Learning there’s no room for any lapse

If offense isn’t at full strength, it’s trouble for Baltimore

The Orioles’ offensive motto this season, according to rookie outfielder Austin Hays, is to have one another’s backs.

Through the first three games of their series with the Miami Marlins, the Orioles lineup has been united only in struggling to score. After being shut out in the series opener Tuesday in what was Miami’s first game in nine days after a spate of positive coronavirus tests, the Orioles failed to put a run on the board until the sixth inning of the second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader, in which both games lasted only seven innings.

The Marlins were without their top three starters and all but four members of their original bullpen because of the positive tests, but a pitching staff pieced together with call-ups from their alternate site, waiver claims, trade acquisitions and players who avoided the virus managed to keep the Orioles scoreless through the first 21 innings of the series, leading to three victories.

“I don’t know if we’re trying too hard or we’re — I’m not sure what it is, to be honest with you,” Hyde said. “It’s one of those little funks that we’ve gone through.

“I can’t really put my finger on it. We’re not driving the baseball. I think guys are trying to do too much and maybe carrying too big of a load instead of just trying to get the next guy up, try to win every pitch.”

The Orioles have been without their hottest hitter, third baseman Rio Ruiz, as he deals with a shoulder issue. Shortstop José Iglesias, battling a sore left quad, was back in the lineup for both games of the doubleheader, but he didn’t take the field and filled Baltimore’s designated hitter slot.

“They’re a big part of our club and a big part of our defense on the left side,” Hyde said. “Rio’s been on such a good start offensively. He’s been a run producer for us, and then Iggy not being healthy for a few days — [it was] nice to get him back out there, but yeah, that’s a loss.”

Iglesias said he was pain-free throughout the doubleheader, meaning he soon will be able to return to shortstop. In the meantime, that position has mostly been manned by Andrew Velazquez, one of several Orioles slumping offensively early in the season.

Velazquez, Chris Davis and Cedric Mullins have one hit each in a combined 48 at-bats. Hyde noted between games that Davis’ timing has seemed to be off since he returned from a sinus issue that caused him to miss two games.

Hays, who starred in a September cameo, is scuffling as well, hitting .158 with no extra-base hits. But he has three of the Orioles’ 10 hits in the series and drove in their only run with a grounder that ricocheted off two Marlins infielders.

“That’s kind of our team motto this year: to have each other’s back and to continue to pick each other up,” Hays said after Tuesday’s loss. “Just continue to spray really productive and good at-bats all across the board.

“If you can continue to do that, continue to get guys on base, put pressure on the defense and make the pitcher work, we can continue to produce runs.”