Orioles better hope future is brighter than present

The team that has won over hearts and minds with its hustle and tenacity, the team that has given its fans a reason to watch again by stubbornly flirting with mediocrity, desperately needs to put its toes in the sand and bury its nose in a lightweight novel.

Anything to take its mind off of such nauseating topics as collapsing starting pitching, a frayed bullpen, a revolving door at shortstop and rejuvenated hitters watching good work spoiled, is recommended.

Hey guys, Ravens’ training camp is just around the corner.

Is it that time? You know, the part where the Orioles hang out their “Imploding Any Day Now” shingle and proceed to show you how it’s done? You know, the way they’ve turned the act into an art form over the past decade?

This team essentially has earned a pass with an unabashed rebuilding plan in motion — for example, Adam Jones is blossoming at the plate and patrolling center field with smoothness that brings the great Paul Blair to mind — but the Orioles are still approaching the season’s dog days looking like pooches again.

If June provided the predictable warning signs the Orioles could not hold up this season with their glaring weaknesses (see young, undeveloped pitching) in the brutal American League East, July is the month the team raised its terror alert to Oriole Orange. At least on the nights when anyone not named Jeremy Guthrie strolled to the pitcher’s mound for an adventure lasting five innings or fewer.

With the All-Star Game upon us, the Orioles are languishing in last place, following a 1-7 slide, dropping them to three games under .500 for just the second time this season. This time, the Birds can’t rely on Tampa Bay as a buffer between Baltimore and the AL East cellar.

Losing streaks rise up to bite the good teams and the bad, throughout any 162-game grind. Just ask the reborn Rays, who have lost seven straight and given first place back to the Boston Red Sox.

But the Orioles’ stumbles in July had to be enough to make Dave Trembley, their eternally positive manager, miss out on some hefty chunks of sleep.

Remember back in the good old days of April and May, when you were waiting for the hitters to warm up and start helping out the mighty arms doing most of the lifting? The hitters have arrived.

Second baseman Brian Roberts, outfielders Jones and Nick Markakis and designated hitter Aubrey Huff have been as effective as any foursome in the league in recent weeks. And with catcher Ramon Hernandez, third baseman Melvin Mora and first baseman Kevin Millar chipping in remarkably in the clutch, this lineup is a punch line no more.

This is where it really hurts. The Orioles just got swept in Toronto, despite scoring 19 runs in three games. They scored seven runs in what should have been a recent, series-winning victory against Kansas City, but settled for a split in the four-game set. They had been on a roll early in one-run games, thanks mainly to their bullpen. But after a disastrous July — so far — marked by one-run losses, they are 17-17 in those decisions.

The pitching staff is being held together by duct tape — I mean, Guthrie.

The starters truly are limping into the All-Star break, with a combined 6.32 ERA in their past 10 games after posting a 5.99 ERA in June. Most of the blame lies with the young trio of Brian Burress, Garrett Olson and Radhames Liz, whose combined ERA might soon require a fourth digit. Then there’s Daniel Cabrera, the enigma wrapped inside a wild pitch, a hit-by-pitch and base-on-balls. At least he’s matched Guthrie with 129 innings pitched.

The bullpen, which is still adjusting to the loss of middle relievers Matt Albers and Jamie Walker and dealing with a midseason slump by closer George Sherrill, appears to be on fumes.

This team doesn’t need to contemplate the future right now. It must not dwell on the importance of the 11-game homestand that begins Thursday and will dictate much about where the rest of phase one of the rebuilding project is headed.

This group needs a good nap.

Gary Lambrecht writes about the NFL, Major League Baseball and college sports. He can be reached at glambrecht@baltimoreexaminer.com.