Anger and embarassment, those are the emitions that should be felt in the clubhouse this afternoon following the Cincinnati Reds 24-2 beatdown of the Baltimore Orioles. Sunday’s game at Oriole Park was not a “tough loss” and the Orioles were not “roughed up” by the Reds as the debacle was spun on the MASN post-game show. Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer even said that he didn’t “count” the final two innings because they were pitched by position players. Would he have felt that way if the roles were reversed?
The Orioles looked lifeless and at times disinterested today; the emotionless blank stares on some of the players in the dugout after the game were telling. Not that I was expecting a Hal McRae type of meltdown afterwards but manager Brandon Hyde‘s nonchalant answers didn’t sit well.
Now for the good (what little there was): Adley Rutschman went 2 for 4 with an eighth inning homerun, 1 run scored and 1 RBI. Jordan Westburg went 2 for 4 with a double and 1 run scored.
The bad: Charlie Morton (0-5) started and on a day that the team needed innings from him, gave them just 2.1 innings, throwing 68 pitches (36 strikes) in allowing 7 runs on 7 hits (1 homerun) with 4 walks and 2 strikeouts. Morton took the loss and frankly does not seem to have it thus far in the season.
The ugly: the relievers. Cody Poteet, called up today, allowed 5 runs on 6 hits, walked 2 and struck out 1 over 2.2 innings and Cionel Perez allowed 3 runs on 5 hits, walked 2 and struck out 3 over 2.0 innings before turning the game over to the position players.
Jorge Mateo pitched the eighth inning and allowed 5 runs on 5 hits with 2 walks and hit a batter; he gave up a Noelvi Marte homerun as well.
Gary Sanchez allowed 4 runs on 2 hits (an Austin Wynns homerun included) with a walk and a hit batter in the ninth. Ironically, Austin Dunn was the player both “pitchers” hit.
The play by Elly De La Cruz in the second inning may be the play of the season.
2025 Record: 9-12
Next Game: Tues. 4/22 @ 6:45 pm in Washington, DC vs. Nationals