Did one swing one from former Orioles catcher Matt Wieters send the current O's team into a two-week tailspin?
It is probably much more complicated than that, but since Wieters' walk-off two-run single led the Nationals to a comeback win over the Orioles on May 10, the club has just three wins. They are 3-10 since that time.
On that night, the Orioles were looking to extend a win streak to seven games. They led 6-2 heading to the last of the eighth at Nationals Park. But the Nats scored two in the eighth and three in the ninth for the 7-6 win. Wieters' single ended that game.
Just when it looked like the Orioles had steadied the ship with two wins to start the homestand Friday and Saturday versus Toronto, they are taking on more water. Four consecutive losses have followed. The Royals recently swept the Orioles. The Twins just swept the Orioles.
"It's a long season," first baseman Chris Davis said yesterday in the quiet of the O's clubhouse. "We want to win every series, particularly those at home. But you have to understand, there is a lot of baseball left to be played ... But we've got to start finding ways to put it all together."
Catcher Caleb Joseph added: "You can't live in the woe is me world and pity on us. This team is a grinding team. I know people get sick and tired of hearing that. But we're still in the thick of things and these kinds of bumps and bruises happen during the year. It's how you respond to them. Sometimes people want a response in 24 hours. Sometimes it takes time to shake things out. We can go 7-3 in the snap of a finger. We are frustrated, as we should be, but it's not hang your head and lay over and die."
The Orioles could probably use today's off-day for a reboot or a reset. Their next 10 games are against the Astros, Yankees and Red Sox. They have two upcoming series with the first-place Yankees. This would be a great time for them to get it together and start looking more like the team that began the year going 22-10. That was their record the night of that loss at Nats Park.
The Orioles could not climb out of an early 4-0 hole on Wednesday afternoon at Camden Yards against the Twins. Right-hander Chris Tillman needed 57 pitches to get through the first two innings, allowing three runs in the first and one in the second. He threw 36 pitches in the top of the first of a 4-3 loss.
"Wasn't able to find his pitch location and where to go with his hand," Joseph said. "Balls were sailing on him a bit. But I thought he did a good job of getting out of that (first) inning with the least amount of damage as possible. He picked it up in the last three or four innings and he did a nice job considering the fact that the first inning he was trying to feel through some mechanical issues."
Tillman needed 47 pitches in the third through the fifth innings when he allowed three singles but no runs. It is something perhaps for him to build on for his next start.
"Later in the game, he had some really nice bite on his slider," Joseph said. "Fastball location was good. Threw a lot of good changeups. That is kind of the Chris we know and are expecting from here on out. When he is locked in with his tempo and mechanics, he is a tough pitcher. This was his fourth start and guys have had 10 and 12 now."
Tillman, whose shoulder issues delayed his start to his season until May 7, has thrown five or fewer innings three times in four starts, and like most O's pitchers, he needs to begin to get deeper in games.
The first two months of the 2017 season have certainly been eventful. They've featured beanballs, injuries, a roster in flux, especially on the pitching side, and an inconsistent offense.
The Orioles got off to a great start, playing .688 ball through 32 games. But they have played .231 ball since.
Which team is the real Orioles? The answer probably lies somewhere in the middle. They need to pull out of their current tailspin soon, especially when you consider the fact the upcoming opponents are all strong ballclubs.
Hays homers times three: For the first time in the history of the Single-A Frederick Keys, a player hit three homers in a game. It happened Wednesday in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Potomac.
Outfielder Austin Hays homered each of his first three times to bat as the Keys lost the opener 11-7 and then Game 2 by a 7-4 score. Batting leadoff, Hays hit solo homers in the first, third and fourth innings before he flied to left in the sixth at Pfitzner Stadium.
A third-round pick last June out of Jacksonville University, Hays is batting .321/.358/.552 with eight doubles, three triples, eight homers, 23 RBIs and an OPS of .909. Hays' eight homers ranks tied for third in the Carolina League. He is tied for first in homers among all O's minor leaguers along with teammate Ryan Mountcastle and Single-A Delmarva outfielder Jake Ring.
Amazingly, this was already the fourth three-homer game in the Carolina League this year. Hays joins Salem's Michael Chavis, and Eduardo de Oleo and Jason Martin of Buies Creek.
In Game 1 last night, the Orioles' top draft pick last year, right-hander Cody Sedlock, had another poor start. Sedlock pitched to an ERA of 1.64 his first four Keys starts this year. But he gave up seven runs in 4 1/3 innings last night and has an ERA of 12.05 over his past five starts. For the season, Sedlock is 4-2 with a 6.80 ERA over nine starts.