O's From the Booth 5/29 - O's Drop 2nd in a Row North of the Border.

Well, not so good evening O's fans. The O's drop their fourth in a row to the Blue Jays 8-6. The game was not as close as it sounds.  

I know a little panic is starting to set in among all of Orioles fans.  It is a natural feeling from the past 14 years.  I truly feel that this team is different.  I think we are just scuffling a little right now but will right the ship.  The Rays are helping us as they lost again tonight as well.  We have lost 6 of 8 and are still in first place.  

Tonight was just another bad start for Jake Arrieta.  He is just not looking good right now.  He does not have the command he showed early on.  I am starting to wonder if he is not hurting a little.  He was tagged for seven runs, six of them earned in just 4 1/3 innings.  The starting pitching for the Orioles right now is just not getting it done.  With that said, the only true consistent hitter in the Orioles line up is the $85 million richer Adam Jones. He had a perfect night at the plate tonight with a single, two home runs and two walks.

Chris Davis is also hitting the ball well right now. Everyone else in the Orioles line up is just up and down.  The thing right now that is killing this team is the strike outs.  They have now struck out 409 times on the year averaging about 8.3 strike outs per 9 innings.  This can just not continue. They have to put the ball in play to make things happen.  

I do not know what the answer is. I think it starts with pitch recognition.  A lot of the hitters seem to swing at bad pitches out of the zone or watch a pitch right down the middle because they are fooled.  

Jim Pressley has some work to do.  The O's only had three hits through five innings tonight.  It was not until the 6th inning when they scored 3 runs to cut the game to 8-4.  New Orioles, rookie Miguel Gonzales only gave up one run out of the bullpen, keeping the O's in the game.  Adam Jones hit a 2 run home run in the 9th to bring the O's within two at 8-6.  

Paulino doubled, he replaced Matt Weiters who was thrown out of the game earlier for arguing with the home plate umpire Doug  Eddings.  Mark Reynolds walked and the O's had the  tying runs on base and the go ahead run at the plate. Chris Davis popped out, and Wilson Betemit grounded into a force out on a check swing to end the game.  

The O's started hitting too little too late.  As I mentioned before, lucky for the O's, the Rays lost as well tonight to the White Sox 7-2.  As bad as things have been over the last week the O's are still tied for first place.  

The O's look to Jason Hammel Wednesday to put an end to the four-game skid. This is a huge game for the O's.  They can not afford to be swept and then head to Tampa Bay and Boston.  They need an emotional lift heading into the huge series with the Rays.  Let's hope the O's can pull it together and salvage the last game of this series.  Let's go O's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!