masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThings can change fast in baseball. A struggling team or player can turn things around with one good night or one good series.

The Orioles need that in the worst way right now.

Most of Oriole Nation seems to be predicting doom and gloom for the 10-game road trip against the Braves, Rangers and Red Sox that begins tonight at Atlanta.

Here are some daunting stats as the road trip begins:

* The Orioles have lost six of their last eight games and are 5-12 over the last 17. Since winning…Things can change fast in baseball. A struggling team or player can turn things around with one good night or one good series.

The Orioles need that in the worst way right now.

Most of Oriole Nation seems to be predicting doom and gloom for the 10-game road trip against the Braves, Rangers and Red Sox that begins tonight at Atlanta.

Here are some daunting stats as the road trip begins:

* The Orioles have lost six of their last eight games and are 5-12 over the last 17. Since winning back-to-back series against Washington and Kansas City in late May, they have won just two of the last 10 series.

* O’s batters went just 3-for-21 (.143) with runners in scoring position during the St. Louis series and they are just 11-for-67 (.164) over the past eight games.

* The Orioles are just 6-9 this year against the National League and are 114-147 all-time in interleague games.

* As I wrote earlier, Orioles’ starters are struggling badly now with just one quality start the last 13 games and an ERA of 6.58 in that stretch.

* The Orioles are 13-21 on the road this season and are just 4-12 over their last 16 road contests.

* Cleanup hitter Vlad Guerrero has hit just two homers since April 28 and has 191 at-bats since then. He has no extra-base hits over his last 10 games and just four in the last 35 games.

Now, consider the fact that Atlanta is 47-35 and has won eight of its last 10 games. How about the fact the Braves have won their last seven interleague games, are 8-2 their last 10 games overall and have the second best team ERA in the majors at 3.07.

We may need the reverse lock theory to see the Orioles winning any games in Atlanta this weekend.

If you want more reasons to think the O’s have little chance tonight to win, they will be facing Jair Jurrjens and the right-hander is 10-3 with the best ERA in the NL at 2.07. In seven career interleague starts, he is 2-1, 1.61.

If this were a football game tonight, the Orioles might be four touchdown underdogs.

But, that’s why they play the games. All the recent stats and trends point to the Orioles having a miserable road trip. But will they?