June 10th -- the O's shut out the Rays 7-0, bringing them just shy of the .500 mark at 30-31. Considering they had already suffered an 8-game losing streak earlier in the year, this seemed like cause for celebration.
today, July 17th -- the O's are 38-54, meaning they went 8-23 over the past 31 games, including a 9-game skid that spanned the All-Star break, including the brutal 4-game sweep at the hands of the red sux leading into the break.
What is the anatomy of an 8-23 stretch? For a young team without an over-abundance of talent, 10 straight road games against three of the hottest teams: Braves, Rangers, r-sux is the biggest factor. Also, not having a shut-down starter to trot out there every 5th game means the losing tends to pick up momentum after a while.
The goal at this point is to not *totally* go in the tank, proving to Prince Fielder or other marquee free agents that the Orioles have some fight. Back-to-back wins over the Indians and re-signing JJ Hardy are steps in the right direction. Boston comes to town tomorrow...
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