The Orioles began their most recent nine-game homestand with a new manager and the faint hope that the change would give them a little spark, perhaps infuse some missing positive energy.
After Sunday's 11-4 loss to the New York Mets in a game the Orioles were out of before their first hitter stepped to the plate, the potential homestand of hope mercifully ended with seven losses.
"It would be nice to get a spark [from a manager change], but it is the same stuff. If you've watched every game, it is the same stuff," veteran reliever Mark Hendrickson said. "Our deficiencies, what we are not doing as a team is obvious."
During the nine-game stretch, the Orioles were outscored 60-25, fell to a majors-worst 17-46 and were swept at home by the Mets (35-28), a club that hadn't won a road series in 2010.
"I'm trying to stay as positive as I can for these guys. My job is to keep these guys going, keep them focused," said interim manager Juan Samuel, who took over June 4 after Dave Trembley was fired the previous evening.
"Yes, we've all been through this the whole season, but we have seen some positive signs. ÃÂ We've seen some guys starting to swing the bats a little bit better, so hopefully, it gives us a chance to do more of the things that we want to do."
The to-do list is interminable.
The Orioles' offense continues to be dismal when faced with scoring opportunities. The hitters were 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position Sunday and 6-for-35 (.171 average) in the Mets series, dropping their major league-worst mark in those situations to .217. They failed to homer again Sunday, ending the homestand with just two.
Meanwhile, the Mets hit four homers Sunday -- two by David Wright -- while setting a season high for hits (18) and runs (11) before a New York-partisan announced crowd of 24,848.
The Orioles allowed each of the three teams they faced in the homestand to score at least 11 runs in a game.
"Pitchers need to pitch, hitters need to hit and we need to hit with guys in scoring position," right fielder Nick Markakis said. "We just aren't doing all that right now collectively as a team."
Sunday's implosion was triggered by veteran Kevin Millwood (0-8), who surrendered five runs and six hits, including two home runs, in the top of the first inning. Millwood regrouped and pitched into the sixth; he was charged with a season-high eight runs in 5 1/3 innings.
"I thought early in that first inning, I don't think his location was as good. I think he was missing his spots," Samuel said. "Then he started settling down and started feeling better as the game progressed, but by then the damage was done, and I think it was too much for us to overcome there."
Millwood gave up three homers for the third time this season; he leads the majors in home runs allowed with 19. In his past four starts -- all losses -- he has allowed 24 earned runs in 22 2/3 innings, increasing his season ERA from 3.71 to 5.16.
"I feel like I've been trying too many things. I've just got a million things running through my head instead of just trying to execute pitches, and that's nobody's fault but my own," Millwood said. "Hopefully, I can kind of get a clear head and go back to throwing the ball instead of worrying about mechanics so much."
Not to be outdone, the Orioles' defense continued to blunder in key spots. In the sixth, with one out and a runner on first, Jose Reyes singled on a bunt back to Hendrickson, who was charged with an error when he threw to an initially unmanned first base. Second baseman Scott Moore couldn't handle the throw as he darted toward the bag.
The Orioles then failed to turn an inning-ending double play, and Wright followed with another home run, his 12th of the season, for the 14th multi-homer game of his career.
"We just needed to make those plays," Samuel said. "We cannot give these guys extra at-bats."
Now the Orioles head to the West Coast to face the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres, teams that are over .500 and in the National League West race.
And the Orioles are hoping they can do something, anything to slightly brighten Baltimore's darkest baseball season in two decades.
"It's one of those things that I haven't experienced," Hendrickson said. "It is tough because there is no real break. It's hard to get away from it. You are playing every day. It's up to you to try and battle through and stay positive and try to create some positive vibes and get some wins.
"I think that is what we are looking for, a little spark, a little streak. It doesn't seem to be happening, but if you get that, hopefully, it can turn some."