The Orioles Must Make These Three Adjustments To Continue Winning Streak At Boston

The Orioles got away with some things in Houston against the struggling a beat up Astros that probably won’t play at Fenway this week.

The Red Sox are the hottest team in MLB and the craziest story in MLB, completely turning around their season after an ugly start that included the firing of esteemed skipper Alex Cora in Baltimore … after a 17-1 win. Boston has some of the best pitching in the majors and after being a rollover at home they are now stout at Fenway Park and this will be quite a test for the surging O’s.

There are some season-long trends that continued to manifest in Houston. These are things that have haunted the Orioles on the road all season – an inability to score more than four runs with nearly enough regularity and it may be more acute now than ever. Gunnar Henderson, who should be their best player, looks even worse to start the season half somehow than he did the entire lost first half. And Blaze Alexander, who has been their best player since April 28, remains out long-term with a broken hand.

Rookie skipper Craig Albernaz will need to be willing to break from his comfort zone and force baseball czar Mike Elias to consider some other lineup options and strategies, because the Orioles do not hit homers on the road (now outside the top 24) and they don’t score in general off starting pitchers and they don’t score if they don’t homer.

With catcher Adley Rutschman now iffy with “left-wrist discomfort” (what a shocker, he’s not in the top 20 in innings caught) – hence the recall of catcher Sam Huff from AAA – and Samuel Basallo leaving Sunday’s game with shoulder discomfort, the lineup is losing some vital cogs still trying to dig out of a deep first-half hole.

Albernaz must continue these options:

Drop Henderson In The Lineup

This skipper likes to get cute and he was certainly too cute by half weeks ago when anyone who knows ball knew Henderson was scuffling and needed a break. More time off, more at DH, some plate appearances at the bottom of the lineup. Elias thought him leading off was the answer, and that’s been a failure like we told you.

Henderson, frankly, has been a failure, and this series in Houston was embarrassing. He went 1-for-13 with six strikeouts in the series (though he did finally cut down his swing for an opposite-field RBI Sunday) and his July is unfathomable with a sub .450 OPS. Yes, OPS.

Things are complicated without Alexander, MLB’s leader in batting average since 4/28 and who should have been batting higher. I’m not telling you there are great options, But Taylor Ward leading off and Dylan Beavers around the three spot like he was Sunday make more sense to me than Henderson anywhere near the top 3 spots.

Embrace Small Ball

One of the only reasons – besides stud pitching – the Orioles didn’t lose more in Houston was because they got some bunts down and busted their ass down the line on ground balls – and sacrificed and scored in unusual ways. Whatever it takes, because the way these guys chase pull power and launch angle, it stands to reason they think just showing up to a bandbox like Fenway will cure their ills.

It won’t. Especially not against this pitching staff.

Albernaz mentioned small ball like three times in the barely four minutes he spoke to the media after Sunday’s win. That was telling.

If you are scoring at home, the Orioles entered play Sunday (updated numbers beyond that not available yet) 25th in MLB in runs scored on the road. They ranked 27th in batting average (.224), 22nd on OBP (.304), 24th in SLG (.373) and 23rd in OPS (.677). They strikeout over 26% of the time on the road, most in MLB,

Not nearly good enough and some more drastic considerations are in order.

Especially with the uncertainty about both regular catchers.

The double-steal Sunday to score a run – with lumbering Pete Alonso just getting into second in time – is the kind of thing they are going to need more of.

Keep Mixing And Matching In The 9th

The bullpen has been brutal on the road much of the season but was a savior in Houston (because they don’t score any runs). Albernaz was given a terrible assortment of options from Elias (nothing new there) and has to continue move guys around in roles and give multiple arms opportunities in the 9th.

Sending down Cam Sanders after two sterling outings in Houston is very odd, especially considering there isn’t anything you really want to see in that role in Norfolk.

He’s going to need to try to find pockets that benefit Tyer Wells or Andrew Kittredge and Rico Garcia will have to see more real leverage spots, too. The lack of a lefty-lefty specialist could be a problem against this Boston lineup in this ballpark. The only lefty they do have, Grant Wolfram, pitched the 9th Sunday.

No one deserves that roll full time and he’s going to have to navigate the 9th the same way he does the 7th and 8th.

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