Orioles’ record streak of avoiding sweeps in danger of ending vs. Nationals

WASHINGTON — Entering the season, the Orioles’ pair of two-game series against the Washington Nationals posed the greatest risk to Baltimore’s historic streak of not being swept in the regular season.

After losing Tuesday night, they’re one loss away from it ending. If the Orioles lose Wednesday to the Nationals, it will be the first time since May 2022 — a span of 102 series that is the longest in American League history — that Baltimore has been swept, although the club was swept out of the postseason in October.

The Orioles’ 2024 schedule only has a pair of two-game series — the two against the Nationals that make up the Battle of the Beltways — and those do count toward the stat for the longest streaks in MLB history without being swept. No matter the opponent, it is obviously more likely to be swept in those series than in traditional ones that are three or four games long.

However, if the past two years are any indication, the Orioles (23-12) are in line for a win Wednesday with right-hander Kyle Bradish on the mound against Nationals left-hander Mitchell Parker. Since Baltimore’s sweepless streak began in May 2022 — and excluding the massive caveat that is the AL Division Series against the Texas Rangers — the Orioles have been one loss away from being swept 12 times.

They are, naturally, 12-0 in those games. They have outscored their opponents 68-27 in them, holding teams to three or fewer runs seven times.

This instance occurred five times in 2022, six times last year and once this season. In April, the Milwaukee Brewers took the first two of a three-game series at Camden Yards, but the Orioles kept the streak alive with a 6-4 win. In 2022, the Orioles lost the first game against the Nationals but won the series finale, 7-0, behind Austin Hays’ cycle in a rain-shortened game that ended after six innings.

The streak is not inherently important, especially since the Orioles were, in fact, swept in October in the franchise’s first playoff series since 2014. Baltimore was the AL’s top seed last season but fell in three games to the Rangers by scores of 3-2, 11-8 and 7-1.

However, manager Brandon Hyde and Orioles players have said that the sweepless streak is a testament to the organization’s consistent culture.

“I think our guys do a good job of staying as consistent as possible in a roller-coaster, six-month season,” Hyde said last year. “They don’t ride the wave too high, too low. I think that kind of allows you to know that every day is a new day. Whether you’ve lost a couple in a row or won a couple in a row, things can happen and things can change quickly.”

It began shortly before the Orioles promoted star catcher Adley Rutschman. Baltimore was swept in a three-game series versus the Detroit Tigers, dropped the first three of a four-game set against the New York Yankees and then won the final contest on Anthony Santander’s three-run, walk-off homer to start the streak.

Rutschman was called up a few days later and has therefore never been swept in the regular season as a big leaguer. Neither have Gunnar Henderson, Colton Cowser or Jordan Westburg.

The most impressive part of the streak is that it’s MLB’s longest since World War II. Teams used to play longer series — five or more games compared with the standard of three or four now — which made it more difficult to be swept.

Only three teams in MLB history (all National League clubs) have longer streaks: the 1942-1944 St. Louis Cardinals (124), the 1906-1909 Chicago Cubs (115) and the 1903-05 New York Giants (105). If the Orioles win Wednesday and continue to be unswept, they would pass the Giants for third against the Seattle Mariners later this month, the Cubs for second in mid-June versus the Houston Astros and the Cardinals for first in late July against the San Diego Padres.

All three teams ahead of the Orioles on the list won at least one championship during their sweepless streaks, although by nature of finishing first in the Senior Circuit, those clubs made the World Series and didn’t have to play postseason series to get there as the Orioles attempted to last year. The Cardinals won the Fall Classic in 1942 and 1944, while the Cubs reached the pinnacle in 1907 and 1908 and the Giants did so in 1905.

If the Orioles are going to keep the streak alive, they’ll have to hit better Wednesday than they did in Tuesday’s 3-0 loss. Trevor Williams and the Nationals’ bullpen carved up Baltimore’s bats, holding the Orioles to three hits — all singles — with 12 strikeouts and zero walks in 31 plate appearances.

“I’m not worried about it,” starting pitcher Corbin Burnes said on the offense after he took the loss Tuesday. “I think we’ve got probably the best — or if not the top, the second or third offense in baseball.

“We’ll bounce back tomorrow. We’ll be all right.”