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The Baltimore Orioles are getting closer and closer to wrapping up the AL East. With their 5-1 win over the Chicago White Sox Tuesday night, combined with the Toronto Blue Jays’ win today, the Orioles are 8.5 games up on both the Jays and the New York Yankees, which is the highest division lead in all of Baseball. The remaining schedule is favorable for the Birds to win the East for the first time since 1997. They are 20 games above .500 for the first time since 2012, and have plenty of chances to improve that mark, starting with the chance of a sweep tonight against the White Sox.
Of the 38 games remaining for the O’s, including tonight’s finale with the White Sox, 26 of them are against the AL East, which gives plenty of time for things to change. However, the Orioles have been in complete charge of their Division this year, going 30-19 against those teams. In fact, the Orioles are a combined 15-9 against the second and third place teams, the Yankees and Blue Jays.
The first AL East opponent they will face from now to the end of the year is the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays got rid of their ace and former Cy Young winner David Price, which left their rotation with Alex Cobb leading the way. Although Price was the best pitcher in the league two years ago, the O’s had success against him since then, holding Price to a 1-1 mark with a 4.67 ERA. The Orioles are 8-4 against the Rays on the season including winning the first five against them this year. The Rays always have good pitching, but it will look different without Price in the mix for the Orioles.
Speaking of pitching, the Boston Red Sox have undergone major changes in their rotation. Their ace, Jon Lester, was also traded away. The Oakland Athletics gave up Yoenis Cespedes in order to get Lester. Not long after that, John Lackey was traded away to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for pitcher Joe Kelly and outfielder Allan Craig. So, the Sox bolstered their outfield with Cespedes and Craig, but have left a big hole in the rotation by giving up Lester and Lackey. On the year, the O’s are only 7-6 against the Sox, but without their two best Pitchers, the Birds should be able to finish them off without trouble.
The New York Yankees have been the owners of the Orioles for quite some time. This year, however, things may be very different. The Orioles have yet to drop a series against the Yankees this year, and with two wins out of their final eight meetings, the Birds could win the season series against the Bronx Bombers for the first time since 1997, which is the last time the O’s won the East. The O’s are 8-3 against them on the year, and with two four-game sets against them left, it may be difficult to keep their undefeated series record against them, but with a 2-2 series-tie in one of them, they could win the season series.
The toughest team the Orioles face in the division is the Blue Jays. The O’s struggled early against the Jays, losing three of the first four games, but have since become much better and have gone 6-3 since then. With Edwin Encarnacion in the lineup, the Jays are a very dangerous team. The Orioles’ pitching staff will have to contain the damage that both Edwin and Jose Bautista are capable of doing. They combine for 50 home runs, and, mixed with the Birds giving up the eighth most home runs, it could be a tough hurdle. The Orioles are 7-6 against the Jays on the season, so, with a little help, the remaining six-games left against Toronto, things could be get a little nerve wracking.
The Orioles have made it this far because of their ability to hit the long ball. Unlike this year, it is not all because of slugger Chris Davis. In fact, the Orioles are one of only three teams in the majors (Rockies and Tigers) to have at least seven-players hit at leas t10 home runs. Of those players, Steven Pearce and Jonathan Schoop, who have 12-long balls each, are not even everyday players. On top of that, Davis and Third Baseman Manny Machado, who have combined for 33 Homers, missed time due to injuries and/or suspensions. Machado is currently on the 15-day Disabled List with a knee sprain, but the team expects him to be back in lineup as soon as he is eligible. As long as that stays true, there should not be much of a worry there. Even with Chris Davis struggling this year and batting a horrid .194, he is still delivering for the team. Of his last six-hits, he has produced six-RBIs and is third on the team with Home Runs with 21.
The Orioles’ pitching has been quietly becoming on of the better staffs in the league. The rotation seems to be set with the announcement of Ubaldo Jimenez being moved to the Bullpen. Although you would not seem to think $50 million would be a Pen-pitcher, the O’s rotation has been saved by young stud Kevin Gausman. The pitching staff is in the middle of the pack with a 3.61 ERA, with Jimenez being the major outlier with his 4.83 ERA.Also, with the seemingly back-to-normal Chris Tillman, the Orioles rotation seems to be determined to make some noise in the Playoffs.
From looking at all of the above, the Orioles are in perfect position to take the AL East and head into the Playoffs for the second time in three-years. Their remaining record consists of teams with a combined record of 415-459. Only two of those teams have above .500 records, the Yankees and Blue Jays. It is almost time for the Baltimore fans to start counting down the days until the Orioles secure the AL East Crown, and with what is left for the Birds, it may not take too much longer.
A.J. Risser is a writer for Couch Rider Report. You should follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
