As losses mount, Orioles are losing touch with a playoff berth

The Detroit Tigers had to be looking across the field at the Orioles dugout last night and wondering what happened to the team that kicked their butt last October.

The Orioles had to be wondering how they were in first place earlier this month but are now five games out.

The Orioles were tied for first place on July 2, but since then, they are 2-8 and have lost six games in the standings, going from one ahead to five behind.

That escalated quickly.

Ubaldo Jimenez is now 2-8 with a 7.39 career ERA at Comerica Park. He allowed three homers in his last seven starts of the first half and then three last night. He had not given up more than four runs in a game this year, and then gave up seven.

We've beaten the runners in scoring position numbers into the ground, but add last night's 1-for-14 to the lastest struggles. The Orioles have just two hits in their last 50 at-bats with RISP. That is almost unbelievable.

Of course they are pressing. O's hitters are chasing pitches all over the place right now. Darren O'Day has said when it comes to those key points in the game that the hitters are as anxious as the pitchers. The O's batters sure look like that is true.

The season is spiraling out of control. The Orioles were seven games over .500 at 41-34 on June 28. But they are 3-11 since then against the Rangers, White Sox, Twins, Nationals and Tigers.

Whatever a playoff team is supposed to look like, the Orioles are not it right now.

I didn't think we'd see a slump bad enough for the team to have to consider being sellers rather than buyers at the trade deadline. The Orioles would probably need to fall eight or 10 games out of first place or the wild card race to consider that.

Unfortunately, that may now be within reach.