NEW YORK -- The narrative was set from the moment the Orioles’ team buses arrived at Yankee Stadium on Friday afternoon, even if no player nor staff member wanted to address it.
Every American League East series is big, but this four-gamer to open May would serve as a measuring stick for the slow-starting O’s. How would they stack up against the first-place Yankees? Could Baltimore go out and make a statement that would prove the 2026 season will, in fact, take a much different path than ‘25?
The Orioles did not match up well, and they did not quell any of the concerns that many may have (especially Baltimore fans) about the club a month-plus into the season.
The Yankees were better in every facet of the game in all four games. They completed a sweep on Monday night in the Bronx by handing the O’s a 12-1 loss and sending them on their way for an overnight flight to Miami. New York outscored Baltimore 39-10 in the series.
The Yanks are now an AL-best 24-11. The O’s, meanwhile, have lost a season-worst five consecutive games and sit a season-low five games below .500 (15-20). There’s a nine-game gap between the two teams -- and only one game separates Baltimore from last-place Boston (14-21), which let go of manager Alex Cora and five coaches on April 25.
“I get it from the fans’ perspective, for sure. You watch these games, and we’re not leaving anything to be desired, right?” manager Craig Albernaz said.
“But for us, we just have to turn the page and move on. And for the fans’ sake, I get it. We’re in it right now. We’re definitely in a rough stretch. But we’ve shown that we can go out and compete, and compete with anyone and win. We’ve got to get back to that. The boys in that room know we need to get back to that.”
Plenty of concerning trends continued for the Orioles, who did not lead once in a four-game series for only the third time in team history (since 1954), per the Elias Sports Bureau. (The previous instances occurred Sept. 16-18, 1960, at the Yankees, and April 8-11, 1988, at Cleveland.)
The O’s aren’t scoring early. They plated only two runs across the first three innings of these four games. Meanwhile, the Yanks scored at least one run in the first inning of three of the four contests (and they scored in the second in the other).
The O’s are also playing sloppily. They committed three errors in the series and had other occurrences in which crisper baseball would have helped.
“We just have to get back to being competitive and playing clean, fundamental baseball,” Albernaz said.
This stretch is providing the worst case of déjà vu imaginable around Baltimore.
On May 4, 2025, the Orioles fell to 13-20. It was their second defeat amid a run of 14 losses in 16 games, a span that also featured the May 17 dismissal of manager Brandon Hyde. By the time May was over, they were 21-36, and it was too late to salvage the season as they went on to finish 75-87 and in last place in the AL East.
This May 4, the O’s also suffered their 20th loss (albeit with two more games played). They badly want to avoid a repeat of what happened this time last year.
“I don't think anyone's really thinking about last year, to be honest. I think that we're just trying to show up each and every day and compete our butts off,” outfielder Colton Cowser said. “The Yankees, they played really good baseball this week, and we didn't play our best. I think the big thing is just showing up and just trying to make strides each and every day, and things will turn.”
“It’s new guys, a lot of new guys,” catcher Adley Rutschman said. “I think, just with the experience we have in this locker room, that’s a huge difference. And to be able to come out tomorrow, treat it as a new day and do what we need to do, that’s something that an experienced team should do, and will do.”
One of those new leaders in Baltimore’s clubhouse is slugger Pete Alonso, an eight-year MLB veteran who has experienced the highs and lows of baseball. The 31-year-old is bullish on the Orioles’ chances to not let their recent struggles become the club’s identity.
“Every team goes through tough times. Every team goes through a really tough stretch. Obviously, we’re in one right now,” Alonso said.
“It's still early. But we’ve got to get going, for sure. It’s not about how you start, it’s how you finish, and where you finish. And I think, throughout the course of the year, I think we can draw back from this really tough experience and use this in a positive way where it’s like, ‘Hey, we know what not to do.’”