In the city that never sleeps, the Baltimore Orioles just can't seem to wake up. After a tough loss on Friday, the team sleepwalked through Saturday's matinee, falling 9-4 to the American League-leading New York Yankees. It's their third straight loss, and the bats and arms are both struggling to find their rhythm.
Starting pitcher Kyle Bradish couldn't give his offense a chance, surrendering five runs over four innings. It's part of a troubling trend for the rotation, which has now given up a combined 20 runs in just 12 innings over the last three games. The offense wasn't much better either—the Orioles were no-hit through three innings for the third consecutive game and managed only four hits total.
Just a few days ago, the Orioles had climbed back to .500 for the ninth time this season. Now, at 15-18, they're back to their worst mark of the year. It's early May, sure, but this weekend's series in New York was supposed to be a measuring stick against the only AL team firing on all cylinders. The Yankees are 22-11 and sitting seven games ahead of Baltimore, and so far, the Orioles look like the far inferior team.
Saturday's game followed a familiar script: the Orioles' starter struggled early. After a promising 10-3 win in Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader against Houston—one of their best outings of the season—veteran Chris Bassitt said the starting pitchers had a "come-to-Jesus" meeting about attacking hitters and not being "too cute." But in the three games since, that message hasn't stuck.
Brandon Young gave up 10 runs in Game 2 on Thursday, while Cade Povich and Bradish both allowed five runs to the Yankees. Povich and Young, the team's Nos. 7 and 8 starters, are filling in because the Orioles are down three arms: Zach Eflin is out for the season, and Dean Kremer and Trevor Rogers are both on the 15-day injured list.
Bradish struggled with his command against the Yankees' patient and powerful lineup, and it cost him. With two games still to play in the series—including prospect Trey Gibson making his MLB debut on Sunday—the Orioles need to find a spark fast. For a team that wants to compete, this stretch is a wake-up call they can't afford to sleep through.