masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgBOSTON – The Orioles are returning to the scene of their meltdown.
It actually was the continuation of one. They were swept in a three-game series in Arlington in August after the Twins won all four games at Camden Yards and the Royals took three of four at Kauffman Stadium.
It didn’t get any better after the Orioles left Texas. They dropped two of three to the Rays at Camden Yards and two of three to the Blue Jays in Toronto.
The Orioles were six games under .500 on Sept. 6. They wouldn’t…

BOSTON – The Orioles are returning to the scene of their meltdown.

It actually was the continuation of one. They were swept in a three-game series in Arlington in August after the Twins won all four games at Camden Yards and the Royals took three of four at Kauffman Stadium.

It didn’t get any better after the Orioles left Texas. They dropped two of three to the Rays at Camden Yards and two of three to the Blue Jays in Toronto.

The Orioles were six games under .500 on Sept. 6. They wouldn’t return to the playoffs.

The Rangers took six of seven games against the Orioles last season, their first series win since 2012. They hit 13 home runs and outscored the Orioles 34-15.

Chris Tillman has allowed one run and four hits in his two starts this season, with two walks and 10 strikeouts over seven innings. It’s time to turn him loose. The weather cut off his first outing after two innings and he was working on short rest in his next one.

Tillman is 3-1 with a 4.67 ERA and 1.413 WHIP in six career starts against the Rangers and 3-0 with a 3.91 ERA and 1.217 WHIP in four starts in Arlington.

The current Rangers are batting .333 (18-for-54) against Tillman. Adrian Beltre is 6-for-12 with two doubles and a home run, Elvis Andrus is 5-for-13 with a double and Ian Desmond is 4-for-13 with a double.

The Orioles will see three left-handers in this series, beginning tonight with Cole Hamels, who’s 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two starts this season.

Hamels is 1-2 with a 4.29 ERA and 1.286 WHIP in three career starts against the Orioles. Mark Trumbo is 4-for-12 with a home run and J.J. Hardy is 4-for-15 with two doubles and a home run.

The current Orioles are batting .206 (13-for-63) against Hamels.

* Tyler Wilson tossed three scoreless innings in relief of starter Ubaldo Jimenez to go with his three scoreless on opening day. He threw 29 pitches in two innings last night, one more than Jimenez threw in the first.

It’s going to be real interesting to find out how the Orioles make room for Kevin Gausman’s return from the disabled list and whether Wilson is impacted by it.

Wilson clearly belongs in the majors, but so do other guys who end up riding the shuttle. Is he better served pitching every five days at Triple-A Norfolk than sitting in the Orioles’ bullpen? Or should he remain as a long reliever and spot starter?

Vance Worley is starting Friday night in Arlington while Gausman is starting at Single-A Frederick. Gausman could take Worley’s next turn.

Worley is out of options, so he’d have to move into the bullpen if the Orioles want to hold onto him. And I’m back to wondering how Wilson might be impacted.

hardy-fielding-gray-sidebar.jpg* I knew that manager Buck Showalter would rave about the Orioles’ 5-4-6 double play in the bottom of the first inning. Not necessarily because Manny Machado couldn’t apply the tag on Mookie Betts, but how Hardy backed up at third base.

Betts hit the dirt as Machado tried for the out. Machado threw to second to get Dustin Pedroia, and Jonathan Schoop fired to third to complete a most unusual double play.

No one should be surprised that Hardy was in the right place. It’s what he does.

“I don’t know how many shortstops would have been covering third there on that play, and that’s one of the things analytic people miss,” Showalter said. “I mean, you can’t teach that. That’s anticipation of the game.

“I can’t tell you how unusual that is, to have a shortstop be able to anticipate that play and get to third base, a play you’ll never see again.”

* Hyun Soo Kim drew a seven-pitch walk to load the bases with two outs in the second inning. He took a few close pitches, exhibiting the batting eye that made him so intriguing to the Orioles.

Kim also walked on five pitches in the fourth inning. Two infield hits and two walks in two major league games. Maybe he really will become an on-base machine.

The Rays used the infield shift against Kim, but the Red Sox only shaded shortstop Xander Bogaerts a little more toward second. Nothing drastic.

* They don’t award Gold Gloves a few weeks into the season, but if they did, Chris Davis would take home the hardware at first base.

This guy has been outstanding in every game. Making clean stops on scorching ground balls to his left and right, digging out throws, stretching like Gumby. Sometimes he’s digging and stretching at the same time.

That’s a typical morning for me, but Davis is doing it in games.

He made a backhanded play on Jackie Bradley Jr.’s sharp ground ball last night and stepped on the bag to end the second and strand Ryan Hanigan. It’s become the norm.

* I’m on a 6:45 a.m. flight to Dallas, followed by the rental car pickup and drive to Arlington.

I can’t think of that place without picturing Brooks Robinson eating nachos in the television booth. Chuck Thompson always got a kick out of it.