Another strong week has propelled the Orioles into a 106-win pace.
Facing off against AL East foes, the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays, the Orioles would complete a 4-2 homestand before a brutal stretch of games takes place.
The O’s had some strong performances that helped propel them to a season-high 17 games over .500.
So, as “Hell Month” is just getting started, let’s see who our standouts were this week and who is more than happy a new week has arrived.
The Great: Ryan Mountcastle
The week saw the fourth-year first baseman go on a tear that saw his batting average go from .280 to .291.
In the six games (pinch hit in one game), Mountcastle collected four multi-hit games and picked up 10 total hits. Mounty also had five extra-base hits (three doubles and two home runs) while collecting five RBIs and scoring five times.
One of the things aiding Mountcastle’s hot start is that he is seeing a career-high 3.94 pitches per at-bat and is currently hitting .340 on balls in play.
For the year, Mountcastle is slashing .291/.330/.498/.828 with eight home runs and 24 RBIs. He has 25 extra-base hits, which puts him on a pace for a career-high of 78.
The Good: Corbin Burnes
In typical front-line starter fashion, Corbin Burnes put on a dominating and impressive performance against the Boston Red Sox.
Burnes’ start against Boston lasted seven innings, in which he allowed three hits and one un-earned run. He threw 108 pitches (67 strikes) in striking out five and walking three.
Burnes improved to 2-2 in May and posted a 2.17 ERA for the month.
The O’s ace is now 5-2 in 12 starts with a 2.35 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. He has 71 strikeouts across 72.2 innings and is holding batters to a .209 average.
The Ugly: Cedric Mullins
Mullins becomes our first repeat player to make the list, and it’s getting a little concerning, as his struggles are raising questions as to how much longer manager Brandon Hyde plays him on the regular.
Mullins has one hit over his last 16 at-bats, one hit since May 24 and actually has more RBIs (two) than hits in the same time frame. He ended May with nine hits in 66 at-bats (.136 avg) and saw his batting average fall .029 points across the month.
Mullins’ one hit was a two-run triple, and things have gotten so bad that Mullins is indirectly responsible for Jorge Mateo being placed into concussion protocol. Outside of a fantastic home-run-robbing catch, Mullins would love to forget this last week and most of the season.
Mullins is slashing .181/.225/.319/.544 through 54 games this season. He has hit six home runs to go with 22 runs scored and driven in, though he has struck out 46 times and is on pace to strike out 138 times, which would be a career-high.
The Orioles continue “Hell Month” with a four-game series against Toronto and another four-game series with the Rays.
Will Mullins’ fortunes change? Will Mountcastle, who tears up the Blue Jays, continue his recent surge? Find out next week and see who will make our next edition.
Who stood out to you this week for the Birds? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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