Baltimore Orioles: Opportunity to Take Back AL East is Now
By Joe Serpico
The Baltimore Orioles can retake the lead in the American League East with a series win against the Boston Red Sox this week.
The Baltimore Orioles were able to salvage a series split against the Tampa Bay Rays with a 2-1 win on Sunday. Now they welcome the American League East leading Boston Red Sox to Camden Yards for a crucial four-game series that could decide the season.
The Orioles are where they want to be with 13 games remaining. Sure, they would love to be the team with a three-game lead in the division, but they are a playoff team if the season ended today. They are ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays for the home wild card game, have a three-game lead the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners for a playoff spot.
A series win against Tampa would have put Baltimore in even better position, but that was not the case. However, the starting pitching had another solid series and it came from an unlikely source in the series finale.
Wade Miley put together a solid outing on Sunday before being pulled because of back spasms. Many did not want to see Miley start another game after his last few outings, but Buck Showalter had a plan. Miley pitched Sunday so that Showalter could set his front of the rotation guys up for the important series against Boston. His plan worked and the Orioles have the chance to make up ground on the only team ahead of them.
Dylan Bundy will get the start tonight, coming off a three-run outing against the Red Sox his last time out. The right hander has not been as crisp as of late, sporting a 6.27 ERA in his past four starts. That’s troublesome for Baltimore as the Red Sox will send Rick Porcello to the mound, who was masterful in his last start against the O’s, but lost on a solo home run by Mark Trumbo.
Speaking of Trumbo, he returned to the lineup on Sunday after missing two games because of his own back spasms, and hit a go-ahead blast in the eighth inning. It was the 43rd home run for Trumbo, retaking the Major League lead in the category.
The series against Boston could go along way in determine who wins the division. The Orioles have an excellent opportunity to make up ground on the Red Sox and earn a series instead of the one-game playoff. A series loss would not only hamper those hopes, but could see them fall out of the playoff picture.
Next: Long Ball, Bullpen Helps Tighten AL East Race
The AL East could be in for a major shakeup this week. Hopefully for the Orioles, it ends with them back on top of the division they led for much of the season.