Baltimore Orioles: The Offensive Switch is … Off
The Baltimore Orioles, in spite of their well-known starting pitching woes, have had recent problems that are actually worse on the offensives side of the game.
It is almost as if the offensive switch for the team has somehow slipped into the “off” position. It is a curious thing to see, having so often seen just the opposite.
We have known all along that this was going to be a streaky team. That is the nature of a squad that is built upon power, possessing also the proclivity to strike out quite a bit.
We knew also that good pitching was going to some days put quite a damper on the fire of the O’s powerful lineup. Not to take anything away from the five pitchers of the Rays and Yankees that the Birds have seen since the ASG break, that have not been that incredible. Baltimore is simply not hitting the baseball.
The big concern (that is a reality) is that the Orioles are in greatest peril because of pitching rotation woes. But even if the O’s traded away every talent in the franchise’s minor leagues to secure, say, the two best starters available before the trade deadline, it will not matter if the offense is going to score only 10 runs per five games.
Consider some of these other statistics: Since the break, the Orioles have gone 31-for-161 at the plate. That is an average of .193.
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Worse than that is the average with runners in scoring position. There have only been 24 such situations in these five games. And the Orioles are 2-for-24 for an average of .083. This is not going to work on any level.
With the lead down now to a half-game over Papi and Lilliputians, this needs to turn around. And it will. The Orioles have hit in the past and they will hit in the future. The challenge for the remaining season is to hit and pitch well enough to get into the playoffs, hoping also that October will be one of those seasons when the offense is collectively hitting ball.