With their backs against the wall and needing to win three in a row, Luke Jones and Nestor discuss the Orioles hopes for a Game 3 victory in Arlington in the most hostile environment many of their youngest players have ever seen. Is there any hope to save the 2023 season?
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
game, orioles, bullpen, talk, win, pitch, season, played, ravens, sunday, runs, baseball, team, batista, fans, point, kramer, texas, rodriguez, rangers
SPEAKERS
Luke Jones, Nestor Aparicio
Nestor Aparicio 00:01
Welcome back at W n s t Towson Baltimore Baltimore positive so why don’t we Why don’t weekend was quite a Saturday and a Sunday weather was Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks and traffic are headed down for game one or game two or for those who like me sort of abstain from a lot of it watched on television balls and strikes, footballs and losses. Look, Jones joins us now he is not going to London. He is going to Dallas, Texas, along with me. We’re going to be in Arlington for game three on Tuesday night. The ravens are off the London it’s we have been through up and down what a horrible Mojo weekend it is. We’re trying to get it back. Friday we’re gonna be doing the Maryland crab cake tour with our friends at the Maryland lottery of ravens scratch offs to give away it’s been a pretty lucky batch of Coco’s as I’ve seen it lately. Friday will be a drug City at the fountain upstairs at the tasting room, their friends or window nation as well as Jiffy Lube multi care. And then on Sunday. This is a definite for sure. Breakfast, and it’ll be day one of the American League Championship Series. One way or another is going to happen on Sunday. We’re gonna be up at Hollywood casino in Perry Ville. In the morning for breakfast, there is a $30 deal, which is an awesome deal. It’s like all you can eat brunch all day long. Hang out, enter the games, you get a chance to win a whole bunch of money. More than that. Bring the family if you want. It’s breakfast time. It’s an early game. It’s kind of weird. They have awesome TVs. They’re in really, really good food. I’m looking forward to the salmon BLT for breakfast myself. Luke Jones may be joining me Sunday. I don’t know maybe you’ll stay home. I know. It depends on how worn out we are from Arlington this week. And you get a week off from going to Owings Mills and having to deal with John Harbaugh and Lamar and how do we lose to the Steelers and all of that. And I think the fans are going to be okay with that. As long as we’re in Arlington, Texas. They’re asking after game three. How did you do a Kyle Gibson seven and two thirds of three hit ball against this team and you threw strike? I don’t know. But game three is all that matters in bird Landia at this point, after, you know all this ravens talk and all the disappointment of game one, Game Two was just a complete pitching implosion. And all of our worst nightmares from the summer played out in one really pivotal must win home game and now they must win every pitch of every at bat the rest of the way loop.
8
Luke Jones 02:29
Yeah, I mean, it’s very clear what they have to do they have to win Tuesday, or we’re reading the obit the obit for this still great 2023 season but really, really disappointing ending. I mean, they have to find a way to win. And you mentioned Kyle Gibson or Dean Kramer, I don’t think and let’s be clear, neither one of those guys are going to pitch into the seventh inning. I mean, that’s you’re not going to see that in the postseason if one of those guys can get you to say the sixth inning and you have a lead, and then you have a bullpen coming off of an off day. Then I think you’d gladly take that now. You’re hoping your offense has scored your runs. Now they did a much better job of that on Sunday. I mean, they scored two runs right off the bat. You know, Aaron Hicks, atone for what turned out to be his bad in the ninth inning of game one where he missed the hit and run sign and which you know, a lot of people are wondering, Hey, Gunnar Henderson, why is he trying to steal? No. He peeked back you could tell you know, it was a hit and run and Brandon Hyde confirm that on Sunday. But I mean, it just comes down to this. I mean, Grayson Rodriguez, there was so much excitement with the way that he had pitched and he was outstanding in the second half of the season. This was the Grayson Rodriguez that we saw too much of in the first two months of the season, which is why he was sent back to Norfolk now fastball command wasn’t there. For walks, just even the first inning bases loaded, he was able to wake up Wow, the trouble you’re hoping he would settle in
Nestor Aparicio 03:53
would ask you about that. Because you know, you were at the ballpark. And I wasn’t right. I mean, obviously you’re watching balls and strikes and the football game ended with a thud and it was awful. We’ve discussed how it really wasn’t on in the stadium because they weren’t really interested in serving you. The last eight minutes of the Ravens game in the 15 Minute lead up to who sang the national anthem for Game Two, one Joan Jett. I wish she had a hell of a seat for Game Two, by the way, she did her best to distract the pitching. Thank you, Joan. I mean, you know, I hate myself for loving you. But I mean, JJ Hardy, I mean, so all of this build up in the national anthem and whatever. And the Ravens thought at 358 or whatever was, I mean, it’s like right on that five minute period. The place is electric still, but even the announcers Joe Evans and John Smoltz said, really different energy here than what we had Saturday at one o’clock right. Or 215. There was a rain delay Saturday, the Sunday come out, it’s game one, it’s here we are, let’s get you know, maybe a little different and then Rodriguez comes out and the bases are loaded, and he escapes and then he scores Some runs and by like 420 by maybe a plug for my friend security on foreign daughter at 420. The place is on fire again, right? Like, I mean, there’s a roller coaster of that 3040 minutes Baltimore sports. There’s never been anything like that. I don’t think.
Luke Jones 05:18
Yeah, you’re absolutely right. And I definitely noticed it wasn’t as insane going into the game from an energy standpoint and it was still good. I you know, I let’s be clear. It’s not like it wasn’t a morgue either. You know, let’s be honest.
Nestor Aparicio 05:33
8The Ravens strength itself, let’s not aspire to right. But there really,
Luke Jones 05:37
there really was I I sensed more of a nervous energy coming off of game one. I think that ravens losing the Steelers in the fashion that they did absolutely played a factor I mentioned in our previous conversation, that the crowd was a little more late. It was later arriving. And to be clear, everyone was in their seat, perverse pitch. But on Saturday, and probably the rain delay factored in as well. I mean, that place was packed 45 minutes before first pitch. I mean, it was there weren’t many empty seats. 45 minutes before first pitch, let alone talking about first pitch itself. It was a little more of a later arriving crowd on Sunday, because I think people were trying to monitor the football game and everything so But you’re right, it was not as loud. Not as crazy to start. Grayson Rodriguez bases are loaded. It’s nervous. Uh oh, here we go. Again, like we can’t fall behind early. gets out of it. Hicks hits the to run single and, and it’s electric. Again, it was
Nestor Aparicio 06:40
a little bit of a Delmon young via remote. Yeah, it wasn’t looking for the Delmon young moment, or that sound or that feeling when there’s 48,000 people all in orange. I mean, I don’t know that I saw 28 Texas Rangers fans in this day. I mean, like, it’s unbelievable. How provincial and local. Do you never see that at a Yankee red sobbing, even the Devil Rays bring fans in the Blue Jays bring fade like it? It was an orange out or a blackout, you know, and I get the hair on the back of your neck. Right when it hits. It’s the I mean, in a way that no other hit in the season is like that. When when that happens in a playoff game a game to when you need it.
Luke Jones 07:20
Yeah, I mean, and it’s a far cry from Delmon young, because considering the circumstances of that game against the Tigers nine years ago with that being gamed to and so late, but it was electric. And to your point, the only there’s a pocket of Texas fans to the right of the press box. That is those families. Right, right. So you hear that, and obviously my proximity to that as as a reporter in the press box, you know, you hear that but you’re right. Other than that, it’s a sea of orange and black. I mean, it really is. And it was
8Nestor Aparicio 07:53
unprecedented unto itself. I was at 96 and 97 the Yankees had famous Indians fans came I mean, like literally I sort of remember it. Yeah. So
Luke Jones 08:03
I mean the atmosphere again, was it as good as game one overall? No, but the circumstances were different. There’s a nervous energy when you’re down Oh, one rather than it just being game one and you hey, you’re looking for a lead. I’ve one o’clock on Saturday, people were thinking about the Orioles sweeping the Rangers, you know, the fan optimism and all that. So you know, I mean, but it was so deflating to get that to nothing lead and less than 10 minutes later, it’s gone. And before you know it, you’re you’re losing five to two. I mean, it’s just
Nestor Aparicio 08:36
as Ratatouille is bad, but then ball one ball six Yeah, eight ball 12. Like that’s just that is the nightmare of all nightmares that I would have been a real negative to even talk about around here in July and August and September to say that that’s the way it’s going to go at home after you’ve lost game one and a tight one. That game to your starter is going to implode your bullpen is going to like completely arson and smoke the place out and that’s really what happened again to
Luke Jones 09:07
8well, and this is what happens when your starter gets knocked out in the second inning and people I saw some fans, you know, critiquing Brandon Hyde bringing a pitcher or that pitcher. There’s no path when your starters knocked out in the second inning of a playoff game. And we already know the Orioles are missing the best reliever on the planet in 2023. And Felix Batista who wasn’t walking through that door at any point during the game, there’s no path. That’s why I tweeted in the third inning, I think it was I said if the Orioles have any shot in this game, they’re gonna have to score double digit runs. I mean, that’s just you weren’t going to hold the Texas offense and especially when you can’t throw strikes, I mean to walk 11 batters when you didn’t walk 11 batters in a game all season. And you do that in game two of the Division Series. I mean, can’t have it. I can live with Jeff being beaten, right? homerun guy is a great event. You know, there were some examples of that. You know, Jonah Haim had a really nice piece of hitting on a two strike pitch and it wasn’t a great pitch, but you know, he, he at least he made it happen, right? Don’t walk people. I mean, there I saw some people in October, right? I mean don’t don’t walk people anytime but especially in October, me and so I saw a few. A few people on social media talking about nibbling with Corey Seager. It’s like, it’s not nibbling. When you’ve walked 11 batters of the game, you just get our strikes. And that’s just, you can’t have that. And you get to a point where we talked, we’ve talked about this bullpen without Felix Batista. They did an admirable job getting to this point. But let’s face it, what had been such a great strength for this team for the first four and a half months, five months of the season, with Felix Batista, and then Cano being in No, not the ninth inning, but the seventh or eighth inning and the other guys that we’ve talked about over the course of the season. What became a great strength became just another part of the team. And again, they had an admirable record without Batista down the stretch, and even look at the bullpen. Statistically, yeah, they had during the 17 games stretch in September where they didn’t have an off day. Yeah, they were out. There’s no question about that. And they were bad for, you know, that week to 10 days stretch that we all know and we were all fret fretting about at the time, but overall, the bullpen held up admirably. But from the moment that Batista walked off the mound, we talked about it, if at that point in time, that was going to hinder their ability to make a deep October run. I mean, just it’s just the truth. It doesn’t mean you can’t but it becomes that much more difficult. So what happens is that put more pressure on Kyle Bradish to go deep in the game on on Saturday to practice wasn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination. But you know, it wasn’t peak Bradish either. And in the case of Grayson Rodriguez, we saw the bad version of Grayson Rodriguez we saw too often in his first two months in the big leagues on Sunday. And when that happens, with a bullpen that you’ve got a bunch of got, you know, just got you fill it. You have a bullpen where you had to fill it out at the bottom. Yeah, Jack clarity. Brian Baker who pitch once in the major since late July. You you have guys like that Fuji left off the roster because you can trust him. When you’re having to rely on guys like
Nestor Aparicio 12:33
that. He couldn’t have been any worse than what we saw on Sunday, but there was no reason to think he was gonna be any better either. And that’s the problem, right?
Luke Jones 12:40
I mean, you get to, it’s great to talk about canal. Tyler Wells has pitched well. Certainly Danny coulomb has had a really good season overall. But when you have to cover seven and a third innings with your bullpen, after your bullpen through quite a bit to the day before, you’re not going to you’re not going to shut down the Texas Rangers then so that’s why I said at that point in time, I think the Orioles are in trouble unless they find a way to score double digit runs. And well, Texas, they they had they added the insurance run in the ninth inning. They hit double digits and the Orioles. They kept battling and look it’s not as though this offense gave up and they made it 11 Eight but it wasn’t enough. It was too little too late. When you have a pitching staff that can’t throw strikes and a bullpen that. Let’s face it. This isn’t even the 2016 or 2014 Orioles bullpen that had Zach Britton in it, you know, Andrew Miller and 14 Darren O’Day and those bullpens, Brad Brock and those bullpens. You know those guys this current bullpen who would fit into that pecking order in 2014. Canal. Navy, Danny coulomb and a lefty specialist kind of roll but you know, this is just what became a strength or what was the strength just became another part of the team when they lost Felix Batista and that if you’re a brand and I there’s no path to being able to navigate seventh and a third innings when your starter gets knocked out the second inning without your offense scoring a ton of runs and they scored but it wasn’t enough.
Nestor Aparicio 14:18
Luke Jones is here he will be there I will be there. We will be there in Arlington, Texas for game three on Tuesday night. Central game for obviously get back for the birthday celebration this weekend. The game in London we’re going to be to Hollywood casino and Berryville on Sunday. I’m going to be drug sitting on Friday. I don’t know if there’ll be a baseball game on Friday night. Let’s talk about odds of winning in Texas. Right let’s just talk about Richmond’s bet waking up Mullins bat waking up. Aaron Hicks back woke up but decision making obviously and what they did Henderson got blamed for it and game one. sort of figure it all out. What else happened in that particular circumstance, but I’ve been optimistic enough to get on a plane that you and I are going to go through this machination to go down there to think that they’ll still be playing on Wednesday night somehow and I sort of believe that I’m maybe it’s just I’ve bought into the team and it’s not fanboying it’s just sort of like they’ve had the Moxie and I know you and I talked about the race series and dropping the first two games and Rodriguez being the hammer that came back out there. Um, by the time people hear this, I guess we’ll know if it’s Gibson or Kramer I guess it 80% Gibson, it would have been means we talked about the gray cloud that came in with John means not being available. Where are you on? The bats waking up and they didn’t late innings in the bats looked a lot different against righties and lefties. Bruce Bochy knows that and I think it’s gonna look a lot different against their bullpen if you get into it. And if you’re the one that gets the five to lead in the fourth inning, and Gibson can get you that far in a five to game in the fourth inning or fifth inning, then you start thinking about all right, what are the matchups your loop what what’s a favorable matchup for the Orioles in foreign to third scenario? Pilar wells? Is it is it. Let’s just shoot the moon and have Kramer ready or does Kramer star because Gibson got up the other day felt to me like Gibson might have just been throwing maybe on the thing. Maybe you’ll go in and have 18 pitches, but if not, you’ll start Tuesday. We might need you if we get back in the game somehow think and then we’ll say they got back in the game on Sunday. But they had a prayer until the bullpen showed up when it’s five to Yeah, you know, they’re always a walk in a double in a stolen base and a double into the gap and three doubles in a row or a couple of hits away from making up a two or three run deficit. We’ve seen that all year. I mean, I wouldn’t even feel like on Tuesday night if they’re losing four to three in the seventh inning that they can’t win or they can’t get a big hit off of the kid in the bullpen in the ninth inning. I’m not. But that would be a circumstance right? Where there’s 52,000 people or however many this new ball I haven’t been, by the way, or many ballparks I’ve been to in the world like literally I make a point of it go new ballpark with you Tuesday. So I’m a little excited about that. But I think about if they get down three, two in the seventh inning, and the Rangers started, the Rangers don’t have a spider’s web. They would bring that kid in in the eighth inning and let him try to end it right. They would, they would give him 28 pitches and two winnings if they had a three to lead in the eighth. That’s the way bocce will probably play it. But Bo Cheeseman using these lefties and they can’t hit on them and the matchups aren’t good and the Orioles feel like they they’ve been like a racehorse on Kentucky Derby Day. They don’t like the crowd, you know?
8Luke Jones 17:54
Yeah, I mean, a couple things here. First of all, the lefty thing isn’t really that big of a thing. Go look at their numbers in the regular season. They hit left handed pitching but it is a different lineup construction, because you know it is a different animal. I think so much of this is driven by Gunnar Henderson’s not as good against left handed pitching. Now he’s improved big time against lefties compared to where he was in April in May. But that’s still his weakness. And look, he’s 22. Like that’s not a fatal flaw. For him. It’s something he has to get better with lots of 22 year olds that that even become Hall of Fame hitters struggle from one side of the one, you know, one arm or the other right handed left handed depending on the matchup. So I think it’s driven by that. But it also takes Ryan O’Hearn out of play, who has been so so big for the middle of their order against right handed pitching. And even though he struggled really against right handed pitching to I mean, Cedric Mullins, you know, he’s really struggling. I mean, it’s kind of been a lost season for him, if we’re being honest, he’s had the big moments. You know, the big play in Seattle hit for the cycle earlier in the year, he was arguably their best player of the over the first two months until he heard his groin, you know, the original groin injury on Memorial Day. So you do have a few guys in that lineup who have not fared well against left handed pitching. And again, it does take O’Hearn out of the equation, which I think you’re talking about some homerun pop there a guy who was hit 300 for a large portion of the season before he did tail off in September, but the bats have to wake up regardless of the matchup, and they’re gonna see ivaldi in game three, and I think as much as you think of ivaldi at his best and how tough he can be, and how well he pitched against Tampa in the wildcard series. It’s a guy who’s dealt with injuries, you know, he was hurt on the shelf for a good chunk of the season and when he came back wasn’t necessarily, you know, getting deep into the starts. So, I think what the Orioles need to do which is, quite frankly, it’s what they actually did against Jordan Montgomery, which was they knocked him out after four innings, right? I mean, it’s not as though they didn’t perform against him the other nine hits, they scored five runs. They did not allow him to do what he did against Tampa Bay. But when you give up nine runs over the first three innings, it changes the math in terms of what you need to do. So I think it’s very simple for what this team has to do to win on Tuesday night, whether it’s Kramer or Kyle Gibson, and you made mention and we mentioned that the Grayson Rodriguez, third game of the Tampa Bay series, what he was able to do, keep in mind, what else happened in that game? It wasn’t just Grayson pitching really well, the bats jumped all over Tampa Bay, and they got they built a big lead early, and they were able to run away and they definitely
Nestor Aparicio 20:43
feels like it settles Rodriguez down, right? I mean, it’s gonna
Luke Jones 20:47
settle anyone down, right? I mean, it’s easier to pitch when it’s six to two rather than two to one or one to nothing, whether you’re on the winning or losing side. So I think they’ve got to find a way to jump ivaldi And you hope it’s gonna be a right handed pitcher. So maybe that makes a difference there you you should have O’Hearn in the starting lineup, but also will mean Adam Frazier, who I don’t understand why they’re so fixated on this platoon with him and Westberg Frazier had a 600 Oh, PS over the last two months of the season. But you know, they’ve got to find a way you know, they they’ve got to start fast offensively, especially on the road because you know, as much as we talked about the Camden Yards crowd, you know, that crowd is going to be fired up think about it. They have not played a home game. Since what before they lost the Al West. I mean that think how much has transpired for them since the last time they played in Arlington. And now they’re going to come home
Nestor Aparicio 21:44
8they have stated everything about their fan base and giving him a chance to come out and and get crazy right
Luke Jones 21:52
to be one went away from the ALCS after having lost the division to Houston, you know, with kind of choking at the end of the season
Nestor Aparicio 22:00
for won a World Series and we talked about 1983 here. There’s some people there to go back to seasons in hell in 1971 72. Which is the greatest baseball book I’ve ever read. So if you have any Rangers affinity here, or want to just laugh go pick Mike Shropshire best baseball book I’ve ever read seasons in hell about the early rangers and dude, 54 years later, three, whatever, it’s been 155 this week. They’ve never won. So there is some relative thirst and we all know the Cowboys don’t win, right? I mean, the stars in the in the Mavericks have won, you know, and they have it. So you know, Dirk Debicki is the biggest star in the history of Dallas, right? Not at all, but he won most recently by far right? Him in Aikman. Yeah,
Luke Jones 22:49
yeah. I mean, you have a Rangers team that yeah, hey, they got to a couple World Series not that terribly long ago, but they haven’t been able to break through. So I mean, this is that’s why I said it’s of the utmost importance for the Orioles. And I understand I’m not saying you have to put up a sixth spot in the first inning, although certainly Brandon Hyde in the Orioles will take that. But get an early lead. Gives you a chance to exhale and say okay, big crowd playing on the road. We played on the we played well on the road all year long. I mean, go luck. I mean, that 5050 plus road wins. I mean, not many teams can say that even even some of the great teams don’t fare that you know, even World Series champions
8Nestor Aparicio 23:27
can make a case I bought like a case for the Orioles winning the next two versus the Ravens playing the Steelers two more times and having the Steelers win on both. I mean, like, I would have no Listen, I I would bet a few bucks at a at a decent odd this week that on Friday, I’ll be a drug sitting in the season could be alive. It’s not crazy. They could go into games in Texas. It really isn’t.
Luke Jones 23:51
It’s baseball. I mean, in the same way that it was never crazy that the Texas Rangers could beat win two in Baltimore. I mean, it’s baseball and I’m not trying to be flippant about it. I’m not trying to be dismissive about it. But that’s where it’s so important to just go there. Start fast. If you can get a two nothing lead in the first inning before Dean Kramer or Kyle Gibson even take the hill and the bottom of the first. I think that makes everyone feel better. You’re coming off of an off day so the bullpen as much as they did work and games one and two, they still have an off day and it’s not like they extended anyone that is of real consequence. You know, I mean, Jack Flaherty when he’s there long man in the bullpen. I mean, that’s why he pitched on Sunday, you know, because they’re down nine to two or whatever it was when he entered so
Nestor Aparicio 24:37
but you know, he’s one ball too sure. No
Luke Jones 24:40
8question about it. Hey, it’s why you know it’s it’s why he didn’t start game one or game two. I mean, when they acquired him they thought he might be started game.
Nestor Aparicio 24:47
Food you do that you know, brings dancing house back but but the point is
Luke Jones 24:51
you need to start fast. Offense get going try to put a couple runs on the board before whether it’s Gibson or Kramer in game three, whoever’s out there. I get a lead and pitch better than you didn’t gave to me. My goodness, they can’t pitch any worse, right? 11 walks, you know, 11 runs. I mean, that’s, that’s as low as it gets in terms of pitching for a postseason game. So. And that’s what it is. I don’t have like this. It’s not this complicated formula, right? I mean, how did this team win 101 games, they’re pretty, they’re pretty darn good, right? I mean, you don’t win 101 games by accident. You can sit here and guys like me who are baseball nerds. And you could talk about the theory and you know, your your run differential and what your real true win loss record should have been, and all these different things. Regardless of that, there’s still a darn good baseball team, and they were great in the regular season. They won 101 games. Remember that? You know, as you traveled to Arlington and you have this off day and the workout it at the ballpark there. Remember that remember, never felt
Nestor Aparicio 25:55
so blessed as to be on a plane to Texas to watch Orioles, postseason baseball, from a full stadium with their backs against the wall with a young talented team. That’s a one seed, nobody believes they can go when Tuesday and Wednesday, I’ll see the guy that I believe they can win. I mean, they need things to go right. They need to play the kind of baseball that they are fully capable of playing. As my mother would say, when I got my report card, you’re fully capable of performing better than this. So I know they are in the same way that we’re all convinced the Ravens can play a whole lot better than they played on Sunday to write that on their best day. You know, the Ravens can be a 13 or 14 Win team if they go out and put it all together and catch the ball. And in the case of the Orioles, they did that they are 101 Win team to your point and backs against the wall. They have answered every call until now backs against the wall losing the first two games. They’ve never been swept Adley rutschman gets on like that, that. All that streaky and all that. That’s all on the line Tuesday night. I think that makes it even more delicious. Being a person that has been a fan for a long, long time that this team has always sort of done things the hard way, right.
8Luke Jones 27:09
Sure. Sure. And like I said, I mean, this isn’t being down oh three in a best of seven where you literally have one team to draw experience from in baseball history. The Red Sox and oh four. It’s Oh, to win a best of five. Believe me. I’m not saying that’s good. I’m not saying that they they’re favored. I mean, clearly they’re a major underdog now in this series as they should be when you lose to at home to begin the series and you have homefield but it’s Oh, to find a way to win Tuesday night. However it is jump on have already Gibson or Kramer give you more than than you expect. However, it happens, get a win. It’s that simple. It’s It’s not some. It’s baseball. Yes, it’s everything’s magnified. And there’s pressure. And maybe these young guys aren’t quite ready for this. And if that’s the case, then they’ll be back next year. And we’ll we’ll talk about the moves they need to make and improvements they need to make. But there’s still plenty to love about this, this baseball team going forward. But you still have an opportunity on Tuesday and Wednesday. If you can win a couple games on the road, which they’ve done, how many times over the course of the 2023 season. You get to come home and play on Friday night in front of your fans. And then guess what, at that point in time, all of the pressure is on the Texas Rangers at that point in time. So you know right now, no one thinks, you know, you kind of the mindset for Brandon Hyde and his team reverts to where it was a year ago or where it was back in April in May, where no one’s really believing in you at this point. And no, understandably so they didn’t play well. On Saturday and Sunday. They didn’t hit the ball on Saturday, and they didn’t pitch on Sunday. You know, they deserve to lose, you know, they this series has played out they deserve to be Oh too. I mean, it’s that that simple, but you figure out a way to win. And then if you can figure out a way to win again. Then it’s a it’s a coin flip after that you come home and your crowds gonna be fired up and everyone’s gonna be believing again. And everyone in Texas then tightens up and says, Here we go. Again, the Rangers you know, who’ve never won a World Series, as you pointed out, all of the pressure is on them. So yeah, there’s nothing. Yeah, there’s nothing that terribly complicated about this. I mean, I wish I could tell you that I thought this matchup here or that matchup there. I mean, it the Orioles don’t have that bullpen at this point in time. They don’t. It’s not a horrendous bullpen. But it’s you know, they have their three or four guys that they trust, who are good, but it’s certainly not the 2014 bullpen where it was Britton Miller, eau de Brad Brock, Kevin Gasman and a swing man roll. I mean, they just they don’t have that depth with this bullpen. So they need their offensive score. And they’re gonna have to find a way you know, whether it’s Gibson whether it’s Kramer you know, you figure out One or the other in both these games, right? They’re going to have to find a way to certainly have to be much better than Kevin Gasman was. Or Kevin Gasman Grayson Rodriguez was in game two to have any shot. I mean, that’s the captain obvious statement. If you if your starter gets knocked out in the second or third inning then yeah, pack it up the season’s over and they’re going to be swept. I mean, that’s, it’s that simple. Yep, jump it jump on them early offensively as they were able to do, you know, in that Tampa series after they dropped the first two, and, you know, at that point, then Kramer or Gibson, get them to the fifth or sixth inning, if you can get get the Orioles to the fifth or sixth inning with a lead. Then at that point, we’ll talk about how you piece it together the rest of the way but, you know, there is no formula for getting knocked out in the second inning, you know, to to navigate for a win. I mean, not against that Texas lineup that, you know, now they add Evan Carter to the mix, who we haven’t mentioned, but my goodness, I mean a guy who no one had even heard of three months ago and you’re talking about someone who’s going to star for them. And you know, it’s just it’s very, very difficult. You know, if you’re going to have to lean on your bullpen that much against this lineup. This bullpen is just not equipped to be that kind of a dominant group without Felix Batista at the back end.
Nestor Aparicio 31:22
He is Luke Jones. He is going to be in Arlington Texas along with me for as long as it takes. And of course if there’s a game five on Friday not to be back for that ravens are in London hiding. But they’re not gonna hide from us. We’re gonna talk about them. We have talked about them we’ll continue to do that. Can’t do both. I mean, it’s harkens back to like taking phone calls. In the old days like I don’t know how that would have gone on a Monday. I don’t know if people want to talk one or the other. Certainly, both are on everyone’s breath as they were at one o’clock on Sunday at four o’clock on Sunday and will be at 9am on this Sunday will be Hollywood casino in Perry Ville had some fun while watching the Ravens on beautiful televisions eating great food casino betting legally if you wish to do so bringing the family by if you just want to have a BLT and eat some french toast with me for breakfast and has to make some bacon I’m going to be doing Yes, yes, yes, all the above. And there’s money to be won. There’s a $30 Brunch. You don’t have to pay it to come it’s it’s a it’s an optional thing if you want to participate in the all you can eat, as well as there’s some some some special place and special games involved in that as well as a wing eating competition. I’ll be the judge of that not the wing eater. I’ll be the wing watcher on that case, but that’s on Sunday morning, up at Hollywood casino aperitivo Friday we’re gonna be doing the Maryland crab cake tour bringing it back after my 55th birthday, which is Saturday. It’s also Kiko Garcia’s birthday, I can go through if John would not go through all my birthday people we all can. Luke just turned 39 for the second time so he’s avoiding birthday talk right now. But I’m celebrating my age and my wisdom that I made it this far. Hopefully, oils can make it far enough to have a game five on Friday and screw up my plans and guns aka drug City at the found marijuana lottery bringing it to you our friends at winter nation 866 90 nation with a special buy to get to free deal all month long for my birthday and Luke’s birthday as well. As well as Jiffy Lube. MultiCare sponsoring our Maryland crab cake tour, and my birthday party and our 25th anniversary is brought to you by curio wellness. We’re going to hear from the Brian fine sisters this week about the cannabis industry and the legalization in the last 6080 days of what’s going on in the world of that and they are presenting our 25th anniversary and I’ve been really remiss look I did these countdowns of 23 and 22. It’s way like I know what I’m doing and I wanted to release them and then I’m done. I get orange fever right now. I can’t tell by the way I’m dressed. Looking I’ll get back after we’re gonna be in Arlington doing radio for you as well as everything out of Baltimore positive and all our social media channels this week, as we try to keep the the orange stream alive. Put me down as a believer put me down as a believer there’s going to be a Wednesday night I’m going to argue that there’ll be a Wednesday night until there’s not and then once we get to Wednesday when you when I wake up in this godforsaken place in Texas and have 24 more hours of hell there and go to the ballpark. I will say that there’ll be a game Friday. I think when you win Tuesday you believe you win Wednesday. That’s how you get the Friday. I I’m just not a believer. They’re gonna get down there get their ass kicked on Tuesday night. I I think this will be an extended stay. I’m going to make that prediction right now. We’ll come back. More football, more baseball. More pain and agony. More Purple and orange therapy. It’s Baltimore positive.com Stay with us.
