So far, the Orioles have played in three series to start off, and have won each one taking two our of three games.
A 6-3 to start 2009 is indeed nice and rounds up to an 108 win season; however, does anyone expect Baltimore to win that much, if ever finish above .500? No.
As I see it, we can slug with anyone at the plate, we might have a decent bullpen (well, if Brian Bass wasn’t in ut), but our starting pitching is — um, still suspect.
Jeremy Guthrie has put aside all the talk about a potential decline, but everyone else is on watch.
Our Japanese buzzsaw, Koji Uehera, who was so good against the Yankees had his hands full with the Rangers on Monday. He looked very much off, the pitches were not hitting their spots, and against an aggressive Texas team whose offense is built for the park they play in — teed off of Uehara. He will need to have pin-point control or location, or his outings on the mound — much like against the Yankees — have the potential to be very ugly. If Baltimore wishes to move back to respectability, they’ll need this guy on.
Next, Alfredo Simon and he suffered on Tuesday, giving up three solo homers in 1 1/3 innings before being pulled. There’s real bad news — he apparently has a degenerative issue with his right elbow according to Dave Trembley. He was placed on the disabled list; however, the assessment does not sound good. I expect him to be out a long, long time, unless a miracle happens. Too bad, he seems to have some potential, despite having only really two pitches.
Adam Eaton; moving on.
Hendrickson, he was who he was on Wednesday, but was the victim of terrible defense and paid for it; however, the bullpen — mainly Brian Bass, who has been nothing short of awful — has been really shaky (aside from Tuesday’s performance from Sarfate and Johnson) leads me to think that the Orioles may have their faults catch up to them sooner or sooner.
Ok, perhaps this weekend with Boston — always tough — on the docket at Fenway Park for a four game series. The stuff that worked against the angers will not work against the Red Sox considering their starting rotation, fairly strong bullpen, and of course their batting order.
Look, we can blame Brian Bass, Chad Moeller — who was behind the plate for all three losses so far, the bullpen, the offense for not putting up 10 runs a game for our three losses, but if the uneven performances keep taking place with our arms, the season is going to go downhill fast. Yes, it’s only been a week and a half, but I already see a lot of problems with this team that is making my stomach churn.
Again, not that we are going to win 90 games, but if we can maintain some kind of consistency, things may not be that bad.
Oh yes, with Simon out, one would think Bergesen will finally show his stuff on the mound.
