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Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen (pictured) was on his way to his second strong performance in a row when he grabbed at his side and exited Sunday's game with a right oblique strain. That's very bad news for a team that already has called on four Triple-A starters to fill in the fifth slot in the rotation and replace injured Miguel Gonzalez. It was a tough week already, after so-so outings by Jason Hammel, Freddy Garcia and Steve Johnson, and that was reflected in the combined numbers. The rotation posted a 2-2 record with a 6.03 ERA and averaged just five innings per start. Even though the team managed to go 4-2 in those games, this is starting to get scary.
Grade: D (Hannah Foslien / Getty Images /May 12, 2013)
Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen (pictured) was on his way to his second strong performance in a row when he grabbed at his side and exited Sunday's game with a right oblique strain. That's very bad news for a team that already has called on four Triple-A starters to fill in the fifth slot in the rotation and replace injured Miguel Gonzalez. It was a tough week already, after so-so outings by Jason Hammel, Freddy Garcia and Steve Johnson, and that was reflected in the combined numbers. The rotation posted a 2-2 record with a 6.03 ERA and averaged just five innings per start. Even though the team managed to go 4-2 in those games, this is starting to get scary.
Grade: D (Hannah Foslien / Getty Images /May 12, 2013)
The Orioles played Friday night's game in front of an announced crowd of 29,270 -- about 2,600 more than Baltimore's average 2012 attendance. The crowd was one of the loudest of the season, and the Orioles, especially manager Buck Showalter, noticed.
"They were instrumental in that motion in the ballpark, especially this time of year when it's so draining physically," Showalter said. "It's uplifting. Don't think our players don't hear it and don't feel it."
Camden Yards was rocking on Friday night for a variety of reasons -- it could have been that the game had four lead changes and was back and forth in the late innings, or that it was fireworks night, or that the team handed out bucket hats before the game.
The crowd was into it until the ninth inning, when the Athletics scored six runs to take a five run lead.
"That's why it's a double-kick in the stomach when you aren't able to finish that one off, because it would have made for a lot more people watching the fireworks," Showalter said. "I notice those things. Believe me, I can take in a moment as I am getting older, and I see the motion and the care."
"Sure wish we could have done a better job of finishing it," he added.
"They were instrumental in that motion in the ballpark, especially this time of year when it's so draining physically," Showalter said. "It's uplifting. Don't think our players don't hear it and don't feel it."
The crowd was into it until the ninth inning, when the Athletics scored six runs to take a five run lead.
"That's why it's a double-kick in the stomach when you aren't able to finish that one off, because it would have made for a lot more people watching the fireworks," Showalter said. "I notice those things. Believe me, I can take in a moment as I am getting older, and I see the motion and the care."
"Sure wish we could have done a better job of finishing it," he added.
