Another homestand will be in the rearview mirror later today. The Orioles are off Monday and play three games in St. Louis, three in Sacramento and three in Denver.

The Athletics used to be in first place but are holding the worst record in baseball. The second-worst belongs to the Rockies.

The Cardinals are mid at 66-65 and sitting in third place in their division.

This stretch feels like a real chance for the Orioles to make a Wild Card statement, and failing to do so could be devastating. They return home to play the Red Sox and Guardians before flying to Toronto. They’ll also host the Brewers and Blue Jays before wrapping up the regular season at Yankee Stadium.

A mediocre-to-bad American League can only keep a team breathing for so long before the oxygen supply is cut off.

Shane Baz is 4-13 going into today’s start, tied for the most losses in the majors last night, while Tampa Bay’s Nick Martinez is 12-4. I wouldn’t wager based on those records.

Baz and Kyle Bradish have combined for 25 losses. Bradish has posted a 3.70 ERA. Baz has a 4.02 ERA and limited run support.

Baz allowed three runs and struck out 10 over 6 1/3 innings in his most recent outing against the Yankees and lost 3-1. He’s registered 11 quality starts and the Orioles are averaging fewer than 3.36 runs this season when he pitches, the third-worst support in the majors after Tanner Bibee and Ryan Weathers. He doesn’t have a win in his last 11 starts despite seven being quality.

“That’s why the win-loss record for pitchers is not really factored into the Cy Young anymore,” said manager Craig Albernaz. “It’s the nature of, you can’t control the wins and losses when you’re pitching as far as run support, and right now, to this year, every time Shane’s pitched we haven’t really given him the best run support. So the record’s not indicative of how he’s performing. He’s throwing the ball really good.

“The growth that he’s shown, especially with adding pitches and mixing locations and just being a full-rounded pitcher has been really fun to watch.. But yeah, his record is not indicative of how he’s pitched.”

The Rays know Baz from his four seasons with them, and also the back-to-back starts in May. He allowed one run and two hits in six innings at Tropicana Field and one run and seven hits with nine strikeouts in seven innings at Camden Yards. He had a no-decision and a win.

Martinez averages only 5.3 strikeouts per nine innings this season, but also only 1.4 walks with 22 over 141 2/3 innings. He’s a free agent after the season, if anyone is looking for a control freak.

Martinez followed a complete game in Sacramento by allowing six runs and nine hits in 3 2/3 innings against the Blue Jays. He’s given up six runs three times this season, but two or fewer in 17 games.

The right-hander hasn’t faced the Orioles this season. He’s 0-3 with a 5.85 ERA in five career appearances (three starts) against them.

Pete Alonso is 2-for-7 with a home run against Martinez.

Is anyone surprised by the home run? This guy is a beast. His 26 hits over the last 14 games are the most in his career.

Living in baseball’s superstitious world almost guarantees that the Orioles will wear stirrup socks again today.

Word spread before last night’s game that players were changing their look, which had some of them scrambling for the proper attire.

“You guys might have noticed, the pants were a little tight on me,” Samuel Basallo, who belted a game-tying pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning, said via interpreter Brandon Quinones. “I don’t know whose idea it was, but when we were close to game time, I saw everybody started doing it, so I was like, ‘All right, well, I guess this is what we’re doing tonight.’”

Basallo had to borrow Kyle Bradish’s socks and someone else’s pants. He didn’t remember which teammate.

“I don’t know, if the team wants to do it again, we’ll do it,” Basallo said. “Whatever the team wants to do.”

Albernaz slowly began to realize what was happening.

“They’re sick,” Albernaz said. “I loved it. I had no idea they were doing it. I think the first person I saw was Pete because (wife) Haley threw out the first pitch. So I saw the stirrups, and I was like, ‘Oh, Pete’s going stirrups.’ And then CES (Christian Encarnacion-Strand) came out with stirrups, and then I realized that the whole team was coming out. But they didn’t have enough, so some of the starting pitches were just wearing the straight white sanitaries in the dugout, which is … it’s a look. I’m not sure if it’s good or bad, but it was a look. “But no, I liked it out there. Guys looked good.”