With the Orioles completing their first series sweep of the season against the Chicago White Sox over the weekend, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. Taking three games from the White Sox by a combined margin of four runs proves little beyond being better than the American League’s worst club, but Baltimore winning six of eight games and seven of the last 11 is a positive. This team was bound to play better eventually, right?
2. After earning his second career save, Bryan Baker cited “a breath of fresh air” and “a little bit of a different attitude” in the clubhouse. Even if there’s no saving postseason hopes, the opportunity to play better baseball over the next four months should be more than enough professional motivation.
3. If someone told you a week ago that the Orioles would score two runs, four runs, and three runs in their series with the White Sox, you wouldn’t have anticipated a sweep. That’s how much easier the game becomes when your starting pitching performs at a high level all weekend.
4. Sporting a 9.38 ERA through May 7, Charlie Morton has pitched to a 1.64 mark with 24 strikeouts over his last 22 innings, which included Sunday’s 6 2/3 frames with no earned runs allowed. Nothing’s erasing those first six weeks, but his stuff always suggested he could right himself.
5. Just when you thought the club was getting healthy, Cedric Mullins and Ryan Mountcastle became the latest position players to go on the injured list with hamstring strains. Colton Cowser and Jordan Westburg should return this week, but the soft-tissue injuries beg questions about the club’s strength and conditioning program.
6. Though the offense has been a colossal disappointment that goes beyond injuries, recent lineups reflect how crowded the IL has become with position players. That’s why it was good seeing the Orioles manufacture some runs with sacrifice flies and even a double steal over the weekend. Baby steps.
7. We’ll see whether new assistant coach John Mabry makes any tangible impact, but he carries extensive major league experience as a player and coach and received a strong endorsement from Ryan O’Hearn from their Kansas City days. Getting the young core back on track remains the organization’s top priority.
8. That may include a minor-league demotion for Heston Kjerstad, who simply hasn’t taken advantage of opportunities created by Cowser’s injury. His May numbers were worse than April, the defense is below average, and the lapses in focus are a bad look. The 26-year-old looks mostly lost, and the clock’s ticking.
9. Mountcastle’s injury prompted the return of Coby Mayo, who caused a benches-clearing incident in Saturday’s game. His attempt to draw an obstruction call was flimsy at best, but you hope that feistiness shows up in the form of more confidence at the plate in this latest major league stint.
10. Though not having the season anyone envisioned thus far, Gunnar Henderson became the sixth Oriole to tally 400 career hits before age 24, joining Brooks Robinson, Boog Powell, Eddie Murray, Cal Ripken, and Manny Machado. That reminded just how young and talented Henderson still is.
11. Asked about Henderson successfully using the opposite field twice in Friday’s win, Tony Mansolino offered an interesting quote about the mindset a major league hitter needs to have, and that message was being delivered to the entire club. We’ll see whether Orioles hitters can start doing this more effectively.
12. Corbin Burnes leaving Sunday’s game with elbow discomfort reminds how challenging it is to navigate the modern pitching landscape as the industry remains obsessed with velocity and spin at the expense of keeping arms healthy. That hardly vindicates Elias or Baltimore’s approach, but lucrative long-term pitcher contracts carry immense risk.
