Frustration Starting to Boil Over for Struggling Baltimore Orioles Hitters

The Baltimore Orioles got a day off on Friday.

It wasn't planned since their game was postponed due to inclement weather, but it was likely welcomed nonetheless after another tough week that has become commonplace to start their season.

The hope was this break would give them time to regroup, but it did not turn out that way.

The Orioles lost both legs of the doubleheader on Saturday, losing the first one, 4-3, before turning around and dropping the second one, 6-2, in a loss that secured another series defeat.

Baltimore was putrid with opportunities to put runs on the board, going 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position in Game 1 before they went 1-for-6 in Game 2. That brings them to a paltry 6-for-51 since the week started, a shocking number based on the star players who are in this lineup.

Frustration was visible in the second contest.

There were a lot of exhales. Ryan Mountcastle emoted when he wasn't standing on first base safely. Gunnar Henderson slammed his bat down after popping out.

It looked like all the irritation about what is taking place with this offense finally boiled over.

"Guys, they're frustrated, because you look at our numbers, you look at our individual numbers, a lot of guys aren't where they want to be," manager Brandon Hyde said after the doubleheader, per Roch Kubatko of MASN.

This Orioles offense looks like a shell of itself.

Sitting 18th in runs scored (108), they are 23rd in batting average (.226), 25th in on-base percentage (.299) and 15th in slugging percentage (.388).

In 2023, they were seventh, 10th, 16th and 10th in those metrics, respectively, while they were fourth, seventh, 11th and third this past year.

Baltimore is tied for 12th in wRC+ with their figure of 102 sitting two percentage points above the league average, so they have put themselves in positions to score runs.

It just hasn't come yet.

So, how does it get fixed?

That's what everyone is trying to solve right now, and there isn't a clear answer.

The only saving grace for the Orioles right now is that it's still the month of April and there is a lot of season left. But now sitting six games under .500 for the first time since July 5, 2022, things have to get figured out in a hurry if they're going to be contenders like they expected coming into the campaign.

Things won't get any easier on Sunday.

Baltimore finishes their three-game set against the Detroit Tigers by facing reigning American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.

If the offense can create runs against him, perhaps that can get them going in the right direction.

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