O's offense has been searching for it during the three-game losing streak

We are going to need to see much more over the next few weeks of this grueling stretch for the Orioles in their May schedule. Much more to know how they truly stack up against good teams.

We do know that since scoring nine runs on Friday night – and seven came in one inning – they have scored just six runs in the last three games and the Orioles have their first three-game losing streak of 2023.

For the first time they lost a series opener, and they are now 11-1 in those games.

But they have played the two best teams via win-loss record currently in MLB to get the three losses. Keep in mind they have seen four pretty good starters here. The worst ERA from a starter they have seen since Friday is the 2.57 from Spencer Strider of Atlanta on Saturday night. That was the worst from four pitchers that entered their game against the Orioles with a combined record of 15-0.

Shane McClanahan finished sixth in the AL Cy Young vote last year, seventh for the 2021 ROY and looked like it last night. The Rays are now 8-0 in his starts this year. And, after allowing four hits in six scoreless last night, he is now 7-0 with a 1.76 ERA.

So yes, the O’s offense has been slowed but by some outstanding pitchers and they have produced 20 hits and six runs these past three games, going 2-for-29 with runners in scoring position. Tampa Bay’s starter tonight, righty Zack Eflin, is 4-0 with a 2.25 ERA and their Wednesday starter is TBA, but bet they have a good one.

The O’s batters have had some good moments in this stretch versus Atlanta and Tampa Bay and now they need someone to produce the big hit at a big moment. Or tonight get a lead and keep it. They have to find a way.

The O’s left Atlanta and it seemed like they gained some national respect for how hard and well they played against a top team with designs of going deep in October. Tampa Bay is the same kind of club, but with a better record, one not far from that 35-5 start of the 1984 Detroit Tigers. They simply lead MLB in many hitting and pitching stats.

No one said this would be easy and it sure as heck is not.

On the plus side, O’s starter pitching, ranked near the bottom of the majors, has stepped up in this stretch. The team ERA during the three-game losing streak is 2.86. And the starting pitchers in the past four games have allowed seven runs in 22 innings also for an ERA of 2.86. They have produced two quality starts in four games and allowed two earned runs or less three times.

The O's 11-0 start in series openers to begin 2023, the longest streak to start a season in Orioles history is also tied for the third-longest such streak by any MLB team with the 1883 and 1890 Philadelphia Athletics, 1959 Cleveland Indians, and 1973 San Francisco Giants. It trailed a streak of 19 straight series-opening wins by the 1907 Chicago Cubs and a 12-game streak by the 1919 New York Giants. It was tied for the longest series-opening win streak at any point in a season in O’s history, done three times prior: Aug. 30 to Sept. 30, 1974; May 23 to June 30, 1978, and May 16 to June 18, 1980.

Anthony Santander extended his season-long hitting streak to seven games with a double in the bottom of the sixth inning. Six of his last nine hits have gone for extra bases (3-2B, 3 HR). He did see his streak of six straight multi-hit games since May 2 come to an end. It was the longest by an Oriole since José Iglesias had seven in a row from Aug. 15 to Sept. 2, 2020.