Well Birdland, if you’re still not quite sure what to make of the Orioles or their current campaign…
Take a number and have a seat, because you’re not the only one. You’re also looking at about a 3.5-month wait to see how this story climaxes and then concludes.
My advice? Fasten your seatbelts, folks; this ride is far, far away from being over.
It’s evident that the Orioles still haven’t found a way to win on the road after dropping three of four to the White Sox in the Windy City, and it remains a problem going forward. On the other hand, they have been able to stay in the thick of things by remaining consistent at home despite their road struggles, as evidenced by taking two of three versus the visiting Cardinals.
And even though they can’t erase the past month of misery, the Orioles should still be buzzing after busting out fifteen runs and five long balls in Saturday’s 15-7 win and then pounding out another eight runs and four homers in Sunday’s 8-5 triumph.
Sometimes it’s better to have a short memory when things aren’t going your way.
And some like to forget that it’s a 162-game marathon before hitting the finish line.
Just remind yourself to not hit the panic button after 68 games. Lock it away until August if you can’t trust yourself.
Before we move onto the individual plaudits, let’s break down the past week of Orioles baseball:
– The Power’s back on?!? After flickering on-and-off for a few nights in Chicago, the Orioles offense went berserk over the weekend versus St. Louis. They finished the week hitting .311 as a unit while scoring 45 runs (6.4 per game) on thirteen home runs. During that seven-game stretch, the O’s also went 16-for-46 (.348) with runners in scoring position.
– Over the weekend alone, the Orioles hit .361 (26-for-72) as a unit en route to driving 23 runs across the plate on ten home runs.
The Orioles offensive breakout may have lifted spirits, but the pitching staff and the concerning nature of it seems to become more of a glaring question mark by the day.
– Over the last ten games, Orioles starters’ combined ERA stands at a dismal 10.03. On a grander scale, they’ve posted a horrid 7.52 ERA over the past 20 games.
– The Orioles bullpen remains a rollercoaster, and after getting tagged versus the Cardinals, they’ve posted a dreadful 6.81 ERA over the last ten games. Again, on a larger scale, their ERA over the last 17 games stands at a subpar 5.71.
– The road/home contrast has been glaring this month alone. The Orioles stand at a horrid 1-7 on the road in the month of June. They’re 6-3 at Camden Yards since the turn of the calendar.
Now it’s time for our ”three stars of the week!” Drumroll, please….
Third Star
Mark Trumbo. With Chris Davis currently sidelined with an oblique injury, Trumbo has risen to the challenge of hitting in the heart of the lineup without his bash brother by going 9-for-28 (.321) with seven runs, two homers and four RBI over his last seven games.
Second Star
Jonathan Schoop. Schoop has continued his uber-breakout season by going 9-for-25 (.360) with seven runs, two home runs and seven RBI over the past seven contests. Over his last 21 games, the O’s star second baseman is killing it with a .329 average (26-for-79) to go along with seven doubles, eight homers and 22 RBI.
First Star
Did you expect anyone else?
Mancini has continued his phenomenal rookie season this week by ending it on a current nine-game hit streak. During that span, Mancini has gone a ridiculous 15-for-33 (.454) at the plate with three homers and eight RBI. Over his last twenty games, ”Boom Boom” is hitting a stellar .352 (25-for-71) at the dish with five home runs and fifteen RBI.
