O's 8/20

I didn’t see any of the O’s game last night but it was a nice win, albeit a little too close for comfort. Matusz pitched pretty well again, with 7 K’s and no walks, giving up 4 runs in 5 1/3 innings and allowing 7 hits. The 3-run HR to Zobrist was the big blow, but Matusz seemed very pleased with the way he pitched. He knows what he is doing and exposure to the AL East this year should be very beneficial. With him, Tillman and Bergy, it’s a nice start to next year and beyond. What I like most about these three pitchers is there attitude and ability to understand the things each needs to work on. They seem to acknowledge that they are just getting their feet wet and have a lot to learn, and while that sounds like something that should be obvious, not all young athletes (or anyone, for that matter) are that humble, and I take that as a great sign of things to come

Probably the most pleasant surprise from the bullpen this year has been Kam Mickolio. Even though it’s a small sample size, his numbers are outstanding (8.1 IP, 10 K’s 3 BB, 3 Hits and a .74 WHIP), and most importantly he’s throwing strikes and keeping his BB’s to a minimum. He’s always thrown the ball very hard, but the knock on him has been his inability to throw strikes. He’s a big guy, so getting your body to repeat a delivery is not going to be easy, but he seems to have made tremendous strides this year, and it would be great to have another power arm in our bullpen. And, the Bedard trade just keeps on giving.

Here’s hoping the O’s win a couple in Chicago this weekend and we continue to see growth from this ever changing and youthful team. Go O’s!