The Baltimore Orioles have made it past the trade deadline and look to use this series win against the Blue Jays as fuel as the playoffs draw close.
The O’s won three out of the four games by a margin of four or more with a statement 11-5 victory Friday afternoon.
The bats seem to have woken up but at the cost of major defensive miscues. Shortstop Gunnar Henderson looked rattled on defense in the series. He picked up two errors in Wednesday afternoon’s 10-4 victory which puts his total at 18 on the season.
This series also saw the introduction of a couple of new faces due to trades and the return of Jackson Holliday.
Are They Enough?
After Mike Elias eluded the Orioles would be active in the trade market some of the moves left Birland fans confused.
The O’s acquired two starting pitchers in Zach Eflin and Trevor Rogers, two bullpen arms in Seranthony Dominguez and Gregory Soto, and a multitude of outfielders headlined by Eloy Jimenez.
These moves are puzzling because fan-favorite Austin Hays was traded away as well as fan-beloved prospects Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers.
It is puzzling because Rogers has posted an ERA+ of 96 which is below the league average and Jiménez has posted an OPS+ of 81 on the year.
Eflin the other big trade acquisition is not going to shake up the room but he will be reliable.
It was great seeing the front office making the additions but, are these additions going to push the Orioles to be World Series favorites?
Welcome Back, Kid!
Even with the confusing trade deadline, a big takeaway is that Jackson Holliday will be manning second base going forward. With Jorge Mateo hitting the 60-day IL and Norby being traded Holiday took complete advantage of the opportunity. Holliday’s first hit back on the main roster was a no-doubt grand slam onto Eutaw Street. This was Holliday’s third hit in his MLB career and it will be a big boost for his confidence moving forward.
On to August
After posting a record of 12-13 in July, the Orioles can now focus on their path to the World Series. They are still first in the AL East with a half-game lead ahead of the New York Yankees.
The Orioles’ upcoming series against the Cleveland Guardians will be a battle for the top seed in the American League. The O’s are one game behind the Guardians and a series win will overtake the top seed in the AL.
This battle of two heavyweights with similar baseball philosophies will be on the entire AL’s radar because a series win in either team’s favor can shift the AL East and AL Central standings.
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