On Deck @ The Cleveland Indians

If, in March, a prophet foretold that the Orioles would have a 6-5 record after playing the Rays, Tigers, Rangers, and Yankees, I would have felt very satisfied. For some reason it doesn't feel as good as it should. Am I down on the team because of the four game losing streak? The anemic offense? The beating the Yankees delivered? The inconsistent pitching? The Gregg-Gonzalez combo? Yes.

Next, the Orioles travel to Cleveland to play the Indians. The Indians have spent the last decade trading away good players for prospects. When I look at the names on their roster I alternate between thinking "who's that?" and "I thought they traded him..." Somehow they are in first place with an 8-4 record. It's good to be in the AL Central.

Which team's winning record is more illusory? We'll know soon. Matchups are:

Britton (2-0, 0.66) @ Masterson (2-0, 1.35)

Guthrie (1-1, 0.64) @ Tomlin (2-0, 2.63)

Bergesen (0-1, 3.18) @ Carmona (0-2, 6.11)

Things to Watch:

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  Gotta love the young pitching in this series. This is a look at the future for both teams.


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  Justin Masterson's weakness has always been against lefties. They hit .291/.379/.432 against him in his career. Masterson's numbers sparkle now but how about after Markakis, Scott, and the Oriole switch-hitters get their say? Maybe he is the tonic the offense needs.


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  If you just glance at Kevin Gregg's baseball card stats (0-0, 2.25, 1 SV, 1 BS), it doesn't look that bad. If you have watched the games though you know that if Nick Markakis doesn't crash the wall against the Rays, Gregg is a repeat of 2010 Mike Gonzalez. Gregg had a bad spring that included time spent at minor league camp trying to fix his mechanics. Now he is off to a bad start. Will the O's keep running him out there? Will Koji get the ninth inning back?