Such is the Orioles’ lot that even as they grasp for an identity over the final month of a peerlessly bad season to carry forward into their open-ended rebuild, they traveled to Kansas City to face a Royals team only a handful of games better in the standings but worlds ahead of them in the rebuild they’re trying to execute.
These Orioles have spent the past six weeks, a span that began with the trade of star Manny Machado and stretched on to see the departures of relievers Zach Britton and Brad Brach plus 2012 first-round pick Kevin Gausman and reigning Most Valuable Oriole Jonathan Schoop, fashioning themselves as a team of opportunity built on speed and defense.