O's search for four in a row continues after loss in Anaheim

ANAHEIM -- Baltimore’s first winning streak of four or more games during the 2026 season will have to wait until the second half of its schedule.

Playing their 81st game of the year on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium, the Orioles fell behind early and couldn’t mount much offense in a 5-1 loss to the Angels. It marked the sixth time the O’s (38-43) have failed to extend a three-game winning streak to four this season.

“Our guys have the same energy, the same work, prep, everything going into the game. It’s just getting over that hump, you know?” manager Craig Albernaz said. “Obviously, offensively, we couldn’t do anything tonight, so that didn’t help. So it’s one of those things where we just have to keep on battling.”

This one felt like it was going to be a winnable game for Baltimore.

The Angels sent Ryan Johnson to the mound -- a 23-year-old right-hander who entered the night with a 12.83 ERA in five games (two starts) this season and a 9.96 ERA over his first 19 MLB appearances (17 of which had been relief outings).

But Johnson outdueled Orioles right-hander Shane Baz. While Baz allowed five runs over five innings, Johnson pitched six scoreless innings of one-hit ball, retiring 17 of the 19 batters he faced and not allowing a hit until Jeremiah Jackson’s one-out single in the sixth.

“​​It's a little funky [delivery]. I think he made good pitches in good spots,” third baseman Coby Mayo said. “Obviously, I think we're more than capable of handling him, and sometimes, it's not your night.”

Here’s what has happened every time the Orioles have had a three-game winning streak:

• The O’s swept a three-game series vs. the White Sox in Chicago from April 6-8, then took a 6-3 loss to the Giants on April 10.
• After winning a pair of games against San Francisco on April 11 and 12 and then taking the opener vs. Arizona on April 13, the Orioles lost, 4-3, to the D-backs on April 14.
• The O’s swept a three-game set vs. the Rays from May 25-27, then fell to the Blue Jays, 2-1, on May 28.
• Baltimore won two games vs. Toronto on May 30 and 31 and another against Boston on June 2, before the Red Sox bounced back and recorded an 8-1 victory on June 3.
• After two wins over the Mariners on June 10 and 11 and a victory vs. the Padres on June 12, the Orioles took a 9-3 loss to San Diego on June 13.
• The O’s recorded back-to-back road wins over the Dodgers on Saturday and Sunday and then beat the Angels on Monday before Tuesday’s loss.

Baz said he believes the Orioles need to come out more aggressively early in games. The 27-year-old knows that it has been an issue for him, as he’s allowed five first-inning runs over his past two starts (two on Tuesday and three last Thursday at Seattle), resulting in a 6.75 ERA for him in opening frames.

“I feel like early leads lead to a lot of wins. Obviously, I have not been doing my job with that,” Baz said. “I feel like I’ve put us in a hole like four or five times this year.”

Despite an inconsistent first half, Baltimore is only two games out of postseason position in a crowded American League Wild Card race.

“We’re not in a bad spot,” Baz said. “We’re within striking distance.”

At the same time, the O’s understand their second half can’t be the same as their first. They’re currently on a 76-win pace, which is only a one-win improvement from their disappointing 2025 campaign, when they finished 75-87 and ended up in last place in the AL East.

The Orioles still believe they can get hot, finally put together some longer stretches of success and push their way back into October.

“We want to play better. I think this team is more than capable of playing better baseball,” Mayo said. “But obviously, it's baseball, and there's going to be some good times, some bad times and some in between. I think it's trying to rally on the good games and trying to get a little streak going. And when we have a bad game, try to flip it quick and end that immediately and come out the next day and try to make a statement quick in the game.

“But obviously, first half's done now, and we have a lot more games to play.”