Series Thread: 8/12-8/19: vs WAS, vs BOS

[ThomasTomasz]

8/12: Off

8/13: vs WAS @ 6:35 pm EST

8/14: vs WAS @ 6:35 pm EST

8/15: vs BOS @ 6:35 pm EST

8/16: vs BOS @ 7:05 pm EST

8/17: vs BOS @ 7:05 pm EST

8/18: vs BOS @ 1:35 pm EST

 

[ThomasTomasz]

Big series this weekend against Boston.

I have tickets for Wednesday and Friday. I am not sold on going on Thursday, but the wife and I will be there Friday for the Corbin Burnes bobblehead.

 

[hattersgonnahate]

[Reporting live from the 8/13 game]

Unfortunately, Rogers and almost everyone else who pitched for the Orioles tonight were as bad as what the box score would suggest...

 

[ThomasTomasz]

Rogers was not a good get, at all. This is a move we are going to regret.

 

[hattersgonnahate]

Rogers was not a good get, at all. This is a move we are going to regret.

At least the situation in my section was entertaining: There was a family with divided fandom nearby, and the crowd behind me was still making noise as directed even well into garbage time. Also, Soto was somehow the best Orioles pitcher tonight (baby steps, I guess?)

Regarding Rogers, I guess the issue is that there is really no short-term alternative unless you're willing to call up Povich again. Failing that, perhaps the only workaround to minimize the damage is to consider ordering the rotation 1-5-2-3-4 and make the Rogers / Kremer starts "scheduled punt games." (Either way, if this is turning into another 2023 Jack Flaherty situation, the playoff rotation probably needs to be Burnes / Eflin / Rodriguez / Suárez.)

 

[hattersgonnahate]

From The Baltimore Sun:

The Orioles plan to recall left-hander Cade Povich from Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the decision. [...]

It’s not yet clear what corresponding move the Orioles will make to create space on their active roster. Baltimore originally named right-hander Albert Suárez its probable pitcher for Saturday, and manager Brandon Hyde said in his pregame news conference Friday that the Orioles are considering pushing him and the rest of the rotation back a day. Hyde said it was “more than likely” that left-hander Trevor Rogers, scheduled to pitch Sunday, would be pushed back as well rather than skipped. [...]

Hyde added that he doesn’t anticipate the club expanding to a six-man rotation for the next few weeks despite deploying that strategy last year down the stretch. [...]

In two starts for the Tides since his last MLB stint, Povich has completed seven innings in both outings and allowed six runs (3.86 ERA) with 11 strikeouts and two walks. He owns a 3.48 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 15 appearances (14 starts) for Norfolk this season and would be a candidate to move into the Orioles’ bullpen down the stretch even if he doesn’t stick in their rotation as a starter.

Seems that the idea is to give Suárez extra rest (which makes sense since the 6 2/3 innings pitched on 8/11 was a season high) while auditioning Povich as a possible replacement of Rogers in the #5 starter role?

 

[ThomasTomasz]

Not minding the split against Boston, but the bullpen has got to start improving. I think I heard on ERA, we’re 28th in the league right now? That’s not going to cut it.

 

[hattersgonnahate]

Not minding the split against Boston, but the bullpen has got to start improving. I think I heard on ERA, we’re 28th in the league right now? That’s not going to cut it.

With a run differential of exactly zero for the 4-game series (20-20), an even split is the expected result anyway, and one could argue that better management of the pitching staff might have stolen a win (but it could easily have been 1-3 as well).

Anyway, one idea they could consider for keeping the bullpen fresh is to re-activate the Norfolk shuttle. For example, since Rogers also has options available, they could theoretically option him after every start by replacing him with a reliever, then replace the reliever with Povich when that spot in the rotation comes up again, then rinse and repeat (essentially have Rogers and Povich take turns being the #5 starter and have someone else occupy that roster spot for the remaining days). Of course, there is a limit to the extent that this can be done since pitchers now have to stay in the minors for 15 days after being optioned (unless it's an injury replacement) and can only be optioned for up to 5 times in the same season... you need to have enough players to cycle through for this to work well (and I am only suggesting this because there is only a quarter of the regular season remaining).