Next 9 games

[Sports Guy]

A few weeks ago, I talked about how I felt the 14 game stretch the Os were about to go on could be the difference between winning the division and not. 
 

There is one game left and our worst case scenario, even if they lose today, is a 6-8 stretch but only 1.5 games out of first.

Either way, mission accomplished…the Os stayed within very realistic striking distance of winning the division.

Now it’s time to make a move.

After todays game, the Os play the second worst team in the NL, arguably the worst team of all time and then a currently below 500 Tampa team.

7-2 or better is “needed”. By needed I mean, the Os need to take advantage of these 9 games to make a real run at the division.

The Os have 3 games at Boston, 3 games vs SF and 6 vs Det before ending the season at NY and at Minnesota.  Ideally, the last series is meaningless but we’ll see.

If you go 7-2 the next 9 games, the Os will be in excellent position to win the division imo. Anything less than that, besides being too many losses to bad teams, puts the division in jeopardy.

They did job #1 by keeping it close in this recent tough stretch..now it’s time to start to play better, beat up on bad teams and get yourself in position to get the bye.

[glenn__davis]

Yep - I said at the start of this stretch that we needed to try to keep that NYY lead to 2-3 games at the end.  As you said, as worst we'll be 1.5 GB.  Big thanks to CHW, DET, COL and especially WAS taking some games from the Yanks these past few weeks.  Those teams (outside of WAS) will now try to do the same to us.

I think saying they "need" to go 7-2 is a pretty tall ask, though that would be great if they could.  I just hope we start playing better.

[HowAboutThat]

I voted 6-8, but credited the team with victories in all the Burnes/Eflin starts….and we see how that worked out.

That means that other pitchers are doing well:Povich, Suarez even Irvin have done their part, the bullpen is either being used better, or just producing better.

The defense remains dreadful, but there’s enough production by the unheralded guys that it’s reasonable to hope for significant success in the next few weeks.

[LookitsPuck]

Looking at the last 9 game sets (since you're saying 7-2) since the end of June:

• 6/25 - 7/4: 6-3 (Cleveland, Texas, Mariners)
• 7/5 - 7/14: 3-6 (Oakland, Cubs, Yankees)
• 7/19 - 7/28: 4-5 (Rangers, Marlins, Padres)
• 7/29 - 8/6: 5-4 (Blue Jays, Guardians, Blue Jays)
• 8/7 - 8/16: 5-4 (Blue Jays, Rays, Nationals, Red Sox)
• 8/17 - 8/25: 4-5 (Red Sox, Mets, Astros)
• 8/27 - 8/28: 1-1 (Dodgers)

They haven't had a 7-2 stretch in them in quite some time. To be quite honest, Burnes has been a major drag on that. You can't count on him to go deep or be effective. And the team is playing with Irvin in the rotation who, while pitching admirably his last 2 outings, is a question mark in the rotation. Same goes for Povich. That really leaves Suarez and Kremer, who to their credit have been pitching well lately. But this rotation just isn't firing on the cylinders needed to pitch well in Colorado and even though the White Sox are historically awful, the O's have been playing down to terrible teams levels. And the Rays play the O's tough. 

I'd say they might have had a fighter's chance if Eflin was back/healthy, but he *might* be back on Sunday. So we'll see. 

[Just Regular]

I think Irvin vs. a new 14th pitcher is an interesting call for Sunday September 1st.

Brandon Young threw Saturday last week.    It would kind of be on brand for SIGBOT to have had his body acclimating to altitude these last few days.     Throw your bullpens at the neighborhood Driveline and see how the pitches move.

[ChuckS]

7-2 is a tall order and I think it's far more important how we do over our next 20 or so games, rather than looking at each 6-9 game set.  I would be happy winning 6 out of the next 9, but 12 or 13 of the next 20 is far more important and not dependent on winning 7 of 9. 

Edited August 29 by ChuckS

[Moose Milligan]

7-2 would be hard, but I think it is possible.  A win today against the Dodgers to take this series and then being able to take the Rockies and the Sox behind the woodshed should really help headed into the final stretch.  

Meanwhile, the Yankees are playing the Cardinals and the Rangers at home.  Both about average teams that might be able to give them some trouble.

[Too Tall]

Don't assume anything positive. When we assume positive, bad things happen. We just need Roy's doom and gloom. One game at a time. These next games will be tough. The atmosphere in Colorado and the W Sox want revenge for not trading with them on their terms. 

[Sports Guy]

26 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

7-2 would be hard, but I think it is possible.  A win today against the Dodgers to take this series and then being able to take the Rockies and the Sox behind the woodshed should really help headed into the final stretch.  

Meanwhile, the Yankees are playing the Cardinals and the Rangers at home.  Both about average teams that might be able to give them some trouble.

Not sure why it’s hard.  You sweep one of these crappy teams and win the other 2 series. 
 

The WS may be the worst team EVER…sweeping them should be the expectation imo.

[Moose Milligan]

4 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Not sure why it’s hard.  You sweep one of these crappy teams and win the other 2 series. 
 

The WS may be the worst team EVER…sweeping them should be the expectation imo.

As pointed out in the other thread, Colorado is historically better at home than they are on the road.  

With the way this offense has been playing lately, I don't have expectations for anything anymore...until they show signs of heating up and snapping out of it.  As much as you see us sweeping the Sox, I can see us drawing Flexen giving us fits (even though he shouldn't) and Crochet shoving against us and we take 1/3.

On paper, you're absolutely right.

[Roy Firestone]

2 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

A few weeks ago, I talked about how I felt the 14 game stretch the Os were about to go on could be the difference between winning the division and not. 
 

There is one game left and our worst case scenario, even if they lose today, is a 6-8 stretch but only 1.5 games out of first.

Either way, mission accomplished…the Os stayed within very realistic striking distance of winning the division.

Now it’s time to make a move.

After todays game, the Os play the second worst team in the NL, arguably the worst team of all time and then a currently below 500 Tampa team.

7-2 or better is “needed”. By needed I mean, the Os need to take advantage of these 9 games to make a real run at the division.

The Os have 3 games at Boston, 3 games vs SF and 6 vs Det before ending the season at NY and at Minnesota.  Ideally, the last series is meaningless but we’ll see.

If you go 7-2 the next 9 games, the Os will be in excellent position to win the division imo. Anything less than that, besides being too many losses to bad teams, puts the division in jeopardy.

They did job #1 by keeping it close in this recent tough stretch..now it’s time to start to play better, beat up on bad teams and get yourself in position to get the bye.

Great analysis thanks for the info. 

[Roy Firestone]

2 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

A few weeks ago, I talked about how I felt the 14 game stretch the Os were about to go on could be the difference between winning the division and not. 
 

There is one game left and our worst case scenario, even if they lose today, is a 6-8 stretch but only 1.5 games out of first.

Either way, mission accomplished…the Os stayed within very realistic striking distance of winning the division.

Now it’s time to make a move.

After todays game, the Os play the second worst team in the NL, arguably the worst team of all time and then a currently below 500 Tampa team.

7-2 or better is “needed”. By needed I mean, the Os need to take advantage of these 9 games to make a real run at the division.

The Os have 3 games at Boston, 3 games vs SF and 6 vs Det before ending the season at NY and at Minnesota.  Ideally, the last series is meaningless but we’ll see.

If you go 7-2 the next 9 games, the Os will be in excellent position to win the division imo. Anything less than that, besides being too many losses to bad teams, puts the division in jeopardy.

They did job #1 by keeping it close in this recent tough stretch..now it’s time to start to play better, beat up on bad teams and get yourself in position to get the bye.

Great analysis thanks for the info. Eflin returns for the Colorado series, and I'm told Grayson is another week or two after that. Webb should return soon, and Colombo after that, with Westburg a final week of the season add...if ALL of these players return to form(which is a very big IF) we have a chance, but then some of the players on our current roster are underachieving, so its hard to predict what will happen.

[LGOrioles]

14 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Not sure why it’s hard.  You sweep one of these crappy teams and win the other 2 series. 
 

The WS may be the worst team EVER…sweeping them should be the expectation imo.

Only problem is that since the first series after the ASB, they have won 2/10 series. They did have a 2 gamer and a couple of 4 gamers which are tougher to win, but they just have not been able to consistent win series (or games) the last 2 months. Hopefully they can win a series tonight and continue with that the next month because that’s what they were so good at last year. 

[Frobby]

I’m utterly against setting standards for what the Orioles “need” to do over some 9 game stretch.  Especially standards that are unnecessarily difficult to meet.  I’ll be very pleasantly surprised if the O’s win 7 of the 9 games against Colorado, Chicago and Tampa, and that would be true even if we’d been playing .600 ball these last 2.5 months.  Going 7-2 in any 9-game stretch is a very tall order no matter who the opponents are.  

[Sports Guy]

8 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I’m utterly against setting standards for what the Orioles “need” to do over some 9 game stretch.  
 

Good for you!