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What was a promising 6-1 start last week has now turned into a five game skid.

Zach Britton could not save the Orioles and got hit hard by a surging Indians team. It was a bit much to expect him to act as a savior as well as a stopper after what we have seen.

In his third major league start, Britton ran into a tough Indians team and didn't seem to have the same magic he had last week against the Texas Rangers.

He had only given up one run in his two starts -- a 15 2/3 innings combined -- but a pesky Cleveland lineup amazingly got hit after hit, and tested the Baltimore defense.

Britton went six innings and gave up runs -- all earned.

I'll have more later on tonight, but all things considered, the recent five game skid has been tough to stomach.

However, we all should not jump off the ship yet and assume that the Orioles have reverted back to what we have seen in the last decade.

The offense is scuffling, and while they were held in check by Justin Masterson -- who started the game on the mound for the Indians and got the win -- not much has happened offensively in the past week. They did get a good effort yesterday, but overall, they have not gotten the hits they needed and somehow can't get anyone across the plate.

The bullpen has been a tad shaky the past two nights, and Rupe's effort tonight didn't alleviate things.

Oh boy.

This may be the first true rough patch in the Buck-Ball era. Let's hope it doesn't get any worse.

It's amazing now that the Indians are 9-4. And yes, as of now the Red Sox are struggling -- still -- trailing the Blue Jays, 7-4, right now.

The Orioles are 6-6 at the moment. While it's a whole lot better than what we saw at this time last year, I somehow expected them to continue their hot start.

The road doesn't get easier with the Twins, Yankees and Red Sox coming into the Yard next week.

Maybe the Orioles have just run into reality right now.

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It was a mix of some good and a whole lot of bad in the Bronx over the past two days. As we all know, the Orioles lost both their games to the Yankees during their series this week.

Tuesday's game was rained out.

Starting pitcher Chris Tillman was just plain bad on Wednesday giving up six runs – all earned – in 1 2/3 innings of work and the offense was just dead. That’s all we can say. It was just not a good effort by Tillman.

He looked like he was just going through the motions on the mound, kept his pitches in the zone and against a strong New York lineup, that’s not going to get the job done. On the other hand, Brad Bergssen pitched two scoreless innings and struck out two in a relief role. I believe he will be starting on Sunday.

However, on Thursday Jake Arrieta was much, much better and so was the Oriole offense.

They tagged Yankee starter Phil Hughes for five runs, chased him out in the fifth inning and had a 5-0 lead; meanwhile, Jake Arrieta gave up three runs in five innings and did a good job overall against one of the toughest lineups in the sport.

Then, things fell apart. The bullpen could not hold things together and Thursday’s game began to unravel. Badly.

Jason Berken came into game in a relief role and gave up a RBI-groundout to Russell Martin and then with Orioles up 5-4, closer Kevin Gregg – on his first pitch of his outing – helped the Yankees tie the game as Jorge Posada homered.

Nick Swisher hit a sacrifice fly to right to win the game in the tenth off an awful Michael Gonzalez on the mound.

While watching on MASN, I had to avert my eyes from the TV when I saw Gonzalez pitching. He walked the first guy, allowed a hit and just looked out of sorts.

It’s pretty obvious to me that the Orioles are not pushovers any more, but they won’t get to the next setup unless the pitching improves and they close against their opponents.

Wednesday’s game can be excused, Tillman may have had a bad night and every pitcher had one of those; however, the Orioles had no business losing against the Yankees like that – or anyone, for that matter.

Tonight, Zach Britton faces a challenge as he tries to snap the Orioles four-game skid against the surging Cleveland Indians.

It should be interesting to see how Britton does with some pressure on him.

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MLB TO COMMEMORATE JACKIE ROBINSON DAY WITH LAUNCH OF ‘IAM42.COM’ CAMPAIGN,

ALL PLAYERS WEARING NUMBER 42 AND YOUTH-BASED EVENTS

IAM42.com Features Video Tributes from MLB All-Stars

Jason Heyward, Prince Fielder, David Price, Mariano Rivera and David Wright

Major League Baseball is commemorating the eighth annual Jackie Robinson Day on Friday, April 15 with the launch of the new ‘IAM42.com’ online campaign, multiple events, and, once again, all players and on-field personnel wearing the number 42.

“Each year, Jackie Robinson Day is an occasion for us to pause and reflect on the game’s proudest and most powerful moment,” said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. “Jackie’s legacy is as strong and vibrant as ever throughout Major League Baseball. I am proud that the number 42, which has come to stand for Jackie's courage and grace, will again be worn in honor of our game’s greatest pioneer.”

“Jack loved the game of baseball and the tremendous power it had and still has to bring people together,” said Rachel Robinson, Jackie’s wife and Founder of the Jackie Robinson Foundation. “I believe he would have found Major League Baseball’s decision to perpetually honor his legacy in this way both gratifying and humbling.”

‘IAM42’ (www.IAM42.com) is a new digital campaign designed for fans to make a personal connection to the legacy of Baseball Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson through online video sharing and social networking via Twitter and Facebook. IAM42.com features personal video tributes from more than 60 current players and legends to honor the 64^th Anniversary of Robinson’s historic moment, including Baseball Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Lou Brock and Andre Dawson; and MLB All-Stars Jason Heyward, Prince Fielder, David Price, Mariano Rivera and David Wright. Launching on Jackie Robinson Day, fans of all ages are encouraged to share their thoughts on the enduring impact of Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier. The site will be updated throughout the year, in the lead-up to the 65^th anniversary of Jackie Robinson Day, April 15, 2012. ‘IAM42.com’ is the latest MLB initiative aimed at educating all fans about Jackie Robinson and supporting his enduring legacy, joining Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI); Breaking Barriers: In Sports, In Life; Diverse Business Partners; and the MLB Urban Youth Academies. IAM42.com is powered by MLB.com, the official Web site of Major League Baseball.

All MLB players, coaches and umpires will once again wear Number 42 and continue the unified, League-wide support of Jackie Robinson Day. Commissioner Selig and MLB have celebrated Robinson’s longstanding legacy by retiring Robinson’s number throughout the League in 1997 and, since 2004, dedicating April 15 as Jackie Robinson Day in his memory. Robinson played his first Major League game at Ebbets Field on April 15, 1947 as a first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

The Reviving Baseball In Inner Cities (RBI) program will host a youth baseball and softball clinic for 250 young boys and girls in Newark, New Jersey, and will feature Sharon Robinson, Jackie’s daughter, MLB Educational Programming Consultant and Vice Chair of the Jackie Robinson Foundation; representatives from the New York Yankees including Manager Joe Girardi and Senior Vice President and General Manager Brian Cashman; Texas Rangers Manager Ron Washington; and MLB Network Analyst Harold Reynolds. The RBI program is the MLB youth initiative designed to provide opportunities to play baseball and softball, to encourage academic success, and to teach the value of teamwork and other important life lessons to underserved young people, ages 5 to 18, from urban communities. Additionally, Baseball Tomorrow Fund (BTF) will be present to unveil the newly constructed indoor practice facility, which is adjacent to a recently renovated field complex that serves as the home fields for the Newark RBI league and the local Little League program. A BTF grant of more than $33,000 provided funding for the purchase of batting cages, pitching tunnels and related equipment for the indoor facility, as well as coaches training clinic expenses.

Sharon Robinson also will be representing MLB in a Brooklyn school visit to announce a first place winner in the 2011 Breaking Barriers Essay Contest, which recognizes students for their efforts to overcome personal barriers using the values exemplified by Jackie Robinson.

The Robinson family will join MLB in a special Jackie Robinson Day celebration at Yankee Stadium, prior to the 7:05 p.m. (ET) game against the Texas Rangers in a nationally televised game carried live by MLB Network. The ceremony will include Rachel and Sharon. Additionally, the historic Tuskegee Airmen will be appearing on-field during pregame ceremonies.

One Number 42 jersey from every Club will be signed and auctioned off on MLB.com with the proceeds benefitting the Jackie Robinson Foundation. The Foundation, established in 1973, provides four-year college scholarships, graduate school grants and extensive mentoring to academically distinguished minority students with leadership capacity. MLB and the 30 Clubs sponsor more than 60 Jackie Robinson Scholars. The Foundation strives to cultivate future leaders who will be ambassadors of Jackie Robinson’s guiding life tenet, “A life is not important except in its impact on other lives.” Major League Baseball and its Clubs are longstanding supporters of the Jackie Robinson Foundation.

In support of Jackie Robinson Day, MLB Network will air the special Letters From Jackie: The Private Thoughts of Jackie Robinson on Saturday, April 16 at 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. ET. The special, which was produced by MLB Productions, focuses on Robinson’s role in the American civil rights movement, predominantly after he retired from baseball. Hosted by New York Yankees Center Fielder Curtis Granderson and narrated by actor Dennis Haysbert, the story is told in Robinson’s own words, through correspondence he maintained during his lifetime with political figures including Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy, and a young pen pal named Ron Rabinovitz, with whom Robinson kept in touch from 1955 to his death in 1972.

All Clubs playing at home on Friday, April 15 will commemorate Jackie Robinson Day with special pregame ceremonies in their ballparks. Home Clubs will feature Jackie Robinson Day jeweled bases and lineup cards, and a special video that highlights Jackie’s story and nine values will be shown in-stadium.  Clubs not playing at home on April 15 will hold Jackie Robinson Day commemorations at their ballparks during another homestand in April.

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This evening, the Orioles open up a three-game set with the New York Yankees in the Big Apple.

I think over the next three days, we will see what the Birds are made of.

Despite the Rangers taking two out of three from the Orioles (aside from the second game on Saturday), the starting pitching has been fairly good and has done its job.

They held their own – for the most part – against the Rangers, so now they have do it against the Evil Empire.

The Bronx – a tough and gritty place by nature, despite the new glitzy Yankee Stadium – has always given the Orioles problems.

I will contend the Yankees are surely not as a good or fearsome as they used to be; however, they still have Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Nick Swisher and Robinson Cano in their lineup.

There’s also Derek Jeter – who might be aging rapidly in front of our eyes – but seeing him in person over the years, I will never count him out.

Over the next three games, Chris Tillman, a struggling Brad Bergesen, and Jake Arrieta – who got lit up in his last start – get thrown into the lion’s den in the Bronx.

I don’t think the Orioles will sweep the series, but stranger things have happened. If the young pitching can perform well and neutralize a tough Yankee lineup, perhaps the Orioles are far better than anyone thought they were.

Right now, the young pitchers can’t go out there intimidated; however, I do think that Buck Showalter has everyone prepared.

Speaking of Showalter, I can imagine he’ll get a Bronx cheer. Ok, a lot of boos.

As well, the offense really has to pick it up and make the most of their scoring opportunities. There’s no way around it. I don’t think Oriole pitching will be throwing many shut-outs this week, so everyone from the top to bottom need to have productive-at-bats, get a few hits, and score when they can.

They face A.J. Burnett tonight. Despite his struggles last year, he still does pretty well against the Birds.

Let’s hope Baltimore can take the series. They have a very hot and resurgent Indians team to play against over the weekend.

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The Orioles lost their first series of the young season as the Texas Rangers defeated them on Sunday, 3-0.

I’m sure most fans were hoping that Baltimore would take two-out-of-three from the AL Champions heading into Yankee Stadium, but that would not be.

With the Yankees next on the docket for the Orioles on the road, it would have been nice to have won the series against the Rangers and have carried that momentum into the Big Apple.

After Zach Britton’s amazing game on Saturday, the Orioles have only scored one run in the past 18 innings.

Not good.

Jeremy “Guts” Guthrie put on a gutsy performance after being in hospital for pneumonia as he went six innings, but gave up a run courtesy of an Adrian Beltre Homer in the fourth. Overall, he was great and only if the Orioles could have generated some offense…

Baltimore did muster six hits and got four walks; however, it seemed that they could not make the most of their opportunities on the base paths.

Considering how well the Texas pitching was throwing on the day, they should have done a lot more with the chances they had.

The Orioles blew a big chance to score in the fifth inning. Nick Markakis reached base with a single and then advanced to third off a Derrek Lee single; however, he should have scored. As the Rangers were attempting to throw home, Markakis got crossed up between third base and home plate – all due to him stopping about 1/3 of the way through.

The Rangers did throw to home plate, but the ball got away from the catcher. Markakis could have scored, but didn’t take the chance.

Of course, the home crowd was incredulous as to how he didn’t try to score.  The frame ended as Vladmir Guerrero flew out to right on the first pitch.

With Baltimore trailing 1-0 in the seventh, reliever Jim Johnson came and served up a two-run homer to give Texas a 3-0 lead.

Derek Holland moved to 2-0 as he threw six shutout innings for the Rangers. Neftali Feliz threw 1 1/3 innings for the save and prevented the Orioles from rallying in the eighth with two runners on.

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I still can't really believe what a nice start the Orioles are having. We knew this team was improved, we knew they were better, but this better? Despite being destroyed in the nightcap last night the Orioles are off to one of their best starts in a decade. But what is really impressive is how they are doing it: They are just playing solid baseball.

They aren't out-slugging anyone, they aren't winning games in fluky late-inning fashion they are just playing very solid fundamental baseball. The pitching, outside of the two losses, has been phenomenal; the defense has been more than solid and the offense has been timely if not exactly over-powering. Jones and Scott finally seem to be warming up as does Reynolds but no one on the team is hitting with an OPS over .800 right now.

Wieters continues to show very little power, and that is a concern. He is SLG at a .216 rate and that simply won't do. Matt showed little real power in spring training and the longer this drought goes on the more of a concern it will be. At the same time the young catcher has been masterful behind the plate calling great games and playing great defense.

Zach Britton has been ridiculously good. There is no other way to say it. You worry about what he will look like as the league starts to adjust to him but for right now Britton simply tore through the Rays and Rangers' lineups, he certainly is making the most of his early call-up though no one is denying that he deserved to be here. Britton wasn't held down due to his talent, effort or production; he was held down due to contract and free agency planning nothing more, nothing less.

We all knew he was good, but this good? Simply amazing.

I think the one thing you can point to in the early season to see the real improvement of the 2011 Orioles is the depth that has stepped up so far. The Orioles have been bit by the injury bug early. Brian Matusz, Luke Scott, JJ Hardy, and Jeremy Guthrie have all missed time with injuries. We are used to seeing key Orioles go down with seemingly fluky injuries but what we aren't used to are the backups and callups responding and the Orioles still winning games.

Frankly, I'm not used to it. For the last seven years, on various forums and blogs, I have been writing about struggling teams and staying optimistic. This Orioles team, its really throwing me for a loop - but I will gladly take it.

In other news and views...

The best thing that could have happened to the Rays this year was Manny Ramirez retiring. I said in the Winter that the Manny sigining reeked of desperation and would end in tears. It turns out I was right, but I didn't expect this. I just expected him to suck and sulk not necessarily in that order. The Rays need to stick with what works and that is their young, talent-flush system. Sitting at 1-7 and in the shadow of Manny the Rays may end up being sellers sooner than later. The first man on the block would probably be James Shields.

The Red Sox stink. Man that feels good to say. I am a huge fan of situations where giants fall. The Red Sox were anointed by everyone and their cousin as the team to beat in the AL East but the longer they struggle the more wide open this division becomes. Looking at the standings today and seeing both the Rays and the Sox sitting at 1-7 it fills one with equal parts bewilderment and excitement. You don't want to get too excited because it is April after all and every Orioles fan knows how fast things may fall apart but still it is a downright mouth-watering prospect seeing the Orioles in first place.

Coming up...

The Orioles go for their third series win to start the season this afternoon. Jeremy Guthrie returning from hospitalization due to a minor case of pneumonia will try to build off his masterful start against Tampa to start the year. Guts and the Orioles will be going up against Texas left-hander Derek Holland. Holland pitched six solid innings in his win against the Mariners earlier this month building off of a serviceable Summer in 2010.

After an off day tomorrow the Orioles will get their next big test will come Tuesday when they open up a three game series in the Bronx.

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Due to the rainout yesterday, the Orioles will play in a doubleheader today against the Texas Rangers.

The Orioles are 5-1 right now, flying high in the American League East and with their confidence high; however, the team is dealing with injuries heading into the weekend.

Aside from the pitching, the biggest issue that with the Orioles would have to deal with during the season is the health of their players.

Now that issue is sort of rearing its ugly head.

We know that Justin Duchscherer – will he ever pitch? – is hurt, so is Brian Matusz; however, J.J. Hardy was pulled out Thursday’s game and Brian Roberts didn’t suit up Friday because of a stomach issue.

Plus, Guthrie was in the hospital and is trying to recover from pneumonia. He looks to be fine now, but may not pitch this weekend as he is still on the mend.

Obviously, players get hurt every year and we as fans have seen what it can do to a team. Look at how the Orioles started last year.

Now, it looks as if Roberts will be fine and may play this weekend. Let’s hope nothing much else happens.

This weekend will be a challenge for the two young arms in the rotation – Zach Britton and Jake Arrieta – as they face the league champions. Hopefully they won’t get frazzled and show the same mettle that they had in their first two starts.

If the Orioles can somehow, take two out of three – or better yet, sweep the Rangers – they’ll have a lot of momentum heading into Yankee Stadium next week to face the Bronx Bombers.

Finally, I do want to speak briefly about Manny Ramirez. As we all know, he has told Major League Baseball that he is retiring more than likely due to failing a drug test again. That’s crazy.

Then again, he would have faced a 100-game suspension.

Ramirez was a threat to the opposition each and every time he stepped up the plate, plus had one of the most fluid swings I have ever seen from a player.

That being said, Ramirez completely bastardized his profession and the sport of baseball.

I’m sure his antics over the years would have been less tolerated if he were let’s say – a utility guy.

Some fans loved and it was kind of cute for a while; however, at the end of the day, Ramirez was a professional and he damn sure didn’t act like one from time to the time.

The only thing I’m concluding is that the guy made his money, won two rings and tried to cheat father time.

Ramirez got caught.

I don’t know whether if he’s just stupid or whatever. However, I don’t think he really cares.

The Rays must be shaking their heads right now.

So strange...