Here's what I know: I don't know

[OFFNY]

o

When Clayton Kershaw went down with an injury on June 26th, the Dodgers were 8 games behind the Giants.

Since then, the Dodgers have gained 11 and-a-half games on the Giants, and lead them by 3.5 games.

With Kershaw, the Dodgers were 41-36.

Without him, they have gone 35-24.

Who would have guessed that a Clayton Kershaw-less Dodgers team, that was just a few games above .500 (41-36) while he was pitching, would gain as much ground as they have without him over such a long span (almost 2 and-a-half months) ???

The Giants, for their part, have gone 16-31 since the All-Star break ........ they went from having the best record in all of baseball at the All-Star break in July to being a team that is desperately trying to hang on to one of the 2 National League Wildcard spots in September.

As Frobby asserted in the OP ........ all I know is that I don't know.

o

Make that 36-24 without Kershaw, now.

And make that a full 4-game lead on the Giants, now.

The Dodgers won again last night, bombarding the Diamondbacks' starting pitcher for 8 runs in only 4.67 innings pitched ........ a starting pitcher by the name of Zack Greinke.

o

o

Kershaw is essentially doing a rehab stint, but at the Major League level (as opposed to most rehab stints, which are usually done at the Advanced-A, AA, and AAA levels.)

In his first outing back, he pitched 3 innings of 2-run ball against the Marlins.

In his second outing back, he pitched 5 shutout innings against the Yankees ....... an outing in which there was a 48-minute rain delay in between the 4th and 5th innings, yet Kershaw STILL came out to pitch the 5th inning.) :eektf:

[OFFNY]

o

There are only 6 game left to be played in the 2016 season ........ and I still don't know. )

[pastorfan]

o

There are only 6 game left to be played in the 2016 season ........ and I still don't know. )

We win them all we are first seed WC. We win four and we are definitely in, win three and probably in.

[OFFNY]

o

There are only 6 game left to be played in the 2016 season ........ and I still don't know. )

We win them all we are first seed WC. We win four and we are definitely in, win three and probably in.

o

That all may be true ....... but I still don't know how many of their 6 remaining games that the Orioles will win, whether or they will make the postseason, and (if they do make the postseason) whether or not they will have the homefield advantage in the Wildcard playoff game.

They might go 5-1, and they might go 1-5 ........ and I would not be shocked at either outcome.

[25 Nuggets]

I've been reading a lot of threads declaring that the Orioles are dead and that the season is over. And surely, there is plenty of reason for pessimism right now. I don't want to sugar coat that at all.

That said, this is baseball. What seems obvious one week may seem idiotic two weeks from now. I've been following this sport for too long to think that I have any real certainty about what will happen over the final 39 games of the season.

I've seen an Orioles team that was 63-63 on August 23 finish the season 4-32. And I've seen an Orioles team that was 32-73 on August 2 finish the season 34-23.

I've seen an Orioles team that lost 6 out of 7 to fall two games under .500 and 8 games back of the division lead on August 28 turn around and finish 28-6 and win the division by 2 games. And I've seen an Orioles team that was 14 games over .500 and leading the division finish 14 games under .500 and 21 games out of first place.

If you think that the current situation is any more clear or predictable than things were in those seasons, you are wrong.

So here's what I know: I don't know. And when you are a baseball fan, if you know that, you know more than most fans do.

[video=youtube;NHipzGL4dwM]

[OFFNY]

o

(vs. BLUE JAYS, 9/28)

When the Orioles were trailing this game by a score of 2-0 heading into the 8th inning, it looked pretty bleak.

Looks can be deceiving.

The Orioles scored a run in the 8th on a solo home run by Mark Trumbo.

They scored 2 more runs in the 9th inning when Jonathan Schoop hit a one-out single, and pinch-hitter Hyun-Soo Kim hit a 2-run home run.

The Orioles won the game after Zach Britton closed the deal in the bottom of the 9th.

I ........ don't ........ know.