Whether it is a well pitched game or a game where the offense breaks out or some combination, the Orioles could use it tonight to pick up a much-needed win at Yankee Stadium.

They entered this series at 49-33 and had gone 5-0-1 in their last six American League series, going 12-5 in those games. They were 3-3 this year against the Yankees.

But after losses in the Bronx by 6-3 and 8-4 scores, the Orioles are 49-35 and have now lost six of seven, eight of 12 and 10 of their past 16 games. Since May 26 they are 16-18 (.471) and have gone 4-6-1 their past 11 series.

They begin play tonight, in Game 3 of this four-game series, before they head to Minnesota, six games behind Tampa Bay for the division lead and two games ahead of New York for second place in the division. They hold the top AL wild card spot, leading Houston by 1 1/2 games and New York by two.

The Orioles have scored seven runs on 20 hits in this series in the Bronx, but they have been outhomered 5-2. Over the last five games the Orioles have scored just 10 runs. They have scored three or fewer runs in 14 of the last 25 games, going 3-11 in those 14.

The players-only meeting held by the Twins after Wednesday’s game in Atlanta must have lit a fire under the team. Or perhaps the searing words from their manager.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde predicted before tonight’s game that the Twins would get hot. His words rang true.

Dean Kremer surrendered two more home runs to increase his season total to 19 in 17 starts, and Minnesota maintained its hold on the Orioles with an 8-1 victory before an announced crowd of 34,792 at Camden Yards.

Fans came for the baseball, but also the floppy hats and “DJ Diesel.” The popular giveaway item and musical entertainment from NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal would have to carry the night.

Kremer was down 5-0 after three innings and didn’t record an out in the fourth before leaving with two runners on base. Joey Gallo homered in the second inning, Max Kepler hit a two-run shot in the third, and the Orioles fell to 48-32. They’ve dropped eight of their last 14 games, and their three-game streak matches the longest of the season.

Jordan Westburg is on the bench tonight, as the Orioles begin a three-game series against the Twins at Camden Yards. Gunnar Henderson is the shortstop, Ramón Urías is the third baseman and Adam Frazier is the second baseman.

Westburg and Brian Roberts (2001) are the only Orioles middle infielders to record at least five hits in their first three career games, according to STATS.

Adley Rutschman is serving as the designated hitter tonight, with Anthony Bemboom behind the plate.

Ryan O’Hearn remains in the cleanup spot.

Dean Kremer is 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in his last three starts after allowing six earned runs in five innings in Milwaukee on June 7. Kremer has received 20 runs over those three starts and is averaging 6.24 per nine innings this season, the fifth-highest total among American League qualifiers.

Flush it.

The best advice that the Orioles could give themselves last night after a 12-run loss. Don’t dwell on the mistakes and the embarrassment. Move on as quickly as possible. Nothing good comes from wallowing in it.

"That's definitely one you need to let go right away and come back tomorrow,” manager Brandon Hyde said after Friday's game.

“It's one of those weird ones where a couple big innings kind of did us in,” said starter Kyle Gibson, “and you've got to be able to flush it and not let one loss turn into two.”

Or a deuce, as it were.

The Orioles are, no doubt, very eager to turn the page today to a new game and the second game of their weekend series with the Seattle Mariners. Last night’s 13-1 loss was their biggest margin of defeat of 2023, topping the 12-2 loss at home to Texas on May 26.

The O’s offense has produced just three runs on seven hits the past two games after scoring 14 runs on 24 hits in the two games that preceded this most recent pair.

The Orioles allowed a season-high 13 runs and tied a season high in giving up 17 hits (it's happened three times, the last on May 31 against Cleveland). This marked the most runs surrendered since Sept. 10, 2022 versus Boston, when they allowed 17. The 12-run losing margin is their largest since that Sept. 10 game, which they lost 17-4. The Orioles are now 17-8 in series openers.

Baltimore is 45-29 for the year and trails first-place Tampa Bay by 5 1/2 games while leading third-place New York by five games in the American League East. The Orioles hold the first AL wild card spot today and lead that by five games over both Houston and New York.

Since leading Tampa Bay 6-0 at the end of the fourth inning on Tuesday, the Orioles have been outscored 26-5 by their opponents. They’ve allowed 26 runs the past three games.

CHICAGO – It might feel like the Orioles have been struggling lately. They have, after all, lost back-to-back road series for the first time all year and they are 3-4 in their last seven series.

But by winning 6-3 Sunday at Wrigley Field over the Chicago Cubs, the Orioles avoided getting swept and have now won seven of their past 10 games. Yes, over that longer seven-series stretch they are 11-10. But even at a time when they are not winning at the same percentage as earlier and at a time when they are playing without Cedric Mullins and Ryan Mountcastle and yesterday Gunnar Henderson, they have won seven of 10 and have a better than .500 record while losing four of seven series.

Their offense was AWOL for most of Friday and Saturday, scoring five total runs. But a three-run sixth inning Sunday produced enough offense for a win. They did not get swept again – third time this season they lost the first two but won the third game of a series.

“Just keep going,” new outfielder Aaron Hicks said about avoiding the sweep. “Day-after-day, it’s a different day. To be able to turn the page and understand it’s a long season. In this game it’s all about winning series. If you lose the first two, make sure you get one out of there. That is kind of how you need to be, especially if you want to be a winning team and a team that goes far into the playoffs.”

Yep, keep grinding and get one win and they did.

CHICAGO – The Orioles showed up for the series finale at Wrigley Field today looking for some runs after scoring just five in the series' first two games, losing both. They knew they would again play without injured regulars Cedric Mullins and Ryan Mountcastle.

Shortly before gametime, they added Gunnar Henderson to the list of those they would be without. But at least this was not an injury. Manager Brandon Hyde told the Peacock broadcasters during the game that Henderson was not feeling well. He had recently missed a couple of games with a lower back issue, so that actually came as good news.

The news would get better mid-game on the way to a 6-3 Orioles win.

Trailing 3-2 to the top of the sixth, the Orioles put together their best rally of the weekend, scoring three runs on five hits to take a 5-3 lead. They won by that margin to salvage the final game of this series before Monday’s off-day and a series with first-place Tampa Bay that begins Tuesday.

Ryan O’Hearn started the go-ahead rally with a single off Cubs starter Jameson Taillon. Aaron Hicks doubled to deep right to put men on second and third, and a sac fly by Ramón Urías tied it 3-3. Lefty Anthony Kay came in from the Cubs’ bullpen and was greeted with Adam Frazier’s RBI single to center and an O’s 4-3 lead. That was just their second lead this series. Two batters later, Jorge Mateo’s RBI single made it 5-3 and sent another runner to third. But Mateo was thrown out trying to get to second.

CHICAGO – The Orioles have not been swept in a three-game series this season, and they must win today at Wrigley Field to keep that stat intact.

The Chicago Cubs (33-37) have won the first two in this series by scores of 10-3 and 3-2. Both games were one-run games going into the later innings, but Chicago scored six runs in the sixth inning to blow it open Friday and they held on Saturday for the narrow win.

The Orioles are 43-27 (.614) at the 70-game mark. A team playing .614 ball over the full year would win 99.5 games. So we could round up and say they are still playing at a 100-win pace.

The Orioles were shut out into the fifth inning yesterday when Adley Rutschman mashed a game-tying two-run homer off lefty Justin Steele. Rutschman hit a 406-foot blast to left-center for his 10^th homer. He and Kansas City’s Salvador Perez are the only catchers in the major leagues with 10 or more homers.

Over his past 18 games since May 26, Rutschman is batting .329 (24-for-73) with three doubles, three homers and six RBIs, and with an .881 OPS.

Ryan Mountcastle remains out of the Orioles’ lineup tonight due to an illness. He hasn’t played since Thursday.

Ryan O’Hearn is the first baseman and cleanup hitter to open the Blue Jays series. Gunnar Henderson is leading off and serving as the designated hitter.

Henderson had eight hits while the Orioles swept the Royals, with two home runs and two stolen bases. Per STATS, he's just the sixth rookie in the modern era (1901) to reach those numbers in a three-game series.

O’Hearn has a 1.362 OPS in nine games at Camden Yards, the highest mark for any Orioles player in his first nine home games with a minimum of 30 plate appearances, also according to STATS.

Aaron Hicks gets another start in center field.

MILWAUKEE – The goals have shifted for the Orioles as they near the conclusion of their latest road trip.

Don’t get swept. Try to go .500.

Try to keep the first-place Rays within viewing distance and don’t let anyone get too close.

Corbin Burnes tossed eight scoreless innings, rookie Joey Wiemer homered twice and had five RBIs, and the Brewers scored six runs off Dean Kremer in a 10-2 victory before an announced crowd of 22,320 at American Family Field.

The Orioles won two of three games from the Giants but have dropped the first two in Milwaukee. Their record is 37-24, still good for second place in the division but leaving them 6 ½ behind Tampa Bay, which got a walk-off home run from Randy Arozarena.

The Orioles lost the opening game of a series five times in the month of May. They would win two of those series, lose two and split a four-game set against the Los Angeles Angels.

Last night’s 4-3 loss in 10 innings at Milwaukee was their sixth series-opening loss in the last nine such games. In May, the Orioles lost the series opener to both Tampa Bay and the New York Yankees, but won the last two games to take those series. They lost series openers – and later the series itself – against Texas and Cleveland.

They hit the 60-game mark last night, going 37-23, and now have 102 games remaining in the 2023 regular season. With a .617 win percentage, they hold the third-best record in MLB and are playing at a pace to win 100 games over a full year.

O's pitchers struck out a season-high 16 batters Tuesday night, their most since also fanning 16 in nine innings on Sept. 20, 2020 vs. Tampa Bay. The O’s staff, at 9.26 strikeouts per nine innings, ranks fifth in the American League in K rate behind Houston (9.67), Toronto (9.61), Minnesota (9.56) and the Chicago White Sox (9.47).

Outfielder Aaron Hicks hit a two-run home run in the second inning to tie the game, his first since joining the O's. He’s reached safely in each of his first five games with Baltimore and has hit safely in four of them, batting .400/.500/.733 (6- for-15) with one triple, one home run, five runs scored, three RBIs and three walks with two multi-hit efforts.

MILWAUKEE – Gunnar Henderson has returned to the Orioles lineup tonight for the first time since Saturday.

Henderson was day-to-day with discomfort in his lower back.

Josh Lester is the designated hitter and Ryan O’Hearn gets the start at first base.

Ryan Mountcastle and Ramón Urías are on the bench.

Adam Frazier is leading off again.

Just looking at the stat will probably not impress anyone. The Orioles' starting rotation ERA for the year of 4.78 ranks only 12^th best in the American League. And 24^th in all of MLB. So, there is room for improvement.

But in recent weeks we have seen some of that improvement which creates some hope that the next 103 games for that rotation can be better than the first 59.

And that is because they’ve pitched better in the last 25 games from their rotation - much better. The O’s rotation ERA in that span is 4.00. An ERA for the year of 4.00 would rank sixth-best in the AL. In those 25 games – where the club is 15-10 – the Orioles have 11 quality starts. That is a QS in 44 percent of those games for about the last month. In that span they won series from Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Toronto, the New York Yankees and San Francisco.

O’s pitching allowed just six runs in three games versus Tampa Bay, seven runs against Pittsburgh, 10 runs in the three-game sweep at Toronto, 13 runs versus the Yankees and nine at San Francisco. They didn’t outslug those teams while beating them, they pitched them well. And the starters had a lot to do with that.

In the season’s first 34 games, before this 25-game run, Baltimore pitchers produced only seven quality starts with an ERA of 5.39. They got a QS 20.6 percent as opposed to 44 percent now in the last 25 contests.

SAN FRANCISCO – Orioles infielder Gunnar Henderson exited last night’s game in the third inning with lower back discomfort, but the club is confident he will not need to go on the injured list. He is not starting today, but manager Brandon Hyde did not rule out the chance he could play in the game.

“He is feeling better today,” Hyde said pregame. “So, getting treatment right now. Little bit unsure if he’s available off the bench or not. Off-day will do him good tomorrow and we should see him back in there against Milwaukee.

“We are confident (it’s not an IL situation). He is definitely trending better from last night. Waiting to see if he can even go today.”

With Henderson not starting, Josh Lester will make his O’s debut today against the Giants, batting seventh and playing at third base. He hit .282/.339/.549 with nine doubles, two triples, 14 home runs and 50 RBIs in 52 games with Triple-A Norfolk. His second and last major league game was Sept. 6, 2022 with the Tigers in Anaheim. He is 0-for-5 as a big leaguer.

“Gunnar would have been in there today if he could go. But it does give Josh an opportunity to start here, and (Anthony) DeSclafani’s splits against righties and lefties are pretty significant. So Josh will start, and let’s see if he can deliver a couple of hits for us," Hyde said.

SAN FRANCISCO – With right-handers Dean Kremer of Baltimore and Logan Webb of San Francisco settling into a real pitcher’s duel after both had early trouble, runs were suddenly hard to come by tonight.

But not on one big swing for the Orioles off the bat of rookie Gunnar Henderson in the top of the seventh.

Webb entered the inning having retired 12 of the last 13 batters and the only runner to reach in that span got on not via a hit, but catcher’s interference.

Henderson’s bat has slowly but surely started to come to life and there was more evidence of that tonight. On Tuesday he had driven in a season-high three runs and in May, when his OPS was .740, nine of his 17 hits had gone for extra bases.

Tonight Henderson smoked a 2-1 changeup from Webb over the right-field wall for a 3-2 lead to start the Baltimore seventh. That blast lifted the Orioles to a thrilling 3-2 win in the series opener in front of 27,873 at Oracle Park. The O's bullpen held on late for the win.

The Orioles made a change to their bullpen before tonight’s series opener against the Giants, and it isn’t just about length and a fresh arm.

They needed a healthy one, too.

Mychal Givens was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to yesterday, with right shoulder inflammation. Left-hander Bruce Zimmermann was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk.

Givens faced three Cleveland batters Wednesday and didn’t retire anyone. He’s made six appearances and allowed five earned runs (six total) and four hits with six walks and two strikeouts in four innings.

The reunion hasn’t gone as planned for Givens or the Orioles.

Triple-A rotations rarely seem to duplicate after one or two turns. Can be injury related. Can be tied to major league promotions or demotions. Can be due to the built-in Monday breaks.

The Norfolk Tides have used 10 starters in 54 games, and their probables in the Gwinnett series are changing.

Left-hander DL Hall started Tuesday night and worked three innings in his de-load phase. Lefties Cole Irvin and Drew Rom started the following day’s doubleheader.

Lefty Bruce Zimmermann was scheduled for yesterday, with Ryan Watson listed for Friday while crashing the southpaw party.

Can’t be left out.

Early outs on the basepaths became a second obstacle for the Orioles today besides the team playing across from them.

The Rangers now have the second-best record in baseball. They don’t need any assistance.

The road trip rush is fading, with the Orioles losing again 5-3 before an announced crowd of 37,939 at Camden Yards.

Ryan Mountcastle and Ramón Urías had back-to-back RBI doubles off Will Smith with two outs in the ninth to make it close.

Dean Kremer registered his fourth quality start after he was charged with three runs in 6 1/3 innings, leaving him with a 2.45 ERA in May. Manager Brandon Hyde removed him at 97 pitches after a one-out walk to Robbie Grossman, and Bryan Baker surrendered a double to Leody Taveras and two-run single to Marcus Semien.

After their worst loss of the year by margin - falling by 10 runs to Texas - the Orioles host the Rangers this afternoon looking to bounce back from Friday's 12-2 defeat. The previous biggest loss margin of the year was by 6-0 on May 3 at Kansas City. 

Through the season's first 50 games, the Orioles had played an MLB-high 46 games decided by four runs or fewer. Last night was a rare blowout game they were involved in and they were on the wrong end as Texas scored eight runs in the fourth off right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, who was optioned back to Triple-A Norfolk after the game.

When the Orioles took two of three from Texas early last month on the road, they allowed just seven runs and 17 hits in three games. But a Rangers club that began the weekend leading MLB by scoring 6.33 runs per game, hit three homers and had 13 hits in last night's win. 

And now that runs per game average for the Rangers is up to 6.44 and they have scored 322 runs for the year. The Rangers have scored 10+ in an MLB-leading 13 games and have scored 5+ runs in an inning 15 times. They rank second in the majors with four or more runs scored in 36 games.

Texas leads MLB with 144 runs in May, along with a .286 BA and .812 OPS. The 322 runs scored are the most over the first 50 games of a season in franchise history, and is tied for 18th-most runs in a team's first 50 games of a season since 1901. The Rangers' season-best +122 run differential is tops in MLB.

Anthony Santander sits today as the Orioles resume their series against the Rangers at Camden Yards.

Adley Rutschman is the designated hitter against left-hander Andrew Heaney, and Ryan McKenna is playing right field.

Santander struck out twice last night and hit into a double play. He was 4-for-6 in his previous two games in New York.

Austin Hays moves up to third in the order. Ramón Urías returns to the lineup at third base with Gunnar Henderson on the bench.

Adam Frazier is the second baseman.