After all the waiting and the agony, and for that matter after 162 games just to get this far, it's finally here. The postseason. The Orioles are in the playoffs. That feels pretty good to say, though the fact that they're in a win-or-go-home game right off the bat means that we could all be sad pandas before the night is out.
It is rather terrifying not knowing what is going to happen. Just about anything can happen in any given baseball game. Some of the things are going to be good. Some of them will not be good. Me being me, I end up focusing on the not-so-good ones more often than not. What if the second half slumpers stay dormant and the O's just get totally stymied? What if Chris Tillman isn't 100% and he gets lit up?
What if the Orioles do pretty much everything right and one bad bounce or one bad pitch from an unexpected pitcher does them in?
What if they hit five dongs? What if Jays manager John Gibbons doesn't ever turn to Francisco Liriano for an extended period of time even though the Orioles stink against lefties? What if Tillman is good enough and the back end of the bullpen does what it has done so many times this year?
It could all be great. It could all be horrible. I'm happy that the Orioles have gotten this far. I'm happy they once again beat their projections. But I'm not ready for it all to end tonight, so I sure hope it doesn't.