masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgOne year after dealing with a miserable 2-16 start, these are better times for the Orioles. Even after losing the last two games against Texas, the club is off to a 6-3 start and in first place in their division.

“I say it’s good,” O’s outfielder Nick Markakis said of the club’s start. “We’ve got a winning record and we just played a really good ballclub. It’s not like we got blown out, we played close games with the exception of one. I think, overall in the first week we did pretty…One year after dealing with a miserable 2-16 start, these are better times for the Orioles. Even after losing the last two games against Texas, the club is off to a 6-3 start and in first place in their division.

“I say it’s good,” O’s outfielder Nick Markakis said of the club’s start. “We’ve got a winning record and we just played a really good ballclub. It’s not like we got blown out, we played close games with the exception of one. I think, overall in the first week we did pretty damn good.”

The O’s are still looking for some consistent offense. The Orioles hit just .181 as a team in the Texas series and they have scored just one run over their last 23 innings.

“I can speak for myself and Brian (Roberts) at the top of the order, I think we need to do a little better job getting on base. We’ve been facing some tough pitching. But we are pleased with our record right now, considering the way we’ve been swinging the bats. That says a lot about our pitching. We’ll get the bats going,” Markakis said after he and Roberts went a combined 2-for-24 against the Rangers.

The Orioles have scored five runs or less in eight of their nine games and have 10 hits or more just twice so far.

But, meanwhile the O’s team ERA is now 3.33 and the ERA of the starting pitchers is a very solid 2.98 and O’s starters have produced six quality starts over the season’s first nine games.

Now the O’s get set to head to New York tomorrow for their first look at the Yankees. Minutes after Sunday’s loss to Texas, Markakis was not ready to say the three games in New York represent a big series so early in the year.

“It’s just like any other game. It doesn’t matter whose out there, we still have to play our game and try to win each game,” he said.

Updating some O’s hitters recently:
Guerrero: Is 8-for-21 (.381) during five-game batting streak.
Jones: Is 5-for-14 (.357) with two homers and five RBIs the last four games.
Markakis: After batting .429 through four games, he is 2-for-18 (.111) over the past five games.
Roberts: Went 0-for-12 in Texas series
Wieters: Is 0-for-13 over his last four games.

What is your take?: How do you feel about the O’s start and can they keep the winning going? What challenges are they going to face in trying to do that? What has surprised you about the team so far?