BALTIMORE -- The Orioles left Camden Yards after Saturday’s shellacking at the hands of the Red Sox confident they could wash away one of their worst losses of the year.

They left the park on Sunday with more questions to answer.

Baltimore was shut out for the ninth time this season -- and second time this month -- during Sunday’s 1-0 blanking by the Red Sox, dropping the series to Boston and allowing a chance for a step forward in the Wild Card race to slip by.

With just two wins in their last eight games, the Orioles are 5 1/2 games back of the third and final Wild Card spot. They have just 22 games remaining to try and make up that gap, coming off a 4-6 homestand in which they opened with two wins.

“It’s very disappointing,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “ … You can't get three hits and expect to win.”

Here’s what the Orioles need to do to try and turn around their month, get back to their winning ways for the postseason push:

1. Find timely hitting

As the Orioles’ success -- and also misfortunes -- hitting with runners in scoring position goes, so too does their overall success. They hit .268 with runners in scoring position from June through August, a stretch during which they went 47-31. In April and May, they hit .207 and went 21-30.

In September, though, it’s been a different story. With an 0-for-7 output on Sunday -- part of a 3-for-16 showing on the weekend -- Baltimore is now hitting just .203 with runners in scoring position in September, a month in which they’ve compiled a 5-6 record.

“We have some guys that are scuffling,” Hyde said. “ … We ran into this early in the season, also, where guys try to do much at the plate because we're trying to score.”

Said outfielder Austin Hays: “It seems like that's just where we're at right now. We find a way to get some guys on, and we just need that one big hit to open the gates for us. Just not getting that right now.”

2. Ride opportune pitching

The early goings of September have left the Orioles in a scramble. They haven’t gotten deep outings from their starters, especially as of late, forcing a strain on the bullpen and inviting a constant shuttle with Triple-A Norfolk.

But even when they do get long outings, it’s been hit or miss whether they’ve been cashed in on. Kyle Bradish’s impressive outing on Sunday -- one run on two hits over seven innings -- was just the fourth time this month the O’s have had a starter go at least six frames. They’re now 2-2 in those contests.

“We're just really trying to fight right now to get some runs on the board for our pitching staff,” Hays said. “They're doing a great job for us.”

Bradish’s second-half emergence has been notable all the while. In nine outings off the injured list from right shoulder inflammation, he owns a 2.84 ERA, putting on display the prospect pedigree he entered the year with.

3. Get a little lucky

Luck does have at least some part to do with it. The Orioles’ expected batting average on Sunday was actually just a tick higher than Boston’s, and that’s a reality Ryan Mountcastle learned all too well this weekend.

Mountcastle put six balls in play in the series with either an exit velocity north of 100 mph or a projected distance further than 340 feet. Only one fell for a hit.

“Mounty’s swinging the bat so good right now,” Hays said. “It’s just unfortunate that a lot of those balls are getting caught.”

The Orioles have been both good and lucky in spot this season. It’d benefit them to rediscover some of that magic, whether it’s in their control or not.

4. See what’s left in the tank

These are untraversed waters for the Orioles, the grand majority of their clubhouse never going through the roller coaster of a September postseason chase. No matter how it turns out, they believe the experience will only benefit them in the long run, a chance for the young corps to get their feet wet in the throws of it for when they hope to get additional chances in the years to come.

It’s just about monitoring and seeing what’s left to put on the line.

“That last month is way different,” Hyde said pregame. “As we go forward, you hope to play one more month even after that, so that's something to condition yourself for. And I'm glad these guys are going through that, honestly. It's going to be great for the future.”