This is part of a series articles examining what every team’s roster would look like if given only the players it originally signed. I’m compiling the rosters, ranking them and presenting them in a countdown from Nos. 30 to 1.
No. 30 – Cincinnati
No. 29 – Kansas City
No. 28 – San Diego
No. 27 – Milwaukee
Sure, there are just four teams below them here, but the Orioles’ list now is a lot stronger than it would have been a couple of years ago, and if I do a similar set of rankings in 2011, there’s a good chance they’ll rank somewhere in the middle of the pack or perhaps higher.
Rotation
Erik Bedard
Brad Bergesen
John Maine
David Hernandez
Brian Matusz
Bullpen
Jim Johnson
Arthur Rhodes
Chris Ray
Koji Uehara
Kevin Hart
D.J. Carrasco
Garrett Olson
A year ago, the rotation would have been Bedard, Maine, Olson, Hart and Josh Towers. Now there’s actual legitimate depth. Bergesen is a strong Rookie of the Year candidate, and Hernandez has a 3.81 ERA in 10 starts since debuting. Matusz gets the last spot over Uehara and Chris Tillman.
There may not be a legitimate closer here, but because the youngsters can slide into the rotation, the bullpen has a lot more depth with Uehara and Hart. Carrasco and Olson get the last spots over Tillman, Hayden Penn, Radhames Liz and John Parrish.
Lineup
2B Brian Roberts
RF Nick Markakis
CF Jayson Werth
C Matt Wieters
DH Nolan Reimold
LF Willie Harris
SS Jerry Hairston Jr.
3B Mike Fontenot
1B Brandon Snyder
Bench
OF David Dellucci
OF Jeff Fiorentino
C Gregg Zaun
INF Augie Ojeda
Werth’s presence may surprise a few. He was a first-round pick as a catcher in 1997. The Orioles, though, soured on him when they figured out he was a long shot to last behind the plate, and they traded him to the Blue Jays for John Bale after 2000.
The lineup is decent, though the Orioles’ utter inability to develop a legitimate corner infielder is a problem. Fontenot belongs at second, not third, and first base came down to Snyder, who is hitting .275/.332/.376 in 178 at-bats since moving up to Triple-A, or Calvin Pickering.
There also weren’t many options at DH, so Reimold moves there and Harris improves the outfield defense. DHing Dellucci and playing Reimold in left was the other possibility.
The bottom of the lineup would look better if there were any possible platoonmates for Harris or Fontenot. However, Dellucci and Fiorentino are also left-handed hitters and Ojeda, a switch-hitter, is awful against southpaws.
Summary
The Orioles still have more young pitching on the way, and while the position player talent in the system doesn’t measure up, key players like Wieters, Markakis and Reimold should only improve. In two years time, Matusz and Tillman may be the aces of the staff. The organization is in better position now than at any point within the last 10 to 15 years, and it shows here.
Nationals blow 6-run lead, rebound to beat Phillies 8-7
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WASHINGTON (AP) Lane Thomas singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Washington Nationals sent the Philadelphia Phillies to their fifth straight loss, winning 8-7 after blowing a six-run lead.
The defending NL champion Phillies have just five victories in their last 18 games and are tied with the Nationals at the bottom of the NL East at 25-32.
“We’ve got to overcome it,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “We’ve got to play better, get consistent in all phases and keep moving forward.”
Alex Call drew a two-out walk against Connor Brogdon (2-1) in the eighth, stole second on a low pitch that catcher JT Realmuto couldn’t make a throw on and scored on Thomas’ single to right center.
“The way Lane’s swinging the bat, if you can get on second base, we can win the game,” Call said. “I look over and the ball’s in the dirt, he doesn’t catch it. Now I’m saying: ‘All right, Lane. Come on!’”
Kyle Finnegan (3-2) pitched 1 2/3 innings for the victory, stranding the tying run on second in the ninth.
Nick Castellanos homered twice, singled, doubled and drove in five runs for Philadelphia, which had scored just three runs in its past three games.
“There’s definitely a lot of positives as a group,” Castellanos said. “Showing some fight. It would have been really, really easy to lay down and allow the way the game started to be the way that it finished.”
Down 7-1 after four innings, Philadelphia tied it at 7 in the eighth. Brandon Marsh worked a nine-pitch walk against Mason Thompson leading off, and Drew Ellis singled with one out. Finnegan came on to face Kyle Schwarber, who hit a ground ball up the middle. Shortstop CJ Abrams fielded it behind it behind second base, touched second for one out, but threw wildly to first and Marsh came home with the tying run.
Castellanos’s second homer, a two-run shot to center in the sixth, pulled the Phillies to 7-3 and Marsh added an RBI single in the inning.
In the seventh, Schwarber doubled with one out and Bryson Scott reached on an infield single. Hunter Harvey came on and walked Bryce Harper to load the bases. Castellanos singled to center scoring two runs to make it 7-6.
Luis Garcia homered and Jeimer Candelario doubled twice and drove in three runs for the Nationals, who have won seven of 12.
Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler, coming off eight shutout innings against Atlanta, allowed seven runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.
“This one’s on me really,” Wheeler said. “Guys battled back. Just couldn’t finish it out. We know who we have in this room and what we’ve got to do.”
Josiah Gray gave up four runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings for Washington.
Candelario doubled just beyond the reach of left fielder Schwarber to drive in the first of Washington’s two runs in the first.
In the second, Abrams hit a one-out drive to deep center that Marsh misplayed into a double. With two outs and two on, Candelario doubled off the wall in right center to make it 5-0.
Garcia ended Wheeler’s night with a solo homer in the fourth.
“When you come out the way we did, you’ve got to tack on,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “It didn’t happen tonight, but we got one more than the other guys.”
CANDY MAN
Candelario is 9 for 26 (.346) with four doubles, a home run, nine RBIs, five walks, and seven runs scored in his last seven games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: Thomson said RHP Taijuan Walker played catch Friday and there are “no worries about his next start.” In a four-inning outing against the Mets on Thursday, Walker’s sinker velocity averaged 90.6 mph, down from 92.7 mph for the season. His fastball, splitter and curveball velocity also dropped.
Nationals: OF Victor Robles (back spasms) took batting practice on the field for the first time since going on the injured list. … LHP Sean Doolittle (elbow) gave up a run on two hits and struck out two batters in 2/3 of an inning working his second straight night for Class A Fredericksburg.
UP NEXT
Phillies: LHP Matt Strahm (4-3, 3.20) will start a bullpen game on Saturday.
Nationals: LHP MacKenzie Gore (3-3, 3.57) went seven innings and struck out a career-high 11 batters in his previous outing – a no decision against the Royals.
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