Fans watched as the Cardinals completed a three-game sweep of the Birds in Baltimore last night. Brian Matusz was torched again for eight runs in just 3.1 innings of work. The Orioles did try to make it interesting on the backs of homers from Mark Reynolds and Nolan Reimold but the damaged had been done and the Cards held on to win 9-6.
After the game the big news was Brain Matusz was optioned down to AAA Norfolk.
Matusz has simply not been right since coming off the DL. Everything has been wrong, his mechanics; his velocity; his head – everything has been wrong. And this is just the worst news for the Orioles. Matusz, Tillman, Britton and Bergesen were all supposed be viable options in the rotation. Tillman is in AAA and struggling; Bergy is in the bullpen; Britton hasn’t won a game it what feels like two months and Matusz was just sent down.
And that right there is the Orioles’ season so far in a nutshell. Pitching, pitching, pitching. Or at least the lack thereof. The Orioles went into the season with a perceived glut of pitching and now they are struggling to find a fifth starter for the next month. Likely candidates are Alfredo Simon, Jason Berken or Bergesen but that point is rather moot. The point is that I don’t think anyone could predict the Orioles being in this position as far as their pitching is concerned. To see so many young arms regress and struggle, meanwhile Bartolo Colon happens and it is just infuriating.
Vlad isn’t hitting like a DH, nor a cleanup hitter and should be moved. Nolan Reimold needs to play more and Felix Pie just needs to be moved to anywhere that is away from here.
Its a frustrating time to be an Orioles fan right now. Eight games under .500 heading down to Atlanta to play another tough NL team and it seems like with every day there is one more thing going wrong. Today is July first and the Orioles need a lot fo things to get right and quickly so they can put a forgettable June behind them.
