Breaking Down Each Series Remaining on the Baltimore Orioles May Schedule

The Baltimore Orioles wrapped up the month of April going 16-11, and for the month of May they are already off to a 3-2 start, including a series split against the Los Angeles Angels.  The Orioles face four teams in May who are currently below .500, making this month one that they should look to take advantage of.  

With a favorable schedule heading into May, here is a breakdown of each series the Orioles will play in this month.

Orioles vs. Royals: May 7-9

Predicted Outcome: Orioles win series 2-1

The Kansas City Royals have gotten off to a nice start this season.  The Royals are currently second in the AL Central division behind the Detroit Tigers with a 17-11 record.  The Orioles and Royals had a pretty even series against one another last season, with the Orioles winning five of the nine games they played.  

Kansas City currently sits as the fifth-best hitting team in the league with a .268 average, with six hitters batting over .280.  The Royals also boast a strong pitching rotation.  As a team, their staff is allowing a respectable 3.33 ERA, and they have allowed the third-fewest walks in the league.

The Orioles will face a tall task at the plate against the Royals' starters.  As it stands right now, Kansas City will send Ervin Santana, Luis Mendoza and Jeremy Guthrie to the mound to face Baltimore's bats.   Santana and Guthrie could pose the two biggest threats for the Orioles in the series.

Baltimore will also have to monitor baserunners in the series.  As a team, the Royals have combined to steal 24 bases in 28 attempts, good for the sixth-most stolen bases in the league.  Fortunately for the Orioles, Kansas City is one of the worst teams in the league when it comes to hitting for power.

While they are tied for the league lead in triples (nine), the Royals have only 16 home runs on the year, placing them at the bottom of the league in that category.  Should the Orioles be able to counter the Royals' pitchers with some strong pitching of their own, Baltimore could open their home stand with a series victory.

Orioles at Twins: May 10-12

Predicted Outcome: Orioles win series 2-1

The Orioles face a familiar foe when they travel to Minnesota to take on the Twins for the second time this season.  The Orioles struggled against the Twins in the first series the two sides played against each other, winning one of three games while in Baltimore.  

The Orioles have a good chance to beat the Twins in their home ballpark during the three-game series.  As a team, the Twins are hitting a dismal .240, with only 21 homers.  They are also struggling on the mound.  They are giving up 4.03 runs per game, while teams are batting .283 against them, which is the second-highest BAA in the league.

While their bats are struggling right now, you still have to respect what the Twins are capable of doing at the plate.  They still have one of the best hitting catchers in the league in Joe Mauer, who is hitting .291 on the season, and left fielder Josh Willingham has an on-base percentage of .410, good for 14th best in the league. 

The Orioles have had strong performances lately against some decent competition, making this series against the Twins a nice matchup for them.

Orioles vs. Padres: May 14-15

Predicted Outcome: Orioles win series 2-0

The Padres have gotten off to a slow start in 2013 with a 15-18 record.  San Diego has struggled both offensively and defensively this season, with one of its biggest struggles being the starting rotation.

The Padres have a team ERA of 4.29, which is pretty remarkable given the poor performances of their starters.  San Diego has four starters on their roster who have an ERA of 4.25 or higher, including three pitchers with an ERA higher than five runs per game.

If it weren't for their strong bullpen, the Padres could find themselves in an even worse position than they already are.

Offensively, the Padres rank in the bottom half of the league in batting average (.244), on-base percentage (.314) and home runs (25). 

These two teams don't play each other often, so it will be interesting to see how this brief series plays out.  Given that it's a home series, and that the Padres just aren't playing at the same level as the Orioles right now, expect this series to be a sweep for the Birds.

Orioles vs. Rays: May 17-19

Predicted Outcome:  Rays win series 2-1

Baltimore has already faced Tampa Bay twice this season, going 4-2 against the Rays thus far.  The Orioles will have to pitch well in the series against the Rays' hot bats, which could make this a tough series despite the home-field advantage.

The Rays are currently sixth in the league in home runs (37), making them a serious power threat at hitter-friendly Camden Yards.  One of the hottest bats in the Rays' lineup belongs to first baseman James Loney, who is hitting .391 on the season with a .436 on-base percentage.

Not to be out done by Loney's performance is third baseman Evan Longoria, who is hitting .305 for the Rays.  He is leading them in home runs (9) and is second on the team in RBI (19).

On the mound, the Rays have had an up-and-down season so far.  While young lefty Matt Moore has dominated with a 5-0 record and 1.95 ERA, 2012 CY Young winner David Price has struggled.  

To say that Price's start to 2013 has been a struggle might even be too generous.  The former Cy Young pitcher has only one win on the season and three losses.  His ERA has been through the roof at 6.25, giving him the 11th highest ERA of any pitcher in the league.

With the O's having already taken the first two series from them this season, it would not be surprising to see the Rays bounce back against Baltimore and claim this series.

Orioles vs. Yankees: May 20-22

Predicted Outcome:  Orioles win series 2-1

If there is one impressive thing about the Yankees' success this season, it's the fact that they have won without guys like Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson.  The Bronx Bombers pieced together a team with a few aging veterans to back their pitching staff, and so far it has worked out well.

The Yankees' starters have been relatively solid this season, holding teams to a 3.70 ERA, despite allowing opponents to hit .272 off of them.  No starter on the Yankees' staff has done enough to turn heads and shock the league, but when you're winning games that doesn't really matter.

On offense, the Yankees have been a bit more surprising.  While Robinson Cano is turning in another strong season, guys like Vernon Wells, Travis Hafner and Lyle Overbay have exceeded the expectations of some.

All three players are aging veterans whose best years are likely behind them.  Yet this season, they have combined for a .274 average with 17 home runs and 46 RBI.

The Yankees are still a good team, make no mistake about it. But in their first home series against New York this season, I'll take the Orioles. 

Orioles at Blue Jays: May 23-26

Predicted Outcome:  Orioles win series 3-0

The biggest surprise of any team in the AL East could perhaps be the Toronto Blue Jays.  Unfortunately for the Jays, they have surprised for all the wrong reasons.  After several moves during the offseason in an attempt to bolster their roster, the Jays sit at the basement of their division with a 12-21 record.

The Jays' bats have struggled so far, as they are hitting only .235 as a team with no active player hitting above .300.  On the mound, it doesn't get much better for Toronto.  The Blue Jays have a team ERA of 4.73, good for the third-highest of any team in the league.

One player who has struggled mightily this year is veteran pitcher R.A. Dickey.  He is 2-5 on the season with a 5.36 ERA.  In addition to his high ERA, he has also walked 17 batters on the season, putting him high on the list of pitchers who have walked the most hitters this season.

If the Orioles are to sweep any team in the month of May, there's a good chance that the Blue Jays could be that team.

Orioles vs. Nationals: May 27-30

Predicted Outcome:  Series split 2-2

The Orioles and Nationals will meet for four games at the end of May.  With the first two games being played in Baltimore and the second two in Washington.  Because of the back-to-back two-game series, it seemed fitting to combine the four games into one slide.

Last season the Orioles went 4-2 against the Nationals, despite being outscored 20-16 over those six games.  

Aside from the strong season that second-year phenom Bryce Harper has delivered so far, the Nats have had a tough time offensively.  They are hitting only .231 as a team, and have an on-base percentage of .295, meaning runs have not come easy in Washington.  The Nats have scored 113 runs on the year, putting them at 27th in the league.

Where the Nationals haven't struggled is on the mound.  The Nats have a team ERA of 3.53 and are anchored by starters Jordan Zimmerman and Stephen Strasburg. 

Zimmerman has dominated thus far, going 5-1 with a 1.64 ERA, striking out 27 batters while only walking seven.  Strasburg's overall record of 1-3 doesn't show how good he has been for Washington.  Opposing hitters are hitting only .228 off the right-handed pitcher, while he has still managed to strike out 44 hitters over seven starts.

This series is always a fun one to watch, as there seems to be more than just wins and losses on the line.  With the two teams being located so close to one another, pride for both the teams and the fans always seems to play a factor in the cross-town rivalry.

Don't be surprised if the Birds and the Nats split this series at 2-2 with each team getting two home games.