Baltimore Orioles: Inconsistencies Continue to Plague Birds

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles have now lost two games in a row after winning five straight. The Orioles’ inconsistencies are going to continue to get the better of them until they solve the problem.

The Orioles lost to the Detroit Tigers 4-1 to fall to 20-16, while the Tigers improve to 22-12. The Orioles maintain a hold on first place in the AL East ahead of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox by a game and a half.

Bud Norris pitched a great game with exceptions in the fourth and eighth innings. After retiring the first nine batters, he failed to disguise his pitches and the Tigers’ hitters took advantage the second time through the lineup to take a 2-1 lead.

Norris impressed me by how he settled down to keep the Orioles in the game. Buck may have left him in the game too long, which led to the game-sealing two-run home run and Torii Hunter being hit by a pitch, which cleared the benches.

The defense continues to play well, which, as was said last season, is a consistent part of the Orioles’ game. The Orioles would not be in the position they are without some consistent part.

Without consistent pitching or offense, a 20-16 record is a very surprising record. If the Orioles can maintain a consistent offense or pitching, their record would be much better.

In the Orioles’ wins in May, they have scored 35 runs, while allowing 20 runs. The offense averages above four runs per game, while the pitching holds the opposing teams below three runs in eight wins.

Throughout the entire beginning part of the season, the Orioles win nearly all the games where they score four or more runs.

The four-run mark is a common number across MLB for teams to win. In order to reach that mark, there must be pitching and offense.

The Orioles’ offense averages about four runs per game through 36 games. This would be a great number, but the pitching averaged just above four runs per game.

The Orioles rarely have good pitching and offense simultaneously to put together long winning streaks. This has seemingly always been a problem for the Orioles, but really should not be relative to the powerful lineup they have.

The Orioles’ pitching has frequently been the problem, and it continues to be the problem this season. And this is magnified when the offense also struggles to be consistent.

For just the month of May, the Orioles’ pitching is allowing an average of just above three runs per game. However, the offense is averaging the same as the pitching is giving up, which leads to games like the last two Orioles losses. The offense goes just below average, while the pitching is average, and the result is a loss.

The Orioles have been successful the past two seasons, but have barely been successful. Short streaks of offensive games or good pitching brought them into the playoffs two seasons ago and brought them close last season.

In order to make a bigger impact, there needs to be consistency across the team. The Orioles need to figure out these aspects of their game in order to put together more than just streaks of offense and pitching, but make it a part of who they are as a team.