BALTIMORE — Depleted by accidents and entrenched in a protracted hitting hunch, the Baltimore Orioles are determined to regain their successful methods as they stumble to the end of the common season.
The Orioles held a 57-33 document and led the AL East by three video games on July 8. They had been 70-48 and nonetheless in first place on Aug. 10, however since then Baltimore has gone 14-19 to fall 4 video games behind the New York Yankees with 11 to go.
“The mojo that we have had has simply drifted away from us the previous couple of months,” Orioles normal supervisor Mike Elias mentioned Tuesday. “There are causes for it which are apparent, however numerous it’s we have individuals right here which are experiencing a downturn — whether or not it is themselves or the crew.”
These apparent causes Elias referred to are accidents. The Orioles have been attempting many of the season to make up for the lack of three members of the beginning rotation (John Means, Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells). Starter Grayson Rodriguez can be sidelined, though the crew hopes to get him again earlier than October.
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Accidents even have affected the offense. All-Star infielder Jordan Westburg (hand fracture) and first baseman Ryan Mountcastle (wrist sprain) have been out for a number of weeks, and the infield was additional depleted by the lack of Ramon Urias (ankle sprain) and Jorge Mateo (dislocated elbow).
The bullpen has been harm by the ineffectiveness of Craig Kimbrel, who was signed for $13 million to be the nearer however misplaced that job earlier this summer time and gave up six runs in Tuesday evening’s 10-0 loss to San Francisco.
Elias hopes to have Westburg, Mountcastle and Urias again earlier than the playoffs. Mateo had season-ending surgical procedure.
The Orioles nonetheless have a shot at overtaking the Yankees, particularly as a result of the groups meet in a three-game sequence within the Bronx subsequent week. And even when Baltimore cannot efficiently defend its division crown, a wild-card playoff spot is a digital certainty.
However for the Orioles to keep away from one other early exit — they had been swept by Texas final yr after a first-round bye — issues should flip round in a rush.
“It has been an disagreeable stretch right here for the latter a part of the summer time. We’ll determine this out and we will get out of it,” Elias mentioned. “I believe we will make the playoffs and do very well within the playoffs. I consider in these guys, I consider on this [coaching] workers.”
The Orioles had been scoring runs in bunches earlier than the All-Star break, and Gunnar Henderson and Anthony Santander are nonetheless hitting dwelling runs. However the offense as an entire is sputtering, as evidenced by the crew’s final three sequence. Baltimore scored three runs in three video games towards Tampa Bay, was outscored 20-11 whereas dropping two of three at Boston and final weekend managed to attain solely six runs in three video games at Detroit. Not surprisingly, the Orioles went 3-6 over that stretch.
“Lots of people are urgent to make up for different individuals’s absences or their very own slumps,” Elias mentioned. “It has been a troublesome interval. We’re all sick of it and able to get it behind us. I actually consider that we will rally down the stretch, type of get our id again.”
The Orioles started a three-game sequence at dwelling towards the Giants with Tuesday evening’s loss. They are going to conclude their dwelling schedule with three video games towards Detroit. Then it is three video games at Yankee Stadium earlier than a season-ending sequence at Minnesota.
“I wish to consider we nonetheless have good baseball to play,” supervisor Brandon Hyde mentioned. “We have proven indicators of placing issues collectively, nevertheless it hasn’t fairly occurred this second half. There’s nonetheless time to make it occur. It is an actual proficient group. We’re pitching nicely. We get some guys going offensively, it may very well be a harmful crew down the stretch.”