New month can bring renewed hope for Orioles

The Orioles have moved past a hard April, when they went 9-16 after a 3-2 March. Taking two of three games from the first-place Yankees had to feel good. Some of the heat lifted. However, there’s a long way to go. The temperature can fluctuate.

The homestand continues tonight with a series against the Royals, who beat them twice last month in Kansas City. The Orioles have won back-to-back games once.

“It hasn’t been smooth in any way,” manager Brandon Hyde told the media Wednesday night. “To win a series at home, to get an off-day, hopefully this is how we’re going to play going forward.”

You know what would help?

* Score more runs.

The Orioles tied with the Twins for 18^th in the majors with 120. All of the metrics and measurements are fine, but the object of the game is to score more than the opponent. You’ll win every single time.

The .678 OPS was 21^st in the majors. The .223 average was 27^th.

Thank goodness that stat doesn’t matter anymore, right?

* Prevent more runs.

Also, important. They sort of go hand in hand.

The 169 runs allowed were last in the American League and 28^th in the majors, ahead of the Rockies’ 173 and Marlins’ 186. Of course, 39 of the Orioles’ runs came in two games. That’ll inflate a total like a kiddie pool.

The Orioles’ 5.47 ERA was last in the American League and 29^th in the majors. The Rockies slipped past them at 5.30 but the Marlins were last at 5.89.

The club record for highest ERA in a season is 5.84 in 2021, when the Orioles finished 52-110 before moving past the rebuild. A 5.47 ERA would be third highest in club history after the 5.59 posted in 2019, per STATS, when they finished 54-108 under new management.

The rotation is the obvious trouble spot with a 6.04 ERA, last in the AL and 28^th in the majors. One guess who’s below them. They won the Yankees series, but Cade Povich lasted only 4 2/3 innings Wednesday night. Tomoyuki Sugano is the best starter on the staff, but he went only five innings Monday night.

They were five scoreless, though, and his ERA is 3.00. He struck out eight, one more than his season total going into the game. It felt worthy of being carried off the field on teammates’ shoulders.

The Orioles’ record for most bloated rotation ERA is 5.99 in 2021, followed by the 5.70 mark in 2017.

* Lessen the restrictions on Félix Bautista.

Loosen them completely? Probably a little too soon for that, but Bautista’s reconstructive elbow surgery was in early October 2023 and his debridement and ulnar nerve transposition happened on Feb. 9, 2024. Today is May 2, 2025.

The Orioles took the right approach, resisting any urge to put him on the Wild Card roster or to treat him in spring training as if he never suffered the injury. They haven’t pitched him on back-to-back days or for more than one inning. But Hyde uttered six of the most important words of the young season following Wednesday’s 5-4 win.

“He is back to being Félix.”

Here’s how: Bautista hasn’t allowed a run in his last seven appearances and eight of nine. Right-handers are batting .133 with a .502 OPS and left-handers are batting .177 with a .510 OPS. He retired the side in order in the ninth Wednesday for his fifth save. He struck out Trent Grisham on three pitches to finish, including sinkers clocked at 99.3 and 99.2 mph.

Finally, he’s gone past 98 and is bearing down on triple digits.

“I thought his stuff was exploding tonight,” Hyde said. “That was the best fastball we’ve seen.”

Yeah, Félix is coming. The rest of the league is on notice – and in a heap of trouble.

* Don’t throw at Heston Kjerstad’s head or try to use it as a pogo stick.

This memo shouldn’t be necessary, but here we are.

* Heat up Ryan Mountcastle like a plate of leftovers.

Mountcastle was 0-for-18 before Wednesday’s two-run homer, and he had two hits in his last 34 at-bats. He didn’t collect multiple RBIs in a game since April 7 in Arizona.

“He needed that one. It’s been rough for him,” Hyde said.

“There’s a lot of support around him right now. For him to get one over the fence, to take a good swing, he’s been really frustrated. We know that Mounty can hit. That’s one thing Mounty can do. One, he can defend, and he can hit.”

The left field wall’s new dimensions were supposed to rejuvenate Mountcastle’s bat, eliminate the frustrated turn at first base with the head tilt. His other home run this season was hit on April 13. His last homer in 2024 was hit on July 29.

Mountcastle is batting .194/.240/.301 in 29 games. The offense needs him to be a middle-of-the-order presence. He’s done it in the past. And the Orioles really need him to start abusing left-handed pitching. Which leads us to …

* Hit better against left-handed pitching.

The Orioles are batting .172/.256/.236 against lefties this season. They signed Tyler O’Neill, Ramón Laureano and Gary Sánchez in the offseason, and only Laureano has avoided the injured list. They’re a combined 5-for-61 when facing southpaws.

It’s only a month and their production figures to grow, and they shouldn’t have to do it alone. The entire team must become more competitive in these matchups, whether it’s Garrett Crochet, Tarik Skubal, Carlos Rondón, Kris Bubic or anyone else holding the ball with his left hand.

* Get healthy.

If only it were that simple.

Thirteen players are on the injured list and they aren’t rushing through that door at the same time. We don’t know how long Sánchez’s wrist, Jordan Westburg’s hamstring and Tyler O’Neill’s neck will keep them out. Zach Eflin threw a side session Tuesday, but he’s got to face hitters and probably go on a rehab assignment. Reliever Andrew Kittredge threw live batting practice Wednesday and is approaching an injury rehab assignment that shouldn’t take too long, getting him onto the active roster later this month.

It’s going to be much longer for Colton Cowser, Grayson Rodriguez, Albert Suárez, Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells.

The season is going to feel like an eternity if other players go down.