The Baltimore Orioles went from zero to hero in a matter of weeks. The Orioles are 66-65 and are over .500 for the first time since June. The team is just 1.5 games out of the second wild card as they trail the Minnesota Twins. The team is on a seven game win streak. Is this a fluke, or does the team have a real shot at making the postseason?
Taking care of business in August
The team has one game left in August as the team plays the Toronto Blue Jays. However, their record in August is 17-12. With this said, without their seven game win streak, they would have been 10-12.
Something clicked for the Orioles because the teams they have beat are in the playoff chase as well. The Seattle Mariners are vying for the second wild card spot, and the Orioles handed them three straight losses. The Orioles also swept the American League East Division leader in the Boston Red Sox. If the Orioles can win their eighth in a row over the last place Blue Jays, it would give them tremendous momentum heading into September.
Taking a look at the schedule
The schedule gets tough after their matchup with the Blue Jays. If the Orioles are serious playoff contenders, then they will need to take care of business against playoff teams. After their three game series with Toronto, they have a three game home series against the New York Yankees, who is leading the first wild card spot.
Then, they play three games on the road against the Cleveland Indians, who is leading the A.L. Central Division. The Cleveland series is part of a 10-game road trip that features stops at the Yankees and Red Sox. Needless to say, the Orioles will have to prove themselves.
Final vote
The hot streak is nice, but the Kansas City Royals showed a hot flash back in July, which is why they didn't sell any of their playoffs.
Now, they will look foolish as they top tier free agents will leave and they received nothing in return. In their next 27 games, they have 13 games against opponents who would be in the playoffs if they started today. That's not to say that the Orioles cannot pull off a string of wins to get there. However, at 66-65, they are an average team by record.
Average teams don't get into the playoffs. It also doesn't help that the Orioles are 1-3 against the Indians, and 5-7 against the Yankees this season. They are 10-6 against the Red Sox though. With a healthy lineup, they could pull of surprises, but their pitching staff is not elite, so quieting those lineups will be hard. All in all, don't get too excited Baltimore.
