Orioles need to start spreading good news in New York

NEW YORK - Is this the day that the Orioles fall a season-high seven games below .500? Is this the day that they drop into a last-place tie with the Red Sox in the American League East?

Will it continue to get worse for them before it gets better?

The Orioles begin a three-game series today against the Yankees, while the Red Sox take their turn against the Blue Jays. They're 27-44 on the road and 28-28 against division opponents. It just doesn't get any easier the rest of the way.

The Blue Jays will pay another visit to Camden Yards for a four-game series Sept. 28-Oct. 1. Do the Orioles continue to adjust their rotation to keep left-hander Wei-Yin Chen away from them, while Chris Tillman is 0-4 with a 15.50 ERA in five starts against them this season?

The Jays mash right-handers, too, and they've been especially rough on Tillman. And it's not just a 2015 thing. He's 4-10 with a 6.02 ERA in 19 career starts against them.

We've moved past the small sample size stage of this experiment.

Catcher Matt Wieters missed the last two games with a sore left wrist. If he's unable to catch today, I'll point out that Caleb Joseph is 2-for-9 with six strikeouts lifetime against Yankees starter Michael Pineda.

I'll also point it out if Wieters is able to catch.

Pineda pretty much strikes out everyone. He's walked two and fanned 27 in three starts against the Orioles this season, and he's registered five walks and 52 strikeouts in seven career starts over 43 innings. But it's also important to note that Pineda, who struck out 16 Orioles and held them to one run on May 10 at Yankee Stadium, is 2-1 with a 5.60 ERA in three starts against them in 2015. He's allowed 12 runs (11 earned) and 24 hits in 17 2/3 innings.

Pineda surrendered five runs and nine hits over 6 1/3 innings on April 13, though he walked none and struck out nine. He allowed six runs (five earned) and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings on June 12, with only two strikeouts.

Adam Jones is 7-for-20 with two doubles and a home run against Pineda, Manny Machado is 4-for-8 with a double, Jimmy Paredes is 4-for-6 and Chris Davis is 3-for-14 with two home runs and eight strikeouts.

Paredes went 1-for-4 with a double and RBI yesterday and is 5-for-13 in his last four games, including three starts.

Chen was pushed back to today's start and the Orioles could use a quality one. Let's update the list I provided after Saturday's game:

Ubaldo Jimenez - 5 2/3 innings
Miguel Gonzalez - 4 1/3 innings
Chen - 6 2/3 innings
Tillman - six innings
Kevin Gausman - 6 2/3 innings
Jimenez - 5 2/3 innings
Gonzalez - 5 1/3 innings
Chen - 4 2/3 innings
Tillman - 4 2/3 innings
Gausman - 2 1/3 innings
Jimenez - 5 2/3 innings
Mike Wright - four innings
Tillman - three innings

Fans can scream about the offense until their blue in the face, and I recognize the deficiences as much as anyone, but the rotation's inability to duplicate its 2014 production has been the biggest issue this year.

The rotation's ERA has swelled to 4.57 in 136 games, which ranks 25th in the majors. It was 3.61 last season, which ranked 12th in the majors and fifth in the American League. The Royals were fourth at 3.60.

My tombstone will include my name, date of birth and death, and the phrase "It all starts with starting pitching." It may also include something about shutdown innings if there's room.

What can be done about it? Wright is back with the team and should get another look after his four-inning, 80-pitch effort on Saturday. Tyler Wilson started last night for Triple-A Norfolk after coming off the disabled list and allowed four runs (three earned) and six hits in three innings, with no walks and five strikeouts.

Maybe Gonzalez will get better results without the inflammation in his shoulder and elbow. But how many games will separate the Orioles from the second wild card by the time he comes off the disabled list?

By the way, congrats to the Tides on earning a playoff berth despite the massive roster upheaval. Manager Ron Johnson, pitching coach Mike Griffin, hitting coach Sean Berry and field coach Jose Hernandez do an exceptional job.

Not to poke at anyone, but last night's lineup included catcher Audry Perez batting cleanup. I mean, come on.

Major props also go out to Double-A Bowie manager Gary Kendall, pitching coach Alan Mills and hitting coach Keith Bodie for guiding the Baysox to the Eastern League playoffs. Berry and Bodie were hired over the winter. Mills was promoted from low Single- A Delmarva.

As for Chen, he allowed two runs and four hits over six innings against the Yankees on April 13, one run and five hits over seven innings on May 19 and three runs and 10 hits over 6 1/3 innings on July 21. The last two games were played in the Bronx.

Chen is 3-5 with a 4.71 ERA in 12 career starts against the Yankees and 2-4 with a 4.17 ERA in seven starts at Yankee Stadium. Jacoby Ellsbury is 8-for-23 with two doubles, Stephen Drew is 4-for-13 with two doubles, Chase Headley is 4-for-9 with a double, Chris Young is 4-for-11 with a double and home run, Jose Pirela is 4-for-5 with a triple, and Alex Rodriguez is 3-for-18 with a home run and six strikeouts.

Chen was 4-5 with a 2.78 ERA in 17 starts in the first half. He's 4-2 with a 4.62 ERA in nine starts after the break. He went 3-1 with a 3.79 ERA in six starts in August.