Baltimore Orioles vs Tampa Bay Rays: 3 takeaways

The Baltimore Orioles continued their hot hitting over the weekend, outscoring the Rays 35-18.

The Baltimore Orioles are one of the worst teams in baseball this year, but that doesn’t mean they’re totally incapable of bringing smiles to the faces of their jaded fans. The Tampa Bay Rays didn’t have their A-game this week, and the Birds capitalized, winning three out of four games.

It was a feel-good romp for a team that has been down on its luck in 2018. The Orioles are 5-1 over their last six games, but they were 8-27 before that, an abysmal record made even worse by their hefty payroll and significant star power.

It will take more than one strong series to stave off a rebuild, but you never know with the Birds’ erratic front office. Perhaps the 16-run margin of victory we saw on Sunday is exactly what Peter Angelos needed to feel comfortable opening his checkbook and handing a $400 million contract to Manny Machado — which could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on who you ask.

Still, the Orioles’ top decision-makers will be careful not to read too much into a strong run against the Royals and Rays, two of the worst teams in the American League. Their upcoming road trip against the Phillies and Red Sox, both of whom are well above .500, should provide a clearer picture of just how real this rebound is.

The Birds’ next game is set for Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. ET. Until then, here are three takeaways from their big series win against Tampa Bay.