Good morning, Camden Chatters.<\/p>\n
This past week was the Orioles\u2019 chance to decide whether they want to be serious contenders in the postseason race. Unfortunately, it appears they have made their decision quite clear.<\/p>\n
Presented with a golden opportunity to make up ground against two wild card opponents, the Orioles lost their series to both the Rangers and Twins, all but burying themselves in the race. The O\u2019s controlled their own destiny, and they steered it right into a ditch. Their latest failure came in yesterday\u2019s rubber game in Minnesota, with Shane Baz imploding in a 7-5 loss. Mark Brown recapped the action.<\/a><\/p>\n Even in a mediocre American League, a 2-4 stretch just isn\u2019t going to cut it. As of this writing, the Orioles sit 2.5 games out of the third wild card spot, pending the results of the Rangers\u2019 late game last night. The O\u2019s also trail the Twins, the Tigers, the Guardians, and now the Blue Jays, who pulled a half game ahead of the Birds by winning three straight against the Red Sox. That means the Orioles now sit alone in last place in the AL East.<\/p>\n The fact that the Orioles squandered their chances against mediocre teams like the Rangers and Twins is all the more painful considering what\u2019s coming next. Starting tomorrow, the Birds will spend the next 10 days playing exclusively against the two best teams in the American League. Seven of those are against the Rays (74-46), who are riding a nine-game winning streak after completing a perfect 9-0 road trip. A three-game set versus the Yankees (68-52) is sandwiched in between.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for a sliver of hope, I\u2019ll point out that the Orioles have won a series each against the Rays and the Yankees this season, including a sweep of Tampa Bay in May. Of course, the O\u2019s have also gotten swept by both teams, too. On paper, these are the worst possible opponents for the Orioles at the worst possible time. It\u2019s two teams that are clicking on all cylinders against a Baltimore squad that is again struggling to even win two games in a row.<\/p>\n Call me pessimistic if you like. But it\u2019s hard to imagine any scenario where the Orioles remain even on the fringes of the postseason race after this punishing 10-game stretch is over. Not unless they find another gear and bring their all-too-rarely-seen A game to these upcoming series.<\/p>\n For all intents and purposes, this could be the 2026 Orioles\u2019 last stand. Will they show up?<\/p>\n Shane Baz fades fast as Orioles\u2019 struggles continue in Minnesota – The Baltimore Banner<\/a><\/p>\n Baz has gotten screwed out of a lot of possible wins because of poor run support. This time he has nobody to blame but himself.<\/p>\n O\u2019s land 18-year-old OF Rivas from Sox to complete Adley deal – MLB.com<\/a><\/p>\n The Orioles added yet another top-30 prospect as the player to be named in the Rutschman trade. That still doesn\u2019t make it any easier for me to stomach.<\/p>\n