Orioles Still Perfectly Awful; They’re 0-18

Now it’s on to the Metrodome for the Baltimore Orioles. At least the sky can’t fall on them there, although the roof has already caved in.

The Orioles dropped to 0-18 Sunday and stumbled closer to the worst losing streak in history, losing to Bret Saberhagen and the Kansas City Royals, 3-1.

“I didn’t want to be the first one to lose to these guys,” Saberhagen said. “I dreamt about that last night.”

The Orioles left the Show-Me State after showing why they haven’t won a game this season.

“We can’t hit, we can’t pitch and we can’t field,” Manager Frank Robinson said.

The vagabond Orioles open a three-game series Tuesday night in Minnesota. The Twins, whose 61-25 record at the Metrodome last year was the best home mark in baseball, will start Frank Viola and Bert Blyleven in the first two meetings.

“Maybe the off-day tomorrow will help us. At least we can’t lose,” Robinson said. “We’ll probably play an intrasquad game and wind up in a 0-0 tie.”

The Orioles have been shut out or scored only one run 10 times. Saberhagen gave up six hits, including Cal Ripken’s home run in the ninth.

“Not to take anything away from Saberhagen, but everybody is pitching well against us now,” Robinson said.

If there was a bright spot, it was Ripken going 3 for 4 with a homer and double. He is still batting just .177.

“It’s not fun,” Ripken said. “It’s not easy.”

At least Ripken is not in danger of losing his job. Robinson and General Manager Rollie Hemond are considering several roster moves almost immediately.

“No, you shouldn’t be surprised to see some new faces here Tuesday,” Robinson said.

Hemond, who had not originally planned to accompany the team on its 12-game trip, admitted he is losing his patience with the current crop of Orioles.

“We have to make changes,” Hemond said. “We’ve reached that point.”

The Orioles’ slide is the longest in the majors since Detroit dropped 19 straight in 1975 and tied the fifth-longest in American League history.

The modern major league mark is 23, set by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1961, and the AL record is 20, done three times.

Mark Thurmond (0-4), winless in the majors since Aug. 26, 1986, kept the Orioles in a scoreless game until Kurt Stillwell hit a solo home run in the fifth inning. Stillwell, the ninth-place batter, singled home the winning run in the ninth inning Saturday in Kansas City’s 4-3 victory.

Danny Tartabull hit a two-run homer in the sixth, and Thurmond left later in the inning. Baltimore starters began the game 0-15 with a 7.12 earned-run average.