Baltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias remains optimistic about his team’s chances to make the playoffs despite a challenging stretch in the second half of the season.
“We’re going to get right here before the season’s over,” Elias said, according to MLB.com’s Jake Rill. “I think we’re going to make the playoffs. And I think we’re going to do really well in the playoffs. … I think we’re going to feel like ourselves again before too late.”
The Orioles had a strong start to the season, winning 17 games in each of April, May, and June. However, since the beginning of July, the team has recorded a 31-35 record. As of Tuesday, they still hold the top spot in the AL wild-card standings but trail the New York Yankees by three games for first place in the AL East, with less than two weeks remaining in the regular season.
Baltimore’s offense, which led the league in production through June, has fallen to 15th in MLB in wRC+ (105) since July. The pitching staff has also struggled, ranking 21st in ERA (4.53) over the same period.
“I believe in these guys,” Elias added. “I believe in the staff. This has been an unpleasant stretch here for the latter part of the summer. We’re all wearing it and processing it individually. But we’re ready to pull this together.”
The Orioles aim to turn things around as they prepare to face the San Francisco Giants in a three-game series starting Tuesday night.
