Orioles Proving Ground

For the second year in a row, we’re doing a live blog of Orioles opening day!  Let’s get started…

(3:12 PM) – Technical difficulties, but De Aza starts off the Orioles season with a swinging bunt hit.  Better to be lucky than good.

(3:15) – Check that, error on De Aza’s “hit”.  Still good to be lucky!

(3:16) – Camden Depot writer Pat Holden’s favorite Oriole, Steve Pearce.  If he can be half as good as he was last year, I think the Orioles would be thrilled.

(3:20) – TB’s Chris Archer’s stirrup game is on point, so was that pitch to strike out Pearce

(3:21) – Travis Snider! Beats the shift (which is what he planned to do I’m sure)

(3:22) – Palmer calls Delmon Young a “slasher”, which I think is nicer than calling him a hacker?  I’m seriously asking.

(3:25) – Chris Tillman on the bump today.  Not quite as amped as he was last year, where he was throwing 95 mph in the first inning.  90-91 mph to start

(3:28) – Wait, Steven Souza’s name is pronounced Sosa?  I’m not so sure about  that Gary Thorne…

(3:31) – Trying to find out how to pronounce Souza’s name and Baseball Reference crashes my computer. Restarting now…

(3:32) – These updates being done via mobile!

(3:33) – Mobile updates are SUPER annoying

(3:52) – And we’re back on the computer.  Took a little bit longer because I had to make a phone call for work.  Don’t they know it’s opening day?!?!?

(3:55) – So Baseball Reference doesn’t even HAVE pronunciation on their website! What is that site even good for?!?!?

(3:57) – Tillman coming across his body a lot.  Missing glove side by quite a bit

(3:58) – Better to miss away than right down the middle though I guess

(3:59) – Really hope Jaso doesn’t have a concussion.  That would suck for him.  SABR guys love him!

(4:01) – Need to take another break to take care of something for work.  Last time, I promise (maybe)

(4:14) – Back again! Crazy play a couple of minutes ago, huh?

(4:16) – It’s probably just easier to do this on twitter, but I am decidedly “old-school”

(4:17) – Maybe I’ll have to do this with someone else next year, so I’m not talking to myself the entire time

(4:19) – Here’s my game buddy right now.  He’s not as in to opening day as I am

(4:23) – Kiermaier plays a nice center field.  Didn’t matter, but he cut Joseph’s double off nicely

(4:24) – BRILLIANT at bat by De Aza.  Hopefully Pat saw that one too.  He loves De Aza maybe even more than he loves Steve Pearce

(4:31) – Had to run upstairs quick to brush my teeth, which I accidentally neglected to do earlier this morning

(4:31) – Have I mentioned that I’m going to be a dad?  Probably need to start setting a better example than brushing my teeth at 4:30 in the afternoon

(4:33) – Tillman doesn’t look great, but he’s getting the job done. A lot of weak contact

(4:34) – Markakis who?

(4:36) – On my way back downstairs from brushing my teeth I noticed that a garden gnome that’s been missing for at least 4 months has suddenly been returned to its original position.  Although he is now missing his hat.  No idea what happened.

(4:38) – I think every Orioles promo during this game has featured Chris Davis.  No comment on that, just think it’s a weird choice considering his current suspension and his TERRIBLE 2014 season

(4:39) – Pat Holden must be giddy right now.  Not only has De Aza and Pearce both homered, but this is the 3rd time he’s been mentioned in this Live Blog, which must be some sort of record.

(4:43) – Should also mention that Camden Depot’s Matt Kremnitzer is on the Pearce bandwagon as well.  I’m staying off for now, but I reserve the right to change my mind

(4:45) – Is it my TV, or does new TB pitcher Steve Geltz look miniature?

(4:47) – Fangraphs says Geltz is 5’10” 170 lbs.  I’m saying 5’8″ 190.

(4:50) – So far 2015 is looking a lot like 2014.  Power. Defense. Pitching that is good enough

(4:51) – “Pitching that’s good enough” is not to be confused with “Bad Pitching”

(4:53) – DEFENSE.

(4:59) – From a couple of minutes ago…

@OriolesPG well, @mattkremnitzer and I are popping champagne over Gchat right now.

— Pat Holden (@pfholden) April 6, 2015

(5:03) – I’m going to say that I am officially off the clock (as opposed to unofficially off the clock earlier)

(5:05) – Maybe “on-call” is more appropriate.  I’m now “off-call”

(5:06) – Longo goes Bongo.  Let’s try and make that a thing

(5:08) – Tillman OUT! *drops mic*

(5:11) – Darren O'(ALL)Day

(5:16) – Those last two pitches thrown by Frieri were in perfect locations.

(5:18) – I wish I was good at photoshop.  I would put frosted tips on Frieri’s hair and call him Ernesto Fieri(5:21) – Probably funnier in thought than in execution

(5:22) – Steve Pearce continuing his solid game.  Good PA to work the walk

(5:25) – And Travis Snider was DEFINITELY looking for a slider on that pitch

(5:27) – Ummm, I can only assume that Pearce blew through a stop sign.  He was out by literally 88 feet (FYI, third base to home is 90 ft)

(5:30) – Hahahahaha, Pearce is safe

(5:33) – That play at the plate will create all sorts of HOT TAKEZ tomorrow

(5:34) – Bottom line, Rivera should have met Pearce halfway up the line.  Heady play by Pearce by the way

(5:37) – As you could probably tell, Rivera could have literally met Pearce halfway up the line.

(5:40) – What’s Brad Brach’s full name?  I’d suspect it’s Bradford, as that has a better ring to it than Bradley Brach

(5:42) – According to Baseball Reference it’s just Brad.  That’s disappointing

(5:45) – J.J. Hardy would have had that.  #MissYouJJ

(5:46) – Still can’t believe that it’s pronounced Steven Sosa (spelled Souza)

(5:47) – I think literally half of this blog post discusses players’ names rather than the actual game itself

(5:48) – Going to rebrand Orioles Proving Ground as a blog dedicated to names.  It’s an underserved market of the baseball blogging community

(5:49) – Tommy Hunter coming into the game with runners on first and third with 1 out.  Usually he creates that mess himself

(5:50) – Thank you, thank you. I’ll be here all night

(5:51) – I know that Cabrera’s double wasn’t good for the Orioles, but man that was a nice at-bat for my fantasy team

(5:52) – Longo pops out literally before Gary Thorne finishes trying to build the excitement of the moment

(5:53) – Checking in on the Phillies.  Not at all shocked that they’re getting shutout

(5:54) – Hamels gave up 4 home runs? Now he’s untradeable.  Bummer

(5:55) – Ryan FlaHRty

(6:02) – De Aza making the pitchers work.  I wonder how many pitches he’s seeing per plate appearance today.  I should have probably paid more attention or I could just look it up.  But I’m going to go with the 3rd option and do neither.

(6:08) – Let’s have a quick inning here Zach, I’m running out of steam

(6:11) – Don’t know if Britton is trying to backdoor that slider (I’m assuming he is since he’s facing RHB), but he’s hitting that outside corner (or just off it) pretty nicely

(6:12) – JOSEPH, C’MON!

(6:13) – Ballgame! For the 5th year in a row, the Orioles end opening day on pace to finish the season 162-0.  To reiterate, POWER. DEFENSE. PICTHING (that’s good enough).

Thanks to everyone (anyone?) who tuned in! Enjoy the 2015 season!

This entry was posted on April 6, 2015 at 7:15 pm and is filed under Live! with tags Opening Day. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.