Baltimore Orioles: The Hay is in the Barn

Sep 28, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop (6) celebrates a home run during the fifth inning in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles finished the 2014 regular season with a 96-66 final record, just as I predicted back in March of this year before the season began. (Come back tomorrow morning for four bold playoffs predictions.)

Actually, that’s not quite true. I predicted them to be better than most writers did, even making the playoffs as a wild card team behind the Rays. But I was thinking more like about 90 wins.

Every year over the past three seasons it is discussed what it will take to make the playoffs as a wild card team. This year the Royals made it with 89 wins, while the A’s were the final entrant with 88. The more parody there is throughout the league, the lesser the fourth and fifth highest win totals can be, though it is difficult to imagine making it with less than 88 victories.

So the hay is in the barn … sorry to go all country on you with that line. But thank God I’m a country boy. Is that better? (Actually, that is true, and I’ve done the hay in the barn thing, literally.)

By this we mean that the harvest is done and secured – 96 wins and a divisional title – and we are ready for the winds and the hard, cold challenge of the playoffs to begin. (Come back tomorrow morning for four bold playoffs predictions.)

It might be said that the Orioles rather limped into the barn and shut the doors with a 1-0 win on Sunday over the Blue Jays. What? You’re not a soccer fan with 1-0 scores? Get used to it, as this is the new trend in baseball.

Jonathan Schoop accounted for the only run of the game with a solo shot off knuckle-baller R.A. Dickey – a reason to not get too depressed about the Orioles only getting five hits with what would look like the probable starting lineup for the playoffs.

Let’s rather be excited about Miguel Gonzalez shutting the Jays out for five innings, for Ubaldo Jimenez finishing the season well with a scoreless inning and three strikeouts, and for the big bad Birds bullpen boys pitching the final three scoreless innings.

The guys are ready. The hay be in the barn. (Come back tomorrow morning for four bold playoffs predictions.)