Extra BP helps Davis, O's pitching dominates

Chris Davis was caught on film by MASN taking extra batting practice against a pitching machine yesterday. MASN also quoted hitting coach Jim Presley as they played the clip. According to Presley, Davis needs to get rid of the top hand dominant uppercut swing that has replaced his "hit the ball hard to all fields" stroke of 2013.

Chris Davis

It looked like the extra effort was beginning to work in the series clincher last night. The O’s won the game going away after a lengthy rain delay.

Things began well for O's starter Wei Yin Chen. In the bottom of the first inning Davis hit a long two-run homer that helped stake him to an early 3-0 lead.

Some signs of the Davis uppercut still remain, however, Davis also hit a ball deep to center last night and pulled an inside pitch down the line late in the game for a double. The only suggestion to further advance the reversal of the Davis swing woes of 2014 would be to keep working on his high-to-low underspin stroke off a batting tee. When Davis starts to patiently stroke off speed pitches away to left center field, the O’s have the chance to permanently break out of their up one day and down the next pattern.

The O’s continued their best starting pitching run of the season in the three game series against the Bosox. Wei Yin Chen, shut the Red Sox down for seven innings with a low pitch count before giving way to Darren O'Day after the rain delay. The O's staff which now includes a well-rested bullpen allowed the bean town nine just one run in twenty-seven innings.

Kevin Gausman, who came up from Norfolk last weekend to give the O’s a huge boost before Ubaldo’s walkfest on Sunday, gets the ball tonight as the division-leading Toronto Blue Jays come to town. A three-out- of-four O’s series win would be just what the doctor ordered for a Baltimore team that seems to be right in the precipice of a huge breakout.