It's all about the "Series"

With their series win in Texas to begin the first road trip of the season, the Orioles have put together three consecutive series wins to begin the season for the first time since winning the first four series to begin 1998. After going wire to wire in 1997, the O's got off to a strong start in 1998 by taking 2 of 3 from the Royals and then sweeping three from the Tigers at Camden Yards. The O's then went on the road and swept a two-game series in Kansas City before taking 2 of 3 in Detroit. The O's started the 1998 season at 9-2. Now I understand fast starts don't guarantee anything as far as the full season goes. It's still very early. This is a season to make a move up in the division and try to close the gap. And the O's are showing signs of tenacity which has contributed to the early season success. And three straight series wins has been a rare feat. Consider last season. The Orioles played the entire schedule and won three consecutive series only once. The O's won 3 of 4 in Kansas City May 8-11 and then returned home to take two from Boston May13-14 and 2 of 3 from the Nationals May 16-18. You hear managers talk all the time about "taking 2 of 3 and moving on." It's how you build a successful season piece by piece. It also pads the win column while also helping to avoid losing streaks that can cripple a season. Five times in 2008 the O's had a five-game losing streak. The O's also had an 8-game losing streak and a 10-game losing streak. By winning series the club stays positive; it hang's around in the division; and it potentially sets up meaningful games in the 2nd half. Three series played in 2009 and three series victories. Time and the remainder of the schedule will determine where the O's end up this season, but the fast start is fun for the players and even more fun for the fans. Enjoy!!