Bob Haynie: After Minnesota Debacle, The Birds Head To KC
After starting their 10-game stretch at Camden Yards with a 5-1 record, the Baltimore Orioles ended the homestand with a massive thud. The Birds swept four from the Oakland A's and split two with the New York Mets before the struggling Minnesota Twins came to town.
The Twins, who came to Baltimore with a 21-37 road record, got well as they took four-straight from the Orioles here in Charm City. Instead of finishing off a momentum-building stay at home, the Birds will now leave as a reeling team in search of some level of consistency.
Things will get tougher for the Orioles this week as they head to Kansas City to face the Royals for four games and then to Texas to take on a Rangers team that has passed them in the Wild Card standings.
The Twins not only swept the series at Camden Yards, they won all seven games against Baltimore in 2015. Three-straight, one-run loses to Minnesota over the weekend were about us frustrating as losses can be as the Orioles blew late leads in all three games.
In facing the Royals, the Orioles will get reacquainted with the team that defeated them in last season's ALCS. In 2015, the Royals are rolling with the best record in the American League (75-48) and a 12.5 game lead in the AL Central. Oh yeah, they are also 42-20 at Kauffman Stadium.
RHP Ubaldo Jimenez, who is sporting a 7.12 ERA since the All-Star break, will be on the mound for the Orioles against RHP Kris Medlin for Kansas City. The Orioles will try to get better on the road where they are 25-36 this season.
September is looming and the Orioles are falling behind. If they want to make a playoff run, they better start it this week. If this road trip ends in failure, the Birds could be done.