Bottom of O’s Order is the Bottom!

Overall, the Orioles’ No. 7 through 9 lineup spots have hit a combined .189, which is 26 points lower than any other big league team, including NL clubs that use pitchers to hit!!!!!  It’s the worst in the AL by 40 points.

The bottom three’s awful performance is so noticeable considering how well the top 3 batters are doing: Brian Roberts, Adam Jones and Nick Markakis have combined to lead the majors in most offensive categories.

Consider this: The Orioles are sixth in the AL with 116 runs scored despite Pie, Zaun and Izturis touching home just 17 times combined in 22 games. In comparison, Roberts has scored 19 runs, Jones 24 and Markakis 23 

However, the Orioles want you believe that it is still early as evidenced by these quotes:

“I don’t see any reason for any sort of panic by anybody. We are all swinging the bat pretty well,” said Zaun, who is hitting .111 in 54 at-bats this year. “Felix is putting good swings on the ball, he is doing some things. Cesar has been consistent. I’ve been consistent with the quality of the contact and the quality of the at-bats. We just haven’t had as much fall in for us as the guys up top.”.

“We’re a little disproportionate now; we’re a little top heavy,” club president Andy MacPhail said. “I’m pretty confident that we have the internal options to address that, either with the guys we currently have or the other options that are available internally. It’s one of those issues that we’re keeping an eye on, and we’re mindful of how we can address it as we go on.”

Given the personnel, Orioles hitting coach Terry Crowley said he has no concerns about the early season slumps. After all, Zaun, for instance, was a career .251 hitter entering the season, and Izturis was a career .260 hitter.

“Those guys are going to come around,” Crowley said. “They are going to stay strong mentally, they are not going to make any crazy changes with their batting stances, and they are going to end up getting their share of hits.”

As for Pie, 24, who is batting .157, Crowley said the club knew it had to demonstrate patience when it brought him north from Florida.

“When we left from spring training, we knew he was an inexperienced ballplayer and we were going to take our time, give him some at-bats,” Crowley said. “Pie is going to learn. Pie is going to be better the second half of the year than he is the first half. Because that is the way it is when you are learning on the job.”

Izturis has already showed significant improvement, batting .355 during a nine-game hitting streak that ended with an 0-for-2 performance Wednesday. His average sits at .242.

“A slow start can happen to anybody,” Izturis said. “We’re trying, and hopefully in a couple days we will be fine. It is early, so we just have to keep trying and see what happens.”

Orioles manager Dave Trembley stressed that the bottom third of the lineup doesn’t have to possess high averages so long as it contributes strong at-bats.

“It would be to our benefit if guys in the bottom of the lineup would have one or two quality at-bats a game, and that doesn’t necessarily mean get hits,” Trembley said. “Walks, pitches seen, move runners, productive outs. And with two outs, the guys hitting eight or nine find their way on base any way they can so the lineup gets rolled over.”

Trembley isn’t looking to make a change at this time. But his patience may wear thin as the season progresses.

“This month is coming to a close and we’re hoping that we’ll show some improvement,” Trembley said. “We have to be more balanced. That’s really important.”

I’d look for more at-bats from catcher Chad Moeller

and more playing time in left for Lou Montanez

and Luke Scott,

with the very real possibility that Nolan Reimold,

who is tearing up Triple A, will be recalled and Pie sent down.