After the Orioles beat the Washington Nationals on Friday night with a walkoff home run, Orioles manager Buck Showalter – as is often the case – was asked whether he thought the dramatic finish would jumpstart his club after a rough road trip.
He answered like he usually does: Momentum in baseball is only as strong as the next night's starting pitcher.
Considering Saturday's 7-4 loss to the Nationals before a soldout announced crowd of 44,495 at Camden Yards, Showalter probably should have added that it's also dependent upon getting key hits when opportunities arise.
The Orioles (44-43) again failed to hit with runners in scoring position – they were 0-for-8 Saturday and are 0-for-13 for the Nationals series – and have now lost nine of their last 12 as they stumble to the All Star Break.