There may not be must-win series in May in MLB and the Orioles might already be beyond the point where an individual series is going to save the course of their season.But if they can’t muster anything at home, coming off an embarrassing sweep at Tampa, facing a Tigers outfit that has lost 14 times in the last 16 games and has even more key players on the Injured List than Baltimore, then even the most ardent O’s believer would be forgiven for wanting to turn the page to 2027 and praying there’s a new front office in place by then.This 21-29 team deserves no excuses, though its top baseball executive is fond of making them when he opens his month about once a month, and failing to take two-of-three from an opponent that is in even worse shape than them right now would render the next eight weeks fodder for how deep they should gut this roster ahead of the trade deadline. Here are some keys to a series in which, believe it or not, the Orioles will be favored in a few games. Pitch Around Riley GreeneThe Tigers are 29th in MLB averaging 3.9 runs per game. They’ve lost six straight games and failed to scored over two runs in five of those games and managed three runs in the other. They have scored more than three runs once in the last 10 games and scored three runs or less in 12 of their last 14 games; they scored four runs in those other two defeats.Riley Greene is doing everything he possibly can – although even he isn’t hitting homers or driving in enough runs (because almost no one else is getting on base). Greene has a monster .333/.430/.486 line, and rookie Kevin McGonigle is getting on base nearly 40% of the time, but that’s about it. Only two Tigers have hit even five home runs – Dillon Dingler and Spencer Torkelson – and their rut has shown no signs of breaking.If the Orioles let their bats get going here, shame on them.Flatten FlahertyThe Orioles are absolutely horrible against some of the worst starting pitchers in MLB. The list of starters who have had their best outing of the season against them is long. It cannot get longer Friday night. Ex-Oriole Jack Flaherty has been pummeled all season, he was on of Elias’s epic trade deadline failures back in 2023, and he has nothing going for him now.He is walking a ton (9th percentile) and getting no chase (11th percentile) and his breaking balls are so poor (2nd percentile in run value) that he almost has to throw his fastball – which has no movement and is also getting crushed. All the Orioles can do is hit fastballs. He has a 33% ground ball rate; everything is being barreled and lifted. If they manage to put the ball in play and don’t try to hit everything over the fence – big ask, I know – there is an opportunity to do damage vs a starter who is 0-5 with a 5.77 ERA. Of course, Chris Bassitt in on the mound for Baltimore, so he might be just what the Tigers lineup needs, too.The Best Players Play All Three DaysElias is a fool when it comes to deploying assets. That’s in constructing a roster where the pieces fit and compliment one another, and in putting together a lineup that makes sense. It’s go time. Adley Rutschman can play all three of these games after another off day Thursday. Sam Basallo needs to play every game, including Saturday where make-believe Orioles free-agent target Framber Valdez starts. Doesn’t matter that he’s a lefty.Former MLB executive Jim Duquette made these points repeatedly on “The Daily Flock” this week and I could not agree more. Basallo is having some of their best at bats with men on base and Rutschman’s switch hitting bat is cooling off, but desperately needed.Leody Taveras, the only centerfielder on the roster, need to be there all three days. And if Elias had any guts or accountability, these other outfield transactions would take place before first pitch – HYPER.Subscribe On YouTube For The Best Orioles Coverage:Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow