Did the Home Run Derby hurt Henderson? / MAILBAG

Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.

Question: Is Gunnar Henderson’s slump possibly caused by the All-Star Game Home Run Derby “curse?” Some posts on the internet make the argument that taking so many big swings in a row can mess with a hitter’s timing, or cause fatigue, or even cause injury. From: Rusty Wallace, Annapolis

Answer: Rusty, you’re correct that Henderson hasn’t homered in the six games since the Home Run Derby, but I don’t think there’s a curse, or a connection. Bobby Witt Jr., who came in second in the Derby, was named the American League Player of the Week, and has five three-hit games, including two home runs since then.

Teoscar Hernández, who won the Home Run Derby, also has homered twice since then.

Question: It seems the Orioles don’t play well against teams that are well under .500. Is that true? From: Bob Stier

Answer: Bob, here are the Orioles’ records against teams currently under .500. They’re 0-3 against the Cubs, 4-0 against the White Sox, 3-0 against the Reds, 4-2 against the Angels, 1-2 against the Marlins, 3-3 against the Athletics, 5-2 against the Rangers, 1-1 against the Nationals, and 3-3 against the Blue Jays.

That would make them 24-16 (.600) against sub. 500 teams and 37-25 (.597) against teams over .500. Overall, they’re playing about the same regardless of the record.