A soft upcoming schedule gives the O’s a chance to get on a roll and make a move in the division race.
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
So far the Orioles have done what you’d have hoped against two of the worst teams in baseball the last few days, winning three of four against the Rockies and White Sox, with two games against the woeful Pale Hose still to come. In yesterday’s contest the White Sox looked every bit as bad as their now 31-108 record would suggest, with their truly dreadful pitching and punchless offense allowing the Orioles to quickly erase a 2-0 deficit and pile up a 13-run blowout. Check out my game recap for all the lovely details.
Playing against the also-rans of the league can make any team look good, so it’s not as if the Orioles have cured everything that ails them, but every win matters at this point. The Yankees won in Texas later in the evening, so the Birds are still half a game behind New York for the AL East lead. The O’s remained four games ahead of the victorious Twins for the top wild card spot, and increased their lead to five games over the Royals, who suffered their sixth straight loss. And the Orioles are 9.5 games ahead of the first non-playoff team, the Red Sox, who also lost last night. The Birds are moving ever so closer to clinching their second straight postseason berth.
For now, the Orioles need to continue taking advantage of the soft patch in their schedule. They have a chance tonight to do something they haven’t done in the entire second half: win three games in a row. That speaks volumes about how erratic their post All-Star break play has been. There’s no time like the present to finally get into a groove.
After wrapping up their series with Chicago tomorrow, the Birds will face another sub-.500 club in the Rays, a team the O’s have already beaten in eight of 10 games this season. After that it’s a six-game road trip to face the Red Sox and Tigers, both of whom are on the outside of the playoff race looking in, and then six at home against the Giants (another losing club) and the Tigers again.
By the end of that stretch, the O’s almost certainly will have punched their ticket to October, but the division race could still be very much up for grabs. Every game counts. Rack up the wins whenever you can get them and see how it all shakes out in the end.
Links
Slow start, fast finish: O’s whip White Sox, 13-3 in series opener (updated) – Steve Melewski
For a game that ended as a 13-3 win, you should have seen the panicked comments from O’s fans on social media around the first or second inning. Actually, no, you shouldn’t have.
Gunnar Henderson ties Orioles’ record for shortstop homers in season
Gunnar joined some elite company with his latest home run. Don’t let his recent slump blind you to the fact that O’s fans are incredibly lucky to have this guy on their favorite team.
What’s wrong with Orioles’ Corbin Burnes? ‘Not stuff-related’ – The Baltimore Sun
Brandon Hyde says that whatever’s going on with Burnes, it’s not because of his stuff. I don’t know if I should be more or less encouraged by that fact.
Here’s how September sets up for the Orioles and their playoff push – The Baltimore Banner
Good news: Heston Kjerstad is reportedly set to begin a rehab assignment next week and could be back with the Orioles before the season ends. I certainly wouldn’t mind having that power bat as an option for the postseason roster.
How effective are Orioles’ batting orders? / MAILBAG – BaltimoreBaseball.com
I’ve seen fans complain that Brandon Hyde changes his lineup too much, and now this commenter wondering why he doesn’t change his lineup more often. There’s no pleasing everyone, I suppose.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Four ex-Orioles were born on this day: left-hander Troy Patton (39), infielder Rene Gonzales (64), and two 1950s-era Orioles, lefty Morrie Martin (b. 1922, d. 2010) and righty Sandy Consuegra (b. 1920, d. 2005).
On this date in 1961, Orioles starter Steve Barber pitched an 11-inning shutout to beat Cleveland, 1-0, in a walkoff win at Memorial Stadium. The lefty scattered five hits and a walk during his dominant outing, and while Cleveland starter Gary Bell tossed 10 scoreless innings of his own, the O’s struck against the bullpen in the 11th on two walks and a Ron Hansen game-winning single.
In 1979, O’s southpaw Mike Flanagan became MLB’s first 20-game winner of the season, defeating the Blue Jays, 5-1, to complete a doubleheader sweep in Baltimore. Flanagan threw his 15th complete game of the year, giving up just one run, on his way to winning the AL Cy Young award.
And on this day in 2002, the Orioles nearly got no-hit, despite the opposing starter getting ejected after two pitches. The Rangers’ Aaron Myette, after throwing two pitches up and in on leadoff man Melvin Mora, got tossed from the game. Todd Van Poppel replaced him and pitched two hitless innings, and then rookie Joaquin Benoit carried the no-hitter for an additional six innings. Finally, Jerry Hairston Jr. led off the ninth with a triple for the Orioles’ first and only hit. Weirdly, Van Poppel was credited with the win and Benoit with a seven-inning save.