Baltimore Orioles: Slow Bats Suggest It’s Time for Change

With the Baltimore Orioles losing three consecutive games to the patchwork Miami Marlins, it might be time to make a few changes.

As the Baltimore Orioles already have 11 games under their belt, there just isn’t time to wait as 20% of the games will be complete today.

After going 0-14, DJ Stewart was sent down to the replacement squad. This opens up a spot in the active roster. So, maybe it’s time to bring Ryan Mountcastle into the fold. He could help out in left field, or he could give some respite to the injured infield, taking some reps at first or third.

The Marlins get one more home game at Camden Yards tonight at 7:35 ET. Then, the schedule gets even tougher for the Orioles. They take a short drive to Nationals Park for three games before heading north to Philadelphia for three more away games.

In the last three games against the Marlins, the Orioles have scraped together one run. The O’s pitching has been decent, giving up three runs in 14 innings on Wednesday and four on Tuesday. But, the bats have gone silent and it might be time to add an exciting prospect to the active roster.

Even with the three losses, the Orioles are still in second place in the AL East. For the modified playoffs, the Orioles record matters. After coming out so strongly against the Rays, this little slump is disheartening. The Orioles have a .455 record, just a smidge about the .444 Blue Jays. The middle of the AL East is quite tight with the Rays at .417. The Yankees are firmly in first and the Red Sox in last.

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Of course, Dwight Smith Jr.is still on the active roster and has a good chance of taking the spot in tonight’s game when the lineup is released. Like Stewart, Smith bats from the left. He’s played in seven games and is batting .167/.250/.333 with one home run.

Baseball is a game of surprises, and the Marlins did just that. No one (including me) expected that they would play like they did. After three games, the Orioles should have some idea what to expect, but like the past three games, they Marlins are putting a pitcher without an ERA on the mound.

Wade LeBlanc will represent the Orioles, and the Marlins have announced Jordan Yamamoto will pitch for them. The 24-year-old right-hander had a 4.46 ERA in 2019 in 15 stats for the Fish. LeBlanc has a 4.09 ERA in his two 2020 starts.

Hopefully the Orioles sweeping the Rays wasn’t a fluke, and the Birds will get back to their winning ways before they head out for a six-game road trip.