O's task: How to stop the losing

MIAMI - We thought when the Orioles produced a winning season in 2022, winning 83 games which was 31 more than the year before, that they had stopped the losing. We were further convinced they had stopped the losing last season with 101 wins and their first AL East title since 2014.

The dark days were gone.

They have returned to the Orioles, who must prove to all of us that this is just temporary. But with each lackluster performance and each loss, the phrase "this too shall pass" does not seem as reasonable and appropriate as it once did.

Is the latest losing run a bump in the road or a bigger pothole - one that could derail what just recently looked like a special season was possible? 

These Orioles still have World Series hopes, right?

First some perspective.

They remain in first place and have actually added to their lead of one game at the All-Star break. They now top the Yankees by 1.5 games. Since the break, the Orioles are 2-3, the Yankees 2-4 and Boston 1-5.

While the Orioles are a mediocre 11-16 (.407) since June 21 with a minus 40 run differential in that span, the Yankees are worse - going 9-18 (.333). 

That means during this stretch where the Orioles are five games under the .500 mark, they have gained two games on New York. 

But another perspective might be this club is barely over .500 since June 1 going 23-22. This slide could take a team from having World Series hopes to one that misses the playoffs.

Seems extreme, but how much longer is this going to go on?

I figured, sure this team could lose six of nine at one point or something like that, but not go 11-16. But now they have.

Manager Brandon Hyde's disappointment with his offense was evident after last night's game.

“That was really a frustrating game. Facing a guy that walks 20 percent of the hitters and has a seven ERA. You know, we got a bases loaded double and that was pretty much it. Not our best at-bats," said Hyde.

The Orioles went 8-for-14 at bat in the first three innings on Tuesday night. Since that point they are 5-for-49 scoring three runs over the last 15 innings at loanDepot park.

The Orioles are 12-16 this year versus National League teams.

The club is expected to put infielder Jorge Mateo on the injured list today with a transient partial left elbow dislocation. Connor Norby will be activated and for now the O's are expected to turn over second base mostly to him.

“Yeah, he’s going to get some regular playing time. He’ll be in there (today) and hopefully he can give us a little spark," Hyde said.

McDermott's debut: Right-hander Chayce McDermott, one of the club's top pitching prospects, made his big league debut last night. Pitching in front of about a dozen family and friends, including his parents, wife and brother, McDermott pitched three scoreless to start his outing. Then gave up three in the fourth, which was his last inning in the O's 6-3 loss to Miami.

McDermott said the night for him made him a "little bit nervous" but also "overjoyed" and "emotional."

“I think I could have done better," he said of his 82-pitch outing where his four-seamer averaged 94 mph. "The splitter was kind of off today and I feel like that’s been a really big pitch for me recently. That was kind of, the misses led to some misses with the fastball and put me in bad counts. These guys are big league hitters, they are going to expose me on some of those. That’s a thing to learn from.”

But something to build on as he hopes another chance is forthcoming.

“It is nice to get this under my belt, learn kind of the difference between Triple-A and the big leagues and kind of understand that. Gives me a chance to work on it.”

Outfielder Colton Cowser, who plated all three Baltimore runs with a bases-clearing double in the sixth inning, played with McDermott on the farm.

"Really excited for him," Cowser said. "You know, I thought he had excellent stuff and he showed what he's capable of. The Marlins, they did a really good job that second time through, kind of fouling off every pitch. They got the pitch count up a little bit. But yeah, I liked what I saw from Chayce today."

Now it's time for the Orioles to chase and catch some wins. They have been elusive for a far too long stretch of the season.