So, what just happened in Houston?

In the win column! Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images If you take baseball players at their word, the difference between success or failure seems to hinge on nothing more than “staying within my approach.” Broke out of a batting slump? “I’ve just been trying to stay within my approach.” Improved command of your secondary pitches? Must be the approach. Improved velocity? Control? Stamina? OBP? Exit velocity? Home runs? Walks? You guessed it: he just stayed within his approach.

So what about an Orioles team that gets swept at home in three games with a tragic -23-run differential, then, a week later and on the road, outscores the same team 27-12 in a sweep of its own? There’s a lot I don’t…