BALTIMORE — The song “It Never Rains in Southern California” was first released Oct. 21, 1972, one year and four days after the Baltimore Orioles lost Game 7 in the World Series to Pittsburgh.
Baltimore certainly hopes that title rings true as it begins a series on Friday in Los Angeles against the Angels. The Orioles, who ended their homestand Thursday afternoon with a 7-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners, have been rained out four times so far this year.
It was a rainy and damp Tuesday and Wednesday as the Orioles began their three-game series with Seattle, which is also no stranger to precipitation in the Pacific Northwest. But Thursday was played with no hint of rain in Baltimore.
The road trip includes games in three different time zones for the Orioles, who will also play in Houston and Cleveland before coming home May 30 to face the Boston Red Sox.
“You would rather stay out there,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “Everyone has a tale of woe. It isn’t like we are going out there on a school bus.”
It will be the first of a rare three West Coast road trips for the Orioles this year. Baltimore begins a series in San Diego on June 28 and continues to Seattle and Los Angeles (Dodgers).
Then in August, the Orioles have a trip to Chicago, Oakland and San Francisco.
On Friday, the Angels are slated to start lefty Hector Santiago, who is 3-2 with an ERA of 3.42 this year. The Orioles have three players who have homers off Santiago: Chris Davis, Nolan Reimold and Adam Jones.
The Orioles had a three-city road trip last August to Oakland, Los Angeles and Seattle and were 3-6 overall on the tour. On that west coast swing, Baltimore went 1-2 against all three teams.
“Tough places,” Showalter said of the three-city trip this month. “We get on the plane (now) and fly six hours.”