The Baltimore Orioles are in a rough stretch, and their bats are the main culprit. Right now, the offense is essentially a three-man show featuring Pete Alonso, Adley Rutschman, and Samuel Basallo. On Friday night, that trio delivered, combining for 4-for-9 with two home runs, three runs scored, and three RBIs—impressive, especially since Basallo started the day on the bench to save him for Saturday's late afternoon game. But the rest of the lineup? A brutal 0-for-22 with eight strikeouts.
It's a team-wide slump that's hard to ignore. Gunnar Henderson is mired in a deep cold spell, with his season OPS dropping to .674. Coby Mayo barely got two at-bats before being pulled on Friday. Colton Cowser has essentially become a fourth outfielder, kept around for his glove and speed since the team doesn't trust his bat. Tyler O'Neill hasn't provided the bounce-back performance the Orioles hoped for, and Taylor Ward's doubles are drying up—without turning into home runs to compensate.
It's a shame because the pitching actually held up its end. Kyle Bradish turned in a solid start, tossing seven innings with 10 strikeouts. The only runs he allowed came in the fifth inning, and otherwise, he shut down the Athletics' offense. Using Trey Gibson as a bullpen piece was a curious move, likely aimed at keeping the rest of the bullpen fresh during a long stretch without a day off. But asking a young pitcher—who rarely relieves and is making just his second career big-league appearance—to handle that role is a tall order.
Still, pitching was the least of the worries on this day. The lineup is struggling, and at this point, it's hard to avoid the conclusion that it just isn't very good right now. Even the defense is faltering. It's a mess with no obvious in-season fix other than holding on and hoping for a turnaround.
Maybe the return of Jackson Holliday in the next week or two will provide a minor spark, but he hasn't yet shown the upside that was once hyped. For now, the Orioles need more from Henderson and Ward, and they desperately need a legitimate solution at third base. The current duo of Wes ... well, let's just say it's not working.