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06-30-2004, 08:36 AM
:hmm:
So, Sid knows he sucks. Granted, Jerry Hairston isn't used to the outfield, and there were a couple of defensive miscues, but Sid........ Sid, Sid, Sid. :hmm: :banghead:
At least it wasn't a blowout.
Dang.
:(
K.C. keeps Ponson down, 4-3
O's starter yields all runs to drops 8th in row; bloop hits in front of Hairston score 2; Royals end 5-game losing streak
By Joe Christensen
Sun Staff
Originally published June 30, 2004
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Eight starts into the longest losing streak of his career - and the longest by any Orioles pitcher since 2000 - Sidney Ponson sat by his locker last night and seethed.
His mind wasn't on the two bloop singles that dropped in front of novice right fielder Jerry Hairston, or the squandered late-inning opportunities by his team's offense.
All Ponson knew is he was staring at another loss.
Once again, the Orioles thought Ponson deserved better after the Kansas City Royals claimed a 4-3 victory before 15,575 at Kauffman Stadium.
Once again, Ponson didn't want to hear it.
"Doesn't matter," Ponson said. "I'm still losing games. It doesn't matter how good I'm throwing right now. I [expletive] suck, that's the bottom line." - (I think he must have said "f*cking*..... he must be reading sports message boards.)
With the score tied 3-3 in the sixth inning, Desi Relaford drilled a fastball from Ponson over the head of Orioles center fielder Luis Matos, scoring Dee Brown from first base.
The shaky Kansas City bullpen made the lead stand, and the Royals broke their five-game skid.
Ponson (3-11) became the first pitcher in the majors to reach 11 losses and the first Oriole to lose six games in the same month since Robin Roberts did it in May 1965.
"I'm 3-11 right now; it's not a joke," Ponson said. "I just have to keep going out there, and if it's meant for me to be 3-24 this year, let it be. - (WHAT?!?!):hmm: I'm working hard. It's not working out right now. I can't do nothing about it."
Clearly, the streak is taking its toll. Ponson lost seven consecutive decisions between July 2001 and April 2002, but that was long before he signed his latest three-year, $22.5 million contract.
The Orioles are 4-13 in Ponson's starts this year. His eight straight defeats matched the third longest losing streak in Orioles' history. Mike Boddicker lost a club-record 13 straight decisions between 1987 and 1988. The last Orioles pitcher to lose eight straight was Jason Johnson in 2000.
Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli also seemed at a loss last night.
"You can't beat yourself up, you know," he said, after his team sunk to an American League-worst 7-19 in June.
The Orioles had grabbed a third-inning lead on David Newhan's run-scoring double off Royals starter Mike Wood (1-0).
After Kansas City grabbed a 3-1 lead in the fifth, the Orioles had come back to tie it in the sixth, starting with Miguel Tejada's triple, which extended his hitting streak to a season-high 14 games.
Rafael Palmeiro scored Tejada with a grounder to second, and Javy Lopez followed with his 10th homer of the season.
But Ponson couldn't sustain the momentum. He gave up four earned runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings, leaving his ERA at 6.22.
"I don't think his outcome was deserving," Mazzilli said. "But that's part of the game."
The key sequence came in the fifth inning. With the score tied, 1-1, Ponson walked Relaford on four pitches, and with two outs, the Royals dropped a pair of bloop singles into right field.
The lineup had Hairston in right field and Tim Raines as the designated hitter. Mazzilli said he didn't want to use Hairston as his DH because it would limit his defensive options if an infielder got hurt.
Hairston, who has played second base most of his career, said he got fooled by the first blooper by David DeJesus.
"He took a really good swing," Hairston said, "and I kind of froze a little bit."
That put runners at the corners, and then Royals manager Tony Pena gave his team a break. He gave DeJesus the steal sign, which pulled Brian Roberts toward second base.
Tony Graffanino hit a towering pop-up that landed about 100 feet behind first base, but Roberts and Hairston both had too far to run.
"Can't do nothing about those," Ponson said.
Relaford scored, giving the Royals the lead, and Mike Sweeney lined a single, scoring DeJesus for a two-run lead.
The Orioles came back once, but they couldn't do it again after Relaford hit his RBI double in the sixth.
Luis Matos drew a leadoff walk against Rudy Saenz to start the seventh, but Raines popped up his bunt, and Hairston grounded into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
The Orioles threatened again in the eighth, as Newhan hit a one-out double, but Palmeiro flied out to deep right field, ending that inning.
Ponson, who has given up just 10 earned runs in his past three starts, remained winless since May 16.
Asked if he felt like one game could turn his luck, he said, "I thought that would happen like three weeks ago, but it didn't."
Copyright © 2004, The Baltimore Sun
So, Sid knows he sucks. Granted, Jerry Hairston isn't used to the outfield, and there were a couple of defensive miscues, but Sid........ Sid, Sid, Sid. :hmm: :banghead:
At least it wasn't a blowout.
Dang.
:(
K.C. keeps Ponson down, 4-3
O's starter yields all runs to drops 8th in row; bloop hits in front of Hairston score 2; Royals end 5-game losing streak
By Joe Christensen
Sun Staff
Originally published June 30, 2004
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Eight starts into the longest losing streak of his career - and the longest by any Orioles pitcher since 2000 - Sidney Ponson sat by his locker last night and seethed.
His mind wasn't on the two bloop singles that dropped in front of novice right fielder Jerry Hairston, or the squandered late-inning opportunities by his team's offense.
All Ponson knew is he was staring at another loss.
Once again, the Orioles thought Ponson deserved better after the Kansas City Royals claimed a 4-3 victory before 15,575 at Kauffman Stadium.
Once again, Ponson didn't want to hear it.
"Doesn't matter," Ponson said. "I'm still losing games. It doesn't matter how good I'm throwing right now. I [expletive] suck, that's the bottom line." - (I think he must have said "f*cking*..... he must be reading sports message boards.)
With the score tied 3-3 in the sixth inning, Desi Relaford drilled a fastball from Ponson over the head of Orioles center fielder Luis Matos, scoring Dee Brown from first base.
The shaky Kansas City bullpen made the lead stand, and the Royals broke their five-game skid.
Ponson (3-11) became the first pitcher in the majors to reach 11 losses and the first Oriole to lose six games in the same month since Robin Roberts did it in May 1965.
"I'm 3-11 right now; it's not a joke," Ponson said. "I just have to keep going out there, and if it's meant for me to be 3-24 this year, let it be. - (WHAT?!?!):hmm: I'm working hard. It's not working out right now. I can't do nothing about it."
Clearly, the streak is taking its toll. Ponson lost seven consecutive decisions between July 2001 and April 2002, but that was long before he signed his latest three-year, $22.5 million contract.
The Orioles are 4-13 in Ponson's starts this year. His eight straight defeats matched the third longest losing streak in Orioles' history. Mike Boddicker lost a club-record 13 straight decisions between 1987 and 1988. The last Orioles pitcher to lose eight straight was Jason Johnson in 2000.
Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli also seemed at a loss last night.
"You can't beat yourself up, you know," he said, after his team sunk to an American League-worst 7-19 in June.
The Orioles had grabbed a third-inning lead on David Newhan's run-scoring double off Royals starter Mike Wood (1-0).
After Kansas City grabbed a 3-1 lead in the fifth, the Orioles had come back to tie it in the sixth, starting with Miguel Tejada's triple, which extended his hitting streak to a season-high 14 games.
Rafael Palmeiro scored Tejada with a grounder to second, and Javy Lopez followed with his 10th homer of the season.
But Ponson couldn't sustain the momentum. He gave up four earned runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings, leaving his ERA at 6.22.
"I don't think his outcome was deserving," Mazzilli said. "But that's part of the game."
The key sequence came in the fifth inning. With the score tied, 1-1, Ponson walked Relaford on four pitches, and with two outs, the Royals dropped a pair of bloop singles into right field.
The lineup had Hairston in right field and Tim Raines as the designated hitter. Mazzilli said he didn't want to use Hairston as his DH because it would limit his defensive options if an infielder got hurt.
Hairston, who has played second base most of his career, said he got fooled by the first blooper by David DeJesus.
"He took a really good swing," Hairston said, "and I kind of froze a little bit."
That put runners at the corners, and then Royals manager Tony Pena gave his team a break. He gave DeJesus the steal sign, which pulled Brian Roberts toward second base.
Tony Graffanino hit a towering pop-up that landed about 100 feet behind first base, but Roberts and Hairston both had too far to run.
"Can't do nothing about those," Ponson said.
Relaford scored, giving the Royals the lead, and Mike Sweeney lined a single, scoring DeJesus for a two-run lead.
The Orioles came back once, but they couldn't do it again after Relaford hit his RBI double in the sixth.
Luis Matos drew a leadoff walk against Rudy Saenz to start the seventh, but Raines popped up his bunt, and Hairston grounded into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
The Orioles threatened again in the eighth, as Newhan hit a one-out double, but Palmeiro flied out to deep right field, ending that inning.
Ponson, who has given up just 10 earned runs in his past three starts, remained winless since May 16.
Asked if he felt like one game could turn his luck, he said, "I thought that would happen like three weeks ago, but it didn't."
Copyright © 2004, The Baltimore Sun