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Baltimore Orioles: Trending in the Right Direction

By Randy Buchman

May 5, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop (6) looks at shortstop Manny Machado (13) after an infield single in the third inning against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
May 5, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop (6) looks at shortstop Manny Machado (13) after an infield single in the third inning against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports /
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After the first 30 games of the 2016 season for the Baltimore Orioles, there are many trends that may be noted to be headed in the right direction.

After destroying the Oakland A’s on Sunday with 11 runs powered by six homers, the O’s sit at 18-12, a perfect 60% winning percentage. That would translate to a 97-win season.

The team has displayed many of the features anticipated: a powerful long-ball lineup that can be shut down by excellent pitching, a top-notch bullpen, and an inconsistent starting rotation. Whereas the strengths are being largely utilized, the weaknesses are along trending in a healthier direction.

After a mild fumble by Mike Wright in the doubleheader opener on Saturday, the veterans Ubaldo Jimenez and Chris Tillman came back with quality starts. They gave up only a total of five runs in 14.1 innings.

Manny Machado is simply now one of the elite stars of the sport, becoming one of those players where fans of other teams are personally interested in seeing play. Machado’s six RBIs on two homers gives him 22 for the season on nine home runs. This is a pace to hit 49 round-trippers with 119 runs batted in.

Chris Davis and Adam Jones, though productive in varied ways and at varied times, are both only hitting .200 at this point. You know they are going to pick it up and hit at a better average than this, and when they do, what might the Orioles’ lineup produce at that point?

Perhaps Davis and Jones can follow in the path of Jonathan Schoop. After getting off to a somewhat slow start in the first 19 games and batting .200, he has an 11-game hitting streak wherein he is 14-for-40 (.350) to raise his average to .257.

Chris Tillman on Sunday continued another trend we have seen in 2016. After his almost obligatory difficult first inning, he found the feel for his off-speed pitches as the game went along. When he throws them for strikes, he becomes nearly unhittable. Tillman was not sharp throughout the game, but when he found the curve in the sixth inning, he set down three hitters on strikeouts on just 10 pitches. His ERA is now at 3.05.

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The Orioles run out to Minnesota for a quick three-game series that finishes their 2016 play against the Twins. The O’s will hope to do to them what they did to Baltimore in 2015: sweep the seasonal series. The Orioles took the first three games of the current season, outscoring the Twins by an 11-6 margin. Last year Minnesota went 7-0 against the Birds and outscored them 43-18.

Tyler Wilson will take to the mound against 21-year-old Jose Berrios, who will be making his third MLB start. Though the Twins’ hurler has 13 strikeouts in 9.1 innings, he has also given up seven runs. Berrios has an excellent minor league career in his few years, so he is a legit prospect. Game time is at 8:10.

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