masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgWASHINGTON – Matt Wieters doesn’t have a hit in his last 18 at-bats. He has four hits in his last 40.

He has no concerns about this slump.

“It’s just one of those stretches,” said Wieters, who batted .342 during a nine-game hitting streak April 29-May 8.

“I haven’t really been hitting too many balls hard lately, but the good thing is we’ve still been winning games. I’m definitely going to put in some extra work to where I get back to feeling good like it was a week or so ago….WASHINGTON – Matt Wieters doesn’t have a hit in his last 18 at-bats. He has four hits in his last 40.

He has no concerns about this slump.

“It’s just one of those stretches,” said Wieters, who batted .342 during a nine-game hitting streak April 29-May 8.

“I haven’t really been hitting too many balls hard lately, but the good thing is we’ve still been winning games. I’m definitely going to put in some extra work to where I get back to feeling good like it was a week or so ago. Hopefully, it comes back soon, but you never know. You just put the work in and then you hope it’ll come back soon.”

As manager Buck Showalter has pointed out numerous times, Wieters contributes in many different ways. He held onto a foul tip last night that allowed Jim Johnson to strike out Adam LaRoche and close out a 6-5 victory. He threw out two runners attempting to steal second base Friday night and guided Jake Arrieta through a quality start.

“I want to hit well and you want to succeed at the plate,” Wieters said. “You want to be able to help the team that way, but anytime you can help the team win a game, whether it’s at the plate or behind the plate, is what you’re playing for. You’re not playing for numbers. You’re playing to get wins. And this is more important than any to get this pitching staff going like we know it can.”

Wieters was asked to explain why the vibe on the club seems so much different this year. The question came from a reporter who isn’t normally around the Orioles, but he must have picked up on it this morning or he was making an assumption based on their 27-14 record.

“I feel like it’s more of a professional locker room,” Wieters said. “Whether you win, lose or draw, you’re coming in the next day ready to go, and I think that’s the main thing that’s helped us maintain the winning streaks a little bit longer. Whether or not we won or lost yesterday, we’re ready to play today.”