Orioles-Rays series preview: Looking to do better than 1-18 this year

“Wait, we lost HOW many games against this team last year?”For fans of teams who aren’t in the middle of multi-year rebuilding efforts that feature minimal attempts to improve the big league roster externally, Opening Day is a time to dream about what your team might be able to do this year. When everyone is starting off 0-0, you can always indulge a little dream about your team winning it all - sneaking in to the expanded playoffs, knocking off better teams in a short series, and hoisting a trophy.

This source of joy has been lost on Orioles fans for a few years now. Even if you’re the kind of optimist who can believe that the team is getting close, the idea that this is going to start in…