Baltimore Can't Buy a Hit and Kansas City Can't Buy a Win: Someone's Gotta Break the Skid Monday Night

Two teams limping into each other at the worst possible time. The Baltimore Orioles are 1-5 since April 13, and the Kansas City Royals just dropped seven straight. When these two collide Monday night to open a three-game set, somebody's pain ends. Probably.

Let's start with Baltimore's mess. They were rolling, winning six of seven from April 6-13. Then the wheels fell completely off. In their last six games, they've put up just 22 runs total. At Cleveland last week, they batted .157, went 5-for-26 with runners in scoring position, and struck out 48 times in four games. Forty-eight. That's not a slump, that's a crisis.

Taylor Ward drove in three runs Sunday against the Guardians but is still only 7-for-36 over his last nine games. Even worse, Pete Alonso has gone 4-for-21 with eight strikeouts in his last six contests. The Orioles have also been dealing with injuries to Adley Rutschman (left ankle inflammation) and Tyler O'Neill (concussion), though both could return this week. Jackson Holliday remains sidelined with right wrist soreness and hasn't played yet this season.

Kansas City's Losing Streak Is Even Uglier

The Royals are somehow having a worse time. They've lost seven straight, their longest skid since 2024. During that stretch, they've been outscored 44-22, batted .208, struck out 51 times, and watched their pitching post a 6.66 ERA while walking 33 and giving up 11 homers. They got swept at Detroit and the Yankees. "Everybody is frustrated," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. "We've got to play better on the field. That's where you're measured in the big leagues."

The one bright spot for Kansas City has been Seth Lugo. The 36-year-old right-hander is 1-1 with a 1.48 ERA in four starts, allowing just four earned runs, 18 hits, and six walks over 24 1/3 innings. But he's gotten almost no run support, receiving just one run in his last two starts. Last Wednesday against Detroit, he allowed a run and struck out seven without a walk in 6 2/3 innings of a 2-1 loss.

Offensively, Bobby Witt Jr. is hitting .311 career against Baltimore with five homers and has gone 6-for-15 with three doubles in his last four games. Maikel Garcia, though, is ice cold at 3-for-28 over his last seven.

Baltimore's Starter Has Flip-Flopped All Season

The Orioles counter with Kyle Bradish (1-2, 5.49), making his first appearance against Kansas City. He's been wildly inconsistent, alternating between solid and shaky through four starts. After tossing five innings with three runs (two earned) in a 5-3 win at Chicago on April 8, Bradish gave up four runs and eight hits in six innings of an 8-5 home loss to Arizona last Wednesday.

This matchup screams "somebody's breaking through," but don't expect pretty baseball. Both teams are desperate. Monday night at 7:05 p.m. ET, one of these skids ends. The question is which one.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.