April 24: Orioles 6, Rays 3

Kevin Cash ... in the rain ... with the gopherball

Rainy weather had made it a difficult start for Chris Archer, whose slider was a work in progress throughout the game and changeup nonexistent, but in keeping with Cash’s need to spare the bullpen, Archer remained in the game after allowing a couple longballs in the sixth inning (his first and second homeruns allowed on the season) to face the top of the order for a fourth time to start the seventh inning.

Let’s see how it went...

• Seth Smith was hit by a pitch.
• Adam Jones went deep.

The Orioles had the lead.

I just ... what the hell happened here? Can somebody suggest any plausible thought process?

I mean, okay, the homers in the sixth? That stuff happens. Life comes at you fast sometimes, and nobody expects Kevin Cash to be psychic. (Well, some people do. But those people are idiots.)

But why was he sent back out to start the 7th when he was clearly losing his command? And then, after hitting Seth Smith, why leave him in to face Adam Jones? Kevin, did you not see Jones’s previous at bats?

And then, after that absolute bomb, Archer is still in there to give up a hard single to get a lineout from Manny Machado?

And then he’s still in there to pitch to Chris Davis too?

Betty White on French toast. I don’t care if Arch did get a K on Davis, that’s managerial malpractice.

And when you finally made the move, even though you had Danny Farquhar and Jumbo Diaz up earlier in the inning, you raise the white flag and bring in Ryan Garton instead? In a game when we’re only down by two, in a park like Camden Yards, a day after Garton blew the tenth inning?

And if you weren’t going to use them, what exactly were Farq and Jumbo up for in the first place?

I...

don’t...

understand...

Verdict: Seriously?

There were other moves, but I can’t even

I mean, seriously???

Verdict: WHY????