I sometimes exhibit bad behavior toward the Orioles when I see them chasing breaking balls, making errors or grooving pitches. My criticism can be harsh, something I might have learned from my grandfather, who inspired my interest in baseball and once came to one of my games only to watch me flail at curveballs. He didn’t react the way he would have if it had been one of the Orioles.

One of the players I’ve been hard on is 24-year-old third baseman Coby Mayo. His immense talent fuels my frustration, just as it does for shortstop Gunnar Henderson. When the fan in me breaks out, I realize my appreciation for the player is conditional; my wife, Barb, is just the opposite, staying positive no matter what.

Fin has me examining my behavior. He’s a Golden Retriever who belongs to Mayo. His love for his owner is unconditional, and that’s just what Mayo and maybe all of us need after a hard day at work. The difference for Mayo is that everyone sees what he does at work, and a number of us could learn from Fin.

Mayo wasn’t supposed to start Monday night’s game against the Yankees. He was failing on offense and defense and had learned that second baseman Jackson Holliday was playing third in his rehab stint. Even Fin could figure out what the Orioles were doing with regular third baseman Jordan Westburg probably lost for the season because of a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

However, on Sunday, catcher Samuel Basallo had taken a big hit at home plate while tagging out the Athletics’ Carlos Cortes to preserve a 2-1 win and had knee discomfort on Monday. About an hour before the game, manager Craig Albernaz told Mayo he would be the designated hitter; he hadn’t taken a swing all day before then.

But he had the big swing on Monday, a three-run, game-winning home run to lead the Orioles to a 3-2 victory over the Yankees, the team that had swept them in embarrassing fashion the weekend before. And Mayo had two more hits in Wednesday’s 7-0 rout of the Yankees, including a second-inning double that gave the Orioles a lead they wouldn’t relinquish behind a stellar start by Kyle Bradish.

Mayo acknowledged his struggles after Monday’s game, just as he acknowledged his throwing error that cost the Orioles the game against the Marlins on May 7th. What he shared about the need for support after Monday’s game made me think that maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks. Maybe.

“Family, got to rely on my girlfriend, my dog,” Mayo said about Fin. “The dog doesn’t know I made an error. He doesn’t know I struck out four straight at-bats or whatever it was. This game does a lot to the mentals and can have a lot on our minds going to sleep at night, putting our heads on the pillow.

“As much as guys want to flush it, sometimes it’s tough to when you leave the field. So I think sometimes you need the people in your corner. My dog loves me, so it doesn’t matter what happens. He’s always going to be there for me, too.”

After winning two of three from the Yankees and three of four overall, it’s easier to love the Orioles, or at least to feel as if this collection of talent might start to play better. “That group is really talented,” Albernaz said when the Orioles fell to 15-18. “I feel like we should not be three games below .500, and that’s on me. I gotta do a better job of leading these guys and getting the most out of them.”

The Orioles will take a 20-24 record to Washington to play the Nationals in a weekend series, but back-to-back strong starts by Bradish is encouraging, especially as Trevor Rogers continues to scuffle. They need more from Shane Baz and the other starting pitchers, and they need more from Henderson if the offense is going to get in gear.

The Orioles were impressive on Wednesday, getting contributions from a number of players, including Mayo. There was little to criticize or to get worked up about. It wasn’t a fair litmus test to determine whether I’ll be on better behavior if they fall back again.

There’s no doubt, though, that Fin’s behavior didn’t change because of the outcome. That unconditional love should teach us something.