masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgSEATTLE – Losing two of three in Anaheim and splitting a four-game series in Oakland is no way for the Orioles to convince the skeptics that they’re legitimate playoff contenders. The West Coast continues to torment them.
The Orioles are 2 ½ games behind for the second wild card and 9 ½ out of first place in the American League East because they couldn’t punish an Athletics team that’s 14 games below .500 and has the second-fewest wins in the league with 52. A team with the lowest…

SEATTLE – Losing two of three in Anaheim and splitting a four-game series in Oakland is no way for the Orioles to convince the skeptics that they’re legitimate playoff contenders. The West Coast continues to torment them.

The Orioles are 2 ½ games behind for the second wild card and 9 ½ out of first place in the American League East because they couldn’t punish an Athletics team that’s 14 games below .500 and has the second-fewest wins in the league with 52. A team with the lowest batting average in the American League and second-lowest in the majors. A team that’s traded away some of its best players.

A team that fell behind in the first inning yesterday before the Orioles imploded.

A blown lead in the eighth inning Friday night and a meltdown yesterday on the mound and in the field conspired to leave the Orioles in desperate need of a series win in Seattle. A sweep would be ideal, of course, as they try to get above .500.

Showalter-Distressed-Sidebar.jpgIt’s OK to be greedy. This is no time to settle.

The Orioles lost the series to the Mariners last year 6-1 and dropped all four games at Safeco Field. They were outscored 31-15 in Seattle.

Winning trades is nice, but they have to start taking games, too.

They’re going to face former teammate Yovani Gallardo tonight, and this is another matchup that’s supposed to favor them.

Gallardo has a 5.38 ERA and 1.477 WHIP in 22 games, including 18 starts, over 107 innings. In four starts since going back into the rotation, he’s allowed 10 runs and 19 hits with 10 walks over 20 innings. He hasn’t made it through the sixth.

Gallardo has posted a 5.93 ERA and 1.547 WHIP as a starter this season and a 0.79 ERA and 0.882 WHIP as a reliever.

The Orioles know this guy. Extremely nice and competitive, but deemed expendable over the winter despite their rotation concerns and Chris Tillman’s sore shoulder. They weren’t confident that Gallardo could improve on his 5.42 ERA and 1.585 WHIP in 23 starts in 2016, his lone season in Baltimore also marred by weakness in his right shoulder that led to a stay on the disabled list after his contract was restructured – a third guaranteed year removed from the deal after the Orioles reviewed the results of his physical.

Outfielder Seth Smith hasn’t been a huge contributor this season, but he’s another win for the Orioles in their dealings with the Mariners.

Gallardo has made two starts against the Orioles in his career and has allowed only three runs in 12 2/3 innings. The current group is batting .204 against him.

Welington Castillo is 7-for-22 (.318) and former Mariner Mark Trumbo is 5-for-9. Smith is only 3-for-26 (.115) with seven strikeouts.

Kevin Gausman is 0-2 with a 3.20 ERA in three career starts against the Mariners, all of them coming at Safeco Field. Robinson Cano is 5-for-12 with a triple. Kyle Seager is 3-for-9 with two doubles and a home run.

The Angels just swept the Mariners in a four-game series, dropping Seattle two back for the second wild card.

The Orioles need to pounce hard if they want to be taken seriously. The rotation can’t regress, the bullpen can’t falter late and the big hitters in the lineup can’t come up small.

Get it together or get out of the way.