Connolly's Tap Room

Tap-In Question: Are you concerned about O’s offense?

By Dan Connolly

Posted on July 21, 2016

Welcome to Connolly’s. Grab a seat, pick up your surgical mask and snag an orange straw. We’ll still serve you even if you are contagious.

The Orioles are a MASH unit right now. Oriole manager Buck Showalter, third baseman Manny Machado and first baseman Chris Davis weren’t part of Wednesday’s 5-0 loss to the New York Yankees due to a nasty stomach virus.

Catcher Matt Wieters didn’t play due to a sore foot that was plunked by a pitch Monday. Adam Jones left Wednesday’s game with back spasms and Hyun Soo Kim is on the disabled list with a hamstring strain.

So the Orioles’ offense is leaking oil right now. And that’s understandable given the health situation.

But let’s also not make excuses. This team has scored just 10 runs in their first six games since the All Star Break. They’ve dropped four straight, plating just four runs in those contests.

Since scoring 23 times in two games at San Diego on June 28-29, the Orioles have tallied just 52 runs in their last 16 games (3.25 runs per game; they are 6-10 in that span), including eight times in which they have scored three runs or fewer.

We’ve talked so much about how the beleaguered rotation rankles you – Yovani Gallardo was OK on Wednesday, giving up four runs in seven innings – but now I want to know if you are a little concerned about this offense.

We’ve been saying it all year: This club will live and die by the homer. And when there is an extended power outage, the Orioles typically struggle to score runs. That especially could be the case with their three best on-base percentage guys, Kim, Machado and Davis, out of the lineup.

This offense is streaky, we know that. And so it’s likely this is just another blip in a long season and, ultimately, the hitters will be fine. But the roster construction is such that this is a big all-or-nothing group, and, like in 2012 and 2014, that may not play well if this club gets to the postseason.

The flip side, of course, is, ‘Lighten up, Connolly. No team plays well with the flu. They’ll eventually score runs in bunches. It’s what they do.’

I want to know your take on this.

Tap-In Question: Are you concerned about this offense? Why or why not?