Like Last Season, Character Defines the Orioles

Friday night’s game against the Angels was ugly.  There was poor defense, poor base running, and to top it all off, Chris Davis hobbled off the field in the 4th inning.  It was the type of game that can really mess with any team’s rhythm and confidence.

Character leads to Orioles wins. Photo Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

But the Orioles were able to bounce back Saturday afternoon.  Behind an extremely strong start by Freddy Garcia, the Orioles carried a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the 7th.  Despite an uncharacteristic blown save by Darren O’Day which extended the game to extra innings, unlikely hero Steve Pearce singled in what would be the winning run in the top of the 10th.

Every team is going to encounter some bumps along the way.  Twitter was buzzing with negativity after Friday night’s loss.  There is no doubt that playing poorly, coupled with the potential loss of Chris Davis could have been a turning point for a team which, to that point, had played quite well.  Buck Showalter‘s team does not panic.  They do not fall apart.  They always maintain their confidence in each other.

As a whole, the team is quite even-keeled.  It is only with the leadership of a strong, calm manager that this can happen.  Showalter leads by example.  When asked about the injury to Davis, and what the team would do, Buck explained that he wouldn’t panic.  That he wouldn’t show his players that he is overly concerned.  That’s pretty impressive considering that the AL Player of the Month was the injured man.  That vote of confidence is what allows this team to continue to win, as they did last year, despite setbacks and injuries.

Every team is going to encounter some bumps along the way.  It is how those bumps are handled that determines a team’s success.