The Orioles and Blowouts

It's not just your imagination: the Orioles are getting blown out a lot. So far this season, the Orioles have had losses of 5 or more runs 15 times, good for 18% of their total games played. More disturbingly, though, is that fact that 11 of those losses have come since June 1, meaning that the Orioles have gotten blown out in a whopping 35% of games in the last month. That, unsurprisingly, coincides with their long and painful skid to a sub-.500 record and increasingly bleak playoff chances.

For context, while 15 total blowout losses isn't horrendous by MLB standards this season, with the average team getting blown out about 12 times, it is the worst mark in the division. Toronto has 13 such losses, Boston 11, Tampa Bay 10, and the Yankees an impressive 6. The O's also have the fourth most blowout losses in the American League, trailing only Minnesota, Oakland, and Kansas City.

The trend looks even worse, however, when you look at recent history for the club itself. The 18% blowout mark would represent the worst such season since 2010, in which the team suffered blowouts in 19% of its games.

Year	Blowouts	% of Total Games
2017	15	18
2016	21	13
2015	20	12.5
2014	15	11
2013	11	7
2012	23	14
2011	28	17
2010	31	19

While it is not necessarily the case that getting blown out in a high number of games means that a team will miss the playoffs (they all count the same, after all), it is certainly illustrative of the overall problems that the Orioles are facing. The pitching staff has largely imploded over the past month, and even the formerly stalwart offensive attack has been mediocre at best. Blowouts are also surely psychologically difficult to deal with and tax an already depleted bullpen. 

The best teams in baseball, simply, do not get blown out very often. This is perhaps an obvious point, but the Orioles are still hanging onto playoff hopes as we head into the break. Strangely, 4 of the top 5 most blown out teams in the AL are within 2 games of the second wild card and the overall mediocrity in the AL means that it is possible that the O's can survive the recent rash of blowouts. Still, maybe a couple closer games wouldn't be the worst?