The Orioles keep circling the break-even point, but they still haven’t been able to land there. After another push that briefly put them in the third and final wild-card spot, Baltimore is right back in the familiar spot of trying to claw its way to .500 for the first time since April 30, when it beat Houston in the first game of a doubleheader and sat at 15-15.
That latest surge came during a four-game set with the Rays, when the Orioles won the first three and temporarily jumped into playoff position. But a 7-6 loss to Tampa Bay knocked them back out of that spot and stopped them from getting within one game of even. It also left them tied with Texas and Detroit in the standings.
Baltimore’s road trip ended at 5-5 after losses in two of three at both Texas and Minnesota, followed by the three wins over Tampa Bay. Now comes a stretch that could say a lot about where this team is headed. The Orioles are in the middle of a 10-game run against the Rays and Yankees, with three games in New York starting Tuesday and Tampa Bay coming in on Friday.
The math around the wild-card race is already messy, and the Orioles are living in the middle of it. Texas currently holds the last berth despite the same 61-64 record as Baltimore, thanks to winning four of six against the Orioles this season.
Detroit gives Baltimore the tiebreaker edge. Minnesota would force an intra-division tiebreaker if the two teams finished even, and they split their six games.
Cleveland and Toronto still remain on the schedule. Seattle would win the tiebreaker over Baltimore if those clubs ended level, after taking four of seven meetings.
Sunday’s loss also exposed a familiar problem. With a 6-4 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Orioles were positioned to finish off a four-game sweep.
Instead, Yennier Cano had another rough outing. He struggled badly on Friday as well, allowing three runs on three hits and a walk while recording two outs in a game Baltimore still escaped with a 6-5 win.
Then, after Cam Sanders worked two clean innings in relief of Brandon Young, Cano gave up three more runs on three hits without getting an out, and his ERA jumped from 1.99 to 3.27.
Cano received a two-year extension just before the trade deadline, and with the club lacking an experienced closer, those last two appearances have been a tough look at a critical moment.
There have been bright spots since the All-Star break, though, and some of the newer faces have helped keep the offense moving. Sanders has given up two runs on five hits in 8 1/3 innings and has converted three straight save chances.
He came up just after the All-Star break, then went back to Triple-A Norfolk after retiring all five hitters he faced in Houston. Since returning, Craig Albernaz has trusted him in high-leverage spots, and Sanders has delivered.
He’s set to pitch at home for the first time.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand has also made an immediate impact after Blaze Alexander fractured his left hand when he was hit by a pitch on July 12. Alexander had been rolling, batting .312 with an .807 OPS, and there’s at least a chance he could be back near the end of the month or on September 1, when the Orioles can add another position player.
In the meantime, Encarnacion-Strand has brought power. He homered Monday, finished with three hits and four RBIs, and is now hitting .272 with an .853 OPS.
He has six home runs and 22 RBIs in 24 games.
Christian Franklin has added some life too. Starting in center field, he went 2-for-2 with a stolen base. Franklin didn’t appear in the majors until August 4, the day after Baltimore acquired him from Washington, and he’s 4-for-20 (.200) so far while showing plenty of energy.
Coby Mayo delivered the loudest swing of the day, crushing the Orioles’ longest home run of the season at 468 feet in the second inning. Mayo was at first base with Pete Alonso serving as the designated hitter, and he also doubled. His season line sits at .213 with a .712 OPS, but he’s been much better in August at .279 with an .869 OPS.
Alonso, who was named the American League’s Player of the Week, added his 28th home run in the fifth.
The schedule after this next six-game test is still demanding, but it does offer a chance to regroup. Once the Orioles finish with Tampa Bay and New York, they head out for three-game series in St.
Louis, against the Athletics and in Colorado. When they return from Coors Field on September 3, 13 of their final 22 games will be at home.
That stretch includes a four-game series with Boston, three games each against Cleveland, Milwaukee and Toronto, plus road series of three games each at Toronto, the Mets and Yankees. Baltimore’s final regular-season game is set for September 27 at Yankee Stadium.
Even the farm system is getting attention. MLB.com has the Orioles ranked seventh in baseball, up from 13th during spring training.
Two years ago, they were ranked third. FanGraphs has them second, and Baseball America places them fifth.
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There are signs that help is indeed getting closer. Chris Bassitt is back in the mix, and the Orioles have several injured pieces either returning or nearing a return as the homestand continues, giving the front office and clubhouse something tangible to lean on while the standings remain tight. For a team that does not need to pull away so much as stay attached, the next few days could matter almost as much as the last week did. [Read more 🡒]