266 in AA with 11 home runs and a .352 OBP. His number did not scream “Call Up!,” but Dan Duquette and company took a chance in calling up the 3rd pick of the 2010 MLB Draft and hoped his presence would invigorate the then 60-51 team. Baltimore is 9-6 since his arrival and Machado’s .556 slugging percentage is a significant improvement over their season output from third base of .424. Similar to most front office moves this year, the Machado call-up has worked out perfectly.

While numbers like run differential and team fielding percentage suggest a lousy squad, the Baltimore Orioles continue to find ways to win. A stellar bullpen accommodates a shaky starting staff and players such as Davis and Machado continue to produce. Starting August 27, Baltimore faces a tough stretch of 20 games, 17 against the Yankees, White Sox, Rays and Athletics. If the O’s can come exit that stretch in contention, they will enjoy the boost of playing nine of their last 12 games against Boston and Toronto. Their final three games, however, come on the road in Tampa. Could 2012 rival 2011’s end? I got Tampa finishing ahead of Baltimore, with the Orioles claiming the second Wild Card Spot. Had that for two-and-a-half months.

The Big Guy

A Night in the American League

Every night The Big Guy breaks down the action in the American League.

Biggest Win

White Sox 4-Angels 2: Chicago remained hot as they picked up their 7th win in 10 games and remain 1.5 games ahead of the Detroit Tigers for the AL Central lead. Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski hit a home run in his fifth straight game and the bullpen allowed one run over four innings following start Francisco Liriano’s injury-induced exit after five. The loss sends Los Angeles into third place in the AL West, a half game behind the Oakland Athletics.

Best Hitter

The Detroit Tigers matched the White Sox with a 10-8 win over the Cleveland Racists. Detroits #1-2 hitters, Austin Jackson and Omar Infante combined to hit 8-12. With so many at-bats with Jackson on base, Infante’s 3 RBI earn him the nod. Overall, he went 4-6, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 3 R. A fun fact on the .287 hitting Infante: in 366 at-bats, he has 13 walks. Nice .310 OBP, buddy.

Best Pitcher

The Tampa Bay Rays fell to division rival Baltimore Sunday, but don’t blame David Price. The 14-4 lefty went 8 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 5 K. Price lowered his ERA to 2.49. The Vanderbilt product has thrown at least 7 innings in each of his last nine starts, each of which have been quality starts.

Stat To Know

Detroit Tigers centerfielder Austin Jackson extended his hitting streak to eight games Sunday. The toolsy 25-year-old posted a single hit in his first seven games before breaking out for four hits against the Cleveland Racists on Sunday. His third season in the league has been quite a bounce back after his sophomore slump.

• Jackson in 2011: .249/.317/.374
• Jackson in 2012: .322/.409/.518

Tomorrow’s Note

The Baltimore Orioles will start a three game set against the Seattle Mariners. The AL West basement dwellers are 8-2 in their last ten, making Seattle the hottest team in the league. The home Orioles are 6-4 in their last ten. The red hot Jason Vargas will take the bump for the Mariners against Baltimore’s 24-year-old Chris Tillman.

A Night in the American League

Every night The Big Guy breaks down the action in the American League.

Biggest Win

Angels 6-Rangers 2: Los Angeles’ #1-3 hitters combined to go 6-14, 6 RBI while Texas’ #1-3 hitters went 0-12. Los Angeles starting pitcher Jered Weaver threw 6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER on the way to his 14th win. That #3 hitter for L.A., some guy named Albert Pujols, blasted two home runs in the game. He finished July with 8 home runs, 20 RBI and a .330 batting average. Los Angeles now sits 3 games behind the AL East-leading Rangers after taking the first two of this four game series. With one of the Greatest Players of All-Time heating up and rookie Mike Trout playing MVP-caliber ball, the Rangers should be very, very afraid.

Best Hitter

Nick Markakis was a problem Yankee pitchers could not figure out Tuesday. The Baltimore leadoff hitter went 3-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R in an 11-5 victory. Baltimore batted with clutch as ten of their 11 RBI came with two outs. The Big Guy is a recorded believer in the O’s, and they will go for the three-game sweep Wednesday against the AL East-leading Yankees. Baltimore is 5.5 back from the Yanks and 1.5 back from the second AL Wild Card.

Best Pitcher

Remember the James Shields that threw 11 complete games in 2011? That Shields posted a 2.82 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, struck out 225 batters and a 4.7 WAR. James Shields 2012 is a different animal: 4.24 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, -0.2 WAR. James Shields 2012 rediscovered JS ’11 for nine innings Tuesday night. The Tampa Bay righty threw a complete game shutout with 11 K, 0 BB, 3 H. The outing against the Oakland Athletics lowered his ERA 0.28. The 54-50 Rays will need more JS ’11 appearances if they are to claim a postseason position.

Stat to Know

New White Sox starting pitcher Francisco Liriano went 6 IP, 2 ER, 8 K, 4 BB against his old team Tuesday. The solid stats did not surprise any Minnesota Twins fans. Liriano’s season statistics are skewed by poor performances away from Target Field.

Stats at Target Field: 4.45 ERA, .196 BA against, 10.7 K/9

Stats away from Target Field: 6.31 ERA, .292 BA against, 8.7 K/9

Tomorrow’s Note

Trying for their third straight win over division rival Texas, the L.A. Angels turn to 24-year-old Garrett Richards. The 6’3″ righty owns a 3.91 ERA but has greatly benefited from outstanding defense behind him. Batters are hitting .266 against him and his WHIP is 1.55.

The New Bats in Seattle

Following this week’s departure of Ichiro Suzuki, the Seattle Mariners were left with a bit of an identity crisis. King Felix Hernandez still pitches for Seattle, but a guy who appears once every five games cannot be the face of the franchise. If an owner is going to put butts in the seats everyday, he needs at least one exciting bat. The problem is, the Marines have exactly zero exciting bats. None.

Seattle ranks dead last in team batting average, team on-base percentage and team slugging percentage. If the abysmal numbers and the endless rain have you down, I present to you four young position players the Mariners believe could develop into the new face of the franchise.

Kyle Seager, Third Base

The 24-year-old Seager is putting together a respectable rookie campaign. Seager has 11 home runs and a team-leading 60 RBI. His .240 batting average leaves something to be desired but the University of North Carolina product is batting .303 against fastballs this season. Seager burned through the Seattle farm system in two-and-a-half seasons and hit .333 in 2011 against AA and AAA pitching over 416 plate appearances. If he can learn to read the big league curveball (.176 against), Seager could develop into a reliable middle of the order bat.

Michael Saunders, Center Field

The 25-year-old Saunders leads Seattle with a .262 average. The Victoria, British Columbia, Canada native has not hit for great power (.428 SLG%) in his first season as an everyday player, but has swiped 14 bags this year.  Drafted in the 11th round of the 2004 MLB draft by Seattle, Saunders broke into the bigs at 22. His 2.4 WAR leads the team.

Jesus Montero, Catcher

The 22-year-old catcher joined the Mariners in the trade that sent starting pitcher Miguel Pineda to the New York Yankees. Montero’s rookie year stats do not pop off the page, but his .258 average and 9 home runs is solid for a freshman catcher. The reason for excitement with Montero is his potential. At 18-years old, Montero hit .326 with 17 home runs and 87 RBI in A ball. He followed that next year with .337, 17 home runs and 70 RBI A+ and AA. The Yankees kept Montero in AAA for his 20 and 21-year-old seasons where he compiled 39 home runs, 53 doubles, 142 RBI and 82 walks over 967 plate appearances. Montero has the potential to become an annual All-Star.

Dustin Ackley, Second Base

A second-half call-up last season, Ackley hit .273 in 2011. In his first full big league season, Ackley is experiencing a setback. The left-handed hitter in only hitting .220 and slugging .316. Also a UNC product, Ackley played 200 minor league games in the Seattle farm system before earning a call-up. Ackley hit .267 in AA and AAA with 7 home runs and 51 RBI as a 22-year-old. At 23, he hit .303 with a .421 OBP in AAA. Ackley is a highly regarded prospect and at 24 still has potential for growth. Expect for Ackley to bounce back next season.

The Big Guy

 

Breaking Down Hamels Deal

Starting pitcher Cole Hamels agreed to a six-year, $140 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. The contract is the second richest pitching contract ever. The Phillies could have signed Hamels a year ago for about $100 million. While there is no doubt that the Phillies could have played this one better, the question remains: Is Hamels worth it?

The only contract to exceed Hamels’ deal is C.C. Sabathia’s seven-year, $161 million which was extended anopther year for $30 million. Sabathia played under his new contract with the New York Yankees when he was 28. Hamels is also currently 28.

Hamels lifetime numbers: 3.38 ERA, 221 IP/ 162 games, 10 complete games, 4 shutouts, 8.5 K/9, 25.7 WAR.

Sabathia’s numbers at 28: 3.62 ERA, 210 IP/ 162 games, 28 complete games, 11 shutouts, 7.6 K/9 , 36.3 WAR.

Sabathia may have a better chance of taking lights out stuff to the mound on a given day, but Hamels provides the more consistent dominance. The difference in WAR is explained by Hamels having only 6.5 seasons under his belt compared to Sabathia’s nine at age 28. Hamels lifetime WHIP is also lower than Sabathia’s at age 28 (1.139 vs. 1.232)

The Phillies may have been able to land Hamels for cheaper a year ago, but they still got below market value for one of the best young left-handed pitchers in baseball. Sabathia has thrived since entering his prime pitching years (last 20’s through early 30’s) and the Phillies hope Hamels will do the same.

The Big Guy

A Night in the American League

Every night The Big Guy breaks down the action in the American League.

Biggest Win

White Sox 11-Twins 4: The Sox regained a share of the AL Central lead Tuesday when they walloped Minnesota. Big Donkey went nuts going 3-5, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 3 R. Newly acquired reliever Brett Myers pitched a scoreless ninth and starter Jose Quintana went 6.1 IP, 8 H, 4 ER. First baseman Paul Konerko and shortstop Alexi Ramirez each hit homers. Of course, Chicago would like to thank the Cleveland Racists for making this all possible.

Best Hitter

The aforementioned Adam Dunn. Dunn’s blast was his Major League-best 30th of the season. The only consistent #3 hitter to bat .205 in that hole, Dunn’s on-base percentage is a solid .353. The 32-year-old 6’6″, 285 pound horse is five home runs from 400 and 7 RBI from 1,000. Give him two weeks and he’ll have them both.

Best Pitcher

Kansas City Royals 23-year-old lefty Will Smith cruised to his second major league win Tuesday. The 229th pick of the 2008 Draft went 7 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 4 K against the home Los Angeles Angels. Smith did walk a season-high four, but was able to elude damage after allowing his only run in the first inning. The 6’5″, 240 pound prospect made his debut against the Yankees earlier this season and can expect to remain in the big leagues for the rest of the season.

Stat to know

Former Chicago Cubs legend Sam Fuld made his season debut Tuesday with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Stanford man went 1-3, R, BB, SB. The Rays are undefeated this year when Fuld is in the fold. Tampa beat Baltimore yesterday 3-1.

Tomorrow’s Note

Oakland Athletics starter A.J. Griffin has thrown exactly 6.0 IP in each of his five starts this season; and as his 2.70 ERA suggests, all five starts have been quality. Griffin is yet to allow more than 3 ER and is 2-0. The El Cajon, CA native takes the hill in Toronto against the Blue Jays. Oakland is 15-2 in their last 17 games. They are starting to look like a classic Billy Beane team. Watch out.

Look At Me Now!!!

  Lets meet the newly acquired New York Yankee, Ichiro Suzuki. Ichiro is currently in his 12th season in the MLB, and has finally left Seattle after 11 great seasons. The veteran hopes to add to an already loaded Yankees lineup. Ichiro was certainly a fan favorite in Seattle, and hopes to be the same in the big apple.

 Over Ichiro’s 11 seasons with the Seattle Mariners, Ichiro compiled 2533 hits including having 10 seasons in a row to start his career with at least 200 hits. Ichiro led the league in hits in 2001(242), 2004(262), 2006(224), 2007(238), 2008(213), 2009(225), and 2010(214). Along with his incredible hitting the 11 year veteran has also won 10 gold gloves from 2001-2010. Ichiro is one of the leagues best hitters of all time, and no one ever thought he’d leave Seattle.

  So what do the Yankee’s get?

•    Bat- Ichiro is .261 with a 105 hits, 15 doubles, 5 triples, 4 homers, and 28 RBIs on the season. Ichiro’s numbers are down, but much of that could be from playing on one of the worst teams in baseball for the past 3 seasons. Ichiro has a career .322 batting average, and look for his average to spike once a Yankee, especially using the short porch in right with Ichiro’s swing.
• Glove- Known to be one of the best right fielders in the game, Ichiro will do nothing but improve the Yankees on the field. Ichiro has one of the strongest arms in the game with 3 assists this season and 100 over his career. Ichiro has only 33 errors in 11 seasons played.

This could be Ichiro’s final chance to get a World Series ring, and a trade like this could really change around his season. Ichiro went from a team with a record of 43-56 and last in their division, to a team with the record of 58-39, 1st in their division and in the middle of the A.L. East race. Ichiro could end up being a key piece to what the Yankees need to go all the way this season.

 

Coach Tom