Orioles baseball is back. While expectations are far lower then in previous seasons, there was still a sense of excitement as the birds began their opening series against the division-rival New York Yankees. After three games, somehow the no-name O's are 2-1 and are in second in the American League East behind only the Tampa Bay Rays. While it likely won't last, the team offered some excitement and reasons for hope during the opening series. Here are my first impressions.
The Good
Trey Mancini: After a down year, Mancini has come out of the gate on fire during the opening series. He has six hits in thirteen at bats, including a homerun against J.A. Happ in game three that gave the Orioles a 4-0 lead. For a lineup lacking thump, Mancini getting off to a good start was nice to see. When good, he is a middle of the order bat with good pop and an even better batting eye.
Dwight Smith Jr.: A spring training favorite of mine, Smith Jr. has five hits in his first eleven at bats including a double and two RBI. More importantly, however he brings speed to the lineup and good defense in Left Field. He has a good batting eye and a sweet lefty swing that reminds me a bit of old fan favorite Nick Markakis.
The Young Pitchers: Specifically David Hess, Jimmy Yacobonis, and John Means. Hess came in to relieve Mike Wright after he replaced Andrew Cashner in game one. His stuff was electric. His fastball was hitting 95 mph with movement and he wasn't afraid to attack the Yankee hitters. The same could not be said for Cashner. Yacobonis entered game two in relief of opener Nate Karns and displayed solid stuff as well. He went three innings giving up only one run with two strikeouts and left the game in line for the win. John Means was the fireman for game three. With Dylan Bundy out of gas with two outs in the fourth inning, the bases loaded, and the Orioles up 4-0, Means was called on to put out the fire. Throwing just as many change ups as fastballs, he kept the fearsome Yankees lineup off balance giving up only one run in three and a third innings. For his efforts, he earned his first MLB win and a beer shower.
Approach at the plate: Patient at bats. Up and down the lineup, the Orioles worked the count and looked to put the ball in play. It was refreshing to see after their reliance on the homer under Buck Showalter.
Brandon Hyde: He's not afraid to be unconventional and is aggressive in his bullpen moves. For example, most managers probably would have allowed Bundy to try to labor through five innings to get the win. Hyde saw he was struggling and lifted him. It seems he manages to win rather then not lose, which is also refreshing.
The Bad
Richie Martin's Offense: Put simply, the rookie shortstop looks over matched. Most of his contact is weak and even his first mlb hit was a bloop that fell behind the first baseman. On the bright side, he looks smooth and solid defensively so his glove should bring value.
The Number of Walks: The Orioles pitching staff gave up 22 walks in just 27 innings. Usually that's a recipe for disaster, especially against the team with such a powerful offense like the Yankees. It needs to be fixed.
Chris Davis: Three at bats into the season, Davis had three strikeouts to his name and looked lost at the plate. Only a decent showing in game three where he walked and made some solid contact saved him from being put in the Ugly category.
The Ugly
The Starting Pitching: It was awful during this opening series. Andrew Cashner looked afraid to attack hitters in game one and gave up six runs in four innings while walking four. It could have been much worse. In game three, Dylan Bundy showed flashes of brilliance striking out seven batters but could not keep his pitch count down and failed to get through four innings. The rest of the rotation is full of question marks as well. It will be a major weakness for this team.
Final Thoughts
1) The team is fun to watch. They have speed and play with an energy not seen since the early years of the Showalter era. Its nice to see them try to steal bases and make things happen especially since they have nothing to lose this season.
2) This team has drawn me in somehow. Even in a lost season.
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