Category: Sports News

When the Orioles left Tropicana Field four days ago, there was an air of hope around them—the feeling that comes from taking three out of four in the house of the AL East leader. Fast forward four days and the Orioles have come back to earth after being swept in Baltimore by the New York Yankees.

This Orioles team has become the equivalent of baseball’s Sisyphus, doomed to get so close to the final AL Wild Card spot but always falling back. The three wins in Tampa had the O’s a half game ahead for that coveted third spot. After three straight losses to New York and four straight losses overall, the Orioles are buried under five other teams in their quest for an unlikely playoff berth. And yet, Baltimore is only two games back of a spot in the postseason, despite their recent losing streak.

In an improbable turn of events, the Rays have turned out to be a favorable opponent for the Orioles. Despite going 9-16 against the rest of the AL East, the O’s are 6-4 against Tampa Bay. The last time the Rays visited Baltimore, the Orioles won all three games, outscoring Tampa 26-10. Before last Sunday’s 7-6 loss, the O’s were on a six-game winning streak against the Rays.

As has been the case for much of the season (and especially in the post-Trade Deadline era), Pete Alonso will have to carry the Orioles offense if they want to take another series from the Rays. The Polar Bear has destroyed his hometown team, posting a triple slash of .415/.489/.683 with three homers and nine RBIs against the Orioles’ southern division rivals. Colton Cowser and Gunnar Henderson have also dominated the Rays this year, with each posting a .300+ average, a .900+ OPS and three long balls against Tampa.

Game 1, Friday August 21st, 7:15pm ET

Probable pitchers: LHP Trevor Rogers (8-8, 4.15 ERA, 108 Ks) vs. RHP Freddy Peralta (5-10, 5.27 ERA, 123 Ks)

Where to watch: Apple TV

We saw this matchup playout last Sunday in Tampa, when the O’s scored a resounding 10-2 victory thanks to an offensive explosion against the Rays bullpen. Rogers was his usual sharp self, delivering a line of 6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB and 6 Ks. It was reigning MVO’s eighth quality start since the beginnig of June, a stretch that has seen him put up 2.45 ERA and limit opponents to a .224 average. Rogers has been slightly worse in Camden Yards this season, posting a 4.31 ERA in Baltimore vs. a 3.95 ERA on the road.

Peralta was by no means bad last Sunday, setting down the first eight Orioles he faced and starting the game with four shutout innings. Everything started to fall apart for him and the Rays in the 5th, with Peralta walking two of the first three batters before being relieved by Garrett Cleavinger with two outs. Cleavinger allowed an RBI single to Jackson Holliday to tie the game at 1-1 before a Pete Alonso doubled to put Baltimore up 3-1. The Orioles then scored seven runs in the 6th to put the game out of reach.

And despite a less than stellar season overall, the Orioles have not been one for prolonged losing streaks. The recent skid is only the fourth four-game skid of the season. Baltimore has only lost five games in a row once this year, which means they should be in line for a Game 1 victory against Tampa.

Game 2, Saturday August 22nd, 7:05pm ET

Probable pitchers: RHP Brandon Young (9-3, 3.52 ERA, 96 Ks) vs. LHP Shane McClanahan (9-6, 3.25 ERA, 96 Ks)

Where to watch: MASN/MASN+

The Young vs. McClanahan matchup is another matchup we saw in Tropicana Field, with the two squaring off in the Monday game that the Rays won 7-6. Neither the Orioles’ breakout pitcher nor the Rays’ former All-Star were particularly sharp in the back-and-forth affair. McClanahan, in his first start off the IL, was limited to 3.1 innings, allowing 4 hits, 3 earned runs, 0 BB, 3 Ks and a Coby Mayo moon shot.

Young only last two outs longer than McClanahan, posting a final line of 4 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 1 BB and 3 Ks. It was BY’s shortest start since the middle of May and only the fourth time all season he’s allowed 4+ runs. It was the big Texan’s first time facing the Rays, so he’ll hope the rematch at home goes much better. Unlike Rogers, Young has actually been slightly better at home this year, holding a 3.39 ERA at Camden Yards vs. a 3.69 ERA away from Baltimore.

Game 3, Sunday August 23rd, 1:35pm ET

Probable pitchers: RHP Shane Baz (4-13, 4.02 ERA, 132 Ks) vs. RHP Nick Martinez (12-4, 3.05 ERA, 83 Ks)

Where to watch: MASN/MASN+

The fact that Shane Baz leads the majors with 13 losses is more a testament to his putrid lack of run support than his actual pitching performance. Among qualified starters, Baz has received the second least run support in all of baseball at 3.12 runs/game. Baltimore has lost six Baz starts in a row, despite the right-hander pitching to a 3.44 ERA over that stretch.

Being in front of the Baltimore faithful hasn’t made it any better. In his last five starts in Camden Yards, the 27-year-old has pitched to a 3.25 ERA while averaging 5.2 IP per start. However, in that same stretch the Orioles are only 1-4 and averaging 2.6 runs/game when Baz takes the mound in Baltimore.

All that being said, the former Ray has been particularly strong against the team that traded him. In two starts this year vs. Tampa Bay, Baz has a 1.38 ERA while limiting the Rays to a a .196 average. The last time he faced Tampa, the righty delivered his best start in Camden Yards all season, tossing 7 innings of 1-run ball while punching out 9 Rays.

On paper, it looks like run support would be hard to come by off Rays’ right-hander Nick Martinez. However, the sinker-baller has struggled of late, posting a 5.92 ERA and .303 BAA and six homers against in his last four starts. Martinez hasn’t made a start in Camden Yards since 2015 for the Rangers, when Jimmy Paredes and J.J Hardy each took him deep and his was outdueled by peak Wei-Yin Chen.

Can the Orioles turn it around against the Rays? Or will it be another disappointing series against an AL East rival? Let us know in the comments.

As you know, the Cubs are the only MLB franchise to be in its original location since the National League was founded in 1876.

So that makes this the 150th anniversary of the team, and throughout the year the Cubs have been honoring that history in many different ways.

Thursday, the club announced a 150th anniversary celebration that will happen at Wrigley Field Saturday, Aug. 29 and Sunday, Aug. 30. The team says that the weekend celebration will honor the players, people, places and traditions that have defined Cubs baseball since 1876 while recognizing the organization’s enduring connection to the neighborhood it has called home for more than a century.

The celebration begins Saturday, Aug. 29, with the dedication of a new Founders’ Clock at the corner of Clark and Addison Streets, marking the organization’s latest investment at Wrigley Field — you can see what it will look like in the rendering above. The permanent four-sided clock will serve as a welcoming landmark for residents, visitors and fans while enriching the year-round experience in and around Wrigley Field.

If you were in Gallagher Way during the just-completed homestand, this is the area that was blocked off for construction:

The Cubs said in a press release:

The clock reflects the organization’s enduring commitment to the community it has called home for generations. Finished in Wrigley Field’s signature deep green, the clock features historic Cubs logos and inscriptions highlighting four eras of franchise history, connecting the club’s rich legacy with the millions of people who come to Wrigley Field each year.

In addition, the Aug. 29 game will include recognition of the Cubs 150th Anniversary Team, which is a collection of the most accomplished and influential players in franchise history. The team was selected online by fans and includes 40 players and three managers from 1876 to today. The complete roster will be announced Monday, Aug. 24 with the pregame recognition planned for Aug. 29 featuring over 20 members in attendance. A permanent plaque featuring the names of all members of the Cubs 150th Anniversary Team will be added to the Cubs Hall of Fame located in the left field bleacher concourse.

There will be other festivities over that weekend, culminating on Sunday, Aug. 30 with the inductions of Jody Davis, Jon Lester and Vince Lloyd into the Cubs Hall of Fame, with Lloyd as the recipient of the “Lifetime Achievement Award,” a new honor recognizing individuals who made a significant contribution to the Cubs organization over their lifetime.

If you are attending the Aug. 30 game, which is now a night game beginning at 6:20 p.m. CT, you’ll receive Hall of Fame pins honoring Davis and Lester (first 10,000 early arriving fans).

This all sounds like a great way to honor the century and a half of Cubs history. Perhaps this year’s team will add to that with a long postseason run.

The A’s have been in a free fall for months. Back on June 19th, they’d erase an 8 run deficit against the Angels, ultimately prevailing in extra innings in dramatic fashion, winning by a score of 12-11.    The victory evened their record at 38-38 and since then, it’s been a nose dive to last place.    

Cody Elias from A’s cast walks us through the future of this roster as the season approaches its finish line, which cannot come fast enough for the A’s.

Q: A’s have had some tough injuries but guys like Tommy White, Zack Gelof and Lawrence Butler have shown some flashes.    What’s your overall feel for those guys?

A: Let’s start with Lawrence Butler. After undergoing offseason knee surgery and spending most of Spring Training recovering, Butler naturally got off to a slow start to begin the 2026 season. Through the first half of the year, he struggled, slashing .196/.296/.296 with five home runs and 22 RBIs across 88 games. The second half, however, has been a different story: Butler is slashing .245/.314/.500 with six home runs and 14 RBIs in just 29 games.

Zack Gelof is another player the organization had high hopes for following a stellar 2023 rookie campaign, where he hit .268 with 14 home runs, 32 RBIs, 14 stolen bases, and an .840 OPS. Since then, injuries, contact issues, and a surge in strikeouts have plagued his progress. Gelof actually began 2026 in Triple-A Las Vegas after the team brought in Jeff McNeil to play second base, but injuries and slow starts elsewhere earned him a call-back to the big league club. He’s proven versatile ever since, making starts at second base, third base, left field, and center field. Better yet, his bat has returned—he’s posted 14 home runs, 34 RBIs, and an .827 OPS while slashing his strikeout rate from 34.4% in 2024 down to 24.9%.

Tommy White began the season in Double-A Midland before earning a promotion to Triple-A Las Vegas after 21 games. Combined across both minor league levels in 2026, White hit .303 with 10 home runs, 64 RBIs, and an .818 OPS. That production earned him his Major League debut on July 17 against the Washington Nationals in West Sacramento. In a small sample size with the big club, White is hitting .267 with two home runs—both coming in back-to-back games after going his first 27 MLB games without a homer. He’s also delivered two four-hit games while filling in at first and third base for manager Mark Kotsay.

Q: What’s the biggest thing you think manager Mark Kotsay is looking to see in the final 6 weeks of the season?

A: The obvious answer is pitching. The A’s currently carry the highest ERA in the American League at 5.49, driven by a 5.36 starter ERA and a 5.70 mark from the bullpen. Injuries have sidelined veterans Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs, while a disappointing start to the 2026 season landed top prospect Luis Morales back in Triple-A. As a result, A’s starters have thrown the third-fewest innings in the AL.

Still, it hasn’t been all bad news on the mound.

J.T. Ginn has been outstanding for the Green and Gold, pitching to a 3.53 ERA across 25 games. Ginn—who nearly threw a no-hitter against the Angels in June—has logged six or more innings 12 times this year. Ginn isn’t considered a flame thrower by today’s standards in Major League Baseball but his ability to get ground balls with his sinker is valuable at the ballpark in West Sacramento. The sinker is seeing its highest usage rate since 2018 (16.6% of the time) and Ginn doubles the usage rate at 35.7% and opponents are hitting .218 collectively vs the pitch. If Ginn can continue to use his sinker to his advantage and continue to develop his changeup, he has established himself as a potential top-of-the-rotation anchor.

Q: Gage Jump had some incredible moments during the first half of the season, what’s happened since? 

A: Gage has shown flashes of becoming the franchise’s next elite homegrown southpaw. Jump has struck out the third-most batters by an A’s rookie through his first 15 starts, trailing only Tim Hudson and Sonny Gray. In fact, you have to trace back to Gray’s 2013 debut to find the last time there was this level of excitement around a young A’s starting pitcher. As Jump takes the next step in his development, the key element to watch is his secondary usage—specifically his changeup, which he currently throws just 8.6% of the time. Because he relies on his fastball 47% of the time, refining that third offering will be crucial to unlocking his ceiling as a true top-of-the-rotation starter.

Q: Is it fair to say that Jacob Lopez has the potential to be a future star ?   

A: He’s been a bright spot. He was has optioned to Triple-A in early June, and when Lopez returned in July he’s posted a 2.36 ERA across seven starts since July 10. Coming off a solid 2025 campaign that was cut short by injury, Lopez is proving once again that he belongs in the big league rotation.

Hickory starter Evan Siary went seven innings, allowing two runs and striking out three.

Paulino Santana homered. Pablo Guerrero homered and walked twice. Yolfran Castillo had a double and a walk. Dewar Tovar had a hit. Josh Springer was 2 for 3 with a homer and a walk. Jeremy Owens and Seong-Jun Kim each had a hit.

Hickory box score

Hub City starter Case Matter threw two shutout innings, striking out one. Kamdyn Perry allowed five runs in three innings, walking three, hitting two batters and striking out one.

Evan Morrison was 2 for 4 with a double. Chandler Pollard doubled.

Hub City box score

Rehabbing Jack Leiter allowed five runs in three innings for Frisco, including a homer, walking two and striking out five. Joey Danielson allowed a run in an inning, striking out one. Dylan MacLean struck out three and walked three in four innings, allowing two runs. Eric Loomis struck out three in a shutout inning.

Yeison Morrobel homered. Arturo Disla was 2 for 4 with a double.

Frisco box score

Round Rock starter David Davalillo allowed two runs, including a homer, in 5.2 IP, striking out two and walking one. Ben Peoples allowed three runs in 0.1 IP, walking one and giving up a homer. Ryan Lobus allowed a homer to former Ranger Dustin Harris in one inning, walking one and striking out two. Michel Otanez struck out one and walked one in a scoreless inning.

Alejandro Osuna was 3 for 5 with a pair of doubles and a stolen base. Cam Cauley had a hit, a walk and a stolen base. Logan O’Hoppe had a pair of hits. Aaron Zavala was 2 for 4 with a homer.

Round Rock box score

The San Diego Padres finished a .500 road trip after dropping the final game of the series to the New York Mets by a score of 4-2. It was a disappointing end to a two-city trip that felt like it could have been much better. San Diego took two of three from the Cleveland Guardians and went into New York looking to replicate that success.

The Padres opened the series with the Mets with a 2-1 loss that saw four outs recorded at the plate in the first two innings. Three of those outs came on outfield assists and caused a lot of the Friar Faithful to question whether the team needed to make a change at the third base coach position. Of course, those were more heat of the moment discussions and they quickly dissipated the next night.

The second game of the series will forever be known as the Fernando Tatis Jr. Game. The star right fielder led off the game with a solo home run on the very first pitch. He later went on to add a two-run home run which was a welcome sight considering his slow start to the season in regard to his power numbers. But the home runs took a back seat to his defense which helped Robbie Ray maintain a lead and eventually earn a win.

With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the second inning Tatis leaped high above the wall in right field to take away what would have been a grand slam home run from Francisco Lindor. The Padres would go on to win the game, 5-2.

In the final game of the series, the Frair Faithful were hoping for the Padres to ride the momentum from Tuesday night to a second consecutive win and a series win. However, they were unable to provide starter Michael King with any run support and they were unable to come through with a clutch hit in the final at-bat of the game. With runners on the corner with one out, pinch-hitter Austin Hays bounced into a double play and San Diego dropped the game and the series to New York with a 4-2 loss.

The Padres have little room for error in the win-loss columns and need to get back on track in the series opener against the Minnesota Twins tonight at Petco Park. The Twins are coming off a sweep of the Atlanta Braves and are engaged in their own playoff hunt in the American League. The sweep in Atlanta followed Minnesota getting swept in a three game set against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Padres have improved their starting rotation and have been getting consistent 6-plus-inning outings from their starters. They have an offense that has shown it can put up a big number on the scoreboard but the problem has been consistency. San Diego will be rested after a day off on Thursday and will get energy from what is likely to be another sellout crowd, but can they turn that into a win? That will be determined tonight at 6:40 p.m.

Padres News:

• It was announced on Thursday that the Padres have plans to reward their employees for the dedication and service to the organization.

• Samad Taylor began his rehab assignment with a bang, recording a home run in his first game back.

• Despite their small market moniker the Padres became the most expensive MLB franchise ever sold, according to a report from Dennis Lin in The Athletic.

Baseball News:

• Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom reached 2,000 strikeouts in a win over the Washington Nationals.

• Gerrit Cole helped the New York Yankees earn their fourth consecutive win with an eight-strikeout performance against the Baltimore Orioles.

• After a strange trip to Boston, Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte was removed from the restricted list and placed on the 10-day IL.

• The Cincinnati Reds handed the St. Louis Cardinals a 10-9 win.

It’s a simple question. And for me it’s a simple answer. I watch the game for the players and for the moments they create on the field. For 8 years Rafael Devers wowed me with his bat, his flare for the dramatics, and with the attitude of boyish fun he brought to the field. I don’t want to be the type of person who cares about anything more than that.

Talk about Rafael Devers and whatever else you want in this space and, as always, be good to one another.

The Guardians won a series yesterday against the Giants. Now, time to see if they can win a second straight series against the Rockies this weekend.

The plan is to get Chase DeLauter, fully functional Jo Adell and Colin Holderman back for this series. We will see.

Jeff McNerny and I recorded a Disgusting Baseball Podcast last night. It was fun.

Around MLB:

White Sox, Astros and Orioles lost, Rangers and Blue Jays won.

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The Milwaukee Brewers (-140) have flexed their muscles against quality competition this season, posting a 41-21 record against teams over .500.

With Milwaukee starting the heavy favorite to win the NL Cy Young, my Braves vs. Brewers predictions and MLB picks see the Brewers earning another victory against a good team on Friday, Aug. 21.

Who will win Braves vs Brewers today: Brewers moneyline (-140)

The Milwaukee Brewers are better positioned for success at the dish.

Eight of their projected batters have been posting double-digit walk rates against lefties over the last 30 games. That will not only help them get on base, but it'll pester Chris Sale and increase his pitch count.

They’ve also hit for a lot of power, producing an 11.8% barrel rate (99th percentile) and 41.4% hard-hit rate (89th percentile) during that span.

The Atlanta Bravessit 29th in OBP vs. righties over the past 30 games, which will make life even harder against Jacob Misiorowski.

Bet this to -150.

COVERS INTEL: The Braves have struck out at the seventh-highest rate against righties in August. That doesn't bode well going up against Misiorowski and his 100th percentile K%.

Braves vs Brewers Over/Under pick: Over 6.0 (-110)

This total is too low.

Sale is exceptional, but he's pitched into the seventh inning just once over his last 10 starts, and Milwaukee’s patience at the plate should chase him in six innings or fewer. 

That would give Milwaukee plenty of opportunities to scratch together runs against a bullpen sitting 25th in xFIP over the last month.

Misiorowski isn't immune to power, allowing multiple homers in three of his last seven starts. He gives up a lot of fly balls, and the Braves boast the sluggers to capitalize.

I’d play the Over to -122.

Braves vs Brewers home run prediction: Gary Sanchez (+510)

Sale attacks right-handed bats with a steady dose of fastballs, and that’s good news for lefty-masher Gary Sanchez.

He's gone nuclear against four-seamers from southpaws, barreling up that pitch more than 22% of the time while posting a .684 ISO.

Sanchez has the ability to make Sale pay if he fails to locate his fastball, and that’s more likely if the Brewers can force the veteran into longer at-bats with their patience.

Bet this down to +480.

Braves vs Brewers weather

This game will be played in a dome.

Braves vs Brewers odds

• Moneyline: Braves +120 | Brewers -140
• Run line: Braves +1.5 (-190) | Brewers -1.5 (+160)
• Over/Under: Over 6.0 (-105) | Under 6.0 (-115)

Braves vs Brewers trend

Milwaukee has hit the moneyline in 34 of their last 50 home games (+9.25 units, 11% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Braves vs Brewers.

How to watch Braves vs Brewers and game info

Braves vs Brewers latest injuries

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It’s been thirty plus years since I have been able to watch every single pitch of the season. From 1991 to around 1997 I saw practically every game. I got used to all the subtleties of each interaction. I heard every cliche. Watched the ups and downs of the season. In those days the Braves got to be so automatic that if they lost three or four in a row, I really started to wonder what in the world was going on. And then one of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, or John Smoltz would take the bump. After that, they would win like 14 out of 18 and it would be like that losing streak didn’t happen.

It’s fair to say, I was spoiled like a lot of us. But one thing started happening over the years. I lost to ability to care about one particular regular season game. And then I started learning about expected stats in places like this one, I lost it a little more. I just can’t get that up or down over one game.

Oh sure, there are exceptions. This happened right around 12:30 am after a long rain delay. It’s Danny Young pitching in a tie game in the eighth inning, the pitcher the Braves gave up on to bring Ray Kerr back. There was no reason for Young to even sniff this game. Yet there he was, and the Braves were within 1.5 games of the Phillies. This was pretty infuriating.

This one was so delicious. This lit everybody up. Matt Olson actually displayed emotion. The bullpen fell apart, in a good way. It put the Braves up seven games and ready to crush for another five weeks. It took four hours for me to come down from that.

But for the most part, I have my eye on October. Maybe I shouldn’t but I do. The Braves could still mess this up, but there’s a 0.7% chance of that per Fangraphs. They could lose the division, but my spoiled fandom has seen a lot of divisions. I want them to beat the Dodgers and win it all. So I spend a lot of time watching this team and piecing together how the Postseason might take shape. The next week has my attention for that.

So are you living every single win and loss? I can’t do it much anymore. Baseball feeds the soul for six months and it’s a steady stream for me. Baseball broadcasts are the original podcasts, and are great for listening while enjoying the outdoors or watching the little ones in the pool. I’m too old for any other way.

Welp. What a difference four days makes. On August 16, the O’s were clobbering the Rays 10-2 to complete three straight wins in St. Petersburg, vaulting into sole possession of the third American League Wild Card spot. As of last night, they’d dropped four in a row, including a home sweep by the Yankees, tumbling back out of a playoff spot in the process and falling to six games under .500.

This is who the 2026 Orioles are: a team that can look like the best club in baseball for three days and the worst for four, sometimes in the same week. The question this week of baseball raises for is not whether Baltimore is erratic (that’s not much of a question); it’s whether last week’s high was real, and whether this week’s low means the season is effectively over, even if the math says otherwise.

After three days in Tampa, we were riding high. It wasn’t expected, against the AL’s best team by record—far from it. On August 14, the Orioles won 6-5, buoyed by home runs by Colton Cowser and Gunnar Henderson and a two-run Dylan Beavers single. That night, Chris Bassitt, returning for action after two months on the shelf, pitched a stalwart 5 1/3 innings, and although Yennier Cano gave up three runs in the ninth, Cam Sanders and the team hung on for a narrow win. The next day, they won by a narrow 4-3 margin, in ten innings behind a solid Kyle Bradish, who went six innings with two runs allowed, and homers by Pete Alonso and Christian Encarnacion-Strand. Andrew Kittredge allowed the game-tying run in the ninth, but the Birds rallied in extras and Cam Sanders shut the door. Then came the laugher: on August 16, Jackson Holliday drove in three runs, Colton Cowser added a two-run homer in the sixth, and Trevor Rogers turned in six innings of two-run ball to close out the series, 10-2. Manager Craig Albernaz summed up the mood afterward: “For us, we really believe we can play with anyone.”

The series win pushed Baltimore to 61-63—sub-.500, yes, but nonetheless good enough in a jumbled Wild Card picture for the third and final spot, a half-game up on Texas and a full game up on Toronto, Cleveland, and Detroit. After a disheartening Trade Deadline that had you question whether this Orioles front office believes in the team anymore, it was a great moment.

Alas, the wheels soon came off. The Rays got the series finale back on the 17th, 7-6, in a game the Orioles should have had. Coby Mayo hit a 468-foot homer, Christian Encarnacion-Strand drove in four runs, and Baltimore led 6-4 into the seventh before Yennier Cano failed to get an out and the bullpen surrendered the lead.

A couple days later, the Yankees came to Camden Yards and swept. New York took Game 1 3-1, due to the offense’s total failure to back up a stellar Shane Baz, who struck out a season-high ten batters. The Yankees took Game 2, 5-3 on Wednesday in a game Baltimore arguably should have led in the seventh—that inning, a Pete Alonso fly ball down the left-field line was (wrongly) ruled foul, and the Yankees broke the ensuing tie with two runs in the eighth off Cam Sanders. Then, they got a lopsided 6-1 defeat on Thursday, with Gerrit Cole cruising and Kyle Bradish getting tagged for a pair of solo homers in the sixth. Dylan Beavers’ homer was the lone offensive highlight in that finale, much as as Coby Mayo’s had been two days earlier, with Baz on the mound.

It seems to me that the how of the wins and losses matters here, because this a specific, recurring failure mode. In three of the four losses, Baltimore’s offense either went cold against a plus starter (Cole, Rodón, and Yankees pitching generally), simply lacking thump besides a single big swing. In the other, a shaky bullpen turned a winnable game into a loss. Those are exactly the two questions that were hanging over this roster before the winning streak ever started, and the win streak didn’t dispositively answer either one. In fact, the team nearly lost the lead in Tampa in two of the three games; it was just well-timed hitting and a blowout that, in retrospect, obscured those weaknesses.

So: was the Tampa series a mirage or not? Truthfully, yes and no: this Orioles team is capable of exactly what Albernaz said, beating anyone on a given night, not to mention hanging with the pack in a decidedly mediocre AL Wild Card chase. But those wins ultimately were not proof that the team is good. A sub.-500 club that needs a hot week to sneak into a Wild Card spot in a weak field is, definitionally, a bubble team, and bubble teams have patent, obvious weaknesses.

As for whether Baltimore is really out of it: not numerically, not with more than five weeks left and half the AL still hovering within a couple of games of a playoff spot. But practically speaking, if the team’s ceiling is “beat a good opponent by doing just enough to cover for the weak bullpen” and their floor is “fail to hit decent starters, then blow leads,” they simply aren’t built for anything like a real playoff run. It seems that most of us in Birdland are well aware of this unfortunate fact.