I just asked Rich Dubroff, who is sitting next to me in the press box and covering today's game for the Carroll County Times, whether this is the worst game the Orioles have played all season, and his response was, "It's the worst I've seen."
Unfortunately, there has been a lot of bad baseball played this year, and I don't distinctly remember every game, but this one is sticking out to me as the worst all year.
There was a terrible outing for starter David Hernandez, who was seemingly behind every hitter and leaving way too many pitches up in the zone. He lasted just 3 2/3 innings, allowing six earned runs on six hits -- including two homers -- and four walks. He also mixed in a wild pitch to fill up that stat line a little further.
The defense behind him has been brutal as well. Orioles third baseman Miguel Tejada fielded Randy Winn's bunt attempt in the fourth inning and had a play at second base with Ty Wigginton near the bag. However, Tejada opted not to throw the ball to second or first. Later in the inning, Lou Montanez, playing center field after Adam Jones was a late scratch, pulled up near the wall and didn't extend to catch Mark Teixeira's two-run double. I give Montanez somewhat of a free pass because he doesn't usually play center field, but that play has to be made by any outfielder.
Offensively, the Orioles have one run on six hits through five innings. But they've hit into three double plays and are 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position. They got their only run when Nolan Reimold drew a bases-loaded walk in the fourth.
And as I was about to file this, Garrett Atkins just cost himself an infield single by not running out a ground ball down the third-base line. Atkins thought the ball was going to go foul, and didn't run it out.
OK, this is officially the worst game they've played all year. I don't need to be convinced further.