The O's rotation and its latest turn for the worse

Over their last five series, counting the current one versus Oakland, the Orioles are 5-0 in series-opening games. They are 1-9 in all other games in those series.

Yikes.

They have not won any of the previous four series but could win this one if they beat Oakland behind right-hander Dylan Bundy this afternoon at Camden Yards.

Anyone that has been even remotely paying attention the last week or so could probably tell the Orioles rotation has taken another turn south. This follows a stretch where the starters did pitch well. From July 29 through Aug. 14, O's starters pitched to an ERA of 3.03 and gave up two earned runs or less 11 times in 17 games. The Orioles went 11-6.

But over the last seven games, the rotation ERA is 8.47 and the Orioles are 2-5. The starters have pitched 5 1/3 or less six times in that span.

In the last six games, O's pitchers have allowed 19 home runs. In order they have given up two, five, four, two, two and four. In the last five games, O's starting pitchers have allowed 15 homers in 25 innings.

Schoop's growth: We saw the latest example of why Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop is such an improved player this year during the eighth inning last night. Facing Oakland's Blake Treinen with the bases loaded, two outs and the Orioles down by three, Schoop fell behind 0-2 in the count. He chased two sliders out of the strikezone. But then he took a close pitch for ball one, a pitch that he probably would have struck out on earlier in his career. He then got a pitch he could hit and drilled it into left for a two-run single. It was an impressive take and then an impressive clutch hit.

Schoop has 93 RBIs on the year and has three straight multi-RBI games, during which he is 5-for-12 with a homer and seven RBIs.

Updating Manny: Manny Machado is trying to catch Schoop for the team lead in homers and RBIs. He hit No. 27 last night to tie Schoop for the club lead. It was an impressive 456-foot blast to center field in the sixth inning.

Over his past 10 games, Machado has six homers and 17 RBIs. Over his last 16 games, he is batting .343 (24-for-70) with eight homers and 27 RBIs.

In 21 games in the month of August, he is hitting .341 (31-for-91) with five doubles, one triple, nine home runs, 16 runs and 30 RBIs. He entered the game ranking sixth in the American League with 81 RBIs.

Machado's longest homers of this year:
470 feet - April 20 at New York Yankees
466 feet - May 4 at Boston
465 feet - June 2 versus Boston
456 feet - Last night versus Oakland
433 feet - May 2 at Boston

With 36 games to go, Schoop has 27 homers and 93 RBIs and Machado has 27 homers and 83 RBIs.