It goes without saying that this four-game series over the weekend is monumental for the Baltimore Orioles, as it could help them stay in the thick of things in the American League East hunt.
Then again, if they do not at least split the series in California, it could send the Orioles into quite the tailspin and dangerously close to the .500 mark, plus to the basement of the division.
The Los Angeles Angels once again defeated the Baltimore Orioles this season, this time, by a score of 9-7, on the left coast. Well, the Orioles once again got another lackluster performance from a young pitcher – Jake Arrieta.
After the game, the Orioles sent another pitcher back to the minors for seasoning. Guess who it was: Jake Arrieta.
One could say that Arrieta perhaps has the best arsenal on the Baltimore Orioles when you look at all the starting pitchers; however, all that does not make a difference if you cannot be consistent on the mound.
Arrieta looked better in June; alas, when July rolled around, he was awful – again.
Well, I watched the game until the 4th inning, and the Orioles were up 4-3 on the Angels. Jake Arrieta looked a little shaky, but if the cards were played right, he might have been acceptable on the evening.
Soon, that thought went out the window.
He would give up three runs before the fourth inning; however, that frame decided the game as the Angels scored five more times to put the game out of reach.
If there was any appreciable news from last night, the offense came together. It was a wasted effort as Matt Wieters drove in four and also homered. Ryan Flaherty and Mark Reynolds went deep as well.
This current development is bad for Arrieta. The Orioles gave him every chance in the world to succeed in the majors, but sadly, in a what-have-you-done-for-me business, Arrieta has failed.
Right now, the Orioles are in a world of hurt when it comes to their starting pitching. If the tide does not turn around soon, they may fade from the American League East race – very fast.
Everyone knew that the Achilles’ heel for the Orioles would be the pitching. Sadly, the masses are looking right.
The Orioles’ saving is grace is this: they are only 5 ½ behind the Yankees in the division, and everyone else within it has been beaten up. If the season ended now, the Orioles would be in the playoff – which is terrific news.
However, it will not matter much if the pitching situation cannot be turned around. They still have half-a-season to play, and anything can happen.
There’s way too much time left in the season and the Orioles can easily go into a swoon; however, they can also start flying high again … but the starting pitching, ugh, the starting pitching must improve.
