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Leading Off

You may be thinking that this was another rough week of Orioles Baseball, but i’s possible y ou’re not looking at this the right way. Consider this: because of the rain-out, the Orioles played five games since we last recorded, and they won two of them! That’s a 40% winning percentage!! We would have killed for a .400 winning percentage earlier in the season.

Man, finding the silver lining in these dark clouds is a series exercise in creative writing.

Join us for The Drink of the Week. Don’t forget to drink socially with us on Untappd.

 

This Week on the Twitters

Here is what is happening in the world of Orioles Baseball, in 280 characters, or fewer:

No surprise a team from Baltimore would draft a failed pitcher.. just didn't expect him to be a tight end

— Ryan Wormeli (@RyanWarmly) April 27, 2018

https://twitter.com/sung_minkim/status/989699995505840128

it's no Yankee Stadium…

— james abrahams (@abrahams1985) April 29, 2018

The last team to make the playoffs starting the season 6-19 or worse in their first 25 games were the 1877 Rochester Light Grays, a team I just made up.

— Dan Szymborski (@DSzymborski) April 27, 2018

(the answer is 2-11)

— Eutaw Street Report (@EutawStReport) April 24, 2018

TB has scored 8 runs in five consecutive games, btw. So please no more excuses about the bats need time to heat up. Weather is no longer an issue either.

— Britt Ghiroli (@Britt_Ghiroli) April 27, 2018

My sons first game. #Birdland #TeachThemYoung pic.twitter.com/lXRQmxEUeY

— The Sunglass Guy (@OsSunglassGuy) April 29, 2018

 

Around the Bases

Man, this week sucked. There was nothing but sadness. So we go Around the Bases to see how bad things have been and see if there is anything the Orioles can do to pull out of this early funk.

First Base: The Tim Beckham Injury

Tim Beckham’s injury has led to some interesting opportunities for Orioles “infielders,” and the results have been surprisingly… not harmful. What does the Beckham injury mean, in light of the Orioles’ “depth,” and what can we expect when Beckham returns. Who is he? Is he the guy we saw in August of 2017, or the guy who was uninspiring to start 2018?

Second Base: The Immaculate Inning

After Scott said that Gausman “is what he is,” and that we should give up hope of a future ace, Gausman went and put together a fantastic start. A fantastic start that included an Immaculate Inning (nine pitch inning, featuring three strikeouts). How excited should we be? What happens from here?

Third Base: The Chris Davis Experiment

Chris Davis has been weapons-grade terrible. What should we make of the fact that he was benched for two games? How much longer can the team afford to hang on through a complete absence of “Crush?”

Home Plate: Holding out to Memorial Day

When should the Orioles throw in the towel? When do you, as a fan, throw in the towel?

“Dan Duquette” stops by to lend his voice to these very questions.

 

Dongs After Dark, Part Deux

With the Orioles limping off to a West Coast trip with an unimpressive record, we have to take what few joys from the 2018 season we can. Therefore, it’s time for a return of our favorite hashtag:

#DongsAfterDark

We’re hoping a little late night baseball will be enough to get the fans’ blood pumping, but we realize that it’s more likely for us to be left lying in our beds, disappointed in another poor performance.

 

 

Fantasy Boss

Jake wins his third consecutive week. When it comes to opponents’ xwOBA, Scott picked a bad time to go with Dylan Bundy. Bundy went boom, and recorded a .393 xwOBA, whereas Jake’s pick Richard Bleier recorded a .218.

That brings the contest to 3-2 in Jake’s favor. Scott selected home runs, in honor of this week’s upcoming #DongsAfterDark, but the guys agree that no one can pick the natural selection of Manny Machado.

Jake’s Pick: Adam Jones

Scott’s Pick: Trey Mancini 

 

Who will own it?

 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Who had a great week? Who had a tough week? Who made us ashamed to be Orioles fans? Find out in this week’s GB&U. The guys run through their Good, Bad, and Ugly for the week.

Tweet us your selections @birdseyeviewbal with #OsGood, #OsBad, and #OsUgly.

 

Blowing the Save

 

Most podcasts try to end on a high note – the perfect coda to a quality program. That’s just not our style. Each week, we’ll end on a weak note, blowing the save with an item that didn’t quite fit into the episode, or something they simply need to get off their chests. It’s our version of taking the ball and pulling a Kevin Gregg.

 

 

Your Turn

Love it? Hate it? Confused? Let us and other listeners know! As always, we appreciate the support.

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