Elias on team struggles and sticking with the plan

Elias on team struggles and sticking with the plan
Orioles fans are understandably upset with their team right now. Even those that knew and fully accepted that there would be tough times during another season of rebuilding were hopeful they would see better from the club that what it is showing lately. When John Means pitched a no-hitter, it was for a nearly .500 club and left the Orioles with a 15-16 record on May 5, and they had won five of the previous seven games. But now the Orioles have been swept three in a row by three straight teams....
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O's offense slowed as the losing streak rolls on

O's offense slowed as the losing streak rolls on
The out-of-synch Orioles, as Trey Mancini called them recently, were that again for most of today. All of it, really. When they score a bunch of runs lately, they seem to have given up a few as well. Recently, they've lost games scoring six, seven, nine, five and four runs. When they pitched well, they struggled to score and give their pitchers support. It had all added up to eight straight losses, 12 in the last 13 games and 15 in the past 17 as their record had fallen to 17-31 entering this...
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O's game blog: Looking for a streak-ender at Minnesota

O's game blog: Looking for a streak-ender at Minnesota
The Orioles need a win today to both avoid being swept in this three-game series in Minnesota and also to end an eight-game losing streak. The O's eight-game streak is their longest since they also dropped eight in a row Aug. 12-19, 2019. The club has not lost nine straight games since they lost 10 in a row from June 12-21, 2019. The Orioles have been outscored 69-37 (minus-32 run differential) in this stretch, while posting a 9.00 ERA and batting .254. The O's are 2-15 since May 7. They have...
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Mountcastle's plate discipline numbers and more on the pitching

Mountcastle's plate discipline numbers and more on the pitching
He is a young hitter the Orioles are trying to be patient with. Some games they see the good and the bad for Ryan Mountcastle on the same night, sometimes even within the same plate appearance. On Saturday night at Washington, Mountcastle smoked a Jon Lester cutter for a first-inning grand slam. But he chased a curveball to strike out in the fifth. Monday night at Minnesota, he worked a nine-pitch at-bat and then singled to center on a slider. But the next two times up he expanded the zone and...
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O's game blog: Dean Kremer, O's try to end streak in Minnesota

O's game blog: Dean Kremer, O's try to end streak in Minnesota
Still looking for their first win since a week ago Sunday in Baltimore, the Orioles will try to put last night's brutal loss at Minnesota behind them when they face the Twins tonight at Target Field. The Orioles (17-30) have allowed 62 runs during a seven-game losing streak. The seven-game streak is the longest since the O's lost eight in a row from Aug. 12-19, 2019. The club has lost 11 of 12 and 14 of 16 games. They have a minus-46 run differential during the 2-14 slide. The Orioles...
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O's game blog: John Means on the mound in series opener

O's game blog: John Means on the mound in series opener
The Orioles' last win came eight days ago at home by a 10-6 score over the New York Yankees. Since that win - the team's 17th on the year - the Orioles have had games scoring six, seven, nine and five runs and lost them all. Tonight they try and snap a six-game losing streak - which came via sweeps by Tampa Bay and Washington - as they open a three-game series with the Minnesota Twins. The clubs are tied with 17-29 records that bring up the bottom of the American League. The Orioles send ace...
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A closer look at a great start for Delmarva's offense

A closer look at a great start for Delmarva's offense
When you see the scores for the Orioles' low Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds, you notice some big offense. When the season started, they scored seven, eight and 11 runs among the first few games. Then they spent a week hammering struggling Fredericksburg during a six-game sweep. The bats didn't slow much last week against Carolina. The Shorebirds (13-5) won 12-8 on Saturday and 13-3 on Sunday. We've seen a group of young hitters and their young hitting coach thriving and Delmarva is the top...
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Brandon Waddell is latest entrant to O's bullpen

Brandon Waddell is latest entrant to O's bullpen
It's been an active few days for 26-year-old left-hander Brandon Waddell, a pitcher that didn't know a single teammate when he joined the Orioles yesterday in Washington after his call-up from Triple-A. He began this year with the Minnesota Twins - the Orioles' opponent tonight - then got claimed by the Orioles, went to Triple-A Norfolk and now finds himself in the Orioles bullpen. He's a fresh arm for a club struggling to get consistent outs right now. Originally taken in the fifth round...
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Bradish gets set for Triple-A debut, O's offense perks up

Bradish gets set for Triple-A debut, O's offense perks up
The Dylan Bundy trade has been looking pretty good recently for the Orioles. It was a trade from Dec. 4, 2019 with the Los Angeles Angels and the Orioles got four right-handers in return. They added Kyle Bradish, Kyle Brnovich, Zach Peek and Isaac Mattson. Mattson has already made it to Baltimore and Bradish got one step closer Saturday with his promotion from Double-A Bowie to Triple-A Norfolk. That was a quick promotion but the 24-year-old Bradish had thrown 13 2/3 scoreless innings on seven...
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O's game blog: Matt Harvey faces the Nationals

O's game blog: Matt Harvey faces the Nationals
The Orioles gave up 32 runs and got swept three straight earlier this week by the Tampa Bay Rays. Now they have allowed 16 runs in losing the first two games in Washington. They need a win this afternoon to avoid back-to-back three-game series sweeps. So yeah, it's been a rough stretch for the team and the pitching staff. While the O's offense has underperformed much of this year, the pitchers have really been struggling lately. They have allowed 10 runs or more three times in the last five...
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As a Rule 5 pick, pitcher Tyler Wells trying to prove he belongs

As a Rule 5 pick, pitcher Tyler Wells trying to prove he belongs
As the season goes on, the Orioles seem to be gaining more confidence in Rule 5 pitcher Tyler Wells. The right-hander came on in the sixth inning Friday night with the Nationals leading 2-0. The game was still very much on the line. And Wells has been holding his own. Not bad for a young pitcher who had Tommy John surgery in May 2019, so he hadn't pitched in two seasons covering 2019-2020. In 2018, he went 10-6 with a 2.49 ERA for the Minnesota Twins organization, but just 33 of those innings...
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O's pitching bashed as Nats rally from five down (quotes added)

O's pitching bashed as Nats rally from five down (quotes added)
This is how badly it is going for the Orioles right now: For the second time in four games, they held a five-run lead but did not win. Leading 5-0 in the first and 6-1 after they batted in the top of the third, O's pitching collapsed to allow four runs each in the third and fourth innings and three in the sixth today as Washington stormed back to post a 12-9 win. The Orioles have lost the first two games in this series and will be swept three straight in back-to-back series if they lose...
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O's game blog: Game 2 of the series at Washington

O's game blog: Game 2 of the series at Washington
For the Orioles, the games march on and so does the search for wins. After last night's 4-2 loss at Nationals Park, the clubs play the middle game of a three-game series at Washington today. It's the second of a 10-game road trip for the Orioles. The Birds have been held to three runs and six hits in back-to-back losses by 10-1 to Tampa Bay and last night. The Orioles were on their way to a fifth shutout loss until Freddy Galvis hit a two-run homer with two outs in the top of the...
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Pregame notes on Mullins, Harvey, the offense and more

Pregame notes on Mullins, Harvey, the offense and more
As the Orioles offense has continued to struggle - they are 0-17 when scoring two runs or fewer after Friday's loss at Washington - it's also been a little tougher for center fielder Cedric Mullins at the top of the order. Opponents can see he was hitting well to begin the year, but not many others were and he became a focal point in their game plan in facing the Orioles. If some other hitters get going, it will help Mullins and, of course, the entire lineup. "Yeah, and a day off too,"...
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Bats slowed in loss as road trip begins (more on Valdez's role)

Bats slowed in loss as road trip begins (more on Valdez's role)
As the Orioles began a three-game series and 10-game road trip on Friday night, their offense had another slow night. After being held to one run and two hits on Thursday afternoon, they got two runs on four hits last night and lost 4-2 to Washington. The Orioles continue to be, as Trey Mancini put it a few days ago, "out of synch." When they get some decent pitching, they don't back that up with some runs, like last night. And when they do get some offense, as they did recently in three...
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O's game blog: Series begins at Nationals Park

O's game blog: Series begins at Nationals Park
The Orioles resume interleague play tonight as they face their neighbors to the south. They play at Washington tonight in the first of three games this weekend at Nationals Park. It is the start of a 10-game road trip. The Nationals (17-23) are in the last in the National League East, 4 1/2 games behind the division-leading New York Mets. The Nats are coming off a series where they lost three of four to the Chicago Cubs. They have lost four of six games and are 7-10 in May. They are 9-10 at...
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A few minor league notes and a few O's pitching stats

A few minor league notes and a few O's pitching stats
The Orioles' four full-season minor league teams are currently playing .576 ball with a combined record of 34-25 through 59 games. The Orioles have three first-place teams among four as Double-A Bowie, high Single-A Aberdeen and low Single-A Delmarva are all either in or tied for first place in their respective leagues. Triple-A Norfolk is the outlier, and it's been a tough year for the Tides between injuries and losses. They have lost seven in a row and 9 of 10 to fall to 3-12. The Tides...
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O's have played 31 games vs. clubs currently with winning records

O's have played 31 games vs. clubs currently with winning records
The Orioles schedule takes a turn beginning today. A turn away from American League East games. Thus far, they have played 23 of their 43 games and seven of 14 series within the division. After playing 54 percent of their current schedule against the AL East, the Orioles will play none of their next six series against the AL East. They go to Washington beginning tonight, followed by a trip to Minnesota and the Chicago White Sox. After that, they come home to face Minnesota, Cleveland and the...
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Rough stretch vs. AL East ends as O's are swept by Rays

Rough stretch vs. AL East ends as O's are swept by Rays
After getting swept by the Tampa Bay Rays - and allowing 11 homers and 32 runs in the three games - the Orioles will find out how the other half lives for a short while. After playing 10 of their last 12 games within the rugged American League East, they will now play their next six series outside of the division. It starts tomorrow with the beginning of a 10-game road trip to Washington, Minnesota and the Chicago White Sox. Home series with Minnesota, Cleveland and the New York Mets...
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O's game blog: Shooting for a win in the series finale

O's game blog: Shooting for a win in the series finale
The Orioles have scored 13 runs in the first two games of their series with the Tampa Bay Rays. But they've given up eight homers and 22 runs and lost both games. They need a win today to avoid being swept three straight in the final game of a homestand. They are 1-4 on this homestand and 6-17 at home for the season. The Rays will win this series, leaving the Orioles 0-6-1 in seven home series this season. Trey Mancini went 4-for-5 last night with a pair of solo homers and a three-run double....
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