A much-needed “breather day,” as manager Brandon Hyde called it, seemed to rejuvenate the Orioles. Last night, the team secured a well-pitched 4-2 victory against the Cleveland Guardians, ending their season-high five-game losing streak.
Earlier that day, Hyde allowed the players some downtime to have lunch, report to the ballpark later than usual, and skip the on-field batting practice. Hyde explained, “You occasionally do that to keep the players fresh and prevent them from spending 11 hours a day at the ballpark.”
Over the past two seasons, the Orioles have been exceptional, making their recent five-game slump more concerning. Questions arose about whether fatigue, injuries to pitchers, offensive struggles, a challenging schedule, or just bad luck were to blame. The team certainly played below their usual standards, particularly in pitching. Orioles pitchers allowed 40 runs over five games, averaging 7.71 earned runs per game, the worst in the MLB during this period. Both starters and relievers posted ERAs over seven.
Facing strong lineups from Houston and Cleveland didn’t help matters. These teams were hitting well, with Houston leading the MLB in hits and Cleveland close behind. The Orioles’ pitchers were up against hot offenses, which exacerbated their struggles. Defensive errors also played a significant role, particularly during the June 21 game against Houston. There was a noticeable difference between the starters’ ERA and their Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP), with a gap of over two runs (5.10). The bullpen’s ERA-FIP gap was even more surprising at nearly five runs (2.76).
Despite the struggles, the Orioles’ offense was the second-best in MLB during this period, so there’s no need to panic. Columnist Peter Schmuck noted that the Orioles were fortunate to hit this rough patch while the AL East-leading Yankees also stumbled. Instead of losing ground, the Orioles gained a half-game on New York over the last week.
Reflecting on last season, the Orioles never lost five consecutive games but did face a four-game losing streak twice. One such streak occurred from June 27 to July 1, with losses to Cincinnati and Minnesota. They bounced back with a win on July 2 and went on an eight-game winning streak. This illustrates that slumps, while concerning, can be short-lived.
Currently, the Orioles have a 98.9% chance of making the postseason and a 12.9% chance of winning the World Series, according to BaseballReference. Despite the unpredictability of the MLB postseason, focusing on winning the division is within the Orioles’ grasp, especially with potential trades to bolster pitching depth during the All-Star break. As Cedric Mullins aptly put it, “Some guys are beat up, some guys are tired, but it’s a matter of being able to push through that.” Grayson Rodriguez echoed this sentiment, stating, “[We] had some unlucky breaks over the last week. Obviously been swinging the bat well. I really don’t think we struggled all that much.”
