Baltimore Orioles: Too many Brian Matusz match-ups?

It made perfect sense for the Baltimore Orioles to bring Brian Matusz into the game to face NY’s Greg Bird this afternoon. Bird was a southpaw and Bird hits lefty. Furthermore, Rondon (who preceded Matusz in the game), appeared to be on the ropes after walking the first two batters of the inning. But is it possible that New York anticipated that – or that things progressed as they did because they just “knew?”

As Orioles fans know, Bird smacked a three-run homer in that at-bat which propelled New York to an 8-5 victory. Matusz had Bird at 0-2, and he threw a slider – that was supposed to be out of the strike zone – that hung up. Bird seemed to anticipate the pitch before Matusz even knew what he was going to throw. So again, are the Orioles, and perhaps even Buck Showalter overly predictable?

Wei-Yin Chen was a pitch away from qualifying for a win. Chen’s line: 5 IP, 9 H, 5 R (4 earned), 1 BB, 5 K. Chen battled in this start, but at the end of the day became the ninth consecutive Orioles’ starter not to go six innings or more. Chen trailed at the beginning, through no fault of his own – Chris Young popped up to the right side of the infield, only to have Davis and Schoop play I got it you take it. The ball fell on the grass for an RBI-single, and New York led 1-0.

While that didn’t cost the O’s the game, it set a certain tone. In effect, the O’s were going to have to be perfect in order to even have a shot – especially with New York seeming to know what the Orioles were going to do before they did. However Jonathan Schoop redeemed himself; his three-run homer in the second propelled the Orioles into the lead at 3-1. Manny Machado would add an RBI-single, and the Birds led 4-1 after two.

However New York chipped away, and eventually overtook the Orioles. Young would add an additional RBI-single (this one legitimate) in the third, and ARod would turn in a solo homer in the last of the fifth to cut the lead to 4-3. However later in the inning Murphy sent a two-run homer to right, and the O’s suddenly trailed 5-4.

The good news was that the O’s still battled back after that. Machado would smack a solo homer to center field in the seventh, which promptly tied the game

Courtesy of Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

at five. And of couse Rondon then proceeded to walk the first two hitters in the seventh, which prompted Showalter to bring Matusz into the game. That of course culminated in that aforementioned 0-2 slider to Bird, which was hit out of the ballpark. The O’s did tally one more run in the ninth on a Davis RBI-single, however it was too little too late for the Orioles.

The question this raises isn’t so much about execution as it is strategy. Brian Matusz has actually been fairly strong out of the bullpen of late. However Buck Showalter has a certain ebb and flow to how things are done, and for the most part he’s very good at that. But…am I suggesting that Showalter’s too by the book?

That might be taking it a bit too far. A manager that’s overly by the book wouldn’t have the guts to intentionally walk the bases loaded. However one thing in which he’s very good is matching up. And perhaps it’s fair to say that matching up is only effective as long as it’s effective. (I know, that’s pretty insightful analysis.)

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