bird-chirps

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Sept 27 Os 7 - Js 5

     A fine way to end the season. The Os go into 2021, if there is a 2021, on a one game winning streak. It was a year of much roster turnover, as vets were mostly ditched in favor of young prospects. The record improved over last year, and the club is clearly headed in the right direction. The guess here for 2021 is a .500 record.      Kevin Akin gave up four runs in three innings to end his season on a low note. The pen took over and gave up but one run in the remaining six. The game was closed by the remarkable Cesar Valdez who wound up with an ERA of 1.26. Clearly the plan is for the team to get younger, but they have to  bring this guy back. Throwing a bewildering array of "Junk," he seems unhittable while being among the most entertaining pitchers we've seen.      Cedric Mullins fooled a lot of people. Originally, he looked like your good field, no hit outfielder who's average would be around .230. Wrong. Closing out his season with a two triple game, he finished with an average of .271 and played a plus center field.      The overall impression is of a team with unproven but young promising starting pitching, a strong pen, and an everyday lineup that has a few holes, but some young players with upside. The front office gives signs of knowing what they are doing.      Signing off for 2020, looking forward to an ever rising team in 2021. See you then.

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Sept 26 Os 2 - Jays 5

     This is  it. The final day of this irregular season, and the eyes of the baseball world will be fixated on the outcome of the stirring race between our Os and the Boston Red Sox. Can the Os manage a win and avoid a tie for last place in the division? Can the Red Sox themselves win, or will a loss today render the question moot? This is why they play the games.      In the lead up to to today's finals, the Os lost their penultimate game vs the playoff bound Jays. The only thing significant about this contest was the reaffirmation that John Means has regained his All Star form. Another outstanding performance, one run given up over six innings, his fourth exceptional outing in a row. His ERA over those four starts is 1.52. After a stumbling start to the season due to reasons beyond his control, it was reassuring to see him back again. In two short years, he has become the old pro among the starters who can show the way to the newbies.      The team has clearly made progress this season, and the future looks promising. The active roster is mostly young guys, with the exception of shortstop Jose Iglesias who has been outstanding in the field while hitting .373. Not bad. If it weren't for time missed due to nagging injuries, he would be the AL's All Star shortstop.      The pitching staff has also gotten younger and better with rumors of more help on the way next year. Reshaping the roster has been a painful process, but it looks like its working. Hoping for at least a .500 record next season.          

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Sept. 25 Os 5 - Jays 10

     Too bad that Jorge Lopez' season didn't end before Friday's game. He was blasted off the mound Friday night giving up eight runs in two innings, raising his ERA to 6.34. Not the ideal way to go into the winter break. He has shown promise, but is still an uncertain quantity.      The Jays will certainly miss playing the Os whom they have now beaten seven out of eight tries and counting. Perhaps today's starter, John Means, will find a way to put an end to this debacle.      Fierce battle for the basement with the Red Sox. After last night's games, the Os can do no worse than tie. Although they will not get the first or second pick, its important to keep in mind that baseball draft choices are not the same as football's. First rounders in baseball go directly to the minors, when there are minors, and usually take a few years to make it to the bigs. First rounders in football almost always make the team in their first year. Many major leaguers were drafted far down the list.      Only two games left in this bizarre season before the multi - level playoffs begin. This is a season that will be best forgotten and covered with a huge asterisk.

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Sept 24 Os 13 - Red Sox 1

     Wow! Who saw that coming? After averaging about 1 1/2 runs/game for the past few weeks, the Os burst out with thirteen in one night. Of course, this is not the most efficient way to distribute your runs, but who cares? It doesn't matter in the big picture, and its fun to see the Os on the right side of a beat down for a change.      Alex Cobb had an impressive start - one run in seven innings. Nice way to wind up his season. Iglesias, Valaika, and Hays all homered. Iglesias is having an All Star season if only he had enough at bats.      Its off to Buffalo for the final three games of this truncated season. The Os will not be in the playoffs, but there have been encouraging signs both from the mound and at the plate. Its possible that 2021 will see the team rise to a break even record. Let's not be greedy.

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Sept. 23 Os 1 - Red Sox 9

     The good news - the Os outhit the Sox in this game, 11 - 10. The bad news - they pay off on runs and the Os, although holding the Sox to single digits, lost that battle 9 - 1. Eleven hits and one run is not easy to do, especially when the one run was the result of a homer by Austin Hays.      Not long ago the Os record was 20 - 21. It is now 23 - 33. They've run out of gas at the finish, and the loss of Santander probably has a lot to do with that.      Alex Cobb goes today in an effort to avoid the cellar. Although, the lower they finish, the higher the draft choice, so why not go for it? It would be impossible to know if the Os were tanking, since it would look much like their normal game.        

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Sept. 22 Os 3 - Red Sox 8

     What has Keegan Akin done to deserve this? As soon as he steps on the mound, the fielders can no longer make the plays. Several starts ago he left in the first inning after getting about five outs but only being credited with two. Much the same in this game as he allowed four runs, only two earned. He did make it through four this time, striking out six. He may get one more chance in the final game on Sunday.      This was not a well played game by either team. The Os committed three errors, and the Sox two. Neither team has anything to play for, but as long as they are still being paid, you'd like to see the effort.      Its Dean Kremer's final start tonight. He has been a most welcome surprise as his 1.69 ERA would indicate. Its time for our weekly win.  

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Sept 21 Off Day

     No game Monday, giving our guys an opportunity to celebrate their Sunday win which avoided a rare five game sweep at the hands of the Rays. The home schedule is complete, and its on to Boston and the incredibly under achieving, last place Red Sox. What happened to these guys? An investigation is in order.      Keegan Akin goes for the Os in his final start of the season. He is one of the new bright lights in the rotation having pitched to a 2.35 ERA. Keegan is one of the reasons for optimism in 2021.      Will the Os continue to try to win while scoring one run or fewer/game, or will they burst out with one of their offensive onslaughts? Its past time to see some scoring. Let's go Os!

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Sept 20 Rays 1 - Os 2

     A little taste of the, "Dead Ball era." The, "Pre - Babe," days. The Os mounted an impressive rally in the first inning, scoring two on a bloop by Renato Nunez that just made it beyond the reach of the shortstop. Having doubled their normal run output, they saw no need to score more and hunkered down to see what would happen.      It turns out that that was all that was needed due to an outstanding performance by their rebounding ace, John Means, who struck out twelve in 5 2/3. Its quite a comfort to Os fans to see John return to his All Star form after a rocky start to this mini-season. At one point, he Kd seven in a row.      This game also marked the return to form by the baffling Cesar Valdez who soft balled them 1-2-3 in the ninth.      This closed out the home season for 2020. Most would agree that despite the losing record, and sputtering attack, that there is room for optimism. First and foremost was the injection of young successful starters into the rotation. That is where winning begins and, if reports are accurate, there are more on the way in 2021.      Next problem, eliminate the frustratingly inconsistent offense. Far too many games with only one run scored. We need a few more Mountcastles, another reason to anticipate better things to come.      The season finishes up on the road, Boston to Buffalo to home. Spring training begins in Feb. 2021 - maybe.  

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Sept. 19 Rays 3 - Os 1

     The boys got their one run out of the way early in this one, scoring on a hit by pitch with the bases loaded. Were the Rays taking pity on this non-existent offense? Whatever, that constitutes a rally for the team currently. That's one run or less in seven of the last ten games. Hard to win many that way.      To add to their woes, Jose Iglesias, star shortstop currently hitting .377 was hit on the wrist by a pitch and is probably done for the year. The only upside, it doesn't matter.      Pedro Severino is not Mr. September. Like last year he disappears in the final month. So far he's hitting .191 with 14 Ks.  Might he need a rest? He's earned it.      On the upside, Ryan Mountcastle continues to impress. Two more hits in this game brings his average to .344. Remember, he's been in the bigs for not quite a month although he seems like a vet.      John Means goes today in an effort to salvage one game of this five game series. Of course, it doesn't matter how he pitches if the team adheres to their one run/game regimen.

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Sept. 18 Rays 2 - Os 1

     The Os have scored but one run in six of their nine last games. Surprise - they lost them all. The lineup seems better than this, but the record says otherwise. On the plus side, the pitchers have really stepped up. They don't bat, so they can't be blamed. What they do is pitch. and very well lately. Alex Cobb went six innings, giving up only two runs. It could have been one with a little better outfield play by Stewart in right, but it doesn't matter. The team gets one run, and then just hangs around until they lose.      Although this truncated season is ending on a down note, there is reason for optimism. Young pitchers are stepping up and proving that they can be winners in the bigs. Reports indicate that there are more of the same down on the farm, ready to show up in '21. Pitching is where winning starts. The front office clearly know that, and has made some good choices. Light - tunnel, don't despair. Help is on the way.           

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Sept. 17 Game 1 Rays 3 - Os 1 Game 2 Os 6 - Rays 10

     It is a fortunate thing for our Os that there is no such thing as a triple header. Losing both ends of a twin bill is their SOP and that's bad enough. Imagine three in one day.      Dean Kremer started the opener and gave up one run in five innings. One run seems to be the standard for him. He wasn't at his best, control a little off, but it says a lot that when he is not quite on top of his game, that he gave up but one run. He's a keeper.      The second game featured the debut of Balto. native, Bruce Zimmerman. He was rushed in due to the double header, and didn't seem quite ready for prime time. A three run homer in his first innings was a clue. He settled down a bit after that and gave up just one more run on another in the third. He will get a chance next spring to show what he can do.       The Os put up a good fight in this one and actually pulled ahead, 6 - 4 at one point, but to no avail. The Rays clinched a playoff spot with their win in the second game. Our guys can say that, although not in the playoffs themselves, they know someone who is.       Alex Cobb goes tonight, and the Os can still win the series, it being a rare five gamer.      

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Sept 16 Braves 1 - Os 5

     With memories of the recent debacle fresh in his mind, Keegan Akin did everything he could to keep the balls out of the hands of his fielders. Nine Ks in just five innings, six of them in a row, did the job. After a shaky first, Keegan settled down and blew the NL East leading Braves away. Five innings of shutout ball was the result.      The pen had a good day despite a gift run that Dillon Tate awarded the Braves after a single, passed ball, ground out, and fly ball netted them their only run. The Atlantans were beaten twice in the three game series by the wildly inconsistent Os. The game ended with the "Man of Mystery," Cesar Valdez closing in his usual efficient fashion, although he did give up a hit. No matter, he now has completed 11 1/3 shutout innings by throwing the ball slow and slower.       A twin bill today vs the division leading Rays. Dean Kremer pitches the first with TBD starting the second. They're not going to the post season,  but this year's version of the Os is a lot more entertaining than the 2019 version. The games are becoming fun to watch again.

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Sept. 15 Braves 5 - Os 1

     Another all or nothing game for our Os, in this case - nothing. They did get one run in the ninth, a little something just for showing up, but the offense was back to their Rip Van Winkle mode.       With any hope of the post season dashed, its just down to getting guys ready for next year. The rotation has shown promise, and Ryan Mountcastle and D. J. Stewart have been most welcome surprises. According to Austin Hayes, who has spent enough time with them to know, there are some winners down in Area 51 ready to enter the lineup in 2021.      One who is hanging on precariously, is Wojo. He seems to have regressed since last season, and his ERA increases with every appearance. After allowing three runs in two innings in this game, he's up to 6.81. Unacceptable.       This should be the last hurrah for Chris Davis. He has to be paid no matter what they do, so why give him a roster spot when he clearly can no longer hit? They can mail the checks rather than hand them to him. The cost of postage has little impact on his $24,000,000/year.      Keegan Akin today, as he gets another opportunity to show why he deserves a spot in next season's rotation. 

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Sept. 14 Braves 1 - Os 14

     Now we know why our guys couldn't seem to score any runs in The Apple. They weren't lost, they were being saved up to be used at home. The Braves must be wondering what hit them. The same team that scored a total of three runs in four games, burst out with a fourteen run explosion. Probably means nothing in the long run, but it was fun to watch.      Three homers in the third inning by Stewart (the Baby Bambino), Mountcastle, and Iglasias settled the contest in the third inning. Valaika, with an assist from old friend Nick Markakis who tipped the ball over the wall, added another one later on.      While all this was happening. Jose Lopez was holding the visitors to one run in seven innings. A most satisfying game.      The Braves, protecting their first place standing in their division, get a chance for revenge tonight. We'll see what the streaky Os have to say about it.

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Sept 13 Os 1 - Yanks 3

     Another day featuring the good, the bad, and the ugly. As for the bad, how's this? The team scored three runs over thirty - three innings. Four games and they lost them all. Can the loss of Santander from the lineup have anything to do with the dearth of scoring? Probably, since he was their most productive hitter. All teams suffer injuries during the season, but the Os are not deep enough when it comes to reserves. When a productive starter goes down, its a crippling loss.      Ugly? Five straight losses, six games below .500, and virtual elimination from any post season possibility, which seemed to have a chance just a few games ago.       There was good. There was John Means with his second straight one run effort over six innings. He looks a lot like the 2019 version who went to the All-Star game. Nunez breaking out with 2 - 4 and a homer.       Face it, it would have been a travesty if this team made the playoffs. They are clearly adding quality pieces, but they're not quite a major league team yet. The most encouraging thing has been the improvement in the starting pitching, with more rumored to be on the way. It looks like the front office may actually know what it is doing.       Jorge Lopez today vs the first place Atlanta Braves. Its probably going to take more than one run to win this one.

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Sept 12 Os 1 - Yanks 2

Team Meeting, Saturday AM - "OK amigos, we have to face it. We're not going to win too often by scoring only 1/2 run/game. What do you say we double it?" Wild cheering and cries of, "Si, si."      Despite another outstanding pitching performance by Dean Kremer - 5 innings, four hits, one run - the Os could not find a way to win. They came close, getting to the tenth before the Yanks pushed across a run without benefit of a hit. Man on second, wild pitched to third, home on a sac fly. That's four losses in a row and most likely the end of the fantasy of post season play.      All was not doom and gloom, however. Along with the fine performance of Kremer, we must acknowledge the outstanding contribution of the mysterious Cesar Valdez who seems to have appeared from out of nowhere. Its like a, "Shoeless Joe," moment. At the age of 35, never having made it to the bigs prior to this, he comes in throwing slow and slower and has not allowed a run in 10 1/3 innings. The opposition seems totally baffled by this assortment of junk that they cannot hit. Its now how you do it, but what you do that counts. Praise is due to the front office who plucked this guy off the trash heap. Pitchers who's fastball is in the mid to high eighties, usually get overlooked.       The Os can salvage one game of this four game series with a win today. John Means will try to follow up on his most recent fine performance, his first of the year.  

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Sept 11 Game 1, Os 0 - Yanks 6 Game 2, Os 1 - Yanks 10

     Let's try that once more. Question - How many games can you win by scoring 1/2 runs/game? Answer - 0. The Os were steamrolled in a twin bill vs the Yanks, and have entered into another of their dormant phases. This is one streaky team, and this is the downside.      In the opener, Alex Cobb set the tone for the day immediately, by giving up a homer to the first batter he faced. Game over. Unfazed, he proceeded to give up a hit followed by another homer making the score 3 - 0 without an out having been recorded. Things went downhill from there.      The Os went down quietly against Gerrit Cole touching him up for a total of two hits. The team would probably have rallied in the eighth, but it was a seven inning game.      Speaking of rallies, they did score a run in the nightcap on another home run by D. J. Stewart, his sixth in six games. This guy is a chunky little Bambino whom we can apparently count on for a homer/game.      On the record, Keegan Akin gets a loss, but here he gets an, "I," for incomplete. No pitcher could  reasonably be expected to overcome the incredibly inept play in the first inning by the Os defense. No official errors, but misplays galore. By the time he left the scene of the carnage after throwing about 40 pitches to get two outs, he was probably very relieved to be relieved.      In the contest for the season's lowest batting average, our Chris Davis, (the smart money is on him) is hitting .115 as a result of his recent 0 - 15,  while the Yanks Sanchez lost some ground by getting a hit and raising his average to .125. If he were a gold glove catcher you could possibly understand his inclusion in the lineup on a daily basis, but he is not. Somewhat below average actually in the defense department. The Yanks don't have another catcher somewhere who can do better than that? Hard to believe. But we have our own problems.       Wojo gave up two three run homers during his stint on the mound. His spot on the roster is looking shaky. Newcomer Carson Fulmer got the final four outs in his debut.      Dean Kremer gets a chance to follow up on his splendid debut a few days ago. The Yanks in Yankee stadium,  a good test.