O's unfazed by late-season funk: 'We're still right there'

BALTIMORE -- Corbin Burnes is back on track. The Orioles, though? Well, not quite.

Despite a quality start by Burnes -- which was also the All-Star ace’s best showing of the second half -- Baltimore couldn’t snap out of its late-season funk at the end of a disappointing weekend. The O’s fell, 2-0, to the Rays, who took two of three during the American League East series at Camden Yards.

With three weeks to go in the regular season, the Orioles (82-62) sit in second place behind the Yankees in the AL East. They remain the top team in the AL Wild Card standings.

“We kind of go in stretches where it kind of looks like we’re coming out of it. Two steps forward, one step back,” Burnes said. “So it kind of feels like we start to get there, and then, a couple bad days and it kind of feels like we reset and start over.

“We’re still right there in the hunt. Whether it’s for first, whether it’s the Wild Card, whatever it may be, we know we’re going to be a postseason team. We’ve got 18 games left now to get it all figured out and get on a hot streak and to take it through the postseason. It just feels like we’re right there and just haven’t quite turned the corner yet.”

The Orioles are 24-24 in the second half. They’ve won more than two consecutive games only once (a three-game streak that was halted Wednesday), but they also haven’t lost more than two straight since a three-game skid from July 21-24.

Baltimore’s bats have been at the forefront of the inconsistency, especially of late. But it’s been an issue for nearly two months, based on what manager Brandon Hyde has been seeing from his hitters’ approaches.

“Really since the All-Star break it’s been a challenge. Tough time offensively,” Hyde said. “Guys are swinging a little bit frustrated and pressing. Trying to do way, way, way too much. Way too many big swings.”

The only runs of Sunday’s game scored on a two-run homer by Jonny DeLuca in the sixth inning. It was the only blemish against Burnes, who tossed six strong frames for his second quality start in seven outings since the All-Star break. The previous one also came against Tampa Bay, as he allowed three earned runs in six innings on Aug. 10 at Tropicana Field.

Burnes worked out of multiple jams, stranding a pair of baserunners in both the second and third. However, he issued a leadoff walk to Jonathan Aranda in the sixth before then giving up a 412-foot homer to DeLuca.
Baltimore’s five hits were all singles -- three by Gunnar Henderson and two from Cedric Mullins. The O’s scored three total runs during the three-game set vs. the Rays (71-72), and they’ve plated only four over their past four contests.

The Orioles had runners on first and second with no outs in the eighth, then Adley Rutschman, Eloy Jiménez and Anthony Santander struck out in order. In the ninth, Baltimore put another pair of runners on before Coby Mayo struck out to end it.

“Baseball is a game of ups and downs and just continuing to work through stuff,” said Rutschman, who is hitting .197 (28-for-142) in the second half. “I think our guys do a really good job of staying grounded and understanding that and just showing up ready to go for the next day.”

Added Santander: “The swings are looking too hard right now. We have to be shorter to the ball and put the ball in play, especially with runners in scoring position.”

There could be much brighter days ahead for Baltimore, and they may arrive within a few weeks. Reinforcements are on the way, with injured pitchers such as starter Grayson Rodriguez and relievers Danny Coulombe and Jacob Webb nearing returns, with injured infielders Ryan Mountcastle, Ramón Urías and Jordan Westburg all potentially coming back before October as well.

It will be like the “Trade Deadline 2.0,” as pitching coach Drew French called it Sunday morning.

But the O’s need to secure a postseason berth first. And it wouldn’t hurt for their banged-up roster to get some time off before the Division Series, which they could get by winning a second consecutive AL East title.

Next up for the Orioles is a road swing through Boston and Detroit, where they’ll play a pair of teams trying to force their way into Wild Card spots.

Perhaps the trip will finally bring the hot stretch that Baltimore has been seeking.

“It's been tough,” Santander said, “but tomorrow's another day and another opportunity to make an adjustment.”