After a perfect homestand, the Orioles head to Wrigley Field looking for their ninth straight win and a return to .500.
A .500 winning percentage. On its own, it’s not a particularly special achievement. A team that goes .500 is, by definition, just average, equally as bad as they are good (and vice versa). Nobody throws a parade for a .500 record. A .500 record, except in rare circumstances, isn’t getting you to the playoffs.
For the Orioles, though, .500 is a thrilling number. Reaching that .500 threshold would be a momentous achievement for a team that hasn’t even sniffed being modestly decent in half a decade. The Orioles haven’t finished a season at .500 or better since 2016. They haven’t been .500 this late into a season since 2017. Last year, the Orioles last saw the .500 mark on April 10, their eighth game of the season, when they were 4-4.
So, yes, reaching the .500 mark — which the Orioles would do with a win tonight at Wrigley Field — would be extremely meaningful for the O’s and their fans. Extending their winning streak to nine games would be a heck of a thing, too. Let’s find out if the Orioles’ scalding hot play from their 7-0 homestand will continue on the road.
Orioles lineup:
1. CF Cedric Mullins
2. DH Trey Mancini
3. LF Anthony Santander
4. 1B Ryan Mountcastle
5. RF Austin Hays
6. C Adley Rutschman
7. 3B Ramon Urias
8. 2B Rougned Odor
9. SS Jorge Mateo
RHP Jordan Lyles