Sep 7, 2015; Bronx, NY, USA; Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Brian Matusz (17) pitches against the New York Yankees during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Our local birds, a.k.a. the Baltimore Orioles, were beaten by a single bird on Labor Day afternoon at Yankee Stadium — a bird named “Greg Bird,” whose three-run home in the bottom of the seventh inning broke a 5-5 tie on the way to an 8-6 victory for New York.
Just as the Orioles finally picked up some runs, including four in the second inning, the pitching could not hold off the Yankees … proving once again that the 2015 Baltimore Orioles have innumerable ways of losing baseball games.
The back-breaking homer followed a walk and single yielded by losing pitcherJorge Rondon.Brian Matuszwas called upon to face left-handed hitting Greg Bird — a rookie first baseman in his 22nd career game, filling in for the injuredMark Teixeira. Surely the youngster would be no match for the lefty specialist.
Matusz started him off with a pair of strikes on 92-mph four-seamers. He fouled off the first and watched the second for a called strike. So, since he proved he couldn’t hit that pitch, the obvious choice was to change it to a hanging 83-mph slider in the middle of the plate on a 0-2 pitch! Gone!
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The Orioles have been unbelievably inept on 0-2 pitches this year. The Bird homer was the 99th hit this season on 0-2 counts given up by O’s pitchers. That is tops in the American League along with the Tigers and Twins – give or take one or two hits. The next highest number after that is in the 70s, with the league average at 61.
Of the 99 hits allowed on a 0-2 count by the Orioles this year, 17 have been for doubles, 2 for triples, and 8 for home runs. Opponents are batting .209 in these situations. Of course, an average of .209 is not considered good, but on 0-2 counts it is actually rather fabulous!
It is not as if an unusual number of terrible things have happened to Orioles pitchers after 0-2 counts when pitching around batters. Only 33 times over the entire season has a 0-2 count eventuated in a base on balls, whereas it has rather led to 453 strikeouts.
And it is not like it is deep baseball strategy to know to pitch off the plate on 0-2 counts. This is even done in Little League baseball. So to groove or hang a pitch in the middle of the plate in MLB is inexcusable and intolerable.
To just look at Matusz’ numbers, one would think him to be a highly effective relief pitcher, and often he is. He has a 2.40 ERA over 45 innings with a WHIP of 1.13. Opponents are hitting .198 off him. But 11 of 33 inherited runners have scored this year. In 2014 it was 10 of 49, and just 5 of 37 in 2013.
Now with a record of 65-72, the Orioles will need to go 16-9 in the final 25 games just to make it to .500. Geez! Who’da thunk it?
Next: It is up to Jones or Davis to carry the Orioles
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