3 immediate changes Orioles must make after 9-straight postseason losses

If Baltimore Orioles fans knew that Corbin Burnes would deliver eight innings of one-run ball against the Kansas City Royals in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series, at least 99 percent of them would then start thinking ahead to a series win. The few who'd expect the Orioles to lose yet another postseason game even despite that dominant outing would prove to be right, though.

Somehow, the Orioles got eight innings of one-run ball from their ace and lost, 1-0. The Orioles even got a gift with Royals starter Cole Ragans being pulled after just six innings due to calf cramps. They got to face a subpar Royals bullpen for three innings yet still couldn't find a way to scratch out a single run.

Part of Tuesday's loss had to do with good players failing to show up. The top five of Baltimore's order went 1-for-17 overall. That's obviously not good enough and makes it really hard to win. Even with that, though, the Orioles would benefit by making some immediate changes.

3. James McCann should not see another start in the postseason

The big surprise that came from Baltimore's Game 1 lineup was that James McCann was slotted in behind the dish with Adley Rutschman serving as the team's designated hitter.

On one hand, the decision to start McCann made sense. Burnes' numbers with McCann catching compared to Rutschman were far better, and Burnes did throw an impressive game with McCann as the signal caller. On the other hand, though, James McCann the hitter should not be anywhere near a postseason starting lineup.

The 34-year-old had his best season since the shortened 2020 campaign, but that's not saying much, as he slashed .234/.279/.388 with eight home runs and 31 RBI in 65 games played. Decent numbers for a backup catcher, but again, not a starter. McCann started in Game 1.

The only two times he stepped up to the plate saw McCann strike out with a runner in scoring position. This isn't to say guys like Austin Slater and Emmanuel Rivera are world-beaters, but their track records as hitters are better than McCann's. Rivera even swung a hot bat in his short stint with Baltimore down the stretch.

With right-hander Seth Lugo set to take the mound in Game 2 for Kansas City, the Orioles should feel more than comfortable putting Rutschman behind the plate and Ryan O'Hearn at the DH spot. If the Royals (or any other team) start a left-hander in the future in the postseason, they should keep Rutschman in the field and start Rivera or Slater at DH.

2. Cedric Mullins should be moved up in the Orioles lineup

The Orioles managed just five hits all game, two of which came from their No. eight hitter Cedric Mullins. He doubled in his first at-bat to lead off the bottom of the third inning, and recorded the only hit that the Orioles could muster with a runner in scoring position, singling with a man on second in the bottom of the fifth. Unfortunately, McCann failed to come through in either big spot hitting right behind Mullins.

Mullins hitting eighth in Tuesday's game didn't work out well in hindsight with the hitter behind him failing to produce, but there was reason to hit him at the bottom of the order. The Orioles were facing a left-hander, and Mullins had a .506 OPS against southpaws this season. The fact that he had two hits against a pitcher of Ragans' caliber was even more encouraging and shows just how well he is swinging the bat right now.

The 30-year-old had a rough year overall but saved his best play for the final month of the season, slashing .286/.368/.488 with five home runs and 13 RBI in 96 plate appearances. He was playing as well as he had all year leading up to October and continued his fine play with the best showing of any Orioles hitter in Game 1.

Hitting him in the lower third of the order made sense in Game 1 against the lefty, but with a righty going in Game 2, Brandon Hyde needs to hit him higher.

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1. The Orioles need to fear Bobby Witt Jr. more than they did in Game 1

Had it not been for Aaron Judge doing Aaron Judge things, Bobby Witt Jr. would be the runaway AL MVP winner. He led the league in batting and hits while racking up 88 extra-base hits and driving in 109 runs. His speed and defense make him as well-rounded of a player as there is, but the bat is his biggest weapon.

It was a relatively quiet postseason debut for Witt on the surface as he had just one hit in four at-bats, but that one hit plated the only run of the game, scoring Maikel Garcia in the top of the sixth inning.

The Orioles' offense deserves most of the blame for the team coming up short in this game, but Brandon Hyde (hopefully) learned a very valuable lesson with how the top of the sixth inning unfolded.

The Royals had the speedy Garcia at third base after he stole a base and advanced to third on a ground ball to the right side. There were two outs in the inning, and the dangerous Witt coming up. Rather than put him on base and go after Vinny Pasquantino, a player appearing in his first game in over a month after missing time due to injury, the Orioles elected to pitch to Witt and the superstar made them pay.

Trusting their best pitcher, Corbin Burnes, to go after Witt in a big spot makes some sense, but there's no reason that they had to do that. The Royals had an open base and a hitter who hadn't seen big league pitching in over a month on deck. Even with Pasquantino at his best, the Orioles would be better off going after him than a player of Witt's caliber.

Some situations will force the Orioles to go after Witt, but this wasn't one of them. He's the one player on this Royals team that they cannot let beat them, yet he's the player who drove in the only run of the game. If they have a way out of having to face Witt in a potential game-changing spot, the Orioles should do that. Do not let one of the game's very best send you home. This shift in managerial philosophy could help save Baltimore's season.