The bigger and louder the crowd, the worse this mostly young Orioles team seems to perform. That has to change in Texas. Luke Jones and Nestor head off to racous, World Series-thirsty Arlington, Texas for Game 3 of the American League Division Series while the Ravens land in London licking their purple wounds from an awful loss in Pittsburgh.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
orioles, talking, game, ravens, play, crowd, football games, point, team, sunday, season, win, road, texas, beat, good, baltimore, give, pitching, tuesday night
SPEAKERS
Luke Jones, Nestor Aparicio
Nestor Aparicio 00:01
Looking back at W n s t, Towson, Baltimore and Baltimore positive we are celebrating our 25th anniversary with our friends at curio wellness. We’ll be doing the countdown I swear, at some point I’m gonna get settled maybe some extra hotel time in Fort Worth, Texas. I’ll take a look over to Billy Bob’s if the Oreos get eliminated on Tuesday night and I don’t think Billy Bob’s still exist I don’t even know I don’t really care to know I would like to bring back some Texas barbecue but other than that, winning in Texas is all that matters. And I guess for the Ravens winning in London, it’s all the matters as well. We’re going to be doing our Maryland crabcake Tour presented by the Maryland lottery us ravens scratch offs to give away drugs City at the fountain upstairs at the tasting room and either way I know one thing my birthday is coming Saturday hope live long enough to get here to 55 years old. The Orioles are still very much keeping us active on Friday night the American League Championship Series are friends and when donation 866 90 nation a Jiffy Lube, multi care and their multi locations as well sponsoring our Maryland crabcake tour which we’re trying to keep alive. I’ll have more of them if somehow the Ravens get eliminated then we’re in Hollywood casino on Sunday in Perry Ville, for breakfast, brunch, $30 all you can eat. You don’t have to pay that it’s not a cover charge at all. You can bring the family up. But if you want to participate also, you can win a lot of money as well as a $500 cash prize as well involved in this. So come on up. Eat the buffet have some french toast. I hope they play better. Look, I mean I don’t even know how you’re doing it. I mean you’re you know you’re I even did Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks on Saturday night I went to New York to see John Mayer last week. I made it to the Queen concert which thumbs down on the Adam Lambert Queen for me. I even got my Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks field pass. Thank you to Leonard Raskin for hooking me up with Teach seats and you couldn’t give away at the end and I had a great time Saturday night. I could not have a good time Friday or Saturday afternoon. I did not like Sunday and Iota how she How are you doing? How are you? This is weird for you teams in London watching the football team on the little screen. You’re at the ballpark. The Orioles are wetting the bed. But the Ravens loss in its own space was a biblical loss that they’re going to walk away a little easier on from all of us, because we’re on to the orange birds again on Tuesday night with the season on line. But just in a shell. That was just bad ravens losses. there’s ever been in a division game. At this point in the season where you have high hopes you’re thinking we this is a year buffalo is gonna get nicked up for Kansas City and we’ll host the AFC Championship game here. And then you go and you lay stinker like that. And Pittsburgh.
Luke Jones 02:44
Well, what you just laid out starting to talk about Buffalo and Kansas City to me, you’re back to stop. Stop with that. And look, we were guilty of it. You and I talked about this last week how the Ravens were looking like the class of the AFC north. And what happens a week later. Well, they do what they did in Pittsburgh, and Cleveland has the bye week, which you know, we’ll see what that means for Deshaun Watson shoulder as it pertains to their chances. And lo and behold, the Bengals actually looked a little more like the Bengals on Sunday. And I’m not saying that they’re out of the woods with Joe burrows calf and all that. But that’s why we always say it’s a week to week league. And that’s, you know, that’s such a, you know, that’s a crutch to use at times, but who saw this coming? And I know people will say yeah, oh, it’s ravens Steelers. Yeah, the Ravens beat themselves on Sunday weigh more than the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the ravens, I think even Steelers fans would acknowledge that at this point in time. So book, is it so consequential to the big picture? Look, it’s still early October. So we’re not going to overreact in that way. But I do go back to what I said in one of our previous conversations where I have real concerns about this team’s ability to finish off football games and this team’s ability to adjust in game to adversity. Now they do have done a phenomenal job for a few years now of adjusting during the course of the week to injuries and absences and their preparation from Monday through Saturday. But when things kind of go awry, or go sideways in the midst of a game, that’s where I question this team and you know in a previous segment I mentioned mental toughness and some of those situations. I talked a lot about when the Ravens beat the Browns last week, I talked about the difference between that Browns defense and the Ravens defense was that Browns defense wilted when they saw that their rookie backup quarterback couldn’t do anything and they kind of wilted and then they didn’t play as well. This team and I don’t mean the defense specifically I mean the this team across the board Over the last couple of years, has had a few more struggles than I would like to see in finishing football games in winning football games that they should have in hand. But they don’t because of turnovers or because of questionable play calls or getting cute. or doing something that’s just not sound mentally, there’s been a little bit too much of that for me. And that’s that right there. Let’s be clear. That doesn’t mean that they’re a bad football team either. But that right there, what I just laid out is the difference between being good, but then having to go on the road in the first or second round of the playoffs, and having the chance to be great. Like you just mentioned, as you mentioned, Buffalo and Kansas City and just talking about the big picture of the AFC, what I just laid out that right, there’s a difference between being good, and having to play on the road in January, and having a chance to have home field, for example. So that’s when you look at Sunday’s loss and just say okay, I mean, they’re three and two, they’re still in first place in the division. I still am not a big believer in the Pittsburgh Steelers, the browns, tell me what’s going to happen with Watson shoulder. I know that’s such a big question. The Bengals Yeah, they looked a little more like the Bengals. But they’re still two and three. And Joe burrows calf is still an issue.
Nestor Aparicio 06:13
So and the Rams still have a tiebreaker having beaten them on the road.
Luke Jones 06:18
Yeah, exactly. But when you’ve now squandered away two games in three weeks that you absolutely feel you should have won. And that would mean this team would be five and own right now, as opposed to three and two. You know, when we were saying that, we were saying that last year, when they were three and two, and, and could have been five no at that point in time. So I mean, that’s, that’s where you look at that and say, Okay, where’s the, you know, you have veterans, you have guys who’ve been through this before you had guys that you hope to learn the lessons from last year when this happened early in the season, but it’s happening again, now, it doesn’t look exactly the same way. Because that was probably not probably that definitely was more defensive driven. Whereas the defense overall was played very well for the Ravens. But just in general, in crunch time, in the last seven, eight minutes of a football game, or overtime, as was the case against Indianapolis purchase, they’re coming up small when they need to come up big. And you know, when when you do that you lose football games. This isn’t like college football, where, you know, it’s Alabama or Georgia or whoever playing some FCS school, you know that the talent level is not that dramatic in the NFL, where you let a team hang around as the way that in the way that the Ravens let the Steelers hang around when they really had no business being in that football game. They’ll probably, they’ll rise up or you’ll make one too many mistakes. And that’ll be the difference. And they’ll beat you then. So that’s what happened. Yeah, they need to turn the page maybe in some way, as much as everyone’s going to call back to what happened in 1718. And go into London and getting absolutely embarrassed by the jab actually get away and kind of being on an island a little bit and not, there’s not going to be a whole lot of attention on them. from a local perspective, obviously, when they’re in London, when there’s still so much oxygen for the Orioles, you know, at least until Tuesday night, you know if they lose Tuesday night and you know, we’re talking in different terms. But you know, they’ve got a they’ve got to find a way to finish football games. And that’s what’s been so disappointing because I think everyone sees the potential. Even with the offense specifically, I mean, the defense. Look, the defense looks legit. And I know Marlon Humphrey got burned, but still, at the end of the day, they gave up, you know, the Ravens gave up 17 points, you’ll take that every week, right? I mean, that’s just gonna say
Nestor Aparicio 08:45
for all their deficiencies and all the problems they have. If Lamar doesn’t throw that pass, if Humphrey, if Andrews catches, if got, you know, one if Arbol and blender bomb, and whatever the hell happened, they kick a field goal, their three points would have meant the world, especially when they’re getting punched block late in the game, right? Would have been 13 to eight would have felt a little different, right?
Luke Jones 09:08
Yeah, no question about it. But as my high school phys ed teacher used to
Nestor Aparicio 09:12
save spots and candies and nuts. We all have
Luke Jones 09:15
a Merry Christmas, right? I mean, that’s, you know, that’s just that’s where it is. And for me, that’s just what’s so disappointing, because you see the potential even with the injuries that they’ve had, and they were healthier on Sunday. Again, they’re at a point now where they’re slowly but surely getting healthier and but you know, the drops are was not something we had seen a whole lot of the first four weeks. So that’s where I’m I’m inclined to give the past catchers the benefit of the doubt at the same time. Can Beckham stay healthy? I mean, we saw him on and off the field on Sunday. I mean, at some point in time, it’s like okay, can this guy play or not anymore? Or is he just is this one it’s going to be
Nestor Aparicio 09:51
and it’s going to take an eight yard cross and that’s going to be what we get out of him. Right? Right. Well, I mean, in any way,
Luke Jones 09:58
or you get Lamar Jackson trying to force the past to him in the endzone that gets picked off. I mean, you know, and I’m not saying that was Beckham’s fault, but that connection wasn’t there. And that was that can’t happen there. Yeah, they had to at the very least get three points there. But you know that that was their opportunity to put put a put the ball in the endzone and hey, you go home then you know, even even if it was choppy, you go home with a witness, so, but I’m gonna bring up the other name here. I’m concerned about Rashad Bateman at this point, I mean, I really am and the foot injury last year, you know, he missed time his first year with a sports hernia surgery. But I’m just what I saw Sunday was a guy that is not playing with confidence. I mean, he’s just not and you saw a couple bad bad drops. You know, at one point, he didn’t get his arms extended on a deep ball that I thought he had a chance to make a play on. And I’m just not sure. And it’s not as though he was heavily involved before he missed the game with the hamstring. So this is where we come back to all the investment made it at wide receiver, I do still have some questions about it. Now. I’m going to give him a flowers to benefit benefit of the doubt because he hadn’t really looked like a rookie at all. In his first four games. He looked like a rookie on Sunday. I mean, that was, he’d be the first to tell you and I know he talked about it in the post
Nestor Aparicio 11:18
not lining up right and costing him a timeout as well.
Luke Jones 11:23
8That falling down on a deep ball or he had a chance to make a big play. I mean, that was that was not good. But again, that was collected. I mean, Mark Andrews didn’t have a good game on Sunday. I mean, Mark Andrews had a ball go right through his ads in the endzone. So it’s just it was the cumulative impact of missed opportunity after missed opportunity after turnovers questionable, too cute with what you’re trying to do at the end of the first half. And then your senator snaps the ball, um, you know that that’s poor execution. And I question the coaching there of, you know, if you’re, if your senator is unsure, then maybe you don’t do that, then don’t do that, in that situation, just just kick the kick the field goal. Because even if you even if you get the Steelers to jump offsides, there, you still don’t have a whole lot of time to to put the ball in the endzone there. So you’re still talking about probably not the highest percentage possibility there. So, point is, they just had so many chances to make this game not have to come down to where it was in the fourth quarter. And then when it did, and then when you say, hey, there’s nothing you can do about what happened in the first second and third quarter. This is the game right here. And then at that point in time, just about everyone came up small and that. I mean, that’s it’s a 60 minute football game. I mean, Ray Lewis, how many times have we seen the old NFL films of him miked up on the sideline and re talking about it being a 60 minute game, this team twice in three weeks now has not learned that lesson, you know that it is a 60 minute game. And if you leave a team, even an inferior team, if you leave them in the game, then more often than not, you’re gonna end up getting your feelings hurt. And that’s what’s happened now two out of the last three weeks and a team that very easily without even playing perfect football without guys, you know, all these guys that have missed time over the first five weeks of the season, very easily could be five and Oh, but you know what? They’re not there. They’re what the record says they are. They’re a three and two football team that I think still has potential. And that’s why when I say this, I’m not down on them and in a big picture sense, but at some point in time, got to finish football games. And I What is concerning for me is you said the same thing last year, and that was an issue last year. So you know, you should be growing from those types of experiences. And we’re not seeing that early in the season. And that’s the reason why they’re three and two rather than five. No, he’s Luke Jones.
Nestor Aparicio 13:49
So he is Baltimore Luke you could find them out on the interwebs as well talking football and baseball all week long. You can find me at Hollywood casino and Perry we’ll be there on Sunday morning having breakfast also going to be drug city on Friday afternoon during the Maryland crab cake tours my birthday weekend. There’s some great bands at the record theater on open the Orioles to be playing on Sunday night to meander back and forth of football to baseball. Is there anything left to say about the Orioles in regard to you know, just the fan base and the expectation of disappointment. I mean, what we witnessed here on Sunday is a weird hangover. But the Orioles can make it better. The Ravens certainly can go to London and win. I mean it’s different for the Ravens were sounds to me like you’re calling out the coach a little bit here too. Right? It’s that you know, when you start talking about all of these issues this far in the coach in any other place would be the next guy up for this. The Orioles are going in a different direction though if they get eliminated on Tuesday, right like they get eliminated. We’re talking about the least we’re talking about them spending money and Henderson and rutschman in the offseason and pitching and who they’re going to have They’re not going to have we go into a whole different place and then the football team takes on all the weight of the world. I mean, we’re nine innings away from that I mean the Orioles will take a miracle for the orals went three games in a row that miracle but it’s been 10 Done 10 out of 88 times according to Luke Jones, our statistician here, but there’s definitely a mojo thing going on here where this Steelers ravens thing is sliding into the Orioles real mess I mean the Orioles are the bigger fire here as fires go. But both teams felt on fire on Sunday and that’s kind of unfortunate right? I mean, because so close to it all working out and we get all worked up sell out stadiums. We have traffic downtown and all of that. But the baseball teams Mojo on Tuesday night the baseball team is the full focus despite the fact that the Ravens ran a little loose in Pittsburgh last one.
Luke Jones 15:54
Yeah, I mean, it’s their seasons on the line. I mean, that’s why I said as much as you talk about the Ravens I mean, that being just a loss that brought a lot of disgust quite frankly like I said disgust versus disappointment and how the Orioles played in games one and two Oreos their seasons on the line whereas the Ravens even if they lose to Tennessee on Sunday, Sunday morning in London you’re still not talking about the seasons far from over right so
Nestor Aparicio 16:23
man if they come back three and three Whoa. Right
8Luke Jones 16:27
again dependent on what happens with the Orioles if the Orioles have completed a comeback and won these last three
Nestor Aparicio 16:33
game once your Sunday 41 to nothing like it did the last time and you and I wouldn’t have to go out looking for food and Soho after Russia, you know Exactly exactly.
Luke Jones 16:42
But with the Orioles look couple things here. Beyond just the fan aspect to this that that is it’s very real. I mean, there was so much excitement going into this weekend. And for it to turn out the way it did. I mean, it’s just such a disappointment. Such a bummer, you know, I mean, not not even being angry about it as much as just gets it stinks, you know, like this, if you imagine the opposite result, and the Ravens win in Pittsburgh and look like one of the best teams in the AFC and look like the class of the AFC north and the Orioles are up to oh right now can you imagine what what that the tone would have been like for that? So it’s the opposite. It’s where we are at this point in time. It’s where the Orioles are at this point in time as they’re traveling to Arlington. But, you know, I mentioned for me such a big key whether it’s Gibson or Kramer starting game three, that their their offense has to start fast. And I know they scored some runs on Sunday. And they even built it to nothing lead in the first inning. But I’m going to talk a little more about what we saw in game one. Let’s face it, this offense struggled the last couple of weeks of the season to score runs consistently. I mean, they scored 32 runs over their final 11 games. And I get it they had clinched with a few games to go. So if you want to dismiss the last three games of the Red Sox series, knock yourself out. I’m okay with that. But we did see it be a little more up and down. Scoring wise, the last month of the season. We’ve talked about Mullins. Ryan O’Hearn did not have a great September, you go down the list of some guy other guys that struggled at different points. So down the
Nestor Aparicio 18:14
castle not being right after the end of
Luke Jones 18:18
the shoulder. Yeah, yeah. The shoulder. Yeah. I mean, there’s there’s been a lot going on and look, when it’s at the very end of the season. The unknown is there, right? Are you tired and worn down? Because you’re talking about some young guys who, especially talking about someone like Gunnar Henderson, you know, someone like Ryan O’Hearn, who has never played this regularly, you know, because you know where he was as a failed prospect in Kansas City. But you go down the list of guys. Are guys tired? Or is it one of the many ebbs and flows of a season and if that’s the case, if you can have your bats awaken on Tuesday night, you’re talking about needing to win three in a row. I mean, how many times that the Orioles won three in a row this season? I mean, I saw the game notes on Sunday night that were eight. It’s more than that, in fact, give me give me I’m looking at it right now. And I just had one of
Nestor Aparicio 19:12
the things if they didn’t win 15 in a row there have one of those long stretches that would take out a couple of three and a rose. I would say eight but you’re going to come back and tell him it was 11 or something or 12. The Orioles
Luke Jones 19:24
had 16 winning streaks of at least three games and the 2023 regulars I
Nestor Aparicio 19:29
gave I gave me 50% That’s terrible. Yeah. And I lose that competition.
Luke Jones 19:34
And I’ll go back I’ll go back to this because I cited this before but I went and I got the exact numbers for you. We all think back to late June and early July right? They lost six or seven loss to the Yankees on the Fourth of July. Everyone’s thinking, you know is this team kind of coming back to Earth now. They want to season high eight in a row after that. Go back to mid September. They had the you know they lost the final game of the Red Sox series at Fenway. They lost those games to The Cardinals, you know, they lost five of six, they dropped the first two against Tampa Bay, they won four straight against the rays and then the first two against the Astros in Houston. And then even in late September, they dropped three in a row, they’re still trying to sew up the division, the rays are still on their heels, they won five straight then the clinch of division. So it’s what this team has done all year now. Someone listening right now that’s pessimistic about this. And I’d even say realistic about this, to be honest, because it is October it is different. At some point in time, it’s gonna come to an end unless they’re, unless they’re gonna win the World Series, right? There’s one team that’s happy at the end. At the end, you hadn’t
Nestor Aparicio 20:36
been swept all year and you don’t lose series. And you you’re pretty good at home. You have your pitching set up, you’re healthier than you’ve been. The closer can’t lose the game until the end, right. So we can talk about Teesta all you want, but police had nothing to do with game one and two, or even the setup of how it really would have gone for the most part. And they got here handily under one winds, took the last four days off played some some pumpkin baseball as I called it the over the weekend with the Red Sox. Yeah. You know, it couldn’t have set up better for them. I mean, really, realistically, and I want to ask you this. This is sort of my interruption on this going to Texas. And I don’t think of Texas baseball as being anything inhospitable, quite frankly, all the times. I’ve gone to cowboys games down there. I think the Cowboys fans are kind of fraudulent, like cowboys. Fans are like Mark Messina and people I know. But you know, my late buddy saw who loved the cowboys who worked at Halliburton. Like they’ve near their guys that live in Parkville that are running around with Troy Aikman kids named Troy Roger, right? You know what I mean? Like, I don’t feel that Mojo in Dallas when I’m there that they own Dallas any more than the stars or the Mavericks, or the Rangers I feel like Texas football, or your high school team or your college team. If you’re a nm that’s what I always feel anytime I’m in the south anywhere. I don’t feel like the Braves are anybody’s number one because they’re in the NASCAR or they’re into their college football team or their high school gamer. Whatever their their passion is outside of it. I have a feeling that I’m going to be blown away by showing up there for a kill game for franchise where they haven’t won. The weather’s going to be great. Cowboys got their ass kicked on Sunday night right? I have a feeling that this is going to be this really big moment. Right? The cow Gibson that scene crowds right? Have they played a vicious road game these kids on this asking because they didn’t hold up? Do whenever the crowd gets big Fourth of July, Tampa, things get a little wacky for them. They they haven’t not played great baseball, when there’s a lot of people and a lot of noise. And I’m not that’s just an observation that I’m looking at it and saying I want to see them measure up to the moment of the crowd. We talked about the Ravens on fire met candidate day allowing them to win the game I mean it’s crazy right but the Orioles going down to Texas here. I don’t like the way they’ve responded to the energy that the crowd broad and the noise and and nobody was booing Grayson Rodriguez or at least I didn’t mean you were there. I don’t know. But I mean, the football crowd here. I mean harsh. You know cheering col bowlers injury. I mean, I’ve seen awful stuff happen in our sports fans, the baseball fans and Aaron Hicks was this was brought up in the broadcast that he was hated Reviled in New York wished and went to bed every night and, you know, go out and get a apple at midnight at an event or somebody’s got an ganky hat on and looks at him and doesn’t you know what I mean? He didn’t happen. They’ve had a different walk of life here these young players in Baltimore, because the team were down on Lamar Lamar is gonna get booed before it’s over with right I don’t know if Adley rutschman is gonna feel that anytime soon. Certainly not anytime, anytime soon, I would say right for any of these guys, but the noise and the crowd. That’s something that has struck me about they haven’t handled the crowd well, and I don’t know what that means for any of them. Brandon Hyde, probably going back to Wrigley Field and having that October energy and all that vibe that you felt hair on the back of your neck and all that, man, it led to a lot of ball ones. You know me from the pitchers and Guy swinging the pitches, maybe they wouldn’t have swung at in normal circumstances trying to do too much offensively pressing as John Smoltz would say in the broadcast over the weekend. I’m just from the side I think it’s gonna be a hornet’s nest down in Texas for them. I’m wondering if the hair on the back of my neck is going to stand up in that ballpark or not and whether it’s going to feel like Houston feels football Lee what you know, I mean, I remember the best crowds I ever saw Yankee Stadium dem aside, Fenway, you know, whatever and I’ve been, I’ve been to 58 World Series games, man. And you know, and they’re different than Super Bowls because they’re loud. By the time you get to the World Series, it’s not an international crowd of golfers and you know, people in $5,000 junkets, it’s always a home crowd everywhere in the World Series game. And I’ve heard places led the Cleveland crowds in the 90s. Were outrageously football drunken chant, you know, it was nasty. It was nasty to come into Cleveland Play baseball game in the 90s way more so than any other place I’ve ever been. I mean, some places a little joyous. It’s a little rah rah Pom Pom, me, it was a football game in Cleveland, I have a feeling a Texas, you know, Kyle Gibson is going to be dealing with issues and you know, two out strikes every time gunners up with two strikes, it’s gonna get really ugly in there, it’s gonna get loud. And I don’t know that, like, these guys are golfers or tennis players or whatever. But I do think there’s something about 23 that I saw Grayson Rodriguez, he was his biggest taxes, toughest taxes, you know, all of that. And I saw the crowd sort of get after a young man that the next time you’ll be better for that. And, and that’s all I can say, as a 55 year old guy not to creep down on 20 year old kids out performing, right. But this is how he’s going to get his $200 million is by winning these games and being better in these circumstances. And Jack Morris would say that Jim Palmer would say that, you know, guys that did it a lot would say that. And smolt said that in the broadcast, right? I just to me the crowd in Texas and taking the crowd out and getting a little more quiet. It would be better for these guys than being up with 42,000 people down five to two in the fifth inning and then it becomes two strikes to strike sixth inning, seventh inning, eighth inning and the Rangers. I guess they will will do all they can do to, you know, avoid their bullpen at any costs and try to get lefty matchups and try to make those matchups and but Bruce Bochy does not want to see Wednesday night. He knows he knows, you know, Tuesday leads to Wednesday, which leads us having a good time on Friday. And you know what I mean? Like he’s seen this go the other way, too. They want to end this Tuesday night. No question about
Luke Jones 27:21
it. I mean, look, the crowd factor? I don’t know. It’s impossible to quantify.
Nestor Aparicio 27:28
But I did feel different the ballpark.
Luke Jones 27:32
But But I guess my point is, I don’t know how much of that factor with Grayson Rodriguez. I mean, I just don’t, in the same way that Clayton Kershaw’s pitch in front of a ton of big crowds and World Series and all that and he he was awful on Saturday night, he couldn’t get out of the first inning Hall of Fame pitcher. So, But your point is well taken, I think it’s going to be an electric atmosphere. And they’re going to be on the road, you know, they’re the heel now as opposed to the babyface you know, to put it in wrestling terms you know with the crowds gonna be popping for their good guys and the origin they
Nestor Aparicio 28:03
gotta feed off the bad guys. Now Mr. Henderson needs to hit a three run home run in the seventh inning when there’s what two strikes you know, and an O to count, you know, or one to count where they’re trying to get on the edge and Guy misses one of their stinky bullpen guys misses a lefty no doubt it will be a lefty. Right. I mean, it’ll have to be right. I mean, like that’s the way Bruce Bochy is gonna play this. Yeah,
Luke Jones 28:25
but but they only have so many lefties and I mean of all he’s gonna start he’s right handed. So I mean, I think certainly they prefer the lefties. I think that’s I still think that narrative is being a little overblown, because go look at the numbers. The Orioles hit left handed pitching this year. I mean, they did. So I don’t think it’s I think it matters for a couple guys, namely Gunnar Henderson and keep an O’Hearn on the bench. I think that’s really where it comes down to this big time because, you know, Adley rutschman hit left handed pitching way better this year than he did as a rookie, you know, when that was actually kind of a thing where he really struggled from the right side of the plate. So that’s part of it. But yeah, I mean, the crowd and this is why I said I think it’s of the utmost importance for this team. Take the crowd out of it just for their own headspace to jump out to an early lead get a couple of runs on the board before Gibson or Kramer whoever starting next because one starting game through the other starting game for presumably unless something really weird happens so you know, get get an early lead. It does calm the crowd a little bit. I don’t think it takes them out of it entirely. I am in full agreement that it’s going to be a buzzsaw. I think the Rangers fans are gonna be excited to have playoff baseball. They’re in their ballpark and not hosting it as the you know, the pandemic year you know, keep in mind that’s where they played so
Nestor Aparicio 29:46
but in the open the ballpark and the pandemic right I mean, yeah, crazy. What right yeah.
Luke Jones 29:50
So I mean, it’s yeah, they’re gonna be fired up there as they should be. Again, it’s such strange territory because the rangers have not played at home Since they have choked away, the ALS, beat Tampa, on the road, beat the Orioles for two on the road. So a lot has changed for them since they were last home a couple of weeks ago. So that crowds gonna be fired up. There’s no question and yeah, the Orioles are gonna have to respond. And you laid out the scenario if it’s five to two. I mean, if they’re trailing five to two. It’s not looking good. Whether they’re playing in Arlington, Baltimore or on the moon. I mean, that’s just that’s the reality when you’re down. Oh, two, and if you’re trailing in game three at that point in time, it’s not good. I mean, that’s the captain obvious statement. So yeah, I think this is going to be a big test. I’ll point this out. And yeah, I know that it’s not postseason, raucous crowds during road series in May and June and July, but it’s team tied the Braves for the best road record in baseball at 52 and 29 152 road games this year. Now, how does that translate to October? Who the heck knows but you know, everything we know about this team to this point. Does lead lend itself to having some optimism left a lot. But down to well, I mean, I we all know the math there. You got to win three before the Rangers win.
Nestor Aparicio 31:18
This isn’t the Ravens going to Cincinnati with Tyler Huntley. Right. You know what I mean? Yeah, I’m thinking you’re gonna beat them in Buffalo in Kansas. You know, this is this is about winning on Tuesday night and getting a strong start by you know, I guess we think it’s Gibson. It might be Kramer whatever it’s going to be on on Tuesday night. However, this matches, I’ll probably both up before the nights over if there’s peril, because they’re not going back to web and Baker. And I mean, they’re just not right. I mean, like, I mean, who was I going to go to what the season on the line? Look, dude, we’re nine years later, seven years later talking about book show author doesn’t even Britain. I mean, that’s where we are now That better not happen again. Right? Well,
Luke Jones 31:58
that’s the problem is they don’t have Zack Britt. The problem is they don’t have Andrew Miller. The problem is, they don’t have anyone as good as what they were no day was at his best talking about condo right now. As opposed to the condo. We saw the first three months of the season. And that’s part of the issue here. I mean, and that’s why I said when Grayson Rodriguez gets knocked out in the second inning. At that point, I barely even care who they’re bringing in from the bullpen. Because seven and a third innings, you just weren’t going to navigate that without having to use guys that you don’t want to use. It’s just just reality. It’s the simple math of it. So yeah, whoever starting if they don’t if they can’t get you through, at least at least into the fifth or sixth inning. And then, you know, if they can’t do that much, I don’t think they I don’t think they can win unless their offense scores. 12. Ron, so I mean, you know, that’s, that’s what we’re talking about here. So they need
Nestor Aparicio 32:50
to get salty, by the way.
Luke Jones 32:52
I mean, a vault. First of all, he’s the kind of pitcher I would have loved to have seen the Orioles sign last offseason, you know, not an ace, but a top half of the rotation kind of guy here. They settled on Kyle Gibson. It is what it is.
Nestor Aparicio 33:07
You and I on Wednesday morning have to talk about Gibson beaten ivaldi, right?
Luke Jones 33:10
Sure, sure. Or we’re talking about the opposite and saying, hey, it would have been nice that maybe
Nestor Aparicio 33:15
I told you so on Monday morning. Well, and
Luke Jones 33:18
I wasn’t it was a guy like him that I was looking for them to kind of target. But you know, he did have the injury. He missed time during the season. He had a really good start against the rays in the wildcard round. But if you kind of look since he had come back, he hadn’t really been extended a whole lot. You know, this wasn’t a guy that was pitching into the seventh inning consistently. So, you know, I think it’s going to be interesting. I mean, he should be well rested. So that’s something that you don’t like from an Orioles perspective, but he is right handed. And we saw it as much as we’ve talked about some of these left handed guys that don’t throw all that hard some soft toss type guys, not not that all of them. Still throw 9293 Whatever. But this is a right right handed guy who at his best even though is Velo isn’t peak right now because of the injury but he’s the kind of pitcher that the Orioles have actually, no, I think back to how they completely knocked around glass now a couple couple of weeks ago at Camden Yards, you know, and what was such a big game in that third game of that four games set. So, you know, maybe this is exactly what they need, you know, someone who’s pros a little more velo, right handed. Know how long bocce will stay with him if if he runs into some trouble. Who knows. But
Nestor Aparicio 34:31
they tell you imagine their bullpen in the third inning then then you start talking about Wednesday night. Yeah, sure.
Luke Jones 34:37
And that’s what again, that’s what’s so frustrating about they kind of what they did offensively against Montgomery is kind of what you hope would happen. It’s just you weren’t expecting Grayson Rodriguez to get shelled and knocked out in the second inning and then you’re having to pitch guys like Brian Baker and Jacob Webb early in the game because you know who the heck else you’re gonna throw up because yeah, you go through your Less guys than Okay, those bad pictures then or those lesser pitchers are then pitching later in the game because someone’s got a pitch so just wasn’t ideal. See what happens when Tuesday night? You try to win Wednesday night you win Wednesday night. You come home and hey, you’re feeling really good. It’s a new season. It’s a one game season then it’s that simple. So the Orioles winning two straight road games. We talked about that three game winning streak. factoid they went to on the road a whole lot this year. Now never under this pressure but it’s far from impossible to do this. Even if Yeah, the Orioles are very clearly the underdog at this point. Being down to
Nestor Aparicio 35:40
Baltimore Luke’s the way to find him. You could find both of us in Texas for game three coverage Baltimore positive will be at a in 1570 as well. Getting it done Friday morning, Maryland crabcake Tour presented by the Maryland lottery window nation and Jiffy Lube we’re gonna be at drugs City at the fountain upstairs, celebrating 55 years on the planet for me. The Big Boy milkshake hopefully celebratory and looking forward to game five. I can’t yards on Friday night. And the of course the Ravens in London on Sunday will be at the Hollywood casino in Perry Ville for breakfast. Fun festivities giveaways comm get a free copy of purple rain to come after French toast for breakfast with me. I might drag Luke with me I don’t even know we’re gonna figure it all out. It’s gonna be good time up in a great great view of the game and it’s a television so they’re amazing the food’s great. Give me a little salmon BLT for breakfast I’ll be fixed up right but a Bloody Mary. I am Mr. We are wn st am 1570, Towson Baltimore. We never stop talking Baltimore. Positive
