The Baltimore Orioles won again on Sunday. This time around, they took down the Los Angeles Angels 9-5 (box score) behind a team-wide offensive effort that saw five Baltimore hitters drive in runs.
The Orioles fell behind early, with Monte Harrison staking the Angels to a 2-0 lead in the third inning on a home run. From there, it was all Baltimore. Ryan Mountcastle cut the deficit to one with a double in the fourth, and Ramón Urías (who drove in three runs Sunday) plated two with a subsequent single to give the Orioles the lead.
The Orioles would exit the fourth with a 4-2 lead, and would then pour on four more runs in the fifth. Trey Mancini added another on a single in the sixth, giving the Orioles nine unanswered runs. The Angels rallied late, plating a run in the seventh and two in the eighth on a Max Stassi home run, but their comeback attempt fell well short.
That's about all we need to say about this game, specifically, though. Let's instead focus on the fact that I just said, "again" when referencing the Orioles winning.
It has been a while since the Orioles were stringing together wins like they are this season, so it certainly felt odd to throw that "again" in there, but this was their eighth consecutive victory.
The Orioles hadn't won seven straight since 2017, and this victory equals their longest winning streak since all the way back in 2005. Here are the Orioles' longest winning streaks per season going back to '05.
- 2022: 8 (and counting!)
- 2021: 3 (six times)
- 2020: 6
- 2019: 4
- 2018: 4
- 2017: 7
- 2016: 7 (three times)
- 2015: 6
- 2014: 6
- 2013: 5
- 2012: 6
- 2011: 6
- 2010: 4 (seven times)
- 2009: 5
- 2008: 6
- 2007: 6
- 2006: 4
- 2005: 8
To reiterate, this is tied for the longest Orioles winning streak since April 22-May 1, 2005. In the lineup when that winning streak started were Miguel Tejada, Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa and Javy Lopez!
Even going to the last time the Orioles won seven in a row, they were a totally different ballclub. It was Adam Jones, Manny Machado, Jonathan Schoop, Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman. Brad Brach and Zack Britton were closing down games.
Since then, Orioles fans have had to endure an awful lot of losing. The O's lost 115 games in 2018, 108 in 2019 and 110 in 2021. Those are the three highest loss totals in Baltimore Orioles history (the 1939 St. Louis Browns lost 111 and it's the same franchise, but it wasn't in Baltimore).
The 2022 Orioles are different. Since a six-game losing streak in the middle of May, these Orioles have gone 29-20. Only the Yankees, Astros and Red Sox have been better among AL teams in that stretch.
The Orioles remain in last place, but they have moved up to a game under .500 at 43-44. And though first place is totally out of reach, they entered Sunday three games out of the third AL wild-card position.
Baltimore will have Monday off before resuming its season with a two-game set in Chicago against the Cubs.
