O's look to regroup as they head for Boston (Plus a look at Sunday's farm pitchers)

The Orioles can use today’s off day to regroup a bit after two straight walk-off losses at Pittsburgh. They lose their first series of the year but were so close to a sweep and a 7-2 record. 

As they wake up today, they are 5-4 and looking up in the standings at the New York Yankees (8-2) and Boston Red Sox (7-3).

That makes the series that starts Tuesday at Fenway Park even more important. The O’s want to show they can get past the disappointment in Pittsburgh and that they are still Boston’s superior.

They went 7-6 versus the Red Sox in winning the AL East in 2023 and went 3-3 at Fenway Park. They were 23 games better in the final standings.

Right now, this club is also looking for consistent offense. The Orioles scored 24 runs on 24 hits their first two games, reminding some in Birdland of last year’s club that scored 807 runs. But now they have scored 23 runs in the last seven games.

They scored 25 runs versus the Angels, but just 11 each against Kansas City and Pittsburgh.

And the Orioles are now 2-3 when their opponent starts a lefty. As a team they are batting .195 against lefty pitchers thus far with an OPS of .536 versus southpaws. Both marks rank 14^th in the 15-team American League.

But before we overreact to an early sample, last season, over the full year the O’s batted .260 and had an OPS of .764 versus lefties and both marks were fifth-best in the AL.

But an O’s team that is 1-4 this year when they do not hit a homer could use some runs and more rallies against both left and right-handed pitchers.

After batting .287 last year when hitting with runners in scoring position and with an OPS of .837 in such spots and leading the AL in both categories, they went 3-for-28 with RISP at Pittsburgh. So far as a team they are batting .247 (ninth in the AL) and have a .685 OPS (eighth in the AL) in such spots.

There are a bunch of ups and downs in any season and the Orioles, who have played four walk-off games in their past six games, have seen their share already.

O’s pitching has been pretty solid thus far, featuring a 2.85 team ERA that ranks fifth in the AL and sixth overall in MLB.

O’s pitchers have allowed four earned runs or less in all nine games. Sunday, Dean Kremer allowed one unearned run over seven innings giving the Orioles their fifth quality start of the year. Last season they didn’t record their fifth quality start until Game No. 19.

The good farm pitching Sunday: I don't remember this happening too much, but on Sunday the four O's full-season minor league affiliates had four starting pitchers that are all ranked among the club's top 30 prospects.

Lefty Cade Povich (No. 9 both Baseball America and MLBPipeline.com) started for Triple-A Norfolk. Righty Trace Bright (No. 16 MLB, No. 21 BA) started for Double-A Bowie. Right-hander Jackson Baumeister (No. 12 BA, No. 18 MLB) started for High-A Aberdeen. Lefty Luis De Leon (No. 14 BA, No. 17 MLB) started for Low-A Delmarva.

The teams went 2-2 as the four starters combined to allowed two earned runs over 15 2/3 innings.

Norfolk had its lowest scoring game of the year, losing 6-2 at Charlotte. Povich allowed two hits and one run in five innings with three walks and nine strikeouts. He has an 0.82 ERA through two games and got 16 whiffs on 34 swings. 

Norfolk went 5-1 in that series scoring 71 runs and is 7-2 on the year with 100 runs.

Silas Ardoin drove in two as Bowie beat Reading 4-3 and is 2-1. Bright allowed two hits and no runs over 3 2/3 innings with two walks and six strikeouts. 

Aberdeen beat Jersey Shore 4-1 and is 1-2 as Mac Horvath hit a three-run double. Baumeister made his pro debut after being selected No. 63 overall out of Florida State last summer by the Orioles. He is the highest-drafted pitcher by Mike Elias with the O's. He pitched three scoreless Sunday on three hits.

De Leon made the start as Fredericksburg beat Delmarva 10-4 and he gave up two runs (one earned) with five strikeouts over four innings for the Shorebirds. Delmarva is 0-3 but its three starters in Jacob Cravey, Blake Money and De Leon combined to allow just two earned runs over 12 innings with 17 strikeouts.