Keith Allison- Flickr
When the Tampa Bay Rays came into Camden Yards for a four game set with the Baltimore Orioles, no one thought they would leave with a 12-7 series-winning finale on Sunday. The Orioles were fresh off a series in which they witnessed their “Orioles Magic” reappear with two walk off wins in the three game set against the Chicago White Sox. However, the Orioles’ pitching was the reason for the let down. Of the four games, the team’s starters gave only one quality start.
On Sunday, the O’s pen, which had previously gone 30 innings with only one earned run against them, was to blame. Sunday’s defeat featured a reversal in those numbers, as the Rays put up nine, yes nine, runs on them. The seven runs that were put up by the Orioles should have been enough to seal the win and tie the series, but Brian Matusz and Evan Meek combined for three and a third innings, giving up nine earned runs on 10 hits. Because of the early exit by starter Miguel Gonzalez, the Orioles’ pen was forced to put in extra work, and they paid for it.
However, even with the 3-1 series loss to the Rays, the Orioles still somehow sit only a game and a half behind the first place Toronto Blue Jays. Lucky for the Orioles, the New York Yankees also struggled over the weekend, so the O’s still sit in second place by a half game.
Tonight’s series opener for the Orioles against the Texas Rangers gives the team the chance to get back on track. The Rangers are fourth in the American League West and have gone 2-8 in their last 10 games. The team is definitely missing the power boost from Prince Fielder, who was sidelined for the rest of the season after undergoing back surgery.
However, the rest of the team is still getting their hits, as they rank fifth in the Majors with a .262 team average. They have not been big on the home runs this season, but they will look to bring the long ball into play against an Orioles’ pitching staff that gives up the fifth-most homers in all of baseball. Adrian Beltre, specifically, is counting down the seconds until he faces the Orioles because he is hitting .583 with three home runs off of the team’s pitching.
The big downfall for this Texas team is their pitching. Their 4.53 team ERA ranks second to last in all of baseball. Injuries have plagued this team so far and turned what looked like a promising year into a dismal disappointment.
The Orioles need to get back in the win column and this series presents the perfect opportunity to do just that. Like Texas, the O’s are also hitting the ball well, as they are third in the Majors with a .265 average. One thing that this team has that Texas does not is the home run power. The Birds are coming into this series third in home runs, and they will look to get on base against the last place pitching of the Texas Rangers, who have allowed hitters to bat .280.
However, The Orioles have been a different team when they are within the friendly confines of Camden Yards. On the road, this team is on fire, but when they are hitting in Baltimore, the Orioles are only 19-21. This definitely needs to change if this team has any hopes of winning the wide-open American League East.
The declared “steal of the season”, Nelson Cruz has shown that he was the best bargain of the offseason. He is first in the majors in RBIs and tied for first in home runs at 25. One of the bigger disappointments by this team is slugger Chris Davis. The Home Run King from a season ago has done a complete turnaround, as his .212 is far below his career average (.260). Despite missing a couple weeks earlier in the year due to injury, he still has 13 home runs, but that is nowhere near the number he had at this time last season.
Ubaldo Jimenez will look to finally get on track tonight, as the Orioles will take on a familiar face in Joe Saunders. Once giving the Orioles their first playoff win in over a decade, Saunders has struggled this season to find his form. He comes in to tonight’s start winless in seven starts with a 5.19 ERA. He has faced the Orioles once this year, going six innings and allowing only two runs on 10 hits, but the O’s would run away with that game and win 8-3.
The difference between Saunders’ last start against the Orioles and tonight’s matchup, is that the Orioles are at home tonight. Like previously mentioned, the Orioles are a different team at home, so this could be a struggle for the sluggers of Baltimore. Jimenez is also looking to sharpen his game up. His 50 million dollar contract is definitely not showing on his stat line. He is 2-8 with a 4.70 ERA and has only produced three quality starts over his last 10.
The Orioles may be without third-baseman Manny Machado, as the team expects his suspension to be dealt sometime today. This means there will be a healthy balance of both Jonathan Schoop and Ryan Flaherty at the position over the next few games. Somehow, this Orioles team has managed to have decent play at the catcher position despite the season ending surgery to All-Star catcher Matt Wieters. Rookie Caleb Joseph and seasoned veteran Nick Hundley have both started to catch their groove both offensively and defensively.
AJ Risser is a writer for Couch Rider Report, follow him on Twitter.