Orioles Bring Road Losing Streak Into Matchup Against the Nationals
By [Your Name] | April 23, 2025
The Baltimore Orioles are off to a respectable start in the 2025 Major League Baseball season, but a troubling trend threatens to derail their early momentum: they can’t seem to win on the road. As they prepare for a brief interleague showdown with the Washington Nationals in the nation’s capital, the Orioles carry with them a five-game road losing streak and a growing sense of urgency to stop the skid before it snowballs further.
Despite boasting one of the most exciting young cores in baseball and sitting near the top of the American League East standings, Baltimore’s struggles away from Camden Yards have begun to cast a shadow over what could be a promising season. The matchup against the Nationals, a team still deep in a rebuild, offers the Orioles an opportunity to reset — but nothing has come easy away from home.
A Jekyll-and-Hyde Start
At home, the Orioles have looked like a playoff team. The bats are alive, the pitching has been solid, and the energy is electric. In front of their fans, they’re 10–2 and have won three consecutive home series. But outside of Baltimore? The story flips.
The Orioles are just 2–8 on the road, and their recent West Coast swing was particularly brutal. They were swept by the Seattle Mariners and dropped two of three to the Oakland Athletics, including a demoralizing extra-innings loss that saw the bullpen surrender a four-run lead in the ninth inning.
Manager Brandon Hyde isn’t panicking just yet, but he’s not ignoring the pattern, either.
“We’ve been flat on the road. That’s the truth,” Hyde said after their latest loss. “We’re not executing in key moments, we’re not getting the timely hits we’ve been getting at home, and frankly, we’ve made some mistakes we usually don’t make.”
Breaking Down the Losing Streak
Baltimore’s five-game road losing streak hasn’t been due to just one thing. It’s been a combination of inconsistent offense, shaky middle relief, and defensive miscues that have snowballed in high-pressure situations.
Game 1: Mariners 4, Orioles 2
Despite a strong outing from starter Dean Kremer, the Orioles stranded 11 runners on base and went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Game 2: Mariners 7, Orioles 3
Kyle Bradish was chased early after giving up five runs in three innings. The bullpen couldn’t stop the bleeding, and the offense once again sputtered against Mariners ace Luis Castillo.
Game 3: Mariners 6, Orioles 5
A walk-off single by Seattle’s J.P. Crawford capped a ninth-inning comeback, erasing what had been a 5-3 Baltimore lead.
Game 4: Athletics 8, Orioles 7 (10 innings)
A backbreaking error by shortstop Jorge Mateo extended the game, and the Orioles lost on a bloop single in extras.
Game 5: Athletics 3, Orioles 1
Baltimore managed just four hits in a quiet offensive performance that highlighted the growing struggles of their bottom third of the lineup.
Pressure on the Lineup
Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman have carried the offense so far, with Henderson already tallying six home runs and Rutschman slashing .315/.390/.500. But the rest of the lineup has cooled considerably on the road. Anthony Santander is batting .182 away from Camden Yards, and Ryan Mountcastle has yet to hit a home run outside of Baltimore.
The Orioles are currently averaging 3.2 runs per game on the road, compared to 6.1 at home — a dramatic difference that suggests the team’s road woes go beyond just bad luck.
“It’s not about being comfortable,” Rutschman said. “We’ve just got to find ways to be sharper, no matter the park or opponent.”
The Nationals: Rebuilding but Dangerous
At 9–13, the Washington Nationals are far from a playoff contender. But they’ve been quietly competitive in 2025, especially against teams with high expectations. Washington took two of three from the Phillies earlier this month and have played above .500 baseball at Nationals Park.
CJ Abrams, the team’s young shortstop, has taken a step forward, hitting .305 with five homers and 10 stolen bases. MacKenzie Gore has developed into a top-of-the-rotation arm, and the bullpen — led by Hunter Harvey and Kyle Finnegan — has been surprisingly reliable.
For the Nationals, this series is about measuring themselves against a legitimate playoff hopeful. For the Orioles, it’s about stopping a slump before it becomes something worse.
Pitching Matchups: Strength vs. Opportunity
Game 1: John Means (BAL) vs. Josiah Gray (WSH)
John Means makes his second start since returning from Tommy John surgery. His first outing was a mixed bag — he showed good velocity but was hit hard in the fourth inning. The Orioles hope a lighter-hitting team like the Nationals will allow Means to ease back into rhythm.
Josiah Gray, meanwhile, has been a bright spot for Washington. His improved command and confidence in his slider have led to a 2.91 ERA through four starts.
Game 2: Grayson Rodriguez (BAL) vs. MacKenzie Gore (WSH)
This could be a showcase matchup between two young flamethrowers. Rodriguez is still finding consistency but has the stuff to dominate any lineup. Gore, similarly, has struck out 27 in 21 innings and is holding opponents to a .192 average.
Hyde said he hopes this series “lights a spark” in the team, and the pitching matchups will be key to whether that happens.
Orioles’ Defense: A Growing Concern
While the Orioles were one of the better defensive teams in 2024, they’ve looked surprisingly shaky early in 2025 — especially on the road. Over their last five away games, they’ve committed six errors, several of which came at critical moments.
Gunnar Henderson, who shifted between shortstop and third base in 2024, has been solid but not spectacular. Mateo, long considered a glove-first player, has struggled with throwing accuracy. Even Gold Glove center fielder Cedric Mullins misplayed a fly ball during the Seattle series.
“We’ve built our identity on doing the little things right,” said first baseman Ryan O’Hearn. “We’re not doing that right now, especially away from home.”
Clubhouse Chemistry Remains Strong
Despite the slump, there’s no sense of panic within the Orioles’ clubhouse. If anything, the team is using this stretch as a reminder of how hard it is to win consistently in the big leagues — especially in the pressure-packed AL East.
Veteran leader James McCann emphasized the need to stay calm:
“This is baseball. You’re going to have highs and lows. The good teams don’t ride the rollercoaster. They steady the ship.”
That message seems to be resonating with the team’s young stars. But the results still have to come.
The Importance of This Series
Though it’s only April, this two-game set with the Nationals looms large for several reasons:
- Momentum: The Orioles need to restore their confidence on the road before they face tougher opponents.
- Confidence: Snapping the streak in a winnable series could help the team exhale and play more freely.
- Psychology: Another loss — especially to a rebuilding team — could intensify external pressure, especially from fans and media.
Baltimore’s next road series? A three-game set against the defending champion Texas Rangers. It won’t get easier.
What Needs to Change?
Several things must improve for the Orioles to end their road woes:
- Plate Discipline: The team has chased pitches outside the zone at an alarming rate away from home.
- Bullpen Execution: Yennier Cano and Cionel Pérez have been unreliable in late innings recently.
- Bottom-of-the-Order Production: Players like Ramón Urías and Adam Frazier must contribute more offensively.
- Clean Defense: No more giving away extra outs — the Orioles must tighten up the fundamentals.
Final Thoughts
Road losing streaks are part of every season, but how a team responds to them often defines their character. For the Orioles, this series against the Nationals represents an opportunity to steady the course and rediscover their identity.
Baltimore still boasts one of the most talented young cores in baseball. The energy, chemistry, and coaching are all in place. But talent alone doesn’t win in October — or in April. Winning ugly, grinding out road victories, and executing when it counts are the trademarks of a true contender.
They don’t have to be perfect. But they have to be better.
And starting Wednesday night in Washington, the Orioles get a chance to prove just that.
Sidebar: Orioles Road Woes by the Numbers
- Runs per game at home: 6.1
- Runs per game on the road: 3.2
- Team batting average on the road: .214
- Bullpen ERA on the road: 5.89
- Errors on the road: 9 in 10 games
