57 replies to this topic

[Chris B]

What? Not Soco? I don't get this.

[JeremyStrain]

What? Not Soco? I don't get this.

Dont neex a 5th starter for 10 days so he can go down and stay on normal rest starting in aaa. He will be back for a start or two.

[Chris B]

Dont neex a 5th starter for 10 days so he can go down and stay on normal rest starting in aaa. He will be back for a start or two.

Sounds good. I figured this was it but I was at the game so I didn't have a chance to look at the O's upcoming schedule/days off.

[Zwolfe0]

I think Steve Johnson puts the Orioles in a tough, but welcomed, spot next season. It seems like Buck's goal the past two seasons is to acquire as many potential starters as possible to sound out a 5 man rotation. Young up and coming pitchers like Steve Johnson, Chris Tillman, Miguel Gonzalez, Dylan Bundy, etc. put pressure on the former young and upcoming pitchers to perform and keep their spots.

[hslaw0905]

Sounds good. I figured this was it but I was at the game so I didn't have a chance to look at the O's upcoming schedule/days off.

I'm a little surprised they sent him down instead of Soco. Why not give him the start on Tuesday against Bos and give everyone in the rotation an extra day again? Hasn't that proven to work pretty well through the course of the season?

I'm sure he'll be back up next weekend, when they need a 5th guy again, but I just thought this would be have been a better situation for Steve, and the rotation as a whole.

[Mackus]

I'm a little surprised they sent him down instead of Soco. Why not give him the start on Tuesday against Bos and give everyone in the rotation an extra day again? Hasn't that proven to work pretty well through the course of the season?

I'm sure he'll be back up next weekend, when they need a 5th guy again, but I just thought this would be have been a better situation for Steve, and the rotation as a whole.

I think it's a better situation for the team in general to give the best starters the most opportunities. While Johnson had a fantastic start against Seattle, I still think that I have more faith in Chen, Tillman, and Gonzalez for sure and maybe Hunter as well.

Also, by sending him down, you get to have an extra arm in the bullpen for the next 9 days as opposed to having a guy on the roster who couldn't pitch since he's waiting to start.

[hslaw0905]

I think it's a better situation for the team in general to give the best starters the most opportunities. While Johnson had a fantastic start against Seattle, I still think that I have more faith in Chen, Tillman, and Gonzalez for sure and maybe Hunter as well.

Also, by sending him down, you get to have an extra arm in the bullpen for the next 9 days as opposed to having a guy on the roster who couldn't pitch since he's waiting to start.

If you're not going to start him Tuesday, then sending him down is the obvious move, like you said you get that extra arm in the bullpen.

I guess I just don't have that much faith in anyone in the rotation right now that they give a significantly better chance to win than Johnson does, with the exception of Chen, even after last night. To that point, we've seen Chen be more effective with that extra days rest this season (3.07 ERA with 5 days, 4.42 with 4 days). We've seen good outings from Tillman and Gonzalez over the past couple weeks, but we've also seen some real bad ones too.

With the rotation patched together with guys that really haven't been there before, I would have preferred to see Buck give them all an extra day next week, rather than an extra arm in the pen.

[Mackus]

With the rotation patched together with guys that really haven't been there before, I would have preferred to see Buck give them all an extra day next week, rather than an extra arm in the pen.

I think that's a perfectly logical opinion to take. Definitely not a situation where one way is clearly a better option than the other. We'll just have to hope this way works out.

[Oriole85]

I don't think the injury is what derailed Bergesen. I think that was an inevitability. I know it's an easy turning point to focus on, both the liner off his leg and the injury filming the promo, but I think he would have fallen off either way.

I tend to agree with you here on Bergy. I think many like to point to the comebacker and say, "what could've been?" I don't quite see it that way, I was never too impressed with him to begin with. I also don't think the comebacker was as detrimental to his career as most.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Johnson had another nice start tonight:

6ip, 4 hits, 2 er, 1 hr, 2 bb's, 7 k's

He threw 98 pitches, 59 for strikes.

[RShack]

He threw 98 pitches...

Do we know when he hits the wall, pitch-count wise? I don't know how hard he is on his own arm, but he looks like he's pretty fluid and easy. Not that there was any special reason to leave him in for another inning, but he sure looked like he was still cruising in the 6th. Was there any reason to think he was running out of gas? (I know, I know, 100 p's... but still...I keep hoping to see our SP's get 20 outs...)

[BSLBobPhelan]

No reason to push it. We had a sizeable lead and our bullpen is good.

[RShack]

No reason to push it. We had a sizeable lead and our bullpen is good.

Oh, I agree with that... just wondering what (if anything) we know about when he typically hits the wall, that's all...

[BSLChrisStoner]

Nice start for Johnson today.

5 ip, 3 hits, 0 er, 3 bb's, 6 k's. Walked the first two batters in the 1st, but got out of the inning unscathed.

96 pitches, 60 strikes.

[RShack]

Not sure why, but SJ never makes me nervous... even with runners on, I don't worry...
I guess I'm just confident that he won't do anything stupid...

[mweb08]

This guy has to be on the postseason roster assuming he doesn't start to struggle. He's been fantastic!

[Oriole85]

This guy has to be on the postseason roster assuming he doesn't start to struggle. He's been fantastic!

With seven games to go, I'm not even sure if he makes two starts.

[BSLBobPhelan]

Starting Saturday against Boston.