Daniel Clark: As magic number shrinks, confidence grows

As each week passes by, I can't help but feel increasingly excited and more confident about what awaits this magical Orioles team. As is so often the case when your team has held a division lead for a significant period of time, the pessimist inside can't help but worry that they could slip up down the stretch and allow the unthinkable to occur.

At the conclusion of play last Wednesday night, the Orioles held a six-game division lead over the Yankees - a figure that had shrunk from a season-high nine games just a week prior. Despite the somewhat comfortable lead, there was a sense of restlessness growing among the Orioles' fan base after a frustrating series sweep at the hands of the underachieving Cubs and another frustrating 3-1 loss that night to the also underachieving Rays. The offense had gone quiet and cracks were beginning to show both in the field and also on the mound. With just 31 games remaining, surely they wouldn't let this golden opportunity slip, would they?

In the week since, the Orioles seem to have turned their brief slump around and have won five games out of six. They face the Reds again tonight at Camden Yards and will look to continue their good form after last night's rain-delayed 5-4 win. This winning period has not only helped settle my nerves, but with the lead now back out to 9 1/2 games with just 25 remaining, I am growing in confidence that the Orioles will win the division. Should this eventuate, it would be a truly memorable moment and one which I - as a 29-year-old - have never had the opportunity to celebrate in my adult life.

During this six-game stretch, there has been a lot to like about the Orioles, in particular that they have scored an average of 6.33 runs per game and hit 10 home runs.

Another highlight for me during this period has been the impressive performance of Jimmy Paredes, who has hit .333 (6-for-18) with one home run and four RBIs since making his Orioles debut on Friday night. Paredes appears to be a perfect late-season call-up, adding infield depth, a solid bat, speed on the bases and most of all a fresh face in the clubhouse to help rejuvenate spirits. Whilst he is highly unlikely to fill the big void left by Manny Machado, his efforts thus far are certainly making the loss more tolerable.

Chris Davis has also impressed me over the last week, and despite his season average remaining well below the Mendoza line, the big fella has hit .294 (5-for-17), drawn six walks and driven in seven runs. This production has helped the Orioles win multiple one-run games. In addition, Davis has struck out just twice in 24 plate appearances.

Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not celebrating the division title yet, as baseball is the hardest game on Earth to predict and things can change dramatically within the space of just a few days. I also believe there are still some concerns which need addressing - in particular, what to do with Ubaldo Jimenez - and with eight games against the Yankees remaining down the stretch, the entire roster needs to be at its best in order to keep the Yankees at bay. In saying that, it would be wrong of me not to mention that the Yankees have some significant hurdles ahead of them, the biggest of which is a tough series against the Royals starting on Friday.

For now, I'm growing in confidence and wholeheartedly enjoy seeing that magic number head in the right direction. By the time you hear from me next Wednesday, there will be just 18 games remaining in the regular season and if the Orioles can maintain or build upon this 9 1/2-game division lead, then I might be in a position to purchase some champagne with confidence.

As an Orioles fan, what are your thoughts? Are you confident they'll win the division? If not, why not?

Daniel Clark blogs about the Orioles at The Big Leagues Daily from Melbourne, Australia. Follow him on Twitter: @DC_TBLDaily. His thoughts on the O's appear here as part of MASNsports.com's continuing commitment to welcome guest bloggers to our little corner of cyberspace. All opinions expressed are those of the guest bloggers, who are not employed by MASNsports.com but are just as passionate about their baseball as our roster of writers.