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Tuesday night Orioles game thread: at Cubs, 8:05 ET

After a perfect homestand, the Orioles head to Wrigley Field looking for their ninth straight win and a return to .500.

MLB: Baltimore Orioles at Minnesota Twins
Jordan Lyles looks to lead the Orioles back to the promised land: .500.
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

A .500 winning percentage. On its own, it's not a particularly special achievement. A team that goes .500 is, by definition, just average, equally as bad as they are good (and vice versa). Nobody throws a parade for a .500 record. A .500 record, except in rare circumstances, isn't getting you to the playoffs.

For the Orioles, though, .500 is a thrilling number. Reaching that .500 threshold would be a momentous achievement for a team that hasn't even sniffed being modestly decent in half a decade. The Orioles haven't finished a season at .500 or better since 2016. They haven't been .500 this late into a season since 2017. Last year, the Orioles last saw the .500 mark on April 10, their eighth game of the season, when they were 4-4.

So, yes, reaching the .500 mark -- which the Orioles would do with a win tonight at Wrigley Field -- would be extremely meaningful for the O's and their fans. Extending their winning streak to nine games would be a heck of a thing, too. Let's find out if the Orioles' scalding hot play from their 7-0 homestand will continue on the road.

Orioles lineup:

1. CF Cedric Mullins

2. DH Trey Mancini

3. LF Anthony Santander

4. 1B Ryan Mountcastle

5. RF Austin Hays

6. C Adley Rutschman

7. 3B Ramon Urias

8. 2B Rougned Odor

9. SS Jorge Mateo

RHP Jordan Lyles