BALTIMORE—The Orioles begin their final six weeks of the 2019 season against the only American League team they’ve yet to play, the Kansas City Royals.
The Royals have the third-worst record in baseball (44-80) while the Orioles have the second worst (39-85). The teams play three games this week and three more at Kauffman Stadium on August 30-September 1. The Detroit Tigers have the worst record at 37-84.
Last year, the Orioles and Kansas City had the poorest records in the majors. The Orioles selected catcher Adley Rutschman with the top pick in the draft, and the Royals took high school shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. with the No. 2 pick.
Some have been expressed the hope that the Orioles would get the top pick again next year, but that’s not how Orioles manager Brandon Hyde is thinking.
“Obviously, it’s been a tough year,” Hyde said Monday. “We knew that going in. But we’re not going to stop fighting and competing. I think if you ask any player in there, they could [not] care less about the number one draft choice.
“Try to win every single night … Our coaching staff feels the same way. We are preparing the same way. We’re going to coach. We’re going to teach, and we’re going to try and win every single night.”
The Orioles were 16-15, their best stretch of the season, between June 28 and August 4.
Before that period, they had lost 13 of 14, including 10 straight, their longest losing streak in a decade. Over the last 13 games with the New York Yankees, Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox, the Orioles have lost 12.
“It’s been a tough couple of weeks,” Hyde said. “We’ve played some really good clubs that are postseason bound. So, we’ve taken our lumps. There’s no doubt about it. There’s going to be no quit in this group. Our guys are continue to scratch and claw and win as many games as we possibly can.
“That was a tough trip. To go play in those environments, which are awesome and a lot of fun, but not fun to lose.”
The games the Orioles have with Kansas City aren’t the only ones that could affect the 2020 draft. On September 13-16, the Orioles face the Tigers.
Detroit, which is 15-52 since June 1, has managed to stay nine percentage points behind the Orioles (.306 to .315) despite Baltimore’s recent skid.
Injury update: Chance Sisco, who left Sunday’s game with a groin injury, was not seriously injured. Earlier in the sixth inning, Boston’s Sam Travis hit Sisco in the neck and shoulder area while crossing home plate. Sisco was hit with a ball during Rafael Devers’ at-bat.
“He’s just sore,” Hyde said. “A tough inning. Doctor saw him after the game. Doctor saw him today and cleared him to play. We got good news.”
Dwight Smith Jr., who is on the 10-day injured list with a strained left calf, begins a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk. He’ll be the Tides’ designated hitter and will play the outfield on Tuesday.
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What's Brandon Hyde supposed to say - Yeah, we're trying to lose as many games as possible? Of course not. But, I'm hoping this is the Doctor Jekyll side of him talking and the Mr Hyde wants them to lose just enough to get that number 1 for each round like me!!! They would then possibly/probably move up from number 8 on Baseball America's minor league ranking to hopefully to a top 5!!! And when you think about it, there is just under a month and a half left to this season. So, almost two years of losing went by pretty quickly. So, what's just one more going to cost? Ownership is on board and they're the ones on the hook here for losing money with fans not coming to the park. So fans should be on board as well. Because, they already tried the other way and had 14 years of being mediocre. Orioles in the World Series in three years possibly 4 years and staying competitive for a good long run like from Boog Powell, Brooks and Frank Robinson, Jim Palmer, Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar years!!! Totally Awesome!!!
How can you in all seriousness call your self the team's number one fan when you're openly rooting for them to lose even one game? And don't give me that friggin' logic .. we get it .. but tanking stinks. Any way you look at it, a loss is a loss. I'll guarantee you that Boog, Brooks, Frank, Cakes and the rest that you mentioned would agree. Tanking was never the Orioles way.
Hyde “...and we’re going to try and win every single night.” We’ll, if you watched tonight’s game (Monday) it’s hard to believe! It seems they go out of their way to find new ways to screw up routine plays. From a no hitter to bases loaded with no outs because they can’t execute. Then, they do something that’s almost impossible to do... two outs on a ground ball that isn’t a double play. Can’t field... can’t run the bases... and OBTW... can’t hit with runners in scoring position. Just saying...
Ekim, Kansas City should have tagged Wilkerson in the rundown. That would have made it simpler, but perhaps they forgot there were two outs in the inning. They made it harder on themselves.
If there are runners on first and second, and a ball is hit to third, and the third baseman steps on the bag and throws to second, that’s two outs on a ground ball that isn’t a double play. Nothing extraordinary about that, either.
Just wondering. Will Hyde be the O’s manager next year?
Yes, but he won’t be around when they start winning...Elias won’t get rid of him until he has to because he was “his” hire...go O’s...
Are you suggesting the Orioles are losing BECAUSE of Hyde? Unless you are, what reason would they have to fire him? He can't pitch or hit or field, and yes, there is some responsibility for the coaching staff to iron out mistakes, but having to manage the island of misfit toys that is the Orioles bullpen would be enough to test any manager. I also don't get people's fascination with the Os getting the #1 pick rather than the #3 or 4 or 5 or whatever it might be if they could put together a winning streak and end up with 55 wins for the year rather than the mid-40s total they seem to be heading for. There are absolutely no guarantees that #1 would help you more than the #3 guy anyway. Why not try to build a winning attitude rather than glorifying losing in the name of some abstract rebuilding concept.
Hyde can't be judged as a manager until he has more tools in his toolbox. Any team trotting out Castro and Fry and Bleier and Yacabonis, and playing Steve Wilkerson ANYWHERE is not a team built to win. Give him some real players, and if they don't win, then fire him. It would be silly to pin this year's record on his shoulder.
I don't blame Hyde for the losing, but I thought his staff were going to be "great teachers". If they are, why is there so much stupid and sloppy baserunning and defense? Has Elias
just specialized in picking up players with no baseball smarts?
Borg...spot on.
You can be a great trainer and work with an animal for months, but a jackass is still not winning the Kentucky Derby. Sometimes you don't have the horses to win no matter how well you "coach 'em up".
Oldchief, Brandon Hyde will be the manager in 2020.
I’ve been saying all season, low baseball IQ, that is coachable, as is defensive inadequacy...go O’s...
Or course Hyde nor the players are playing to lose. They're competitors and their individual lively-hoods are at stake.
It's upper management that is putting them in the position to lose. Imagine if Mike Elias had to stand at the plate 3 to 4 times a night in front of 12,000 angry fans. Think he'd be trying to lose then?
(and yes ... 12,000 may be a bit generous)
With all the 4A players we have I would think they are trying as hard as they can to avoid being sent down to Norfolk. Stats still matter.