With each passing day and each Orioles win the team’s chances at actual playoff qualification are becoming more and more realistic. Given the previous decade and a half or so of Orioles baseball, as fans now find themselves on the precipice of the success that they’ve been pining for, it would seem almost a given that fans would be coming out in droves to see the spectacle that has become winning Orioles baseball. That however, at least until now, hasn’t been the case.

We’ve been talking for months, as the team continues to exceed any reasonable expectations, about when the fans could and would begin to truly “buy in” and when they’d back up that faith with their attendance at the ballpark. Yet here we sit, in the latter stages of a legitimate playoff chase, and still the ballpark sits empty.

Maybe it’s time we looked a little deeper at how we arrived here in order to understand how we can all begin to move forward.

In his Masterpiece “The Prince” Niccolo Machiavelli lays out some political ideals that have not only stood the test of time and that remain viable in modern political theory, but also may have given Orioles ownership the blueprint by which they’ve been operating throughout the Peter Angelos regime.

One of the most popular and debated Machiavellian questions arising from “The Price” is the question of whether it’s better to be loved or feared. Machiavelli suggests that while being loved is nice (I paraphrase), it is fear that stirs the hearts of men and keeps them in line. People will turn on those that they love when the going gets tough, but with fear comes the expectation of hardship, and that more than anything compelled by love will cause men to think twice before crossing their benevolent leaders.

During the early Angelos years, the owner operated the club like a fan would, bringing in high caliber baseball architects to build his club, giving them the authority and financial means to do their work and although at times still overbearing (rulers still have to remain the boss) Angelos, in comparison to previous regimes, was easy for fans to endorse and (dare I say?) love.

As the 1997 season wound down however and fans became disenchanted with the team, they weren’t shy about voicing their displeasure over everything from the crowds that now filled the stadium (wine and cheese) to the talent brought in to do the job (mercenaries). Fans complained about everything from the aging talent, to the misguided leadership of the club, to the seemingly preferential treatment given to Cal Ripken Jr. to the length of the speech that the owner gave on the night Ripken broke Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games record. Love indeed didn’t keep the fans from turning (at least in word) on the team and its owner.

That love didn’t compel the fans either to consider the plight of the Orioles when the city gave a far cushier deal to the Browns to relocate to Baltimore and become the Ravens, it didn’t compel fans to stand together with Angelos in his battle against the teams cable outlet or against Major League Baseball to keep the Expos out of DC. The goodwill built by the owner, with the fans, didn’t seem to serve him at all once the going got tough for the Orioles. Nor did the goodwill built by the owner toward his players (in taking care of them financially and in standing by them during baseball’s strike/lockout or in siding with a star player during a battle with his manager) serve him well when other teams came waving bigger checks, better chances to win or opportunities to play with their family members.

Maybe the 1993-2000 chapters of Orioles baseball did prove to Angelos that it was better to be feared than to be loved. It also seems that it’s cheaper, easier and more profitable too.

At that time it also likely became apparent to Angelos that he’d have some dirty work to do, and that no matter how he elected to run the franchise from that point forward, there was little the fans, the city, the league or anyone else could do about it. Angelos could (and arguably did) tear down the magnificent franchise he had helped to build and polish and in the process remind fans that not only was he the boss, but also that whatever he decided to do, he could do, and that everyone would simply have to accept it. Angelos laid the groundwork for fear. The fear that he could and would run this franchise in any way that he saw fit, from a competitive standpoint that he could and would be willing to run them into the ground, and that those who didn’t like it had no recourse.

I wrote this a while back. I think more people should read it:

This past Saturday I was one of the 20,000 (if that) that stayed through the three hour rain delay to watch Eddie Murray’s ceremony and to watch the Orioles lose.  I was soaking wet, my voice was hoarse and all for nothing.  Sounds like a sucky night doesn’t it?

Oh, did I forget to mention I went with my seven year old cousin?  Well that’s what made that night worth sitting through all the rain and terrible baseball.  To see a kid who didn’t even know who Eddie Murray was, chant his name at the top of his lungs like he had watched him for years.  To see him usher in the new chants of “MANNY, MANNY!” as the future Orioles star stepped to the plate and scream “CHARGE!” as loud as he could when the horn sounded.

My cousin is a diehard Orioles fan.  We didn’t give him a choice.  So going to the game at the spur of the moment was a heck of a treat for him, but when he found out our seats were in the left field bleachers (where he thought we might catch a home run) his eyes lit up.  To see him run up and down the aisle yelling at the Royals’ Alex Gordon (him even getting yelled at himself by an usher) that’s what going to the games are all about.

He got a foam finger, a picture with the Bird, and most importantly, in his eyes, he got some food.  That boy can eat! I showed him where Eddie and all the other Orioles legends’ numbers were retired above our heads in left field and explained to him why Jackie Robinson’s was up there too.

For that one night I was able to forget about the fact that the Orioles lost.  I was able to even forget about the fact that they are hunting for a playoff spot.  Because all that mattered that night was enjoying ourselves, taking in the experience and being around other drenched fans as we rooted for our team down to the bitter end.

Those are the moments that make going to the games worth it.  We don’t always have to be bitter about how Peter Angelos steals our money and how he has given us nothing but losing baseball for 14 straight years.  We are in the midst of something special right now.  Our beloved O’s are in the playoff race!  There is finally meaningful baseball in Baltimore again.  Besides, every once in a while you can just enjoy going to the game because it’s fun to watch baseball, regardless of the outcome or how well the team is doing.

It doesn’t always have to be a bad experience.  Saturday night should’ve been a bad experience.  They handled the delay terribly, people left before Eddie’s on field ceremony, the team lost.  But I still had a great time.  And I know my cousin had one of the most memorable nights he has ever had.

He got to stay up till two in the morning.  He got to yell at opposing players and call them names (Billy “Butthead” Butler was his favorite insult).  And best of all he got a ball.  Growing up that’s all you ever want at a baseball game.  “A real major league baseball”, as he said holding it in his hands.

We found ourselves in the very last inning and we still hadn’t caught a home run (even though the Orioles pitching gave up a fair amount).  He was on a mission and I wasn’t ready to let him fail so I took him down next to the dugout and told him to ask the players and managers for one.  I sat back a few rows and he would come back every so often and ask why they were being so shy.  I told him to keep asking.

Eventually the game ended and just when it looked as though he wouldn’t get one, a guy came out and tossed him a ball.

That’s a memory he will have forever.  On a crappy night in Baltimore, he didn’t care that the Orioles lost.  He isn’t bitter.  Call it ignorance, call it youth.  He had a great experience.  I say we take a little lesson from him and have fun watching this team for however long they give us.  Who knows what could happen?  Maybe we’ll get a ball too…

After about a three hour rain delay on Saturday, Eddie Murray was recognized as one of six players to be enshrined at Camden Yards with his own statue in center field.  He joined the likes of Earl Weaver, Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, Jim Palmer and soon to be, Cal Ripken Jr. as the fixtures in the outfield for as long as the beautiful ballpark stands.  Each are Hall of Famers and rightfully so, as they include some of the best players (and manager) the sport has ever seen.  These men had a major role in not only shaping what was the heyday of the Orioles franchise, but in developing Orioles Park as the stadium you see today.

But since Cal’s retirement, we have all witnessed this team’s demise, which in turn has demolished the spirit of what was once one of the best fan bases in any sport.  In the past twenty years, no one has earned the right to even be considered for such a glorious recognition like Eddie Murray witnessed this weekend.  There have been individuals who had led to the disappointment in the Inner Harbor, which is a now a major part of this franchises’ history.   Obviously, they do not deserve to be next to the likes of the greats in center, but what if we honored those people by making another monument park; maybe next to the dumpster in the parking lot under 95.

Who would make that cut?  This is the list of members of Orioles history, who would be worthy of such a distinction; who should be enshrined with trash and bird droppings underneath the bypass for contributions to the team.

5. Rafael Palmeiro- Though he did enjoy a great deal of success in Baltimore (and may have considered to bear an Orioles lid in his Hall of Fame bust), he disgraced himself and the organization with his antics in front of Congress.  His statue would signify his punch line finger wave, while holding a needle of “B12″ in the other hand.

4. Roberto Alomar- He actually has been elected to the Hall of Fame, but only spent a couple years in Baltimore, not worthy of actual glory.  And with all his greatness, he is remembered as an Oriole for one incident involving some spit and a disgruntled umpire; his statue would reenact that moment.

3. Jeffrey Maier- Maybe no other human being coincides with the O’s demise than Maier and his glove.  Without him, maybe the team gains momentum in a series versus the Yankees onto another championship banner.  Maier doesn’t even deserve his likeness into a statue, so instead it would be a replica of Tony Tarrasco’s reaction from that night.

2. Albert Belle- No player has actually shaped what the franchise has become more than Albert Belle.  His massive contract handcuffed the organizations thought process, and bank account, for the last decade.  His likeness would be a cast of himself, fat and on his couch, with a bag of potato chips in one hand and a money bag in the other.

1. Peter Angelos- Since his taking over the franchise, this fan base has suffered enough heartache to cripple the entire city.  His awful organizational standards and misguided views on running a team have led to the worst stint of Oriole baseball ever.  His statue would not actually be himself, but an actual turd to symbolize how he is viewed by anyone supporting the Black and Orange.

Orioles fans have waited a long time for this much excitement at this point in the season.  If the season ended today the team would be in the playoffs. Oh yeah, and Manny Machado was called up to the big leagues.

Conspiracy theories aside, the Orioles quite frankly needed someone who could play third base.  Wilson Betemit has been downright abysmal defensively and Robert Andino just doesn’t contribute enough on the offensive end.  Rumors were swirling that the team may try to acquire Padres third baseman Chase Headley but nothing ever materialized.  Machado has been called upon to be the solution.

Machado was batting .266/.352/.438 with 11 home runs and 26 doubles for Double A Bowie this year.  He had only played 2 games at third base for the Baysox but said he had been practicing the position all year.  In his 7 defensive chances at the position he has made 1 error.

A lot of pressure is on the young 20 year old’s shoulders tonight as he starts at third base and bats 9^th but he isn’t fazed by it saying he will “just go out there and have fun” and not put too much pressure on himself.  He even thinks it may be a little easier knowing that here he is “just a regular third baseman, young 20 year old trying to make to the league and play and stay here.”

There are many veterans on this team that will be able to help Machado grow and get better through the rest of the season.  Adam Jones was called up at a similar age.  He said he told Manny last night “to come here, be himself and have fun.”  It seems Manny has taken that advice to heart saying he won’t be changing anything about his game.

Machado said he had been aiming for a September call up but that it wasn’t his main goal.  Being called up during a playoff race is even sweeter for him.  “It means a lot” he said, “It means Buck has faith in me. It means he has trust in me that I can out there and help (this team win).” Showalter does have faith in him. “The only reason we did it — biggest reason — was because we think he help us win games potentially.  We’ll see.  We’ll run him out there tonight and see what happens.

“Everyone should be nervous on their first game. I mean I’m 20 years old. I think after that first pitch is thrown, the butterflies will go away.” He seems focused, much like a lot of players on the roster.  For now that’s all we know.  We will see if the Orioles have caught lightning in a bottle with this youngster.

The Orioles called up Manny Machado (a well-known name here in Baltimore), the #3 rated prospect in baseball, for Thursday’s game versus the Royals. But was the move in relation to his personal performance or a drastic measure by a desperate team. There is a list of reasons why Machado will be in Camden Yards this season, none of them relate to his bat or glove.

For a team in the pennant and wild card race in August, the fans simply still do not show up to the ballpark. There is a bevy of green seats every time you turn on the game; which is a testament of this fan-base’s trust of the organization as a whole. The Oriole faithful have been burned plenty in the past decade and a half; whether it was the Albert Belle “appearance” in the outfield, Miguel Tejada and Sammy Sosa’s post steroid stint in Baltimore or the return of Rafael Palmeiro (B12 and all).

Steve Johnson’s performance on Wednesday night (in his first career start, the same day that his father won his first game with the Orioles), will do little to excite fans that are waiting for a spiral down back to reality. For a team with such a terrible run differential, poor starting pitching and a make shift infield, it is improbable to think they can remain in the hunt. But the Orioles have gotten this far with basically the same roster as opening day.

Yet, the stands remain empty, but the powers that be hope this move will change the perspective at Camden Yards. Machado’s presence will put butts in the seats because he represents the future and it doesn’t hurt everyone witnessed 20 year old phenom, Mike Trout, here in Baltimore (and reminded of it weekly with his home run robbing catch of J.J. Hardy displayed on ESPN). Trout has proven that a kid Machado’s age can propel a team into the next level; a level that would involve the playoffs for these Orioles.

As ticket sales rise, so will the Machado merchandise in the greater part of Maryland. Expect his jersey sales to lead the team for the next couple months, while the team taking full advantage of his personal brand. You won’t be able to walk down the street without seeing a person in a T-shirt brandishing his name or likeness. And that’s all well and good for Peter Angelos but does it really benefit the team or the player to rush him to the bigs for matters involving finance.

Machado’s numbers are not staggering; he is not lighting up the minors the same way Trout and Harper were earlier this season. His numbers are respectable for a player his age (.266, 11 HR, 56 RBI), but is nothing to claim “He cannot learn anything else in the minors; he needs to see big league pitching.” And his bat is what he is known for; he has struggled for most of the season at short stop. Now the team plans to move him to third base, where he has no experience at all. This stint in the majors could be detrimental to his psyche, if he does not live up to his lofty expectations.

So please tell me, exactly what’s the rush?

The trade deadline will pass and the Orioles will have only made a select few minor trades.  They have already brought in veteran depth with Jim Thome and Omar Quintanilla; never looks to be more than bench help for 2012.  These trades will definitely help the team for the rest of the season but nothing to change the course of the future.   Dan Duquette has stood strong, with his feet deeply planted in the ground about Dylan Bundy and Manny Machado are untouchable.  Adam Jones joined them in that non-movable class, with his mega contract.

Talks circle around Joe Blanton heading to Baltimore, but his contract is up after the season and he is nothing more than a veteran, back of the rotation, innings eater.  His impact will help a team like the O’s, because of their lack of experience and consistency but is not the star the fans in Baltimore have been clamoring for. 

But what’s the rush?  The Orioles are going to finish with their best season since their back to back playoff appearances in the 90’s.  If they finish out the season playing 500 ball, they will have their first winning record for everyone that has come up through the organization.  They also remain in a playoff hunt; trying to catch the A’s, who probably have even less talent than our Orioles.

So in the offseason, the front office will have plenty to work with.  They will have a winning team in a great season to sell to free agents and added revenue, if the fans continue to increase ticket sales for the next couple months and plenty of parts to consider moving.

If you have paid attention to my past articles, you will know my stance on Matt Wieters and why he should be moved.  He could bring back a mix of young talent and major league ready pitchers from teams like the Angels, Pirates or Dodgers.  But that isn’t the only All-Star the Orioles should move on from during the offseason.

What about Jim Johnson?  He is clearly having a career year, is one of the league leaders in saves and been the anchor to one of the best bullpen’s in the league.  But he has really struggled lately, giving up a couple hits last night versus the Yankees, enough to tug out our heart strings before eventually finishing the game off.   He had his worst appearance last Friday, allowing 6 runs to blow the save after a thrilling comeback by the O’s.  Did anyone really believe Johnson would perform this well this season?  Does anyone really believe he will consistently be dominant closer for the rest of his career?

Now it is probably to move Johnson before the deadline and he will not clear waivers to trade him in August but a move in the offseason should be possible.  Plenty of teams overpay for closers (just look at what Philadelphia gave Jonathon Papelbon last year), and Johnson now has an All-Star appearance to add to his resume.  Don’t get me wrong, I think Johnson is a good relief pitcher that would definitely help the team in the immediate future.  But I think the haul of players Baltimore would receive back for him will outperform anything Johnson can provide.

The other piece to the equation is Pedro Strop and his dominance in the “Set Up” role this year.  After a full year in the bigs, he could be ready to take over as the closer next season.  His stuff is definitely more similar to the average MLB closer than Johnson, and has the fiery mentality you also look for.  To a have a replacement like Strop, I think the Orioles could be satisfied in moving on from the Jim Johnson era in the back end of the bullpen; even if it only lasted one season

It’s always nice to have a long weekend but I am definitely looking forward to being back on the air tomorrow so that we can all “Catch the Buzz” again. Radio is so addicting. Before I start this weekend’s blog I want to say hi to the New Jersey folks that I gave a jump to when their car died in Lot N while we were tailgating on Saturday. I also want to thank them for the Liverpool scarf they gave me as a token of their appreciation. I want them to know that I wore it all day Saturday for the entire game even though it was about 100 degrees out. They promised they would tune into the show so now we have listeners in San Diego and New Jersey. It’s great to have something different than Orioles baseball show up in our top three events of the weekend, although Friday night was a heartbreaker and would have definitely been in the top three if the Orioles had won. Anyone still feeling like closers are overrated after that game? Here are the top three events of the weekend.

#3

The Olympics

I really don’t have any one sport that I want to talk about more than any other just the overall games themselves. It doesn’t take long to remember that all these athletes train for four years so that they can compete in most cases for two to three minutes tops. In some cases it’s just a few seconds. I will take a brief second here to argue that thinking anyone with a prosthetic has an advantage over someone else running a race. They don’t because it’s 100 times harder to train day in and day out to get ready for the race with a prosthetic. The fact they can even be close to competing with able bodied athletes is truly amazing. Alright back to this weekend. I was almost starting to buy into the whole Michael Phelps didn’t train hard enough after he didn’t even medal in the 400 IM. Then I watched him swim an outstanding leg of the 4×100 relay and watched Ryan Lochte lose the gold. It will be interesting to see how everything turns out in the pool. How crushing was it to watch Jordyn Wieber miss out on even qualifying for the individual all around final. Now she has to re-focus and help her team, who beat her out, win a gold medal. Just goes to show anything can happen on any given day. Wieber had only lost twice in competition since2009, and had never finished behind two teammates in the same meet before it happened on Sunday.

#2

Liverpool  vs. Tottenham Hotspur tailgating

I can’t with a good conscience put the actual game that was played on the field Saturday in my top three. Both teams were uninspired and there were no goals scored. It may have made the top three if either team had actually tried to score a goal. The best part of the day came before the game even started. Maybe it’s because I don’t get a chance to do this before Ravens games or maybe it was just the company but the best part of Saturday happened between 11 am and 1 pm on lot N. Great food and great drink I need to start considering tailgating more often. Here are a few shots from the actual game taken by my wife and amateur photographer Nanette.

During the dog days of summer there are two American past times to partake in.  One of course is taking in a Major League Baseball game.  The other is heading to the theaters to see some summer blockbusters.  This year’s MLB season has paralleled the summer blockbuster season so perfectly that I decided to give my take on both.

Here are the best comparisons between the two to date:

Avengers (LA Angels)- This team got off to an incredibly slow start but have made up some of the ground.  They are now one of the better teams in the American League and are above average at this point; just like the movie.  However, this team has its very own “Hulk” in Albert Pujols and “Captain America” in Jered Weaver who is unhittable more often than not.  So how can they not do well?

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (Boston Red Sox)- Just like the movie, this team has been the butt of some jokes.  If you compare the idea of the movie to the Red Sox off the field issues this season, they are quite comparable.  That being said, the movie wasn’t entirely bad and similarly the Red Sox find themselves still at .500 and within striking distance of the wildcard.  With some players getting healthy and maybe a trade, Boston could turn a bad idea into resurrected season.

The Amazing Spiderman (Miami Marlins)- One of the most anticipated movies of the summer and one of the most talented teams (on paper) headed into the season have both disappointed.  Both reboots (the Marlins rebooting themselves in a new home), Spiderman’s cast and Miami’s roster had all the promise in the world but just didn’t work as a finished product.  Miami is now cutting its losses and shopping its players, most notably, Hanley Ramirez being traded to the Dodgers this morning.

Prometheus (Washington Nationals)-  Both invoking high anticipation levels and silently becoming sleeper picks before their premieres, the movie and the team have met and far exceeded expectations.  The Nationals starting pitching has been the driving force for their season just as Prometheus’s special effects made it shine.  The Nationals are poised for a postseason run and Prometheus is expected to make a splash at the Oscars.

Magic Mike (Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates)- These teams were written off as non-contenders to start the year along with Magic Mike being designated as the quintessential, no-good “chick flick”.  Well both these teams have surprised and if you can get past the male nudity scenes in Magic Mike, it’s a surprisingly good drama that’s also been brought up in Oscar considerations.  We will see if these teams can get past the other great teams out there to get to the playoffs, just as Magic Mike is trying to overcome the rest of the summer blockbusters.

The Dark Knight Rises (New York Yankees)- The Dark Knight Rises was one of the best films of the summer so far and the Yankees have been one of the best teams.  They both were saddled with high expectations due to previous performances and have lived up to them.  Both have All Star casts and both had a “twist”.  For the Yankees it was trading for Ichiro.  I cried at the end of the Dark Knight Rises but I will probably cry for a different reason at the end of the Yankees season; because we might be seeing them win a World Series…ugh.

Battleship (Houston Astros): Both are bad.  Not much more to say.

The Orioles seem to get at least a token mention as being on the periphery of talks for nearly every player that’s been known to be available on the midseason trade market. What’s really going on? No one can answer for the bizarrely-successful (thus far) plans of Dan Duquette except for Duquette himself.

One thing that everyone who covers the team and baseball generally seems to agree on is that top prospects Dylan Bundy and Manny Machado are virtually untouchable on the trade market. Teams are asking and the Orioles are not giving signs that there is any player for whom they’d move those guys. That’s a good thing. Nobody should want to see the promise of either Bundy or Machado traded away for a rental in a desperate all-in gamble for one of the wild card spots.

There’s reason to be excited for Bundy and Machado. Their status as top prospects is echoed not only by the team-friendly media but by independent evaluators such as ESPN’s Keith Law and Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus. All agree they are studs.

With that in mind, it’s important to remember that there are no sure things in the prospect world. There are a variety of reasons why prospects never reach their projections. Maybe injuries get involved. Maybe there are players who just don’t have the mental makeup for professional baseball. There could be attitude problems or even just someone with a “projectable frame” that never quite fills out.

One axiom occasionally uttered in some corners of the prospect world underscores the nihilism: TINSTAAPP. That is: there is no such thing as a pitching prospect. Of course, this is not true, strictly speaking. The truth contained in it, however, is that all that stands between a young pitcher and a blown-out elbow or a torn labrum in his shoulder is… what? There are ideas about healthy mechanics, conditioning and the like, but nobody really knows. Sometimes a guy is rolling along just fine, and then there’s a pop, and a team’s multi-million dollar investment goes up in smoke.

Another thing is that some people aren’t as good as you thought – or you can’t develop them in the way that you thought you could. This will, we certainly hope, not be a problem with players like Bundy and Machado, but we don’t have to look very far back in the past to see a cautionary tale about relying entirely on the farm system to build up the major league team.

It wasn’t so long ago that Baseball America, the organization that publishes prospect handbooks every year, was projecting that the Orioles’ 2012 infield would consist of Billy Rowell (3B), Luis Hernandez (SS), Brian Roberts (2B) and Brandon Snyder (1B).

Another whopper is the projected 2012 rotation in the article: Chris Tillman (no. 1!), Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, Jeremy Guthrie, and Radhames Liz. If you’re lucky, you’ve already forgotten Liz. The rest of us can remember the one great game of his career, against the Twins in September 2008, and a whole heck of a lot of painful outings. 

In an attempt to preface my Baseball Plays of the Day, let me begin by saying I have placed bets on baseball games only a handful of times in my life. Most of the instances occured at the Hard Rock Cafe Sports Book last year in Punta Cana, which was an awesome time, by the way. I hung out with John Rocker, who, at the time, informed me of his belief that he could be an effective asset to the Orioles bullpen.  While I am sure it was the Budweiser talking, he came across like an okay guy to me.   As tempting as it was, I fought hard to stay away from the only relevant topic anyone wants to talk to him about; his racist/homophobic/sexist comments in regards to playing in NYC. After all, the guy, being on vacation like myself, was there to enjoy himself.

Anyway, here are my Inaugural MLB Plays of the Day for Tuesday:

Cleveland Indians/Detroit Tigers OVER  9  (BEST BET)

To say that the Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez has been a disappointment in 2012 would be an understatement. Acquired at last year’s trade deadline from from the Colorado Rockies, the 28-year-old is rarely clocked at over 95 mph on the radar gun these days. In addition to his loss in velocity, he leads the AL in walks and sports a hideous 5.48 walks per nine innings. Jimenez’s July has been more atrocious as he boasts an ugly 7.48 ERA, surrendering 18 earned runs in just four starts.

Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera will be licking their lips when the Tigers roll into town Tuesday and should have no problem teeing off on Jimenez.  However, their teammate and Detroit starter tonight Doug Fister has also been up and down this season. Fister has won his last three starts after losing his previous three starts. Cleveland, winners against Baltimore last night to avoid a sweep, is batting .311 (84-for-270) against fastballs from pitchers like Fister since last season. The lone bright spot in the lineup is Shin-Soo Choo, who homered in two of the last three games.

I expect Detroit to put up roughly 7-8 runs in this contest.   Cleveland should manage at least three.

New York Mets to win ML (-108)

The Mets have certainly been free-falling as of late.  Losers of their last 10 of 11, their starting pitching has compiled a 6.41 ERA during that span.  Not to mention the devastating news that pitchers Johan Santana and Dillon Gee have hit the DL. Their sole victory during those 11 games was last Thursday when R.A. Dickey got the best of the Nats’ Gio Gonzalez. Dickey will go for his 12th consecutive winning decision in the rematch tonight.

Gonzalez hasn’t looked anything like an All-Star over his last five starts. The southpaw surrendered six earned runs in 3 1/3 innings pitched during last week’s matchup against the Mets, ballooning his ERA to 5.75 in July. To make matters worse, Dickey is a perfect 6-0 at home and should make scoring runs very difficult for the Nationals offense.

Dickey certainly has not been lights out either, but expect him to get enough support led by David Wright and a red hot Daniel Murphy to even this three game series at 1-1.

ORIOLES vs RAYS PREVIEW: July 24th, 2012

Wei-Yin Chen takes the mound for the Orioles tonight against the Tampa Bay Rays as the O’s try to rebound after failing to sweep Cleveland last night. The last time the Rays faced the Orioles with Chen on the mound, Rays’ starter David Price overshadowed him with a complete game shutout. Tonight, the Rays are not as fortunate to match Price against Chen once again, as they send Jeremy Hellickson to the mound. The Rays have lost all of Hellickson’s last five starts and his road ERA stands at 4.08. Chen, on the other hand, has an ERA a full point lower at home.  Taking three of four in Cleveland and winning their last five of six overall has given the O’s some much needed swagger after a slow start post All Star Break. The travel from Cleveland to Baltimore will not fatigue them very much either, so jet lag will not be a problem.   All signs point to Baltimore starting this three game set successfully with a win, thus further distancing themselves from the bottom three in the AL East.