The Orioles have a lot at stake as they begin a three-game series at Yankee Stadium. But not quite what we expected.
A few weeks ago, most fans thought this three-game series could decide the race for the AL East, as the O’s and Yanks have been battling for the top spot in the division for most of the season. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. The Yankees’ recent winning streak and the Orioles’ ongoing slide have given the Yanks an unassailable six-game lead with six games to go. The O’s no longer have a realistic chance of winning the East.
The Yanks’ next win will officially secure the division title. The Orioles would rather not have this celebration happen right in front of them, but it is a fait accompli unless the O’s win somehow.
Not only do the O’s want to deny the Yankees a win, they want to get a win of their own, with the magic number two to secure a postseason spot. That could happen tonight if the O’s win and either the Twins or Royals lose. But those two teams are playing the helpless Marlins and Nationals, respectively, so the Orioles shouldn’t count on outside help. And the Tigers already won this afternoon, with Tarik Skubal leading them over the Rays and bringing them to within three games of the Birds, who now have the first wild-card spot. So the Orioles need to focus on taking care of their own affairs by winning some games.
The Birds’ lineup is getting better and better. After the returns of Jordan Westburg and Ramón Urías on Sunday, Ryan Mountcastle is back from the injured list tonight (replacing the struggling and rarely used Eloy Jiménez). Mountcastle isn’t in the lineup against right-hander Clarke Schmidt, though, although Ryan O’Hearn looks like he could use a day (or possibly a week) off.
Every day that the O’s can’t win, the chances of them missing the playoffs increase. I don’t like that feeling. So come on, Orioles, let’s get it done.
Orioles lineup:
SS Gunnar Henderson
C Adley Rutschman
RF Anthony Santander
LF Colton Cowser
2B Jordan Westburg
1B Ryan O’Hearn
DH Heston Kjerstad
3B Ramon Urías
CF Cedric Mullins
RHP Dean Kremer
Yankees lineup:
2B Gleyber Torres
Roberto Soto
CF Aaron Richter
C Austin Wells
DH Giancarlo Stanton
3B Jazz Chisholm Jr.
1B Anthony Rizzo
SS Anthony Volpe
LF Alex Verdugo
RHP Clarke Schmidt
