I was hoping it was CC’s turn today. If we had a true ace, today’s the day we would want to stop this ugly streak. My goodness was that a lousy pitching performance by Nova. I have to remember that young pitchers will do this from time to time.  They are great when you are on a roll, but most of the time it is not youth who turn back losing streaks.  I hate to state the obvious, but with the O’s smelling blood in the water do we really feel good about having Phil on the mound today particularly at home?
On a happier note, I remember two games vs the Angels at home in 05 when Yanks pulled out miracle 9th inning rallies on consecutive days around the end of July. Anyone remember that? It was the year they got Chacon and Small of the junk yard heap. That was a pretty amazing comeback after a terrible start of the year when the lineup couldn’t hit and Womack was at 2b. It was the year that Wang and Cano surfaced.

feels worse

If we had a true ace, today’s the day we would want to stop this ugly streak.

CC is a true Ace.  Even true Ace’s have bad stretches, or bad seasons.

I have to remember that young pitchers will do this from time to time.

So do pitchers in their prime.

do we really feel good about having Phil on the mound today particularly at home?

Yes.  I’d rather have Verlander on the mound, but for some reason Cashman didn’t trade Adams+Warren for him.

Yes, I feel pretty good about having Phil on the mound.
Are you seriously getting on the PITCHING for the fall in the standings?

no single pitcher whom you can say “oh goody, TONIGHT we defintiely win”

Harvey Haddix.

Pitching has been good save Soriano and Robertson let us down over weekend and Nova bad last night. No, injuries are the main culprit, though for the length of the season, 2 out hitting and fundamentals have been missing this year (ie: moving runners on outs. When you have lost so many 1 run games, its easy to identify the offense is to blame.  Even last night after the first the bats became dormant with 8 innings to get back in it.  Mike, I don’t disagree with you that CC is our guy. My lament orginally was that it wasn’t his turn. I don’t feel very secure today with Phil, so with due respect, I differ with you and Pete. I hope I’m wrong.

What were those probabilities before Oakland?

Higher.

2 out hitting and fundamentals have been missing this year (ie: moving runners on outs

These things aren’t a skill though.  They aren’t reflective of the character of the team.  And “productive outs” have been thoroughly debunked as being useful in scoring runs, or helping teams win.  That’s not to say that a productive out isn’t better than a non-productive one.  Just that “moving runners over” isn’t very useful.

Mike, I don’t disagree with you that CC is our guy.

Didn’t think so, but you could have been questioning it now.  I’m sure some are.

I don’t feel very secure today with Phil, so with due respect, I differ with you and Pete. I hope I’m wrong.

Hey, most people don’t.  Hughes isn’t yet - and may never be - someone where the majority of people look at him and say, “Hughes is pitching, we’re going to win today!”  But honestly, who is?  Maybe a handful of true Aces, but even then I read a lot of (not you necessarily), “CC didn’t look sharp last time despite the 14K’s, I have a bad feeling about tonight.”  So…I feel as confident as with any pitcher that Hughes will throw well.  Any pitcher can have an off day, and sometimes when you throw well you still get beat.  But far more often than not, Hughes has put together quality outings this year, especially since the train wreck that was his April.

what was Bostons playoff prob last Sept 1?

[10] Here’s what SG had on September 4th.

Are the odds of the O’s winning the division higher than 0.0% yet?