Sunday night Orioles game thread: at Indians, 8:08

Whoever decided to pick this game for Sunday Night Baseball must be feeling good with their decision now. At the time, it seemed like the Orioles and Indians would be playing an important game for the playoff hopes of both.

Well, it’s still important for the Orioles playoff hopes, because if they fall back below .500 as the number of games left falls below 20. But the only thing concerning the Indians is whether they can continue their winning streak and take aim at the Moneyball Athletics for the longest streak in the 20th century. The Indians have a chance to run it up to 18 games in a row tonight.

It’s a big deal for the O’s if they can win. The Twins have lost again, and so have the Rangers, so if the O’s can get themselves back into the win column, they’ll be back within two games of the second wild card spot, with just two teams still to pass. They need to win some games. That’s what it comes down to. And it’ll be much better for them if they can win tonight.

Enter Jeremy Hellickson. Not quite as threatening as the Metallica lyric there. The drama of whether or not the Indians will be able to extend their streak may not last for very long.