Sep 24-26 Yankees Series

[Spy Fox]

If the Yankees win one, they clinch the east in front of their runners-up.

The O's have a good chance to clinch the postseason before they leave, even if they win just one. Winning the series will make it very difficult for anyone to catch them for the 4 seed. Winning the series would also be a surprise, considering that they haven't beaten a contending team since before the ASB. At least they've got their three best pitchers going: 

• Kremer (7-10, 4.19) vs Schmidt (5-4, 2.37)
• Eflin (10-9, 3.53) vs Cortes (9-10 3.77)
• Burnes (15-8, 2.95) vs Cole (7-5, 3.67)

Question: are the Yankees a relatively good matchup for the Orioles? I think they might be, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the O's play a bit better in this series and in an ALDS matchup, if they get there. Reasons:

• 1) Homer happy ballpark: the O's rely on the HR, and the Yankees have the most HR friendly park in the AL.
• 2) Lack of lefties in the pen: the Yankees have just two LH relievers right now, Tim Mayza and Tim Hill. Both were bad for other teams this year before becoming decent/very good respectively with the Yankees. Still, a relative lack of depth here helps the O's late in the game. The situation could be different in the playoffs depending on how Cortes/Rodon are deployed. 
• 3) Yankees stuff-first pitching: NYY's staff has very good stuff (6th in MLB in K-rate, 1st in Stuff+), but fairly poor control (22nd in BB rate, 27th in Location+). I think this may be better for the O's barrel-hunting bats compared to the control-oriented staffs of fellow WC teams Detroit & KC. 

Is this fantasy? Or valid reasons to think the Yankees are actually a decent opponent to help the O's get back on their feet. 

Edited 3 hours ago by Spy Fox

[Aristotelian]

Hope to see Soto make a bad defensive play that costs them one of these games. I would just like to see the bats heat up as we head into the post season. Also wondering if Seranthony is still the closer or will we see a Grayson bullpen appearance? Or might it be a Cano/Coulombe/Seranthony committee depending on matchups? 

[Just Regular]

7 minutes ago, Spy Fox said:

I think this may be better for the O's barrel-hunting bats compared to the control-oriented staffs of fellow WC teams Detroit & KC. 

It is incomprehensible to SIGBOT a pitching staff with stuff that tepid could qualify for the postseason.

Can't we please get back to rocking 4 HR off Zack Wheeler?    This is what we prepare for.

This will be an interesting series to watch from the Up to No Good perspective.    I don't think we have come anywhere near what the long haul boiling point for competition between these two Clubs will be.

[interloper]

The final 6 games don't really matter. Just win one or two and we're in. Rest up and get ready for the games that matter. 

[Frobby]

I will watch these games, but if at any point the Yankees are winning going into the 9th inning, I will have to turn it off rather than watch the Yankees clinching the division title.  That will be a bitter pill to swallow.   I’m super-frustrated with this team’s play over the last three months, and especially in September.   But not so frustrated that I won’t be rooting for the O’s with every bit of passion I have until their last game is played.    

[86this]

The series will get heated the moment any player gets hit by pitch.  Remember the Yanks were crying even though the Orioles had hit the fewest batters in the league.

[Moose Milligan]

Watching Nestor pitch against us is about as painful as a trip to the DMV, post office or CVS.  That’s a guaranteed loss right there. 

[Just Regular]

All of the competitors know tonight NYY 1 and BAL 4 is very likely to happen, and if Corbin Burnes and Zach Eflin can take care of whoever, this will be for real on Saturday October 5th.

Will Mike Elias be sitting in Yankee Stadium tonight?    I'll guess probably not this time.

[mrbig1]

Bros, there's a chance we might not win another game the rest of the season.  3 With the MFY and 3 with the twins. It's not the pitching I'm worried about. It's our dead lineup. So, we may need other teams to lose to back in the playoffs.

[Fiver6565]

45 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I will watch these games, but if at any point the Yankees are winning going into the 9th inning, I will have to turn it off rather than watch the Yankees clinching the division title.  That will be a bitter pill to swallow.   I’m super-frustrated with this team’s play over the last three months, and especially in September.   But not so frustrated that I won’t be rooting for the O’s with every bit of passion I have until their last game is played.    

Agree with this except I may not wait for the ninth, depending on the deficit. Only hope is that seeing that unfold in front of them will unlock just enough extra motivation to finally flip the offensive switch. Between that and watching the Rangers celebrate after last years sweep, maybe the desire to not have to witness that again will mean something. 
 

Either way. Hard to believe the season has just this last week left. It hasn’t been pretty - downright painful is more like it - but that won’t stop me from missing it like crazy come, say, Halloween (assuming no WS - else come Thanksgiving, in that case). Point is it’s a long winter, it always is. 

[glenn__davis]

3 minutes ago, mrbig1 said:

Bros, there's a chance we might not win another game the rest of the season.  3 With the MFY and 3 with the twins. It's not the pitching I'm worried about. It's our dead lineup. So, we may need other teams to lose to back in the playoffs.

There's always a chance of things happening.  

That said, as underwhelming as the team has played they have not been swept since the ASB.  I'm not sure why people think they're going to get swept twice in a row now.

[Three Run Homer]

4 minutes ago, mrbig1 said:

Bros, there's a chance we might not win another game the rest of the season.  3 With the MFY and 3 with the twins. It's not the pitching I'm worried about. It's our dead lineup. So, we may need other teams to lose to back in the playoffs.

Our lineup isn't dead, it's just been sleeping.  Cowser, Kjerstad and Rutschman have had good at bats lately.  Westburg and Urias are back and they had some good swings in Sunday's game.   We have our playoff rotation going in this series (in reverse order).  I think this will be a competitive series and I'm hopeful we can win 2 out of 3.  

[Keygans]

Just one thing;   They will always be the MFY. Let’s crush their souls.   

[milbest77]

I feel like I asked once years ago, but can someone please explain the acronym “MFY?”

[HowAboutThat]

The question was asked, a few months ago, whether winning the division was necessary. A lively debate resulted, some saying the division didn’t matter(“just make the playoffs and anything can happen”) and some taking the opposite view.

I wanted the Division and I’m disgusted the play has been so bad. And I haaaate the Yankees( sports hate. I’m sure they are all great guys in person.)
It will not magically improve, and I despair of winning more than two more games…not even 90 wins.

And in a Homer–prone park, how many homers will the Os give up? The thought is not comforting.

And there’s little reason to think things will improve against the Tigers or Royals.

But at least:

1) next year they will hopefully have Bautista and the position players healthy.

2) The farm has very few MLB-ready players so there won’t be so much bouncing back and forth. Hopefully the guys can settle in and just play.

3) the Os will be looking for a fourth consecutive winning season, which hasn’t happened since the 70s

So there’s that…