masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgNEW YORK – If there’s any good to come out of the Orioles’ offensive slump, at least it’s taking some of the heat off the rotation.
Has your concern shifted or are you still pitching a fit over the pitching?
The Orioles have been held to a single run in each of the first two games of this series. They entered it having scored at least two runs in 53 consecutive games, a streak dating back to at least 1913.
The Orioles are 9-for-60 (.150) with a double, home run, seven walks, 12 strikeouts…

NEW YORK – If there’s any good to come out of the Orioles’ offensive slump, at least it’s taking some of the heat off the rotation.

Has your concern shifted or are you still pitching a fit over the pitching?

The Orioles have been held to a single run in each of the first two games of this series. They entered it having scored at least two runs in 53 consecutive games, a streak dating back to at least 1913.

The Orioles are 9-for-60 (.150) with a double, home run, seven walks, 12 strikeouts and a hit batter – Matt Wieters can show you his swollen foot – in the series. Their streak of homering in nine consecutive games ended last night.

Fifty-two runs in the last 15 games and 10 since the All-Star break won’t cut it. It won’t allow a team to hold onto first place.

* The Orioles have lost 10 of their last 13 games at Yankee Stadium since Sept. 25, 2014, when Evan Meek gave up the walk-off single to Derek Jeter in the shortstop’s final game in the Bronx. They’re 12-19 since the start of 2013.

* Mark Trumbo is 4-for-16 with no extra-base hits in the second half, but I’m not buying that the Home Run Derby messed up his swing.

Trumbo-orange-at-bat-spring-sidebar.jpg

Looks like the same swing that produced four home runs in the last four games before the All-Star break.

* Left-handers are 20-for-50 against Mychal Givens this season after Chase Headley, a switch-hitter batting from the left side, hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning.

Didi Gregorius flied out, but Headley extended Givens’ woes.

* Whether or not you agree with the Orioles’ decision to designate Henry Urrutia for assignment, it’s a shame that he’s in this situation and I feel bad for him.

Urrutia worked hard to break down the language barrier after defecting from Cuba. It’s astounding how far along he’s come, to the point where an interpreter isn’t needed. He applied the same level of effort to his game, spending the winter at the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota to work on his conditioning and defense.

From a media standpoint, he had one of the most interesting stories to tell. His defection from Cuba after a failed attempt and one-year suspension from playing baseball, the ordeal getting from Haiti to Miami, being reunited with his parents, the emotions that bubbled to the surface after his walk-off home run. Those are just a few of the highlights.

Urrutia has been worried about his future. He has a wife and baby to support and he knew his days were numbered after the Orioles demoted him to Double-A Bowie. He’s been on the bubble regarding his spot on the 40-man roster. It was only a matter of time.

Because he doesn’t own a prior outright, Urrutia must accept an assignment if he clears waivers and is kept in the organization. He’d welcome a trade.

* Julio Borbon made it back to the majors after a three-year absence, though he didn’t get off the bench last night. It’s easy to forget that he appeared in eight playoff games with the Rangers in 2010, going 1-for-2 with a run scored in the World Series.

Borbon twice re-signed with the Orioles on minor league deals after they selected him from the Cubs in the Triple-A phase of the 2013 Rule 5 draft. He appeared to be a strong candidate for a September call-up last year, but David Lough was chosen.

The Orioles went with the hot bat when the selected his contract from Bowie, though his defense and speed already placed him on their radar. He was batting .433/.477/.583 (26-for-60) this month with a double, triple, two home runs, four RBIs and five walks.

“He has a good skill set,” said executive vice president Dan Duquette. “He can do a little bit of everything. Good contact hitter, can play all the positions, steal a base. And he has major league experience.

“He was Eastern League Player of the Week a few weeks ago. He’s a top draft pick. He’s a No. 1 pick. And he knows the way around the league. He’s a versatile player and a good teammate.”