Say it with me.
Anything is better than a seven-game losing streak.
Despite allowing the Red Sox to slip away from Camden Yards with a pair of wins over the weekend, the Orioles showed true grit by taking two of three from the first-place Yankees and two of four from the second-place Red Sox right after their week from hell ended in Houston.
This team still has a pulse, and they’ve shown that they won’t go out in the race for the division title without a fight. First place is still just 3.5-games out of reach, and there’s still 107 games left on the schedule. Get your popcorn ready.
While it would have been groovy to take the series from the ‘Sox after winning the first two games of the four-game set, all I’m asking is can we really complain?
The answer is no. Not after how fast the Orioles pulled themselves out of a slumber and turned it around. Things could have gotten a lot worse against the division’s top two teams if the O’s had any type of hangover from their losing skid, but instead, they played great baseball (for the most part) and now that ugly two-week stretch in Mid-May seems like ancient history.
Don’t worry, be happy Birdland. This team’s pulse isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and they’re in the fight for the long haul.
Buckle up.
Let’s take a look at the highlights from the past week of Orioles baseball.
– Dominating the back yard: After going 4-3 this week at Camden Yards, the Orioles’ 19-10 record at home is good for fourth-best in the majors.
– The noisy neighbors: The Orioles have now gone an impressive 21-13 versus the AL East this season, including a 12-10 combined record versus the Yankees and Red Sox and a 14-7 mark against in-division rivals at OPACY.
– A resurgence? After hitting an off-key run of form in late May, the Orioles offense is starting to rev up again as we enter the summer months. Over the last five ballgames, the Orioles are hitting .286 as a unit while scoring 25 runs (5.0 per game) to go along with nine homers. They’ve also gone 11-for-39 (.282) with runners in scoring position during that span.
– What gives? Despite owning a stellar 2.85 ERA as a unit over the previous 14 games going into the Boston series, the Orioles bullpen was tagged to the tune of a 6.94 ERA over 11 2/3 innings against the Red Sox. Here’s hoping this was just a minor blip on an otherwise smooth sea.
– A turnaround? Orioles starters haven’t been able to find long-term consistency this season, but after notching a horrid 6.85 ERA in the previous nine games before the clash with the Red Sox, they recorded a stellar 2.96 ERA versus Boston, allowing just eight earned runs in 24 1/3 innings. Wade Miley and Alec Asher turned in sparkling gems as well, so hopefully they can help Dylan Bundy carry the torch down the stretch.
– Good times on the horizon? The Orioles seem to always kick it into high gear in the month of June. They went 19-9 last June, 18-10 in June 2015, and 16-12 in June 2014. Let’s hope for more of the same this year.
– Hanging the socks: Whether it’s due to the drama that transpired earlier this season or not, Manny Machado loves to stick it to Boston. He finished the series against the Red Sox having gone 6-for-15 (.400) at the dish with five runs, two homers and two RBI. Considering that Machado snapped into form right after going 0-for-14 against the Yankees makes his performance versus Boston even more impressive.
After not giving out any awards last week due to the nightmare on Eutaw Street, we’re getting back to it after a pretty promising week in Birdland!
Let’s announce the stars of the week already…
Third Star
Trey Mancini. The Orioles star rookie doesn’t seem to be cooling down. After going 4-for-11 with an RBI versus the Yankees, Mancini followed up by going 4-for-12 with two doubles and another RBI versus Boston. In total, he finished the week hitting a stellar 8-for-23 (.348). Over his last 24 games, Mancini is has gone a sensational 28-for-83 (.337) at the plate with two homers and 13 RBI.
Second Star
Jonathan Schoop. While his six-game hitting streak came to a halt on Saturday, Schoop followed up a solid performance against the Yankees by going 6-for-15 (.400) with two doubles, one homer and four RBI versus Boston. The Orioles second baseman is now hitting .355 (11-for-31) with four doubles, three homers and nine RBI over his last eight games. Over his last 13 contests, Schoop has gone a sparkling 16-for-48 (.333) at the plate with three homers and ten RBI.
First Star
Chris Davis. After coming to life versus the Yankees (3-for-12, 1 HR, 3 RBI), Davis stayed dialed in and finished the series versus Boston having gone 4-for-15 with a homer and three RBI. It seems as if “Crush” is starting to awaken, and that’s always a good thing for the Orioles. And a very, very bad thing for the rest of the American League. Over the course of his current-six game hitting streak, Davis is hitting .304 (7-for-23) with two home runs and six RBI.
