Baltimore Orioles Soundoff

Rodrigo Lopez has been the Orioles most consistent starter this year. At 13-7, his record is as respectable as the way he has pitched in big games.

Look at the statistics against teams like the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Boston Red Sox. He has sparkled against these clubs, however, there have been low points.

Lopez's ERA is an unsightly 4.61. This is simply because he has had a few games that were less than spectacular. Take away the few games where he didn't last 3 innings giving up no less than seven runs, and his ERA would be in the 2.oo's.

While Bruce Chen and Erik Bedard have pitched well at times, Lopez has clearly been the anchor of a beleaguered staff.

When Rodrigo takes the hill, the Orioles know they have a chance to win, and that is very important to a team that is down in the dumps.

In fact, behind Lopez, the O's staff next season could finally be coming into some good ways.

Let's take a look at the possibilities:

Rotation:
1) Rodrigo Lopez
2) Erik Bedard
3) Daniel Cabrera
4) John Maine
5) Bruce Chen

Assuming the O's don't add any high-quality pitchers this offseason, the O's will most likely go with a rotation that looks like that.

Daniel Cabrera needs to become the dominant and consistent pitcher that all the scouts see in him. He can dominate a ballgame, however, he struggles with bouts of wildness that rivals that of early Nolan Ryan.

If he can harness his pitches and gain some control, Cabrera could become the ace of the staff.

Bedard also has ace quality stuff, but he needs to stay healthy and work on his out pitches.

John Maine has also showed bouts of brilliance.

The problem with the Orioles is depth and experience. The Orioles will field a staff next year that is extremely young, without the addition of a front-line starter.

There are too many questions involved. If Bedard stays healthy; If Cabrera finds control; If Maine gains experience. The Orioles need another front-line guy. They need a top of the rotation type guy so that they can guarantee they will be in more games.

All of this year's pitchers have shown flashes of great pitching, but alas, too many times have struggled and failed, giving up run after run and only lasting 3 innings at most.

The Orioles will have to answer this question, and loads others, if they hope to contend next year.


Hurricane Katrina Hits Where I Am

As many of you might be aware, Hurricane Katrina has hit South Florida. Now I realize that I have listed my location as Hoboken, New Jersey, but until September 5th I will still be living in South Florida.

That means, you guessed it, I got slapped around by Katrina. Not too bad really, some flooding, lots of rain and wind, but no real permanent damage.

While many around my community spent Thursday night in the dark with no power or lights, I spent it in front of the television watching the Orioles shut out the Angels. It was a good night.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim spent the first three innings of last night's game racking up the hits and runs against feeble Baltimore Orioles pitching.

The Angels then spent the rest of the game trying to ward off a furious Orioles comeback led by Miguel Tejada.

Tejada, who was mired in a slump before this game, finished 3-5 with two home runs and five RBIs.

Eric DuBose started the game for the O's, now losers of four in a row, and it wasn't nearly as smooth sailing as last time out. DuBose gave up eight hits and three runs in just over two innings of work. John Maine then came in and gave up another two runs as the Angels took an early 5-0 lead.

Javy Lopez homered in the 4th inning and Miguel Tejada's first home run came in the 8th to make the score 5-2.

Jorge Julio, however, pitched the ninth for the O's and was his usual self, giving up two more runs to the Angels and making a close game out of reach.

The O's fought hard to come back. They loaded the bases for Tejada who drove 'em all in with his second HR of the game, a grand slam to right. It wasn't enough though, as the O's came up one run short, losing the game 7-6.

BOX SCORE



Upcoming O's Game: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim @ Baltimore, Wednesday August 24 @ 7:05 p.m.






Erik Bedard vs. Bartolo Colon

Well Orioles fans, if you read my last column and hope crossed your mind, I hope you were somewhere out of the country, or at least out of reach of a TV so you didn't have to witness this weekend's joke of a series against the Cleveland Indians.

The Orioles found every possible way to lose. Even when it looked like a little league team could finish out the game, the O's were clever enough to find a loophole and lose. In fact, they not only found ways to lose, they found new and exciting ways to lose. Ok, well it is exciting if you are an Indians fan.

Indians fans got to see their team come back from a 4-1 deficit in the 8th inning. They got to see their pitchers give up only 15 hits in 28 innings. Most importantly, they got to see their team--in the hunt for the wild card--win when it had to most. In a word, clutch.

The Orioles had no life in them. Melvin Mora scowled again. Miguel Tejada isn't coming up with the big hits. Sammy Sosa is still striking out in every possible big situation. Even the fiery Eric Byrnes is hard pressed to contribute in any significant way.

The starting pitching is actually keeping the Orioles in ballgames. The relievers are taking them out. In what was supposed to be one of the most dominating bullpens in the majors before the season is a running joke with no punchline.

The Orioles have one consistent relief pitcher. Tim Byrdak wasn't even with the club to start the season, but he is the only pitcher to come out of the bullpen and get people out consistently. Jorge Julio can't, if Todd Williams gets a three-ball count he is useless, Steve Kline is a joke of all jokes, and it goes on and on.

The Orioles hitting, well the hitting is another story. The hitting isn't a joke, it isn't funny at all, it's pitiful. Only Luis Matos and Javy Lopez are having any success at the plate and they are scattered in the lineup at 8th and 4th respectively.

The Orioles lineup has too many guys in a slump at the same time. Has someone put a curse on their bats? Must have happened sometime during the injuries to Lopez and Matos because they are hitting. As for the rest of the team, they complain they aren't seeing the ball well, that is obvious. But the whole team at the same time?

That is ridiculous. Isn't it?

This team finds every concievable way to fall apart. Here's looking at you Peter Angelos. Sell, sell, sell, please, for the love of the Orioles, sell.

You are a curse, Mr. Angelos. Since your reign started, the Orioles have gone from bad to worse. This year looked so promising, and now it is dead. Every time the Orioles begin to see a rainbow, the sky darkens and it rains for days.

Wherever the Orioles play, a storm cloud follows close above them.

The Orioles are like a drowning child, struggling to find the water's surface, and you Mr. Angelos are like the bully who pushes them back into the infinite abyss.

They wont' win under you.

This may seem like a frustrated Orioles fan's rants. And don't get me wrong, it is. But I speak for Orioles nation when I say, something is wrong. Something is wrong, Mr. Angelos. And you can't fix it.

It is time to pack it in, cut your losses, fold your hand, cash in your chips and surrender the team.

Isn't Cal Ripken in the market for a new franchise?