Why is Orioles throwing the towel in?

[PAULYPOKER]

Starting Saunders?

When did he become their ace?

He has lost his last 3 starts against Texas....

Chen is Orioles only shot!!!

[Chi_archie]

gut feeling?

[Brock Landers]

Why ARE they throwing the towel in you mean....

[Chi_archie]

in his 6 september starts Saunders was good. go with the hot hand I guess?

[Chi_archie]

He has lost his last 3 starts against Texas....

when were those starts?

[Chi_archie]

here is his last start I think...

http://espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=300723113

[No coincidences]

I would imagine he'd have a pretty short leash.

Chen's a rookie too, vs. Saunders having been around the block.

[PAULYPOKER]

. He has an 0-6 record with a 9+ era against Texas.

JOE SAUNDERS recent starts vs. TEXAS
Date	Opponent	Score	Line	Total	Result	Dec	IP	R	ER	H	HR	BB	SO	Opp Starter
7/23/2010	at TEXAS	0-1	+182	10	Loss,Under	L	7	1	1	7	1	1	6	WILSON(L)
8/7/2009	TEXAS	6-11	-125	9.5	Loss,Over	L	1.7	5	5	5	2	1	0	FELDMAN(R)
6/30/2009	at TEXAS	5-9	+100	10.5	Loss,Over	L	3.7	8	8	6	4	5	2	FELDMAN(R)

With a no win career record against Texas, SAUNDERS will be shitting his pants with the 1st hit he gives up!!

[tony_come]

St louis is better dog than O's

[PAULYPOKER]

There are only 2 pitchers that beat Texas this year in Baltimore's stable Tillman and Chen with Chen being the only possible start.......

Showalter is making an obvious very poor choice here..........

[oiler]

never know what will happen

[King Mayan]

It makes no sense...

But I'm not a manager so I don't know shit.

[PAULYPOKER]

Texas RL @+105 for me, HUGE!!!!!!!!

[No coincidences]

. He has an 0-6 record with a 9+ era against Texas.

JOE SAUNDERS recent starts vs. TEXAS
Date	Opponent	Score	Line	Total	Result	Dec	IP	R	ER	H	HR	BB	SO	Opp Starter
7/23/2010	at TEXAS	0-1	+182	10	Loss,Under	L	7	1	1	7	1	1	6	WILSON(L)
8/7/2009	TEXAS	6-11	-125	9.5	Loss,Over	L	1.7	5	5	5	2	1	0	FELDMAN(R)
6/30/2009	at TEXAS	5-9	+100	10.5	Loss,Over	L	3.7	8	8	6	4	5	2	FELDMAN(R)

With a no win career record against Texas, SAUNDERS will be shitting his pants with the 1st hit he gives up!!

What do starts in '09 and '10 have to do with this game? I hate Joe Saunders, but he's a different pitcher today than he was 2-3 years ago and the Rangers are a different team. They're all in different frames of mind right now, too.

[Snowball]

in a wild card game, the starter could only pitch 1-2 innings.

[lakerboy]

Orioles ml +186 and a slab on the rrl +285. Easy money on the ml. Texas dead in the water.

[Vegas39]

Orioles ml +186 and a slab on the rrl +285. Easy money on the ml. Texas dead in the water.

Texas RL it is

[PAULYPOKER]

What do starts in '09 and '10 have to do with this game? I hate Joe Saunders, but he's a different pitcher today than he was 2-3 years ago and the Rangers are a different team. They're all in different frames of mind right now, too.

STATS

2012 Regular Season	28	28	1	1	174.2	195	88	79	21	39	112	9	13	96.8	1.34	.281	4.07
Career	189	189	7	3	1161.1	1236	592	535	145	354	662	78	65	97.0	1.37	.276	4.15

Saunders is horrendous this season!!!

[PAULYPOKER]

Showalter picks Joe Saunders to start AL wild-card game




ARLINGTON, Texas -- Buck Showalter often mixes gut feelings with statistical data to make his managerial calls on a case-by-case basis.

On Thursday, Showalter chose his instincts over statistical wisdom, selecting 31-year-old left-hander Joe Saunders to pitch Friday’s one-game wild-card playoff against the Texas Rangers instead of rookie Steve Johnson, who hasn’t pitched since overextending his left knee Sept. 29.

“Joe is rested,” Showalter said. “He’s ready to go. Obviously, [he has] experience. He’s pitched some in the playoffs and we had a couple options. We weren’t real sure 100 percent about Stevie’s knee. … We’ve said it many times. Our No. 1 starter is the guy who’s pitching that day. Our whole rotation has been the sum of the parts, and Joe’s pitched well for us since he’s been here.”

Saunders, acquired Aug. 26 in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks, is 3-3 with a 3.63 ERA in seven previous outings for the Orioles. He’s also started four postseason games in his eight-season career for the Los Angeles Angels and Diamondbacks, posting a 0-1 record and a 6.00 ERA.

But it’s his stats against the Texas Rangers that are specifically disconcerting. He is 3-7 with a 6.48 ERA against Texas in his career and 0-6 with a 9.38 ERA in six starts at Rangers Ballpark — the second worst ERA in the history of the stadium for an opposing pitcher with at least 30 innings (behind only Ryan Franklin’s 9.57 mark).

“You can make numbers look anyway you want to, “Showalter said. “If you’re looking for pitchers with good numbers against the Texas Rangers, they’re hard to find. Regardless of who pitches [Friday], we’re going to have to pitch well and do some things out of the bullpen and swing the bat and catch the ball. It’s only one phase of the game, but it’s very important.”

Saunders was asked if he knew what his specific numbers were at Rangers Ballpark and he responded with, “I can imagine. I don’t care. Tomorrow is a new day.”

The lefty points out that some of his starts here weren’t disasters. In fact, in his last outing in Arlington, on July 23, 2010, Saunders allowed one run in seven innings and lost a pitchers’ duel to C.J. Wilson. He also had a quality start (eight innings, three earned runs) in 2008. In his other four starts here, however, Saunders has given up seven or more runs.

“It’s been a see-saw kind of deal,” Saunders said. “I’ve had some good games here and I’ve had some bad games here. I think everybody has good games and bad games at certain ballparks. So you just go out there and do whatever you can to help the team win, and that’s what they asked me to do, and that’s my job.”

Frankly, Showalter had few alternatives. His other starters hadn’t pitched in a while or have thrown recently and would have to be on short rest Friday. Additionally, Showalter is hesitant this early to use Jason Hammel, who had dealt with recurring pain in his surgically repaired right knee and hasn’t pitched in a game since Sept. 11. There is still optimism Hammel could pitch in the postseason, but he’s been ruled out for Friday after throwing a 73-pitch, pain-free instructional league simulated game Monday.

“Were hoping there’s a game to be pitched that he can pitch,” Showalter said of Hammel. “This is not only our present, but our future and we got some guys we’d be putting in harm’s way physically.”

Johnson was the best alternative, but he also has made just four major league starts.

“Who else do we have?” Orioles first baseman Mark Reynolds said. “Joe’s got experience. He’s pitched well his last two or three starts and he knows what he’s doing. … Sometimes you throw a young guy out there in a pressure situation like Stevie, nothing against him he’s done a great job for us, but those guys may be a little intimidated by the situation and the atmosphere and the attention. I think Joe’s going to be just fine out there.”

Johnson said he tested his knee again Wednesday and is experiencing no pain. He said he is ready to go — but isn’t going to question his manager’s decision.

“We are in a playoff game, and if they think that he is the right man for the job, I mean, you can’t really question anything Buck has done this whole season,” Johnson said. “So we’re all behind Joe.”

Saunders, a Virginia native who grew up an Orioles fan, said he is thrilled to have a chance to help the club extend its playoff run and bring it back to Baltimore for two American League Division Series games against the Yankees on Sunday and Monday.

“It’s a huge opportunity. It’s been a blessing since I got traded over here,” Saunders said. “It’s been an amazing experience coming over to a great organization and a great team that they have in place. I am going to embrace it, not change anything and go out there and hopefully get a ‘W.’”

dan.connolly@baltsun.com
twitter.com/danconnollysun

[CanuckG]

Laugh if Orioles win after this thread.

[Ghenghis Kahn]

orioles don't have an ace. they probably put all the names in a hat and picked one.

and saunders was the lucky winner...

[rickbo528]

I would imagine he'd have a pretty short leash.

Chen's a rookie too, vs. Saunders having been around the block.

Chen has pitched poorly his last few starts. If he started today and got hit early he would pfobably blow up. Too bad Jason Hammel wasn't healthy cause he would get the start.

[rumnblack]

Chen has pitched poorly his last few starts. If he started today and got hit early he would pfobably blow up. Too bad Jason Hammel wasn't healthy cause he would get the start.

Agreed.

[turbozed]

Putting a rookie Chinese dude in to pitch for the WC game and losing is a lot harder to explain than putting in an experienced guy on the mound and losing. Only degens like us and baseball geeks follow the stats that closely. Still a very questionable move by a potential MOY to ignore the matchup situation like that. It makes more sense to put Chen out there with a very short leash, if winning was goal.

[Allure]

First MLB playoff game for Darvish. How did he do in his first MLB game against the Mariners?

[PaperTrail07]

Dont like the call...obv he knows his players better...but fans make this league...NO SAUNDERS LOL....my god....guy is gonna get lit UPP

[Ghenghis Kahn]

fyi, darvish pitched in big games before.

[PaperTrail07]

Id be holding saunders collar...no leash

[PAULYPOKER]

Orioles ml +186 and a slab on the rrl +285. Easy money on the ml. Texas dead in the water.

Oakland made Texas look bad!

Oakland is for real!

Oakland will win world series!

Texas will curb stomp the Orioles fake ass glass slipper wearing fools!

[PaperTrail07]

Orioles and the dream stops with saunders...i might even make a texas -3 bet LOL

[freakydave]

Oakland made Texas look bad!

Oakland is for real!

Oakland will win world series!

Texas will curb stomp the Orioles fake ass glass slipper wearing fools!

LOL dream on

[Chi_archie]

It's a one game playoff. I gotta think ALL pitchers will be available to go at the first hint of BIG trouble

[Vegas39]

It's a one game playoff. I gotta think ALL pitchers will be available to go at the first hint of BIG trouble

[jjgold]

Guys if Texas is so easy put 4k on them

[MeatWad]

Saunders last 6 games he has given up a total of 12 runs, never more than 3 runs in any of them and always making it into the 6th inning or beyond. He pitches much better on the road. In his last outing in Tex he gave up 1 run and that was 2 years ago. They will use all their pitchers if they have to in order to win this 1 game playoff.