Good morning, Camden Chatters.
Well, it happened again. For the seventh time this season, the Orioles had a chance to win four games in a row. And for the seventh time this season, they failed. The Birds’ bats went silent as they dropped the series finale to the Reds, 3-2, to fall back to seven games under .500. John Beers recapped the Orioles’ latest futile effort.
It’s become a running joke, except not so much the “ha-ha” kind of joke, but more of the “are you kidding me?” kind. The 2026 Orioles
are simply incapable of winning four consecutive games, something that every other team in the majors (besides the Giants) has managed to do this season. The worst team in baseball, the Rockies? They won four in a row at one point. All the other last-place teams — the Red Sox, Royals, Angels, Mets, and, yes, the Reds — have all won four in a row. Most of them have done it twice. The Orioles are ostensibly better than all those teams, but remain stubbornly unable to put together even the most modest of winning streaks.
The O’s had two chances in April to win a fourth straight game and squandered them both. Another opportunity at the end of May was similar wasted, as were three more in June. And now, after starting the month of July with a 3-0 record, they’ve blown it again. It’s as if, after three consecutive wins, the Orioles collectively decide, “All right, that’s enough competent play for us,” and return to the place where they’re most comfortable: the loss column.
It’s the same old story. The O’s just can’t get seem to fire on all cylinders for any extended period. Something always conspires to hold them back, whether it’s lousy defense, sloppy fundamentals, poor pitching, or in yesterday’s case, a disappearing offense. The Orioles have buried themselves in such a hole that they pretty much have to go on a lengthy hot streak at some point if they have any hopes of contention. A four-game winning streak would be a great start. Five or six or seven would be even better. I’m just not sure they’re capable of it.
With only six games remaining until the All-Star break, the O’s are guaranteed to finish the first half with a losing record. Whether that record is just garden-variety bad or totally-out-of-contention bad depends on how the O’s fare during their six-game homestand before the break against the Cubs and Royals. For what it’s worth, the Birds have a winning record at Camden Yards this season at 24-23, so they could actually win a few.
Maybe they’ll even win four. But almost definitely not consecutively.
Links
Because You Asked – Any Which Way You Can – School of Roch
Roch Kubatko fields questions about Heston Kjerstad, Mike Elias’ job security, and whether Han or Greedo shot first. His mailbag is, as always, a free-for-all.
Who’s Orioles’ closer now? ‘Everything is on the table’ – BaltimoreBaseball.com
Craig Albernaz says that, but it sure seemed like there was only one thing on the table when the Orioles needed a closer for two games in Cincinnati.
Albernaz’s decision to leave Kyle Bradish in the game at 102 pitches, after which he immediately gave up the run that ultimately decided the game, certainly aged poorly. Managing is not for the faint of heart.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! And happy 34th birthday to Manny Machado, the former O’s superstar who’s now in his eighth season with the Padres. Machado, with a 61.9 career WAR, should be on his way to the Hall of Fame when his career ends, though he’s struggled this season with a .187 average and .675 OPS. Other former Orioles born on this day include the late Baltimore-born outfielder Barry Shetrone (b. 1938, d. 2001) as well as infielder Frank Kellert (b. 1924, d. 1976), a member of the inaugural 1954 team.
On this date in 1966, Boog Powell tied an American League record with 11 RBIs in a doubleheader. Powell drove in four runs in the first game on a bases-loaded double and a sac fly, part of an 11-0 blowout over the Kansas City Athletics. He then erupted for seven more in the nightcap on a grand slam, an RBI double, and a game-tying two-run homer with two outs in the ninth. The O’s lost that game anyway, 9-8.
And in 2016, the O’s played a whopper of a game at Dodger Stadium, an 8-6, 14-inning victory, in which each team struck out 18 times. All nine Orioles starters struck out at least once, including Chris Davis four times. Mark Trumbo powered two homers, giving him a league-leading 26, and Jonathan Schoop delivered the go-ahead, two-run single in the top of the 14th. The Dodgers, who had run out of position players, were forced to send pitcher Chris Hatcher to bat in the bottom of the 14th with the bases loaded. He grounded out to end the game.
Random Orioles game of the day
On July 6, 1967, the Orioles beat the White Sox in Chicago, 3-1. Dave McNally worked a complete game, with a Dick Kenworthy solo homer his only blemish, and solo homers by outfielders Paul Blair and Sam Bowens gave McNally the run support he needed. Even with the win, the defending champion O’s were a disappointing four games under .500, and eventually finished the season far out of contention with a 76-85 mark.
