Baltimore Orioles' Fatal Flaw May Doom Them in Playoffs

The Baltimore Orioles' prolonged slump has exposed a major weakness.

Aug 18, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson. / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

It was another disappointing weekend for the Baltimore Orioles, who lost two of three to the Detroit Tigers. They managed just six runs in the series, wrapping up a disappointing road trip after dropping two of three at Fenway Park to the Boston Red Sox earlier in the week.

The Orioles' bats have gone ice-cold recently, scoring only 21 runs over their last 10 games combined. Baltimore's gone 3-7 with a minus-24 run differential during that span, falling from 0.5 games up on the New York Yankees to three games out of first place in the AL East with 12 remaining.

The Orioles' September swoon is just the latest chapter in their summer of mediocrity. Since June 21, Baltimore is 35-41 despite adding reinforcements at the MLB Trade Deadline.

One big reason for the Orioles' lengthy slump is their inability to beat good teams. They haven't won a series against a team that's currently over .500 since July 2-4, when they took two of three from the Seattle Mariners on the road.

The Baltimore Orioles have not won a series against a team currently over .500 since July 4th

— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) September 15, 2024

Since then, Baltimore has only won six series -- all against opponents with losing records. The list includes the Oakland A's, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox.

While teams can get through the regular season by beating up on bad teams, that won't fly in the playoffs. If the Orioles can't beat a team with a winning record in a short series, they won't last long in October.

After a three-game home series against the San Francisco Giants, Baltimore ends its regular season with three straight series against teams with winning records. The Orioles will face the Tigers again, followed by three-game road series with the Yankees and Minnesota Twins to close out the schedule.

That will be Baltimore's last chance to prove it can beat playoff-caliber teams before the postseason starts. If the Orioles don't show any signs of progress and continue to flounder against quality opponents, they're going to be in big trouble next month.