Given schedule that provided chance to get off to fast start, O's took care of business

The Orioles, through 21 games, are playing .667 ball at 14-7. They are on a pace to win 108 games this season. It’s a pretty solid start, to say the least.

They are second in the AL East, 4.5 games back of a 19-3 Tampa Bay team, but 1.5 games ahead of both the Yankees and Blue Jays and three games up on the Boston team they host tonight.

Birdland has to be pleased with that start, which ties for third-best after 21 games in Baltimore Orioles history.

The Orioles started the year playing three teams that are all playing .522 or better ball right now in the Red Sox, Rangers and Yankees. They went 4-5 in those games. They have played four teams since that have not played better than .350 ball to this point. Against those lesser clubs, they cleaned up going 10-2.

O’s manager Brandon Hyde doesn’t see the schedule in terms of games and series they should win, he said yesterday.

“I do not. I don’t think that is different in any sport you play,” he said. “Football, basketball, baseball, there are the teams, their record is what it is. But you definitely can’t take teams lightly. Anybody can beat anybody. When you look at your schedule, you can forecast, ‘Well this could be a tough stretch right here. These teams are playing really well.’

“But, if you look at teams like the Baltimore Orioles of last year – teams were not expecting us in the second-half to be a tough series. You know, there are going to be teams like that again this year. I really play it game-to-game, series-to-series honestly and worry about ourselves and not worry about anyone else. Try to win every game we can.”

He will take a six-game win streak and 10-2 run no matter the record of the defeated opponents.

“Love to stack wins, whether it's in the division or out of the division,” he said. “We have 140-something games to go. Anything can happen, injuries happen. Trade deadline happens. Teams can look totally different in the second-half. You just try to win the games in front of you and see where you are at the end.”

And yes all wins count the same, whether it’s on Opening Day against the Yankees, in a September pennant race or an April walk-off and sweep of the Tigers.

The AL East clubs, it was thought, would enjoy the more balanced schedule and that has proven true. Every club in the division right now is playing .522 ball or better and four of the five are playing .591 ball or better. There is just one team in the other two American League divisions that right now is keeping pace with any of the Rays, Orioles, Yankees or Blue Jays.

“I think everybody in our division is happy with the new schedule. We feel like it’s more fair, with the way the wild card is now, that we don’t play each other so much. Yeah, I think the teams in our division are built-to-win teams. Huge payrolls, starting pitching, back-end relievers that make a lot of money and superstar middle of the orders. That is why it’s tough, but there are other MLB teams that are good too. You just try to win every game you possibly can,” said Hyde.

If the season ended today, MLB would have cut 141 games off the schedule, and the Orioles would be in the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season.

Have they played a schedule against some second-division teams? Yep. Have they taken care of business so far? Very much yes.

A few other notes: The Orioles record to this point ties for the third-best 21-game mark in club history, which, of course, dates to 1954. That was last done in 2017. It has been topped only by the 1966 club (16-5) and the 1968 team (15-6).

The Orioles are 7-3 at home. They have won four straight at home for the first time since taking eight in a row at Oriole Park from June 22 to July 10, 2022.

Three of the last four home wins have come as walk-off wins, against Oakland, Detroit and Detroit. 

The pitching stats recently have been spectacular as the Orioles have allowed just three runs in the last 54 innings. In the last five games, they allowed 0, 0, 1, 1 and 1 run. That is three runs given up in the last five games, seven runs over the past six games and 17 in the last eight.

The staff ERA is 1.15 during the six-game win streak.

The starters have combined to allowed just one run in the last five games, covering 31 innings, with four scoreless starts. Dating to the second inning last Sunday at Chicago, O’s starters have allowed one run in 35 innings with eight walks and 41 strikeouts.

The bullpen is on a roll too, giving up just two earned runs in 19 innings the past six games and five earned runs the past 31 1/3 innings over nine games for an ERA of 1.44 in that span.

The Orioles host Boston (12-11) tonight to begin a three-game series. The O's are 2-4 in division games this year and 12-3 outside of the AL East.