The series win in Boston and a 50-game schedule analysis

When the Orioles beat the Boston Red Sox 10-0 it was an impressive way to end a five-game series and an eight-game American League East road trip in which they went 4-4 at New York and Boston.

The Orioles are playing better within their division this year, producing this stunning stat: They have already won more series against the AL East in 2022 then they did in all of the 2021 season.

Last year the Orioles went 3-19-2 in series play within the division, and this season they are 4-4, with their win last night providing a series victory over Boston. They are 1-3 in series against the Yankees, 1-1 versus the Rays and 2-0 against the Red Sox. They are 4-9 in games against New York, 2-4 against Tampa Bay and 5-3 versus Boston.

That is a record of 11-16 (.407) versus the AL East after going 20-56 (.263) last season. Winning through the year at their current percentage against the division would produce a final mark this season of 31-45 against AL East teams. Better. Progress.

Right-hander Tyler Wells was so good Monday night, throwing six scoreless innings on two hits and 88 pitches as Boston batters went 2-for-20 against him. Keep in mind the Red Sox came into this game averaging 7.3 runs per game over their previous 19 games and had scored six runs or more in eight of their previous 11 games. They had 10 extra-base hits Sunday and just four hits on Monday night.

In the first four games of the Boston series, the O’s rotation had allowed 16 runs and 27 hits in 13 2/3 innings. Heading into the Monday game, the O’s rotation was stumbling to the point they had a 6.99 ERA their past 19 games.

The Orioles followed their most lopsided loss of the year on Sunday with their most lopsided win of the year last night.

It is the first time in team history they lost by 10 runs or more one day and won by 10 or more the next. It happened once in 1967 with an off-day in between.

The Orioles have now played 39 five-game series in club history and are 27-12 in those series. The more the merrier, they say.

Against a tough schedule, the Orioles have gone 14-15 in May after going 5-23 last May. They can have a .500 month with a win tonight at home versus Seattle.

Schedule analysis: Here are a few stats and notes on the first 50 games the Orioles have played in this 2022 season. We do this based on current records for the teams the Orioles have played through 50 games. There are 50 down and 112 to go.

The Orioles have played 64 percent of their first 50 games – 32 games – against teams with a current winning record. Of those 32 games, 20 have come versus current first-place teams, a large number because of the 13 games they’ve played against the New York Yankees, who have the best record in big league baseball. The Orioles have so far played 18 games, or 36 percent, versus clubs with a current losing record.

* The Orioles are 13-19 (.406) versus teams with a current winning record.

* The Orioles are 7-13 (.350) against teams currently leading a division.

* The Orioles are 8-10 (.444) against teams with a current losing record.

The Orioles are 4-5-1 in their 10 series against winning teams. And since losing their first two such series of the year against Tampa Bay and Milwaukee, they are 4-3-1 in the last eight series against winning clubs. They are 3-2 in five series versus current losing-record clubs.

Now for good news, although in baseball nothing is guaranteed.

The Orioles will play their next four series against Seattle, Cleveland, the Chicago Cubs and Kansas City, and all four have losing records. That is 12 straight games against clubs under .500. We can safely say the Orioles look to be an improved team, but in no way can we say they will just roll through these clubs. Remember when fans thought, coming off a winning series at St. Louis, that the Orioles would roll through Detroit? The O’s had some players out injured then, scored just three runs in three games there and got swept. That started a six-game losing streak, but now the Orioles are 7-5 since the end of that streak.

What will they do in the next 12 games versus the Mariners, Guardians, Cubs and Royals? Can they at least post a winning mark of 7-5 and thus gain a couple games on .500? Will they do better? Maybe, but again, this club has not come so far so fast to just expect wins. They are not at that point yet.

But it will be nice to play a so-called easier stretch of games in a schedule that has seen the club play 40 percent of its games versus first-place teams and 26 percent of its games against the Yankees. In the rest of the schedule, starting tonight, they will play just five percent of their games – on average one of every 20 – against the Yankees.

Sorry if you were told there would be no math, although I’ve tried to do most of it for you!