Bob Haynie: Orioles Return Home In Last Place
The Baltimore Orioles will get the Motley Crue "Home Sweet Home" treatment on Monday as they finally get back to the Charm City after a lengthy absence. The Birds have not played a true home game since April 29 and a nine-game homestand could be exactly what manager Buck Showalter's club needs at this time.
The Orioles return to Camden Yards with a 13-16 record and a .448 winning percentage which puts them in last place in the AL East. Baltimore begins a three-game set with Toronto Blue Jays (16-16) sitting 5.5 games behind the first-place New York Yankees.
Yankee RH Michael Pineda stuck out 16 Orioles on Sunday as New York cruised to a 6-2 victory. The Orioles struck out 18 times overall and didn't draw a single walk. Shortstop J.J. Hardy, who hit his first HR of the season, was the only Bird who didn't K on Sunday.
After taking two-of-three games from the Tampa Bay Rays in a "home series", the Orioles went 1-5 in New York. The Mets swept two at Citi Field and the Yankees won three-of-four in the Bronx.
Just when it seemed the starting pitching was coming around for Showalter, they have hit another rough stretch. Lefty Wei-Yin Chen, who was outstanding on Saturday, was the only Orioles starter to get through six innings against the Yankees.
Only 29 games have been played, so it's still early in the season. However, the Orioles are going to have to pick up the pace at some point soon.
They are 6-4 at Camden Yards in 2015 and with nine games coming up with the Blue Jays, Angels and Mariners (all losing teams on the road), it would behoove them to take advantage of their home venue.
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