The challenge of this West Coast trip for the Orioles just grew more intense.

They have to play the Dodgers, who have the best record in baseball at 48-27, after losing twice to the Mariners, being shut out yesterday for the first time this season, and falling six games below .500.

This is like Eddie Murphy in “The Golden Child” carrying a glass of water across a booby-trapped obstacle course in a bottomless cavern without spilling a drop.

You saw the movie, right?

If that’s a weird reference, is there anything normal about how the Orioles have proceeded through the 2026 season?

They’re back! No, wait, they aren’t. Playoff odds rise, playoff odds drop. They streak like cheap paint. But they can be a resilient bunch and they’re in the process of getting healthier, as long as there’s nothing wrong with Adley Rutschman after he was struck on the helmet yesterday while running to first base and left the game in the ninth inning.

Rutschman underwent tests and Albernaz told the media, “The ball hit him on the ear. The ear flap is on the other side. He’s getting looked at right now. I just took him out just because we’re down three and get a pinch runner in there and get him checked out. Hopefully we’ll hear more here soon.”

There’s no dodging the Dodgers in this interleague world. The teams meet last summer at Camden Yards and the Orioles won two of three games to improve their record to 66-77 on Sept. 7. They were in the midst of a stretch when they went 9-2.

They really could use one of those right about now.

They won the first game against the Dodgers 2-1 after Shohei Ohtani shut them out for 3 2/3 innings. Samuel Basallo hit his second major league home run, and first at Camden Yards, and it was a 433-foot walk-off against Tanner Scott.

The following night, Yoshinobu Yamamoto no-hit the Orioles until two outs in the ninth, when Jackson Holliday homered. The Dodgers still led 3-1, but the Orioles rallied for a thrilling 4-3 win, which became official with Emmanuel Rivera’s two-run walk-off single against Scott.

That was a fun rewrite.

Rivera is playing in Mexico this year. Scott has a 2.32 ERA and 0.710 WHIP with nine saves in 33 games. He’s walked three and struck out 38 in 31 innings.

The Orioles will pitch to Ohtani but they won’t hit against him. He started Wednesday against the Rays.

Ohtani is batting .296/.418/.545 in 68 games, with 15 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs, 42 RBIs and 51 walks.

Ohtani and outfielder Taylor Ward broke into the majors together with the Angels in 2018, though under vastly different circumstances, and they remained teammates through 2023. Ohtani signed an historic 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers. Ward came to the Orioles in a November trade.

“I wholeheartedly believe he’s the best player who ever lived,” Ward said. “I mean, what he does on both sides of the ball I think is way better than Babe Ruth. It’s incredible. It was great being his teammate and watching him go out there and do that. I’m very thankful I was able to experience that.”

Albernaz was asked about Ohtani last Friday before the Orioles played the Padres at home and Mariners in Seattle. No sense waiting. Get it over with.

“Impressive is an understatement of what he can do,” Albernaz said. “Kind of going up against him over the past couple years, on the offensive side of the ball at the plate, it’s as real as it comes. Last year in Cleveland, first pitch of the game, I think it was (96) from Gavin Williams and off, and he hit it into the second deck. Then, the next game, Tanner Bibee tried to go backdoor slider and he hits it opposite field and he hit it like a righty hit it.

“He’s one of the best in the game, if not the best, for a reason. And what he can do on the mound, too. It’s impressive to watch, it’s something special, and to be able to do that at this high of a level, this is something you see in Little League. Like, the best 12 year old that does it, and he’s doing it on the biggest stage against the best of the best. It’s just really impressive what he can do.”

Ohtani has hit .246/.358/.548 with a double, two triples, 11 home runs, 18 RBIs, 21 walks and 28 strikeouts in 32 games against the Orioles.

The Orioles went 1-2 at Dodger Stadium in August 2024, so long ago that Cole Irvin started the series opener, followed by Matt Bowman, Cionel Pérez, Yennier Cano and Seranthony Domínguez. The Orioles won 3-2.

Eloy Jiménez was the designated hitter and Liván Soto pinch-ran for him.

Ohtaini homered off Corbin Burnes in the second game, his 42nd of the season.

The Dodgers lead the all-time series 14-10, excluding, of course, the 1966 World Series. The Orioles have lost six of nine in Los Angeles. They were swept in three games in 2004.

Note: Dylan Beavers went 0-for-1 with two walks in his first injury rehab game with Double-A Chesapeake. He started in right field.

Reliever Anthony Nunez, who was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk, allowed one run and one hit, on a solo homer, with three strikeouts in two innings.