The Orioles will hit the pause button again on Monday, after their three-game series that begins tonight in Cincinnati. They have another chance to cut into their Wild Card deficit, which stood at 4 ½ games yesterday and with four teams ahead of them for the final spot.

The Reds won two of three at Camden Yards last season. The Orioles are 7-5 all-time in Cincinnati, excluding the 1970 World Series. They swept a three-game series in May 2024 by a combined score of 16-2 and improved their record to 23-11. They were 49-25 on June 20 after pounding the Yankees 17-5.

Since then, they’re 157-181 and trying to avoid back-to-back losing seasons.

Can this team get going and earn a playoff berth? Can it find some new dances moves, rather than taking two steps forward and three back?

“No doubt,” outfielder Tyler O’Neill said Wednesday while standing at his locker.

“We believe in ourselves. I think that’s first and foremost. We all know how much skill’s in this locker room and what guys have done in the past and capability that we have offensively, defensively and pitching the ball. So it’s just a matter of time before we really string it together and get on a run for multiple games in a row.”

The current streak is one in a row, which prevented the White Sox from sweeping them. They haven’t won more than three straight, failing six times to make it four.

Each setback, whether in games or through injuries, raises the volume on the outside noise. The criticisms, the speculation on the team becoming sellers again and which players are likely to be moved.

“From morale and just kind of getting a pulse from different people every day in the clubhouse, I think people have done a really good job of kind of not bringing it up or letting that seep into their work or focus, because everyone’s focused every single day here,” first baseman Pete Alonso said earlier this week.

“Everyone’s doing what they can to win games. I think everyone’s been doing an excellent job of kind of just putting all that to the side, even though, yeah, OK, whatever, it’s real. Not going to pretend like outside stuff doesn’t exist. But I think people are doing a good job of kind of keeping that to a minimum, staying focused on what matters.

“The front office and ownership is doing everything that they possibly can to put the right people in the right spot and give people the best runway for success. As the starting nine and whoever comes in the game, we’ve just got to do a better job. That’s what it just boils down to. We’ve got to play better baseball. That’s as simple as that.”

They proved again Wednesday that it’s possible. The rotation has become the strength of the team, with Dean Kremer holding the White Sox to one run over six innings in his return. Tyler Wells and Andrew Kittedge combined to throw three perfect innings in relief. The defense was solid-to-spectacular, with O’Neill’s diving catch near the right field line saving a couple runs from scoring.

But with gain comes pain, which is typical of the Orioles over the past two seasons.

Closer Ryan Helsley was supposed to work the ninth in a non-save situation because he hadn’t pitched since Saturday and the team was off yesterday, but elbow discomfort forced him to take a seat and undergo testing. Everyone seems braced for bad news because this is the second time that he’s felt pain in the elbow. And because these are the Orioles.

Keegan Akin already is on the injured list with his own elbow issue and manager Craig Albernaz’s update Wednesday sounded ominous.

“He’s going through the options right now of what the next steps are,” Albernaz said. “We should have those, whatever he decides and the plan of attack, in the next couple days.”

Those options could include a cortisone injection, simple rest or surgery. What else is there?

A roster move for Helsley is expected later today but hasn’t been confirmed. Maybe the Orioles bring back Anthony Nunez, who was optioned June 16 when Helsley returned from the injured list. But the entire 13-man pitching staff has only two left-handers, and that includes starter Trevor Rogers. Grant Wolfram is the lone southpaw in the ‘pen after Josh Walker was optioned Wednesday morning. That needs to be addressed.

Triple-A Norfolk’s roster also includes Dietrich Enns, Cade Povich, Nick Raquet and Andrew Magno. Povich started last night, allowing three runs and seven hits with two homers in 4 1/3 innings, and Enns replaced him in the fifth.

Anyone who’s been down for fewer than 15 days is eligible to return if replacing an injured player.

No one mentioned above is a full-time substitute closer. The Orioles will have to use a committee in Helsley’s absence, for however long it lasts.

Rico Garcia is second on the team in saves with four, half of Helsley’s total, and he was the primary guy earlier this season when the veteran right-hander went on the IL with elbow inflammation. But Garcia was practically unhittable back then, and his ERA last month was 6.97 with a 1.355 WHIP in 12 appearances.

Wells, Kittredge and Yennier Cano also could share the workload. Cano has a 2.67 ERA, 1.000 WHIP and .198 opponents average in 37 appearances, and he didn’t allow an earned run in 10 consecutive games last month until he was charged with two earned and four total Monday against the White Sox.

The damage came in the ninth inning, when Cano has a career 5.22 ERA. And left-handers hit .300 with an .844 OPS against him since he broke into the majors.

There isn’t an ideal solution to a potentially big problem.

Note: Catcher Sam Huff cleared outright waivers and elected free agency over an assignment to Norfolk.

Huff was designated for assignment Sunday when the Orioles reinstated outfielder Dylan Beavers from the injured list.

The catching depth took another hit. The Orioles designated Dom Keegan over the weekend to create room for Kremer on the 40-man roster. They’re carrying three on the active roster, and Norfolk is down to Creed Willems and Silas Ardoin. Willems exited Wednesday night’s game with left hamstring discomfort and went on the injured list yesterday.

Adam Retzbach moved up from Double-A Chesapeake to Norfolk.