The Orioles hot start to the season came to a crashing halt last week as they went 1-6!  They were outscored 36-22 as they neither hit the ball well or pitched well.  The Orioles are now 12-13 on the season which puts them in 3rd place in the American League East, 4.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox.

Miguel Tejada is off to a good start for the Baltimore Orioles.  In 21 games so far this season, Tejada is 28 for 83 (.337 avg, .859 OPS) with 12 runs scored, 2 homers and 9 RBIs.  Look for Tejada to keep rolling along with the bat as he’s one of the best hitting shortstops in all of major league baseball.  He also plays everyday, but the Orioles are used to shortstops like that.

The Baltimore Orioles have placed Scott Williamson on the 15-day disabled list with right triceps tendon tightness.  That’s a shame because Williamson was throwing the ball very well this season for the O’s.  In 6 games Williamson was 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP this season.  He has thrown five innings and he’s only allowed 4 hits while whiffing 6 batters.  The Orioles recalled righty Jim Johnson to replace Williamson on the roster and he will be the long man in the pen.

The Orioles know that neither Paul Bako or Alberto Castillo is a good hitter but they also didn’t expect them to be this awful.  Bako has played in 14 games so far this season and he’s only hitting .200 with a .589 OPS.  He’s 8 for 40 with 4 runs scored, 1 homer and 5 RBIs.  Castillo has played in 7 games this season and he’s hitting .190 with a .547 OPS.  He’s 4 for 21 this season with 3 runs scored and 1 RBI.  He has also whiffed 7 times which is way too many.  Bako & Castillo have done a good job with the pitching staff, but the Orioles are counting down the days until Ramon Hernandez is ready to return from the DL.

The Baltimore Orioles went 5-1 last week and they outscored their opponents 36-26.  The improved bullpen really stood out last week for the Orioles who locked down opponents after their starting pitchers exited the game.  The O’s are now in 2nd place in the American League East with a 11-7 record, 1.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox.