Orioles Count Themselves Out

The Orioles offense can be a bit one-dimensional at times: and it’s all about the long ball. If they’re down by six runs, you know they’re going to try to hit that elusive seven-run home run.

Lately, struggling hitters have been trying to get on base by way of the bunt. Chris Davis dropped one down the line on Monday night. Manny Machado has been trying to get his bat going by showing bunt early in the count. I’ll give these guys credit: at least they’re doing something.

Here’s something the Orioles offense is not doing: working the count. Last night’s 1-0 loss at the hands of the Boston Red Sox is a perfect example. The O’s were no-hit over the course of five innings, and went down with a whimper, failing to mount anything close to a threat until the bottom of the ninth inning.

This lineup that fans were so sure would be one of the best in the league (guilty as charged) only forced opposing pitching to throw 94 pitches last night. Here’s a depressing look at their inability to work the count:

This is not a post where I call for Jim Presley’s job. I’ll admit that  because I’m not inside that clubhouse, I don’t know who is responsible for this mess. We’ve discussed this on Bird’s Eye View from time to time – it’s quite possible that the scouting report on Brandon Workman indicated the team should try to be aggressive with him. But when a pitcher is holding an offense hitless for that long, the approach should change. And the responsibility for enacting that change is not solely on the hitting coach.

These guys are professional hitters. When the Orioles get good starting pitching, the offense needs to take advantage, and make adjustments mid-game. They should know when it’s time to stop hacking, and work the count. This is something good clubs do, and if they need proof, all they need do is look at the team in the opposing dugout. The Red Sox are notorious for working pitchers, for getting into the soft underbelly of middle relief. It’s part of the winning formula that was so painful to watch in the Dark Years.

The Birds can take the Red Sox series tonight with a win over some other nobody on the mound. As our patience wears thin, all we fans can do is hope that the Orioles find some patience at the plate.