O's match 2022 win total with 30 games left in win over the Chicago White Sox

The Orioles turned it into a late blowout last night but for six innings they were either tied or trailed the Chicago White Sox. But they scored three in the seventh and five in the eighth to beat the White Sox 9-3.

It was a win that equaled their 2022 win total when they went 83-79. Now the Orioles are 83-49 with 30 games to go. If they finish 15-15, they will win 98 games. They need a 17-13 finish to win 100 games for the first time since 1980.

The Orioles win percentage for the year is .629 and they need play at just .567 (17-13) to win 100.

The Orioles have outscored Chicago 18-3 in this series and by 13-2 runs from the seventh inning on of the two games.

They are 34 games over the .500 mark for the first time since 1997.

The Orioles have scored nine runs or more 18 times this year and not surprisingly they are 18-0 in those games.

They lowered their team ERA last night to 3.99 – the first time this season it has been under 4.00. If they could lower it to 3.86, they would rank third best in team ERA in the American League.

Anthony Santander’s bases-loaded double in the seventh broke the 1-1 tie last night. The O’s poured it on after that with a five-run eighth.

Santander has remarkable numbers this year batting with the bases loaded. He is 4-for-5 with four extra base hits with a double, triple, two homers and 15 RBIs. Last night he produced his 20^th multi-RBI game and his sixth game with three or more RBIs and his second in a row. He is 4-for-9 this series with seven RBIs.

Before the game, manager Brandon Hyde praised his team for being on the verge of matching the 2022 win total – something they would achieve hours later.

“I didn’t put any sort of win goal or anything on the year," Hyde said. "I just wanted to improve from last year. I think a lot has to go well from a health standpoint, so you never really know in spring training. We’re pretty young so things come up. And it’s tough to be a young player in this league so you never know how guys will react.

“But so impressed with our team and our players deserve so much credit for the season they’ve had to this point. They have come together extremely well as a team, and you don’t know that (will happen) either. You don’t know how well your team is going to bond and ours has been amazing. These guys really like each other, and they like to win together with unbelievable camaraderie so, those are the things you are hoping for when you talk to the team at the start of spring training. But you never know it will come into place. You hope it does.

“These guys have done everything we’ve asked and more and been an incredible group.”

The Orioles have won all three series on this homestand, going 6-2 with just today's afternoon contest to play before they head to the West Coast.

They are now 42-25 at home, 29-14 in the second half, 34-36 when their opponent scores first.

A win today would wrap up a record of 19-8 in August.