Finally getting a day off should have done the Orioles good.
It should have allowed them to try and start anew.
In the end, though, the Orioles dropped another winnable game in an excruciating way. They came back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game at 3-3 in the eighth only to see the bullpen walk three straight batters, the last by Jim Johnson to force in the winning run.
Now the Orioles are 2-15.
Afterward, the Orioles pitchers that couldn't throw strikes in the eighth didn't shy away from the media. That's tough to do. I've seen Orioles throughout the years hide in training rooms until our deadline summoned and we had to leave. Johnson, however, is always by his locker when things go bad. And this is the first time Ohman has been stuck in a situation like this as an Oriole, but it is my guess he'll always be stand up, too.
Here's some of their quotes.
From Johnson:
"We didn't throw a whole lot of strikes, and you obviously can't defend against the walks. That's inexcusable. That's terrible. You can't lose a game on walking in a guy with the bases loaded. That's just horse(bleep) on my part.
"It's not like we are trying to do that. We've got to figure it out. I'm trying to throw a ball down the middle and it just isn't going there. That last pitch to Beltre. I've got to make him try to hit the ball and put it in play. You can't defend the walk that's the worse thing that could happen right there."
From Will Ohman, who walked two with two outs and a runner on third. He threw eight pitches, all balls. Two were intentional.
"You decide the game in the seventh or eighth inning, I didn't get it done. This isn't anybody's fault but mine, personally. I gave them momentum when they didn't necessarily have it. There's a runner on third with two outs and I have got two chances to get a guy out and I don't even throw a pitch close. That's on me.
"I just stunk it up. I didn't get it done. It's frustrating in that we needed a pick-me-up and I gave us a let-me-down. I didn't get it done. Nobody's fault but mine."
"My job is to shut down that inning, I am not going to suppose what somebody else should have done. I didn't get it done. I gave them a position where JJ had to come and pick me up and it shouldn't have been there. I don't care what park we are in or who we are facing, I did not get it done."