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Losses the last two nights have basically ended the Orioles hopes for the AL East. Now they need to win to preserve their wild card standing and possibly even, if they're lucky, improve it. Not that it's getting any easier because, well, they still gotta get through the Red Sox for the next two games.
Could 6-5 the rest of the way do it for the O's, as far as getting in there? Fangraphs thinks so, and Fangraphs thinks that's exactly what they'll get. That's well and good, but with the last six games being on the road, including three in the carpeted hellhole stadium in Toronto, what that probably means is that the Orioles need to go 5-3 in non-Toronto games, if not 6-2 in non-Toronto games. And if they're going to do either one of those things, they really need to start that off with a win tonight.
Ubaldo Jimenez is pitching tonight. That was a scary thing to say earlier in the season. It's still kind of scary now although he's turned in five decent or better starts in a row since rejoining the rotation. Then again, two of those games were against the Rays, and none of them were against the Red Sox, who are the AL's most prolific offense by more than 100 runs scored.
I guess what I'm saying is, hold on to your butts.
Out-of-town scoreboard watch for today: Root for the Mariners against the Blue Jays (in progress and may be over before you read this), Athletics over Astros (ditto), and Twins over Tigers (first pitch 8:10). And if you're still worried about the Yankees, root for the Rays (7:10).