There was some good, but a whole lot of bad in the nation’s capital for the Orioles.
As James noted earlier, the Birds got spanked by the Nationals, 8-4, although Nick Markakis and Derrek Lee had banner nights for the Orioles.
That’s wonderful as two struggling players finally themselves going — especially Lee — who had five hits; however, it’s what the Orioles didn’t do that left a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths.
A crowd of 35,562 – with a healthy mix of orange and black, sprinkled in with red – sat through a rain delay of under an hour before the game on Friday night. When things got started, it was one wacky game.
It seemed that the Orioles – despite pounding 18 hits and scored only *four runs* – handed the game to the Nationals. In a sense, they buried themselves with errors, an alarming pitching performance in the bottom of the sixth inning, and a confounding inability to push runners across home plate. The Nationals would take advantage of it.
We all know aforementioned paragraph listed a litany of issues that the Orioles have had sprout up at one time or another. It was disturbing to watch on Friday.
With the score tied at four in the sixth inning, Baltimore reliever, Jeremy Accardo, walked Wilson Ramos to start the frame. He would then give up an RBI-double to Jerry Hairston that gave Washington a 5-4 lead.
Accardo would help the Nationals again as he walked reliever Sean Burnett -who was trying square up for a clear sacrifice bunt – on four pitches. The Nationals would take a 6-4 lead, as Jayson Werth plated in Hairston with asingle. They would add another run in the frame as Ian Desmond’s sacrifice drove in Werth.
Accardo would take the loss. Baltimore was done after that.
In turn, Accardo would be DFA’ed after the game and a series of moves were made to perhaps beef up an Oriole team once again struggling.
The other glaring issue that made me want to ask what in the world is going on involves Mark Reynolds. Believe it or not, Baltimore had a 2-0 lead before the fifth inning and then it was pissed away. Washington catcher Wilson Ramos singled to start the frame, and then pitcher Jason Marquis squared up for a bunt.
Marquis’ offering was fielded by Oriole third baseman Mark Reynolds; however, he threw the ball past first base. Ramos motored around the bases and scored; thereafter, Marquis would come home after a Bernadina groundout. That would be the 15th error for Reynolds, and one has to wonder what the heck is going on.
Reynolds is certainly not a Gold Glove caliber talent; however, time and time during this season, he’s goofed on plays at the hot corner. Friday’s miscue perhaps cost the Orioles a win.
Meanwhile, Baltimore starting starter, rookie Zach Britton, pitched well, as he went five innings and gave up four runs – only one earned. He got killed thanks to a huge error in the fifth inning. It’s too bad, the kid pitched well, but sometimes you can’t help it.
