Reimold Rocks Blue Jays World

Normally leading eight to three against the Orioles is a sure thing win. After all, the Birds had never won a game this season when trailing into the eighth inning........until today.

The O's rallied back to tie the game at eight, and despite a home run by Aaron Hill in the 11th to give the Jays a 10-8 lead, Nolan Reimold capped off a second rally with a three run blast to win it for the O's 12-10, giving them their first three-game sweep of the season, coming against Cito Gaston's Blue Jays. Dave Trembley said this is a win he will remember for a long time.

Before this season started, Reimold was not expected to be a big part of the Orioles this season. The left field options were between returning Luke Scott, new acquisition Felix Pie, and Lou Montanez, who was the big contact hitter in Norfolk. But with injuries and/or lack of production from the above three, up comes Reimold after tearing up the Tides. He has not been a dominant player, but in just 13 games played he has hitting .265 with four home runs, including one dinger off Mariano Rivera.

It just goes to show that no matter what the situation, there is a place for those people that play well. Reimold in no way was expected to be an important part of the Orioles this season, but has likely earned a roster spot for a good while.

Another Baby Bird, David Hernandez, will take to the mound on Thursday. He'll be the second player from Norfolk to have their premiere this week, and third will be Matt Wieters on Friday. Should be a fun couple of days for Orioles fans.

(Photo credit: Baltimore Sun)

Despite Losing, Still a Lot of Reasons to Watch Orioles

Okay, so the Orioles have lost 11 of their last 14 games, and their starting pitching ERA is approaching Texas Rangers territory, and today the Baltimore Sun is featuring an article about the grand ineptitude of the 7-9 batters, who are combining to hit a whopping .189 (only Cesar Izturis is breaking the Mendoza Line at .242). And yes, the future doesn’t look bright for a team that usually doesn’t swoon like this until August, and in a division in which suddenly the Blue Jays are challenging the top of the AL East, joining the Sox, Yankees, and even Rays (they will come around) in the most loaded division in baseball. For many fans this seems like a time to curl up and hibernate until 2010, to perhaps tune in eagerly for Matt Wieters’ call-up or whenever another of the young guns is forced into a starting role but otherwise not pay much attention to the struggles of their hometown ballclub. However, there is a lot more to this team than preparing for the next season, and it does the players a disservice who don’t have the option of packing it in and waiting for next year- the 2009 season is far from over, and Baltimore fans should be happy for it.

The phenomenon that is Koji Uehara has been a roller coaster ride that deserves attention even as he settles into the majors. The first Japanese Oriole, after winning his first two starts (despite allowing 7 runs in 5 innings in his second outing), seems to have found the middle ground in his last three starts, allowing an average of about 2 runs per start in 6 or 7 innings- which I will take any day of the week. This guy’s composure on the mound has been incredible considering the competition he is facing and the new atmosphere he is in- and it isn’t as though the lineups he has been facing are cupcakes either. He has had to face the Rangers’ bats twice, and the Yankees, Red Sox, and Angels each once. The fact that he has maintained a 4.50 ERA through this stretch is extremely impressive to me, and as Jeremy Guthrie scuffles to start the season Koji is quickly developing into one of the more reliable O’s starting pitchers. I am eager to see how he continues along the rest of the season, especially after bruising his sternum on a line drive against the Angels- many pitchers get nervous on the mound after a hit like that.

Windsor and I were talking yesterday about the Felix Pie experiment and how long it ought to continue. I loved the trade for Pie, but I also loved the way Lou Montanez played last year and his work ethic to improve his defense over the offseason. As Reimold also continues to dominate the minors (he hit another home run for the Tides yesterday to bring his season total to 7 and his average to .408). It is odd that these two players should get so hot, as Pie was thought to have struggled in Chicago because he was never given time to work out his issues day-to-day and had trouble handling sitting on the bench for a few games at a time. Pie may find himself in the same situation of Montanez and Reimold continue to impress. Now Montanez is only 3-18 since his call-up, but that is unlikely to continue for a player who has recently buried minor league pitching and performed admirably last season in his call-up. Who will take left field in the long run? Montanez may be reaching his peak soon but Reimold is only 25 years old…

There are so many question marks on this team, how they will be answered is a great reason to watch. However, in the end people watch for the wins, which may be few and far between this season. But luckily to an O’s fan that doesn’t make them any less sweet. When a team charges into Camden Yards and expects to pound Baltimore into submission, they will see something unexpected. This team has not packed it in, they have not wasted at-bats late in games when the outcome was all but decided. And when they do pull off that miraculous upset, when the opposing squad stands in dumb silence aghast at how they could lose, the feeling of victory is so much greater than when the team is expected to win. Sure, in a few years the Orioles could be a strong team, and I would prefer this squad to be the dominant power in the division. In the meantime though, I will take my wins where I can get them and my losses with a shrug.

Immediate Reaction to Montanez Call Up

Lou Montanez was the best outfielder in spring training not named Nick Markakis or Adam Jones. However, with the commitment the club had made to Felix Pie, Montanez’s hot bat and improving defense was relegated to AAA Norfolk. Let’s not forget that Montanez himself was once the top prospect in the Cubs’ system, now only to be trumped for an experiment with another top prospect in the Cubs’ system. Ryan Freel, still in the hospital recovering from being struck in the head, is being sent to the DL and has opened up the way for Montanez. Lou won’t be an everyday player for Baltimore, but he could be a great bat off the bench (and will likely do a great deal better than Freel, who was hitting .133 and complaining about playing time. Montanez, meanwhile, tore up in Norfolk, with a .429 average to go with a .500 on base percentage. While one cannot expect those stats, Orioles fans could point to the .295 average he hit in 112 at bats last year after being called up, having won the Triple Crown in the Eastern League with Bowie.

With Felix Pie looking completely lost defensively and starting the season off slow at the plate, the Orioles could use the help at the plate. The Pie experiment should continue all season, but it is good to know that the O’s have some quality insurance behind him.

Should the Pie Experiment Be Put On Hold?

This series against Boston is one the O's will want to forget quickly. Numerous problems were shown all around the field as Baltimore got their first losing record this year.

The Orioles are not just seeing woes in the pitching rotation, the outfield is not set in stone either. Ryan Freel had to leave on Monday after getting hit in the head with a ball on a pickoff move, Adam Jones is not 100% either with a sore hamstring, though at least he is still playing.

But perhaps the biggest issue is with Felix Pie. For the first time Andy MacPhail does not look good this season due to the play from the left fielders. Luke Scott is doing all right, but Pie has only hit is two games out of 11 and is sitting with a batting average below the Mendoza Line. Meanwhile in Norfolk, Lou Montanez and Nolan Reimold are tearing it up after 10 games, both batting above .400.

For the Orioles, they may need to bench Pie for the time being and use him sparingly. It is early and he has a lot of talent, but he has not had a season batting above .241. His defense could certainly use improvement as he had real problems in left. The Orioles don't want to go with just Luke Scott in left. It is very early to judge, but the way Montanez and Reimold are playing, they should probably get their chance.

Montanez had expressed his frustration after he was not chosen to join the majors for the season, and so far he is proving why he was right. Pie can't go to Norfolk because he is out of options and the Orioles would risk losing him due to waivers, where he would be lost to someone. At the very least though, with the injury to Freel, either Montanez or Reimold should get a chance in left.

(Photo credit: AP)

UPDATE, 12:15 PM- The Baltimore Sun is reporting that Lou Montanez has been called up after Ryan Freel was put on the DL.