The Orioles could not salvage their three game series in Oakland, as they were swept over the weekend. They are 24-27 and have lost three in a row after a five game winning streak to start their West Coast road trip.
The Orioles lost 6-4 to the Athletics as starting pitcher Zach Britton could not play the role of stopper. Britton’s been by far the best pitcher on the Orioles since the season began; however, the A’s offense tagged him for four runs in the fifth inning thanks to a Josh Willingham three-run homer, blowing a 4-1 lead. He is now 5-3 for the year.
Baltimore got all their offense in the fifth inning as they jumped all over Oakland starter Guillermo Moscoso (who won the game) for four runs. They could not score any runs more after that as Oakland’s bullpen once again kept Baltimore at bay.
J.J. Hardy had two hits and four Orioles drove in runs.
However, the news following the game dealt with one of the young starters for the Orioles. Chris Tillman – who has struggled for much of the season – was optioned down to Triple-A Norfolk. I gathered that he would be safe in the rotation since Brad Bergesen was sent down, but since Tillman has had trouble going deep into games. He will have a chance to work on his game away from the big leagues.
In most of his starts with Baltimore, Tillman allowed his pitch counts to run up and pitched into unfavorable counts. Tillman also allowed umpteen runners to reach base one too many times.
Overall, Tillman’s lack of consistency on the pitching mound put him in trouble one too many times; therefore, that is why he was demoted to the minors. Until he can become more efficient in his outings, Triple-A Norfolk may be the best place for him.
Also, Adam Jones left the game today with a sore shoulder, but he should be able to play this week. If Jones is down for any length of time, that would be an enormous blow to Baltimore considering their injuries and offensive issues.
It has not been a delightful weekend for the Orioles, but let’s hope they can get things straight in Seattle.
