Baltimore Orioles try to get out of crisis before playoffs

BALTIMORE – Weakened by injuries and in a prolonged hitting slump, the Baltimore Orioles are desperate to get back on track as they stumble toward the end of the regular season.

The Orioles had a 57-33 record and led the AL East by three games on July 8. They were 70-48 on August 10 and still in first place, but since then Baltimore has a 14-19 record, four games behind the New York Yankees with 11 games to go.

“Our motivation has just been lost over the last few months,” Orioles general manager Mike Elias said Tuesday. “The reasons are obvious, but a lot of it is because we have guys here who are going through a downturn – whether it’s themselves or the team.”

The obvious reasons Elias pointed to are injuries. And lots of them. The Orioles have spent most of the season trying to make up for the loss of three members of the starting lineup (John Means, Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells). Starter Grayson Rodriguez is also out, though the team hopes to get him back before October.

The offense has also been hampered by injuries. All-Star infielder Jordan Westburg (broken hand) and first baseman Ryan Mountcastle (sprained wrist) have been out for several weeks, and the infield has been further weakened by the loss of Ramon Urias (sprained ankle) and Jorge Mateo (sprained elbow).

The bullpen was hurt by the ineffectiveness of Craig Kimbrel, who was signed for $13 million as a closer but lost that job earlier this summer and allowed six runs in Tuesday night’s 10-0 loss to San Francisco.

Elias hopes to have Westburg, Mountcastle and Urias back before the playoffs. Mateo had to undergo a season-ending operation.

Playoffs? Well, yes. The Orioles still have a chance to overtake the Yankees, especially since the teams meet in a three-game series next week in the Bronx. And even if Baltimore can’t successfully defend its division title, a wild card is all but assured.

But for the Orioles to avoid another early exit – last year they lost to Texas after a first-round bye – the situation must change quickly.

“It’s been an awkward stretch here the last part of the summer. We’re going to get through this and get out of this,” Elias said. “I think we’re going to make the playoffs and do really well there. I believe in these guys, I believe in this (coaching) staff.”

The Orioles scored a ton of runs before the All-Star break, and Gunnar Henderson and Anthony Santander are still hitting home runs. But the offense as a whole is sputtering, as evidenced by the team’s last three series. Baltimore scored three runs in three games against Tampa Bay, was beaten 20-11, lost two of three games in Boston, and managed to score just six runs in three games in Detroit last weekend. Not surprisingly, the Orioles went 3-6 during that time.

“A lot of people are trying to make up for the absence of others or their own weaknesses,” Elias said. “It’s been a difficult time. We’re all fed up and want to put it behind us. I really believe that we’ll pick ourselves up in the home stretch and regain our identity.”

With Tuesday night’s loss, the Orioles began a three-game home series against the Giants. They will close their home schedule with three games against Detroit, then three games at Yankee Stadium before the season-ending series in Minnesota.

“I want to believe we’re still going to play good baseball,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “We’ve shown signs of pulling ourselves together, but it hasn’t quite clicked in the second half. There’s still time to get it done. It’s a really talented group. We’re pitching well. We’ve got some guys on offense that could be a dangerous team down the stretch.”