Who needed a day off more than the Baltimore Orioles? Perhaps the rest of baseball. MLB’s worst team by record sat Monday after being swept for the second time this season by the Toronto Blue Jays, the team who many thought would finish behind the O’s in the standings for the first time since 2004. Instead two months into the season, the Jays are 14.5 games ahead. It’s not looking too good for the fortune-telling community.

Baltimore is now the proud owner of another five-game losing streak. It goes along with their nine-gamer that began with their home opener loss and another five losses in a row that were separated by a lone victory. They now have back-to-back 18-loss months. Many believe the talented Tampa Bay Rays are playing above their heads by winning two out of every three games. Is it possible the Orioles are playing way below theirs, having lost more than two out of every three?

The Orioles pitching staff does not have one member - starter or reliever - who has more wins than losses. They have a team ERA of 4.65 and average less than six strikeouts per nine innings. On offense, they’ve only hit 44 home runs; 13 of which belong to Ty Wigginton. Only two starters, Wigginton and Nick Markakis have an OBP better than .329 and have scored an AL-worst 175 runs, despite having a better team batting average than five others, including those juggernaut Jays.

Up next for Baltimore: a three-game set against the World Champion New York Yankees; in Yankee Stadium no less. There’s little hope for a playoff run from the O’s this season, and it’s only Memorial Day. Yet MLB still refuses to admit there may be a problem with the power structure in the American League East. Oh well. At least we had one day without having to witness to the futile efforts of the orange birds from Baltimore.