BALTIMORE (AP) — It took 12 games for the 2024 Orioles to produce their first three-game winning streak.
This year it took 53.
Baltimore finally achieved that modest accomplishment Monday, for its third victory in a row. If the Orioles — who are still 15 games under .500 — are going to dig out of this hole, it’s going to take more performances like this one. Charlie Morton and Dylan Carlson, a couple offseason additions who haven’t performed well so far, led the way.
“Charlie threw outstanding,” said Carlson, who hit a three-run homer. “It was great playing behind him, great pace, bullpen did a great job. Guys up and down the lineup contributed, did a great job. Good team win.”
Of all the Orioles who have struggled this year, Morton is probably the most emblematic of the team’s poor start. Baltimore signed him to a one-year deal instead of being more aggressive in the starting pitching market, and he promptly lost his first six starts. He has pitched mostly out of the bullpen of late.
“I’m 41 years old. I can’t really expect that I’m going to go out there and have the best year of my career. … (But) I didn’t expect to come in and have a 10 ERA,” Morton said. “Waking up every day and thinking about how bad it was going, it was kind of surreal.”
On Monday, Morton (1-7) was given another chance to start, and he allowed two runs and four hits in six innings. That came after scoreless starts by Trevor Rogers and Dean Kremer in the team’s previous two games.
Carlson hasn’t played much for the Orioles, but now he has homered in consecutive games. He’s 5 for 12 over the last three games after going 1 for 22 before that.
This three-game winning streak comes about a week after Baltimore and replaced him on an interim basis with Tony Mansolino. The new skipper said before Monday’s game that outfielder Colton Cowser and infielder Jordan Westburg were going to Triple-A on rehab assignments.
So for the first time in a while, the news has been mostly good for the Orioles for a few days.
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