“I know we are not winning, but we want to play the good teams right now. Play the good teams, and our pitchers are going to be more ready and our bats aren’t going to go away,” Miguel Tejada told the media today.

The Orioles begin probably the toughest stretch of their schedule with nine straight against the Yankees and Red Sox, but Tejada says bring it on.

“When we beat the good teams, when we beat the Red Sox and Yankees, our attitude is going to be much better.”

Despite starting a first baseman that has played two major league games, receiving the news that your lead off hitter still isn’t ready for baseball activities and hearing that their closer is almost ready for his throwing program in Sarasota, the Orioles are as ready as they’ll ever be to face the defending World Champs.

They brought up Alfredo Simon for some relief in the bullpen and sent down Kam Mickolio and Koji Uehara is throwing at Bowie this week in hopes of a return to Baltimore.

This certainly isn’t how the O’s planned to face this stretch of their schedule, but if that bats stay alive as they did in Boston, they should put on a show at Camden Yards.

The Baltimore bats scored 16 runs in three games, hit .250 with runners in scoring position (as opposed to .083 in Seattle) and hit .331 as a team. Can the O’s turn this season around with wins against the best team in baseball?

Bring on the Yankees.