(Photo credit: David Richard-Imagn Images)

As poor as the Baltimore Orioles have played of late, things are much worse for the Kansas City Royals.

The visiting Orioles can avoid a sixth defeat in seven games by extending the Royals' losing streak to eight in a row on Monday night in the opener of a three-game set.

Baltimore won six of seven from April 6-13 but is 1-5 since then. The Orioles have totaled 22 runs in the last six contests and just dropped three of four at Cleveland, where they batted .157, went 5-for-26 with runners in scoring position and struck out 48 times.

'We all need to, I guess, look in the mirror and really examine what we did out there ... and just try to make adjustments,' Orioles outfielder Taylor Ward, who clubbed a three-run homer in Sunday's 8-4 loss to the Guardians, told The Baltimore Sun.

'This is a great ballclub, and we've just got to find it from within right now and get back on the horse.'

Baltimore has been hit by injuries to key contributors Adley Rutschman (left ankle inflammation) and Tyler O'Neill (concussion), who could possibly return this week. Infielder Jackson Holliday (right wrist soreness) has yet to play this season but is on a rehab assignment.

Even with the long ball Sunday, Ward is 7-for-36 in the last nine games. Meanwhile, star teammate Pete Alonso is 4-for-21 with eight strikeouts in the last six.

Alonso has never faced former New York Mets teammate and scheduled Royals starter Seth Lugo (1-1, 1.48 ERA), but Ward is 0-for-7 against him.

Lugo, 1-1 with a 2.93 ERA in two four career appearances (two starts) versus Baltimore, has been among the few bright spots for Kansas City this season. The 36-year-old has allowed just four earned runs, 18 hits and six walks over 24 1/3 innings of his first four starts.

'Working quick and filling up the zone is going to help me do what I want to do out there,' Lugo said.

However, the right-hander has received one run of support in his last two starts. Last Wednesday, he yielded a run and struck out seven without a walk in 6 2/3 innings of Kansas City's 2-1 loss at Detroit.

The Royals won three of their first five in 2026 but have just four victories since then. They've been outscored 44-22 during a seven-game losing streak that's their longest since 2024.

Kansas City totaled 17 runs, batted .208 and fanned 51 times, while also posting a 6.66 ERA, walking 33 and yielding 11 homers, during an 0-6 trip at Detroit and the New York Yankees.

'Everybody is frustrated. Nobody wants to have a start like this,' Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. 'We've got to play better on the field. That's where you're measured in the big leagues.'

Despite Kansas City's struggles, star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is 6-for-15 with three doubles in the last four contests. He's a career .311 hitter with five homers versus Baltimore.

However, fellow All-Star infielder Maikel Garcia is 3-for-28 in the last seven games.

Making his first appearance versus Kansas City, scheduled Orioles starter Kyle Bradish (1-2, 5.49) has alternated solid and less-than-stellar starts among his four in 2026.

After giving up three runs (two earned) in five innings of a 5-3 win at the Chicago White Sox on April 8, the right-hander allowed four runs and eight hits in six innings of an 8-5, 10-inning home loss to Arizona from Wednesday.

--Field Level Media