On Podcasts and Losing Skids

1-9 in our last 10.

Does anything else NEED to be said about that? The team is doing just enough to stay close and lose. Instead of getting that 2-run single they get the 1-run sacrifice. Markakis and Huff are mired in horrific slumps. Miguel keeps getting singles, Patterson has come through with some clutch hits over the slump, Gibbons hit his first homerun of the year last night, all for naught.

The Orioles had never, repeat NEVER been swept by the Tigers in Detroit until the past three games. I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later and that miserable prick Gary Sheffield was the cause of it, going 4-4 to undo another really quality start from Steve Tracshel as the Orioles lose 3-2. Once again it hasn't been a matter of getting guys on base, it haws been getting them in. The Orioles during this skid have just been TERRIBLE with runners in scoring position and it is something that needs to change and in a hurry.

The Orioles were 11-7 at one point, now they are 12-16, that is a precipitous fall. The thing of it is they have been in almost every game just lacking the one key hit that breaks it open. How do you fix that? Shuffle the lineup? Well Sam tried that today, Batting Payton second against a tough lefty, Miggy was third and Ramon fourth. The struggling Markakis was bumped down to 7th Mora batted 6th, still to no avail. Give Sam credit he's getting eaten alive on the internet this year, but he's trying to do something.

The Orioles get a MUCH needed day off tomorrow to lick their wounds and hopefully find the bats they left under their collective beds. Friday the re-match with the Indians in Camden, I'll be there up in section 384, come say hi.

Last week I took part in the first of, hopefully, many Beltway Baseball podcasts with Anthony over at Oriole Post, It went real well and you can find the podcast over at the Oriole Magic MVN page. Next week we are doing it again, but this time we will be taking LIVE CALLS and INSTANT MESSAGES. Saturday at 1PM the show goes live, look here for numbers and IM names to calls in and ask your questions of the Internet ad wizards that came up with THIS one.

If things weren't bad enough there are whispers of an Adam Loewen injury. He left the game early last night with "soreness in his forearm." But now there are rumors of that soreness including his bicep and elbow as well, according to this AP blurb. Hopefully its nothing, but say a prayer. Seriously I'm praying to anything that will listen. God, Buddha, Yahweh, Allah, Ganesha, Aztec Sun Gods. SOMEONE GIVE US A BREAK!

Hopefully, GOD HOPEFULLY, our birds will snap out of this funk in a big way. It is still VERY VERY early, just remember this axiom:

54 games you win, the other team never had a chance;
54 games you lose, you never had a chance;
54 games you have a chance to win.

Where do these past 9 losses fit in?

PS: As I type this my computer, in a fit of technical irony has begun playing Monty Python's "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life."

Someone is mocking me I swear.