Baltimore Orioles: Wei-Yin Chen closes year with a win

Wei-Yin Chen finished his 2015 season with a 9-2 win for the Baltimore Orioles over New York. The big question now regarding Chen was whether or not this was his final game in an Orioles’ uniform. Most fans hope not – but time will tell. Chen’s line: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

Courtesy of Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The O’s took a 1-0 lead early when Manny Machado grounded into a double-play with a runner at third. Lots of fans see that as a failure in terms of having no outs and ending up with two. However keep in mind that had the O’s had a bit more of that over the course of the season perhaps things might be different at this point. Machado would add a fielder’s choice-RBI in the third, giving the Birds a 2-0 lead, and two innings later in the fifth he would tack on a solo homer to run things to 3-0. 

Call to the Pen

The Birds would do their big damage in the sixth, with RBI-singles from Parra, Machado, and Davis. Matt Wieters would be at the plate on a wild pitch, which scored an additional run for the O’s, who led 7-0 at that point. New York would get two runs in the seventh on a Gardener RBI-groundout and a Refsnyder RBI-single. However Parra would tack on a two-RBI double in the last of the inning to send New York down to defeat 9-2.

Many pending free agents, including Chen, have expressed an urge to stay with the O’s. However they all also know that they’ll end up with whomever offers them and their agent Scott Boras the best deal. Obviously the most high-profile of the prospective free agents is Chris Davis, who indicated that neither he nor Boras had formally heard from the Orioles regarding an extension. However Buck Showalter seemed to indicate yesterday that perhaps Davis was mistaken (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

"I’m not sure that he’s aware of all the conversations that may have gone on, OK?"

So what exactly is going on there? If Showalter’s to be believed, Dan Duquette has spoken to Boras about Davis, and perhaps others (such as Wieters and Chen). Is Boras not answering the phone, not communicating with his clients, or something else? Here’s the thing; I can’t sit here and tell you with any amount of integrity that Boras or any other agent is trying to gerrymander players towards or away from any specific team. But if teams are making offers on their own players, you have to hope that those offers are being communicated to the players.

Game two of the doubleheader is scheduled for this evening – weather premitting. Ubaldo Jimenez will get the starting nod for the final time this year for the Birds tonight. He’ll be opposed by NY’s Luis Severino. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Next: Baltimore Orioles: Ranking the roster

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