The losing streak has reached five games and the Orioles are one more defeat away from back-to-back sweeps and the third in 2024.

The Orioles haven’t been swept in consecutive series since May 13-18, 2022 against the Tigers and Yankees, also the last time they lost six games in a row.

Heston Kjerstad is in left field and batting seventh. Cedric Mullins is in center and Anthony Santander is in right. Colton Cowser, who homered last night, isn’t in the lineup.

Ryan O’Hearn is the designated hitter. Jorge Mateo is starting at second base, so his left hand and wrist are fine.

Gunnar Henderson has reached base in 32 consecutive games.

Austin Hays has lived through some of the darkest days in recent Orioles history. He played in 131 games in 2021 when the team lost 110. The beatings through the rebuild left marks on anyone who got close to it.

With that in mind, and it’s fresh, the attention given to a four-game losing streak prior to last night seemed almost comical.

This is what happens when a team wins 101 last summer and posts the best record in the American League and goes on another impressive run this season. Getting swept twice is as jarring as a head-on collision. Or a week without an elbow surgery.

In the 91-degree heat last night, the Orioles vowed to keep the losses from snowballing. They’ll bring the same attitude into tonight now that the streak is five.

“We just keep doing what we’ve been doing for the last two years,” Hays said yesterday afternoon. “Turn the page, move on to the next day, just don’t look too far into anything. We know that we can play good baseball, and when you’re playing good baseball, you win games. That’s where we’re at.”

The Orioles have lost four in a row and been outscored 30-15 during the season's longest losing streak. Cleveland has won six in a row and outscored their opponents 36-14 during their win streak.

After losing their homestand opener 3-2 to Cleveland last night, the O's could use a win tonight, which would end both streaks.

Cleveland's win streak is not even its longest of this year. The Guardians won nine in a row from May 17-26.

At 50-26 (.658), Cleveland has the best win percentage in the American League and leads second-place Minnesota by a season-high eight games in the American League Central. Their record is second-best in the majors to Philadelphia at 52-26 (.667).

The Guardians are 11-6 this year against AL East teams, going 1-2 versus New York, 5-2 against Boston, 4-2 versus Toronto and 1-0 against Baltimore. 

HOUSTON - In baseball, you are riding high one day and not the next. Or you have plenty of momentum and you are winning series against two of baseball's best teams one day and getting swept by a team starting to play well again the next.

When the Orioles rallied from 11 runs down to get within three late in the game at Houston Friday night, we were marveling at this team's effort and fight and ability to come back even when down double digits runs.

Now two losses later - games that were not close at the end - we are left wondering if the Orioles are a tired team? If they are now suddenly having pitching issues and if the injuries finally caught up to them?

The real question to answer here - and it may take days, weeks or even longer to begin to figure out - is has this team hit a bump in the road or a real big pothole? Is this just a few losses or the beginning of a longer downward trend? Are the Orioles not as good as they looked just, what seemed like hours ago?

My guess is this too shall pass, and this club will return to winning soon. They have bounced back so many times the last couple of years, what is another?

NEW YORK – Ryan Mountcastle pulled into second base, turned to the visiting dugout and pumped his fist with such force that he could have flattened a bull.

A punch was finally thrown in the series. It landed flush.

The Orioles held their composure for three games. They got hit and took their base. Couldn’t be lured into a fight or a war of words but wouldn’t back down from the first-place team in their division in a hostile environment.

They sent 12 batters to the plate in the second inning and scored six runs to build on their early lead. The pummeling was done to Luis Gil, who began the day with the lowest ERA in the American League. No one is immune.

A 17-5 victory allowed the Orioles to move within a half-game of the Yankees. They set a major league record by going 22 division series in a row with a win or split.

The Orioles are tied with the Phillies for the second-best record in baseball after winning 101 games last season, and they’re getting noticed again by fans.

The first update in All-Star Game voting finds Adley Rutschman leading all catchers in the American League and Gunnar Henderson leading the shortstops. They were the Orioles’ first two selections in the 2019 draft.

Ryan Mountcastle is second to Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. among first basemen and Jordan Westburg is second to Cleveland’s José Ramirez among third basemen. Jorge Mateo and Ryan O’Hearn are fourth among second basemen and designated hitters, respectively.

Three Orioles outfielders show up in the results, as well: Anthony Santander is fifth, Colton Cowser is seventh and Cedric Mullins is 11^th.

In addition, Corbin Burnes has an excellent chance of making the AL team and could be named the starter.

PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Orioles are inching closer to a potentially tough roster decision. It won’t be their first or last.

Jorge Mateo is eligible to return from the seven-day concussion injured list on Monday. Connor Norby had his contract selected last Monday. The team could just reverse it and option Norby, who singled yesterday and is 3-for-14 with a home run since his promotion.

The bolder move would be to option Cedric Mullins, who went 0-for-3 with a walk yesterday and is 0-for-24 and 1-for-31.

We don’t know whether the Orioles have reached that point or gotten anywhere near it.

Mullins fell behind two strikes in his first at-bat, worked the count to 2-2 and struck out on a 97.6 mph fastball from Taj Bradley. He struck out on three pitches in the fifth, the last a 97.1 mph fastball, and popped up in the seventh with the count 2-2. He was down 1-2 in the ninth before walking, and he scored on Gunnar Henderson’s three-run shot.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Anthony Santander made loud contact, paused to watch the ball begin its flight toward the right field seats, and heard the ovation as he rounded the bases with his 13^th home run. Orioles fans packed the area behind the visiting dugout at Tropicana Field tonight, the usual turnout that makes the road venue feel like home – except for the catwalks, of course.

They stayed patient as the Rays fought back to tie and erupted again after Ryan Mountcastle broke it with a two-run shot in the fifth. And again after Jordan Westburg joined the double-digit home run club in the eighth.

And finally, when Ramón Urías squeezed a popup to end it.

Santander hit his fourth homer in the last seven games, Mountcastle bagged his fifth in the last seven, and the Orioles defeated the Rays 6-3 before an announced crowd of 17,822.

Westburg’s two-run shot to right field after Ryan O’Hearn’s leadoff double gave him 10 and made it easier for the Orioles to post their 40^th victory. They also knocked the Rays (31-32) below .500 again.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Cole Irvin is starting for the Orioles tonight on normal rest, the only certainty in the rotation for the four-game series against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

Irvin has allowed two runs in 11 1/3 innings since returning to the rotation, and he’s carrying a 2.61 ERA and 1.142 WHIP in nine starts. He faced the Rays on Sunday at Camden Yards and allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings. José Caballero led off the seventh with a homer.

Irvin has a 3.86 ERA and 1.169 WHIP in five career games (four starts) against the Rays. He’s surrendered six runs and 14 hits in 13 1/3 innings at Tropicana Field.

The starters for the next three games remain TBA.

Jordan Westburg is starting at second base and Ramón Urías is at third. Connor Norby goes to the bench.

TORONTO – After two good nights for Orioles’ bats at Rogers Centre, producing 7-2 and 10-1 wins, the Birds look for three in a row against the Blue Jays tonight as this series continues.

Last night’s win improved the Orioles to 13-4 (.765) in American League East games and they are 3-1 versus the Blue Jays. The O’s also hold a 13-4 mark against the Blue Jays since the start of last season. And the Orioles are 9-1 in their past 10 games at Rogers Centre with a plus-39 run differential, outscoring the Blue Jays 66-27 in those games.

The Orioles are 6-2 in the first eight of 14 straight games within the division, playing in order, the Red Sox, Rays, Jays and Rays again.

The Orioles' plus-88 run differential for the year ranks third-best in the majors and second in the AL. The New York Yankees are first at plus-111. And New York (43-19) continues to lead the division by 2.5 games over the Orioles. The red-hot Yankees have won six in a row, 10 of 12 and 17 of their past 21 games.

Toronto had won five of its last six and nine of the past 14 heading into this series. But with Tuesday’s loss the Blue Jays are 28-32 and fall to 7-10 in division games. They have scored two runs or less 23 times this season including twice in this series.

TORONTO – The Orioles are eight games into a stretch of 14 consecutive games versus AL East opponents. With how well this team now plays within its own division, this is good news.

And with Tuesday’s 10-1 blowout win at Rogers Centre over Toronto, the Orioles are now 6-2 in this stretch versus Boston, Tampa Bay, Toronto and Tampa Bay.

The Orioles are 13-4 (.765) against AL East clubs this year. For just the second time in team history they have won 13 of their first 17 division games. That also happened in 2005.

The Birds just keep hitting since they got swept at St. Louis and scored eight runs total in those three games.

They are now 10-2 the past 12 games. They have scored 17 runs this series, 29 in the last four games, 52 in eight games and 75 runs in those past 12 games. In this span they have 118 hits, including 22 home runs and are batting .280 with an OPS of .844.

TORONTO – Ryan Mountcastle likes hitting against Toronto and in Toronto. That point was reinforced again tonight as he hit a three-run homer to left in the Orioles' four-run third and later added another homer as they were on their way to their latest victory.

Mountcastle hit Nos. 9 and 10 as the Orioles beat the Blue Jays 10-1 to improve to 39-20. They have won five of six and 10 of their past 12 games. They are now 18-8 on the road.

Since being swept three straight in St. Louis, they are 10-2, scoring 75 runs. 

The Orioles have now gone 20 straight American League East series without losing one as they will at least split this four-game set after winning the last two nights. Their outstanding record in the division is now 13-4.

This game also featured the first major league hit and homer of Connor Norby's career. Playing his second big league game and having gone 0-for-6 in the bigs to that point, he hit a two-run shot to left in the eighth off right-hander Nate Pearson for a 10-1 lead. 

Austin Hays is in left field this afternoon as the Orioles close out the series against the Rays and their homestand.

Cedric Mullins is in center and Anthony Santander is in right. Just like the old days.

Jordan Westburg is the third baseman and Adley Rutschman is serving as the designated hitter.

Colton Cowser has posted a 1.009 OPS when batting seventh and a .676 OPS anywhere else in the lineup. He’s out of today’s lineup.

Ryan Mountcastle’s hot bat stays. He’s slashing .459/.500/.757 (17-for-37) with five doubles, two home runs, six RBIs, three walks and eight runs scored in the last 10 games since May 21.

Considering how well he has pitched before it and after it, it's fair to ask if Craig Kimbrel's six-game slump was mostly about a back issue?

Kimbrel's start to his season included one run allowed over 10 innings. Then came his struggles which lasted about two weeks. And now over his past eight games, he has not allowed a run.

For the year, over 24 games, he is 4-1 with 13 saves in 16 chances with a 3.00 ERA, a 13.29 strikeout rate and 0.95 WHIP. Those numbers are not bad, even with his brief struggles.

Kimbrel's 13 saves rank third-best in the American League and seventh-best in the majors. A season-long question the Orioles have to answer is: How well can they replace injured closer Félix Bautista?

In his first 10 games, Kimbrel was 3-0 with an 0.90 ERA and six saves in seven chances. Over 10 innings, he gave up one run with one walk to 16 strikeouts. His OPS against was a miniscule .288.

The second batter that Kyle Bradish faced today singled into right field, the ball glancing off Jorge Mateo’s glove as he attempted to make a sliding stop. A cleaner single followed. The no-hit stuff and the breaks were left back in Chicago.

Bradish lasted only 2 2/3 innings after losing his command and issuing three consecutive walks, the last with the bases loaded that broke a 4-4 tie. But a game was won again.

Hitting four home runs and getting strong work out of the bullpen made it happen. This is a team that will find a way.

Ryan Mountcastle cleared the center field fence twice within the first four innings, going back-to-back with Anthony Santander in the first, Jacob Webb came to the rescue with 2 1/3 scoreless, and the Orioles claimed another series against a division opponent with a 9-5 victory over the Rays before an announced crowd of 36,958 at Camden Yards.

Jordan Westburg marked his return to the lineup by homering in the second inning, and the Orioles moved a season-high 18 games above .500 at 37-19. They’re 14-0-5 in their last 19 series against the American League East and go for the sweep Sunday before flying to Toronto.

Dean Kremer is making good progress in his recovery from a right triceps strain.

The Orioles put Kremer on the 15-day injured list retroactive to May 21. He’s rehabbing with the club.

“He’s doing well,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “It’s getting a little bit better every day. The soreness has gone down. Should be expecting to play catch here soon.

“So far so good with him.”

Hyde didn’t have any updates on John Means (left forearm strain) or Tyler Wells (right elbow inflammation). Means is receiving a second opinion after flying back to Baltimore. Wells is in Sarasota rehabbing, with no news beyond how he was cleared to play catch last week.

CHICAGO - There were rain delays and even more rain delays. And then there was the threat of more rain. And that will likely continue even today as the Orioles return home this afternoon to face the Boston Red Sox.

Are the raindrops stalking this team?

Enough already.

But a road trip that began with the sweepless streak ending and three straight losses in wet St. Louis moved on to produce four straight wins in sometimes wet Chicago. 

It was an impressive sweep despite Chicago's poor record as the White Sox played hard and gave the Orioles fits for most of the four days. But the O's won all four and produced their first four-game road sweep since Aug. 22-25, 2011 at Minnesota. It was their first four-game sweep of the White Sox since July 6-9, 1995.

After ending the season's first three-game losing skid with Thursday's 8-6 win over the Chicago White Sox, the O's look to take two in a row in this four-game series tonight at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Anthony Santander hit a solo homer and Jorge Mateo blasted a three-run shot in a four-run fourth inning as the Orioles opened a 5-2 lead and never trailed after that. The O's had 13 hits, two off their season-high and it was the sixth time this year they've had 13 or more. They scored eight runs or more in a game for the eighth time in the 2024 season.

Mateo hit his homer 434 feet, the longest blast of his career. When he hit seven homers last year he averaged a homer every 45.43 at-bats and had a slugging percentage of .340. This year that average is one every 29.67 at-bats and his slugging mark is now .483. Mateo also walked twice in the game, his first game of the season with more than one walk. He also had two steals and Mateo is the first Orioles player with a home run and two stolen bases in the same game since Cedric Mullins on Sept. 10, 2021 against the Blue Jays.

Ryan Mountcastle, who had been 2-for-25 his previous six games, went 4-for-5 with a double and scored twice. He raied his batting average from .256 to .272. His single in the fourth inning produced an exit velocity of 112.3 mph. This was Mountcastle's first four-hit game since Aug. 3, 2023.

There were 12 balls hit last night at 100 mph or more, eight by the Orioles.

CHICAGO – One of the starting pitchers was back in Baltimore having his left elbow examined. Multiple relievers were unavailable following a couple of rain delays and a suspended game in St. Louis, which necessitated the arrival of Jonathan Heasley in a potential bulk role.

The Orioles had lost three in a row and seen much better days when they arrived in Chicago to begin their series against the White Sox, and that was before Grayson Rodriguez threw 30 pitches in the first inning.

They fell behind twice tonight to the team with the worst record in baseball. The team that’s scored the fewest runs. But they snapped out of their funk in the fourth inning.

Finally, they could feel good again. They were due for it.

They just had to sweat a little in the ninth.

Ryan Mountcastle is in tonight’s lineup at first base, as the Orioles try to even their series in St. Louis.

Mountcastle came off the bench last night. He hadn’t been in the lineup for two of the last three games.

Kyle Stowers is in right field. Ryan O’Hearn is the designated hitter.

Anthony Santander, playing with a bruised left knee, is on the bench.

Jordan Westburg is batting cleanup again.