It’s no secret the Orioles were facing a monumental challenge competing in the American League East this season, facing off against Boston and New York lineups which, quite frankly, were stacked. However with some solid off-season signings, the most optimistic of Orioles fan believed that if everything thing went right, maybe, just maybe they had a chance…

Unfortunately it’s taken just three weeks to realize that, in reality, they don’t.

What we’ve seen over the first three weeks of the season has been nothing short of embarrassing to an organization which its home city holds so much passion and high hopes for. What we’ve seen, is a team lacking inspiration, courage, and a ‘Plan B’.

Waking up on Thursday morning, Orioles fans will be greeted with a site which is actually hard to fathom. Some how, some way, their team has managed to find itself a staggering 10 1/2 games behind the division-leading Red Sox just three weeks into the season. While a tough April schedule was always going to provide a challenge and test the team’s character and ability, nobody expected this carnage. As they say, pennants can’t be won in April, however they sure can be lost. In the case of the 2018 Orioles, despite so much of the season still remaining, it’s hard to see how they can challenge after giving a superior team such a large head-start.

Some of the numbers through the first 18 games are alarming:

• The team is hitting just .215, the third worst average in all of baseball behind the Indians and Rockies.
• With two out, the team is hitting a miserly .192. Only the Phillies have achieved worse.
• The team has a 4.75 ERA which is ranked 26th in all of baseball, behind the White Sox, Reds, Royals, and Marlins.
• The team is allowing 1.52 walks/hits per inning, second worst to only the White Sox.
• The bullpen has allowed runs in 16 of 18 games – that’s 89% of the time.
• The team has, somewhat uncharacteristically, made 12 errors in the field, the seventh most in the major leagues.
• The team has lead on 14 separate occasions this season, yet has just five wins to show for it.

Even more alarming is the fact that this team, dating back to the end of last season, has now lost 32 of its last 41 games – no team in baseball comes close to such a dismal record over that stretch.

The lack of inspiration and willingness to fight and gain an upper hand, then keep it, is what has really showed. The team continually falters in clutch moments and there’s and they’re unable to put teams away when opportunities present.

It’s widely accepted that this ongoing spell of cold weather will never suit a home-run or bust team, however the continued reliance upon the long ball is beyond a joke. The team simply does not have the ability to string together hits or manufacture runs on a consistent basis. In total, the they’re scoring just 23% of the time they head to the plate – 39 of 171 innings. Further, the 199 strikeouts in 18 games sees the team on pace for 1,791 over the course of the season – something no team in baseball’s 150 year history has ever come close to achieving.

While the collective numbers are of great concern, the number of individuals producing sub-par performances is just as worrying:

This afternoon the Orioles face off against the Tigers to close out the three-game set in Detroit. When they do, they’ll be looking to save themselves the embarrassment of being swept by what many expected to be one of the worst teams in baseball. If they find themselves in the loss column once more, it will be a very long, damp-spirited flight back to Baltimore where one of the best pitching staff’s in the American League awaits, the Cleveland Indians. One senses more pain awaits.

Tonight’s 4-2 loss to Detroit was once again rather ugly – we’re all well aware of that – however now is not the time to give up on a team with the hardest schedule in all of baseball through mid-May.

The way in which the Orioles have stumbled to a 5-12 record has been full of frustration, and I am not suggesting that this team has not been terrible so far, however it is not yet time to panic.

Let’s look at the positives both tonight and thus far through the first 17 games:

• Trey Mancini looks like his break out rookie year in 2017 was not a fluke and has continued to put on a clinic at the plate, hitting .299 with two home runs and five RBI.
• Pedro Alvarez is starting to look like the beast we remember in Pittsburgh, hitting .320 with two home runs and seven RBI.
• Manny Machado is hitting .309 with three home runs and nine RBI, while also shifting across to short stop relatively easily.
• Andrew Cashner has steadied himself after a tough start and through four games now, is working to a solid 3.00 ERA.
• Dylan Bundy has been lights out against some pretty stiff competition. After four starts, his 1.40 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings shows just how dominant he’s been.
• Brach Brach has steadied after a rough start to the season, working to a 2.35 ERA, while Richard Bleier has been dominant in relief, allowing just one run in 12 innings of work.
• Craig Gentry has added more value to this team than most expected. While his .240/.296/.240 slash doesn’t look too great on paper, his defense and speed on the base paths has added a real spark.

There’s some stuff there to work with going forward.

The Orioles need Alex Cobb and Kevin Gausman to return to some sort of form in which they’re capable of, and they need some production with runners in scoring position. In fact, they need a far better overall approach at the plate as it seems like almost every at bat they are down in the count. They also need to tidy up the defense which has slipped markedly.

The team has talent however it is playing baseball that is very different from the Buck Showalter-coached Oriole teams we’ve grown to appreciate since 2012. Despite the poor start, I still believe the Orioles have the potential to break out any day now and any talk of Dan Duquette cleaning out the house is premature.

Watching Chris Tillman implode on Friday night was not only painful in that it lead to yet another Orioles loss – their ninth in 14 games this season – it was far more than that. It was actually quite tragic. Tragic in the sense that a guy who at one stage appeared headed for a fantastic, prolonged, potential Hall of Fame caliber career in Birdland (had he continued on in the vein of 2012-2016), now appears to be on the brink of extinction.

After 10 seasons in the major leagues with the Orioles, Chris Tillman has experienced all the ups and downs a pitcher will typically go through, and like so many before him, he now appears to have reached the point where he simply cannot compete at the highest level any longer.

A young talent in the late 2000’s who showed plenty of promise yet struggled with consistency, the tall right-hander eventually blossomed into a rotation leader during the successful Orioles era of 2012-2016. During that period, he owned a 65-33 record with a 3.81 ERA over 143 starts, anchoring the rotation with aplomb and always being the man Manager Buck Showalter turned to when a losing skid needed to be halted in its tracks. During one stretch, he allowed four runs or less in 74 of 83 starts and was one of the most consistent performers in all of baseball.

Not only was Tillman a competent performer on the field during this period, his leadership within the clubhouse and mentoring nature towards some of the younger pitchers on the staff was widely acknowledged, thus further increasing his value to the Orioles organization.

Since the 2016 season ended though, Tillman hasn’t been the same pitcher. Something just isn’t right and it hasn’t been since a nagging shoulder landed him on the disabled list and delayed his start to the 2017 season. When he did finally return, in early May, his first outing was encouraging (yet not spectacular), throwing five scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox in what resulted in a 4-0 win. Since then though, his performances have been nothing short of a train wreck.

Following that win on May 7th, Tillman appeared in 23 further games, making 18 starts and eventually losing his place in the rotation. Over the course of those 23 outings, Tillman’s mechanics declined at an alarming rate, his velocity and command both nosedived, and his confidence took hit, after hit, after hit. His 0-7 record and 8.28 ERA over 88 innings told part of the story, however it was the 48 walks and 122 hits he allowed – almost two base-runners per inning – which truly highlighted just how often he found himself in trouble, often being unable to escape.

A free agent at the end of the 2017 season, still just 29 years old, and clearly having had his recent performances affected by injury, it was expected numerous clubs would seek out Tillman during the winter months, looking to sign him to a team-friendly deal in hope of returning to his former reliable self. Indeed, he did receive some interest too, with the Orioles one of at least four teams in pursuit – the others reportedly being the Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, and Toronto Blue Jays. It was the Orioles though, an organization full of familiar faces and appreciative fans who remember the ‘good old days’, who won the bidding war, signing him to a 1-year, $3 million deal laden with incentives.

What’s transpired since, despite it being only three starts, has been disastrous, allowing 15 earned runs, 22 hits, and 10 walks over 11 1/3 innings. Nobody in the major leagues has allowed more earned runs and his 2.82 WHIP is unrivaled. His velocity is down, under 90 mph, he lacks command and is continually falling behind in the counts, and he cannot fool opposing hitters – there’s been just 12 swinging strikes out of his 247 pitches this year (4.86%). The exit velocity of balls put in play from opposing hitters is also of major concern – frequently over 100 mph. He’s not just getting hit, he’s getting hit terribly hard.

Speaking with MLB.com post-game, Tillman said;

“It’s not good. Physically, I felt good. Mechanically, I felt better. I just wasn’t able to execute. I feel like I consistently fell behind and once you fall behind you’re trying to get back into the count, then you’re catching too much of the plate. I got to get better, period. I’m not happy with the way it’s going. I just have to get better. It’s not fair to the team. It’s not fair to the bullpen. I have to pick these guys up, and it’s got to happen now. I want to pitch better. I have to.”

Caleb Joseph, who witnessed the carnage from behind the dish, added;

“I thought his stuff was good tonight, in terms of crispness, but he wasn’t able to put the guys away or get a ground-ball double play when he needed it. Stuff like that gets magnified when we’re not doing much on offense. I know the results aren’t there. You’re looking for that one ground ball, first and third with one out to turn a double play, and get you out of the inning and get some momentum going his way. A lot of it is confidence. A lot of the game is confidence. Hitting defense, pitching. When you pitch with confidence, it seems like good things happen and so you’ve got to find a way to get Chris some confidence. It’s not as bad as it seems out there, I guess. It doesn’t make sense. The stuff is there. Limit the mistakes, get ahead of guys and try and find some luck here and there.”

Also commenting on Tillman’s struggles was Orioles Manager Buck Showalter;

“He could never find his stuff. He came out a little crisper in the second inning, but he just couldn’t get the ball where he needed to get it. He never really had a lot of things work in his favor. It was a struggle from the start. I’ve seen all the work that he and Roger [McDowell] and Alan [Mills] and everybody all season do. When you get to a point like that, a guy who’s had success like he’s had, there’s some other answers there. We’ve got to find them, solve them, because we need to him to pitch better than that. You keep thinking, ‘If he could get a good start under his belt and then take off,’ because we know what he’s capable of. But physically he feels fine. There’s a lot more going on there than just mechanics.”

The comments above certainly seem to indicate that Tillman will receive another chance and in fairness, it probably can’t hurt. While his pitching has been nothing short of atrocious, there’s unfortunately no other candidates screaming out for a promotion at this point in time. Mike Wright Jr. was tried and failed (again) and seems destined to a role coming out of the bullpen in low-leverage situations. Miguel Castro has great stuff and has been lengthened out with some success in the past, however his own early-season form has been dubious at best, allowing runs in four of his six short outings. While Gabriel Ynoa is on the disabled list dealing with a right shoulder issue. Perhaps it’s time to blood a youngster like Yefry Ramirez or David Hess who have each started the season strongly at Triple-A Norfolk?

With a fairly reliable quartet of Alex Cobb, Dylan Bundy, Andrew Cashner, and Kevin Gausman, the Orioles are just one competent starter away from forming a very solid rotation. Right now, Chris Tillman does not appear to be that fifth option and may have just one start remaining to prove he’s capable of returning to his former self. If he can’t, the Orioles really ought to move on, thanking him for his services over a fairly successful decade and wishing him well in his future endeavors.

Let me take you back to the year 2009 – it’s July and Dave Trembly has just pulled Jason Berken after going two and a third, and the Orioles trail by five to the Rays.

Those were the dark days of Orioles baseball and to be honest, there appeared to be no end in sight.

Our farm system was still recovering from the disasters that were Hayden Penn and Adam Lowen, and the animosity towards the Angelos family was at an all-time high. In those years, all you’d ever hear on the radio is how Orioles fans were just dying for this team to break .500 – ‘competitive’ was good enough.

Quite frankly, they were a team with very little talent which was in the middle of a rebuilding process that had been taking place since 1997.

Fast forward to the year 2018 and the Orioles have undoubtedly the best middle infield duo in all of baseball, as well as a young pitching staff with loads of potential.

These reason, among others, are why I’m super skeptical of the more popular view to “blow up the team” – an argument which aided by the poor start to the season seems to be growing more popular by the day.

As a fan who has become used to seeing the team in contention since 2012, I don’t want to see the likes of Luis Matos, Cesar Izturis, and Daniel Cabrera dawn the sacred Orange once again. Unlike many set to read this debut piece of mine, I never got to experience a winning Orioles team until 2012. The success of the 80s and 90s was before my time and I don’t take a winning team for granted.

So my view, which I accept may not be shared by the majority of Birdland, is that we should be demanding that the organization keep this team together as long as possible and do all that it can to achieve this. After 14 consecutive losing seasons us fans are owed some sustained success to make up for the years of constant heartache and misery we were put us through, and I think we can all agree that the ‘Yard is a lot more enjoyable place when Manny is hitting frozen ropes to the gaps, as opposed to Sidney Ponson taking the mound for a 70-win Orioles team.

After taking three out of four games against the Yankees and raising expectations, the Orioles came back to OPACY to continue their home hitting struggles.

At home, the O’s are batting a measly .178, while on the road they are batting .241 (still worrying, yet not as bad). In most cases those numbers would be flipped, so it’s really unclear as to why they are struggling so much at home.

Pitching on the other hand definitely picked up in the series against the Blue Jays. Our ace Dylan Bundy threw seven innings in his start, giving up two runs with 10 strikeouts. Due to a lack of run support though, he took a hard luck loss. That’s three quality starts now where Dylan Bundy either got a no decision or loss because the Orioles hitters let him down. Andrew Cashner pitched the following day and had seven innings of four hit baseball. Again though, the Orioles felt that he was doing too well and decided to let Aaron Sanchez of the Blue Jays take a no hitter into the eighth inning. Thus, giving another pitcher with a quality start, a no decision. Then today, Kevin Gausman, who may I add has been struggling mightily, comes in, gives up three runs, yet manages to get the win. I love when the Orioles win just as much as any other fan, but c’mon, we need to be a little more consistent at the plate and back these pitchers battling their asses off out there!

Our fielding also needs to improve a lot. Manny and Schoop are always going to do their thing, however that aside (and some occasional brilliance from Gentry) defensively that’s all we know for the moment. Even after getting no hit for seven innings on Tuesday, the Orioles still had a chance to take the game into extra innings, before Anthony Santander completely missed his cutoff man and allowed a run to score on a throwing error. That, coupled with Beckham making several mistakes at third base largely because he’s never played there before, means the Orioles are allowing unnecessary runs to score. They just can’t afford that.

The teams gets a day off tomorrow to travel to Fenway, to take on the hottest team in baseball right now. The Red Sox have the lowest starter ERA in the major leagues so it’s only going to get harder for the Orioles to hit and score. Hopefully Scott Coolbaugh and Buck Showalter can find a way to right the ship at the plate so the Orioles can get back on track.

Image: Washington Post

Despite suffering more pain than most MLB teams have had to endure in recent decades, the one constant about baseball in Baltimore has been the passionate fans who cheer on their beloved Orioles through both good times and bad.

Blessed with one of baseball’s most widely-acclaimed stadium’s since Oriole Park at Camden Yards opened in 1992, fans can enjoy catching a game accompanied by well-located concession stands, trendy bars, modern and spacious dining areas, and ample toilets. The backdrop of the Warehouse provides a unique setting, and the ballpark is just a short walk from the city’s inner harbor. A benchmark for modern-day baseball stadiums, OPACY is renowned for its level of ‘fan-friendliness’.

While fourteen consecutive losing seasons between 1998 and 2011 brought with it a sense of hopelessness and despair, and crowd numbers dipped steadily as a result, the average attendance at Camden Yards remained above 25,000 all the way through until 2009. With a team producing results such as the ones seen during these dark times, many other stadiums around the nation would have been empty.

Despite these challenges, the team returned to winning ways in 2012 and with it came a boost in attendance figures. During the magical playoff run of 2014, crowd numbers finally peaked back above the 30,000 average mark – the first time this had occurred since 2005.

The following year though, the Baltimore riots of April 2015 brought unprecedented heartache to the city and impacted the Orioles significantly. Never more so than the infamous ’empty stadium’ game against the Chicago White Sox later that month.

Speaking to many Orioles fans during the months that followed, the riots and aftermath were a genuine cause for concern and many chose to stay away from the city. It was far safer to watch at home or in a local bar.

As the city rebuilt, rejuvenated, and rebounded, the Orioles continued on their winning ways, however never really regained the aura of 2014. Something was missing – the team had become even more one-dimensional than it was before and fans seemed disengaged. Following a heartbreaking 2016 playoff loss which drew much criticism of the coaching staff, the 2017 season was one full of frustrations and the crowd numbers reflected that as an average of just 25,042 fans turned out for Orioles games that year. While the poor crowd figures drew some attention in local mainstream media, the sharp decline never truly received the analysis it deserved – why were the fans staying away and would things improve in 2018?

Following a slow, yet eventually moderately successful off-season, there appeared to be a renewed level of hope for the team heading into 2018. It is widely believed that it will be the last season the likes of Adam Jones, Manny Machado, and Zach Britton will be in Baltimore, while the free agent additions of Alex Cobb and Andrew Cashner provided hope that the team could make another playoff run.

Despite the hype, the fans are continuing to stay away and through the first four home games of the season a total of 88,359 have passed through the gates – 45,469 of which were on Opening Day. In the three games since, just 17,763, 17,212, and 7,915 fans respectively have watched the Orioles stumble to losses, with last night’s figure the lowest ever attendance recorded at Camden Yards. Yes, the lowest ever.

Following the announcement of the unwanted record, I took to Twitter to see what was causing the disinterest. While the city – and most of the east coast for that matter – is experiencing some horrific weather in recent weeks, this isn’t the first time such weather has embarked upon the city and there must be other factors.

Seeking insight from #Birdland, there was a wide range of reasons put forward other than the miserable weather, including:

• Perception of current crime
• The team is uninspiring
• The cost – tickets, food, drinks, etc.
• Poor transport options
• School is yet to finish
• Improved coverage on MASN
• Other sporting options (i.e. Capitals, Wizards)

The most common of the responses above was without doubt the uninspiring nature of the team, with some of the following responses received.

“I’m tired of knowing we’re not going to truly contend. Sick of the way the organization is run.”

“The games have been predictable and boring. The offense is a coin flip. The pitching is soon to let us down.”

“Sick to death of watching guys swing out of their spikes and strikeout, especially with runners in scoring position.”

“It’s how stagnant they are in free agency ever year. It feels like we are in the same situation.”

“Who is honesty entertaining enough on the team to go there and watch besides Manny Machado?”

“This year you have to pay major league prices to see half the order hitting under .200”

“Playing in a division with the Yankees and Red Sox is extremely discouraging. Feels hopeless.”

“I think many fans just don’t believe in this team. The inconsistency of the offense makes it feel like any night they could get just a couple of hits.”

In addition to the detailed responses received, I also conducted the following poll. As of 6:00am ET, 49% of respondents agreed – it’s the uninspiring nature of the team.

What’s keeping you away from Camden Yards?

(if it’s the weather, don’t answer)

— Dan Clark (@DanClarkSports) April 10, 2018

While the season is still early and the poor weather is undoubtedly keeping fans away, a crowd of just 7,915 fans is a genuine cause for concern and it’s about time the city’s mainstream media explore the issue further. There’s certainly going to be some head-scratching and robust discussion within the front office.

It’s also worth noting that 19,528 fans turned out to Nationals Park last night as the Washington Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves, 2-0 – almost three times as many, despite also being subjected to the poor weather. On the season to date, 112,536 fans have attended the four Nationals games, some 24,177 more than the Orioles have enjoyed.

What are your thoughts on the topic? Feel free to leave a comment below.

Main Image Credit: Braulio Perez

The Baltimore Orioles arrived in the Bronx late last week beaten and battered by the reigning world champion Astros, yet today they leave with their heads held high, because they did what the media said they couldn’t – they beat the Yankees in their house three times in four days. The team that was supposed to be the second coming of “Murderer’s Row”. The team who’s bullpen was supposed to be the best in baseball. The team that they weren’t supposed to beat. Apparently Buck Showalter and the Orioles didn’t get that memo.

In this series, the Orioles showed signs of life and teamwork that quite frankly, we hadn’t seen since the 2016 season. Constantly battling on 0-2 counts to bring them full and get on base, constantly coming up with a clutch play in the outfield, and constantly picking each other up when a mistake was made. It was a pleasure to watch and something we’ve been wait too long to see.

 Now let’s get to the stats for today’s finale and the series in general. It really didn’t look good for the Orioles early on in the game. Mike Wright Jr. was only able to go 2/3 of an inning while giving up five runs. Honestly, at that point everyone thought the game was over, however it was then the Orioles started showing signs of life. First with an Anthony Santander RBI single, then a Tim Beckham RBI single the following inning. The whole momentum of the game shifted when Danny Valencia hit a two strike curveball over the left field fence to make it a 5-4 ball game.

Over the next two innings the Orioles and Yankees each traded a run. Fast forward to the seventh inning when Anthony Santander stepped up to the plate. One man on and Santander has a 3-0 count, and Buck gave him the green light. He proceeds to hit his first career home run over the right field wall. Sure we had to go to extras to finish it off and yeah Brad Brach is the modern day Don Stanhouse. For the people who don’t know Don Stanhouse, he was a relief pitcher for the Orioles in the 70’s. Earl Weaver used to call him full pack because he would go through a full pack of cigarettes when he watched him pitch. The point is the Orioles got it done and it seems they have gotten the monkey off of their back.

While the Orioles did manage to win this series against the Yankees, there are still some concerning areas for the Orioles. Mainly their batting average with runners in scoring position. On the season, they are an alarming 15-for-74 with RISP. On a lighter note, besides Mike Wright Jr.’s heinous outing, the pitching staff seems to have improved. In fact in the series with Yankees, the Orioles starting pitching staff posted a lower ERA than the Yankees. This series was very encouraging from the standpoint of a fan, because it lets us know that the Orioles are not the team that all these “analysts” said they were. They’re not just going to roll over and give up. They’re here to win a championship just like everyone else.

Image: Sportsnet.ca/AP

It was a very brisk and windy night in the Bronx, but that didn’t stop the Orioles from showing their fans that they aren’t rolling over six games into the season. After an all out pitching duel between Masahiro Tanaka and Andrew Cashner, yeah that’s right I said pitching duel and Andrew Cashner in the same sentence, the Orioles found a way to emerge victorious.

The Bronx Bombers struck first blood with an Aaron Judge rocket in the bottom of the sixth inning. Let’s be honest though, we all kind of expected that. Aaron Judge kills the Orioles. Did you know that last year Aaron Judge became the first player since Ted Williams in 1947 to score 31 times on one team in a single season? Facing Judge is like facing Ivan Drago. He’s huge, muscular, and pretty much guaranteed to land some big hits. But in the end Rocky, AKA the Orioles, ended up winning and that’s all that matters. After his home run it was all Orioles. Jonathan Schoop started off the seventh inning with a single, and then on a night when the ball wasn’t carrying very well, Adam Jones stepped up to the plate and delivered in another big moment by pulling a home run just over the left field wall. The Orioles then added a few more insurance runs off the bats of Anthony Santander and, as Gary Thorne likes to call him, Trey “Boom Boom” Mancini. By the way, Buck Showalter has found his leadoff man in Trey Mancini. I mean, three base hits and two RBI’s, you’d be crazy to not let this kid leadoff from here on out. Even Colby Rasmus and Chris Davis got a hit in this one! A note on Chris Davis though. I’m not sure what’s going on with him, whether it be mental, physical, or a combination of both, but he’s no longer ‘Crush’ Davis. He was staring at pitches right down the heart of the plate and swinging at off speed stuff outside of the zone. When he did make contact, it looked like it was coming off of a pitcher’s bat, not a former 50+ home run first baseman.

Now to the pitching from tonight’s game. Both pitchers had phenomenal games and it was very entertaining to watch. What was very encouraging as an Orioles fan was the fact that Cashner looked a lot more composed than his game against the Twins. Perhaps the nerves have settled? Sure, he walked a couple guys, but in his defense, the home plate umpire had an inconsistent strike zones all night long. At one point I saw Brett Gardner turn around and I said to myself, “Oh man, here we go, Brett is about to toss his helmet and get himself thrown out!” – not that I would have complained about that, but that’s neither here nor there. I believe the further we get into the season, Cashner will only get better and better. Which is good news considering Chris Tillman clearly isn’t right and Gausman remains an inconsistent mystery.

All in all, this was by far the Orioles best game of the season. The bullpen still seemed a little shaky there in the late innings. Givens and Brach both need to work on their command of their fastballs and I’m sure they will be the dominant force they were from last year. Not much to say about O’Day other than I envy his mustache and pray that he never shaves it off. All jokes aside, tonight was a huge victory not only to break the losing streak, but to also boost the team’s morale and show them they can compete with the AL East’s big dogs.

Photo: Sportsnet.ca