When manager Brandon Hyde used the word "collaborative" to describe the decision to shorten Corbin Burnes' start last night, it was clear the O's, the pitching coaches, Hyde and Burnes had all decided that was how last night would go for him.

He was dealing in throwing 69 pitches over five innings, but that was as far as he would pitch on this night.

Unfortunately for the Orioles, the bullpen could not take it from there and three pitchers walked four and allowed six runs to immediately see the Yankees blow the game open.

The Yankees got a 10-1 win and clinched the AL East, while the O's head to Minnesota still needing a win to clinch the top Wild Card spot.  

Baltimore was not conceding the game with this move, but the way the last of the sixth played out, it looked like it. 

With 5-3 and 9-7 wins the last two nights at Yankee Stadium, the Orioles can sweep their three-game series at New York tonight.

The Orioles (88-70) have four games left in the regular season and a series at Minnesota beginning tomorrow night.

They have five sweeps this year of at least three games, but none since early June. They swept three at Boston April 9-11, versus Minnesota April 15-17 and at Cincinnati May 3-5. Their past two sweeps are four-game sweeps at the Chicago White Sox May 23-26 and at Tampa Bay June 7-10.

In going 8-4 this season against the Yankees, the Orioles have a team ERA of 3.75 allowing a .698 OPS in the 12 games. The O's batters score 5.08 runs per game with a .754 OPS.

In going 4-1 at Yankee Stadium, the Orioles have scored 40 runs with a .320 batting average and .908 OPS.

As the phrase goes the Orioles have been “getting the band back together” getting some of their injured list players back recently as Jacob Webb, Danny Coulombe, Ryan Mountcastle, Ramón Urías, Jordan Westburg and Heston Kjerstad have all made it back to the active roster.

It is a big boost to a team that recently had 12 players on the injured list.

And while the O’s pitching staff took a big injury hit even before the All-Star break, some MLB stats indicate that the Orioles have not been hurt as badly on the injury front as other clubs. At least when looking at player games missed.

This is total games that players on the injured list have missed this year for each club and each missed game counts the same whether it is an All-Star that is out or the last guy on the roster. So we need to keep that in mind.

But here are the top clubs in most player games missed to this point, according to Stats Perform:

With a playoff berth now secure, the Orioles play at New York tonight looking to wrap up the top American League Wild Card seed. At five games behind the Yankees with five to play, they also are still mathematically alive for the AL East championship.

An O's win tonight would push them closer to that top Wild Card slot while keeping their faint division hopes alive for another day.

In Tuesday's 5-3 win at Yankee Stadium, they got solo homers from Anthony Santander (No. 44), Ramón Urías (No. 11) and Colton Cowser (No. 23). Santander's homer hit the right-field foul pole, going just 344 feet, while Urías hit one 405 and Cowser's blast went 432 feet.

Santander's homer also produced his 100th RBI, which is five more than his career high from 2023. Santander's 195 RBIs since the start of last year put him tied for 11th in the majors. He is tied with former Oriole Manny Machado.

He homered for the third time in five games and has hit 35 in his last 100 games, since June 1. Santander has four homers in 11 games versus the Yankees.

Considering the 2024 season was his fourth in pro ball, but just his second full season of minor league ball, O’s 20-year-old catching prospect Samuel Basallo has accomplished a lot.

He has flown up prospect rankings to now be a top 10-15 player. He repped the Orioles in the Futures Game this year. He was named the High-A Carolina League MVP last season and named that league’s top MLB prospect.

Just yesterday he was named the top MLB prospect in the Double-A Eastern League for his play with Bowie this season. In late August he moved to Triple-A Norfolk for the first time.

“I just feel extremely proud,” Basallo said during a phone interview yesterday via team interpreter Brandon Quinones. “Looking back, I didn’t start the year the way that I want or we wanted, but to be able to be named the top prospect in that league, it means a lot to me for sure. I’m really proud of that.”

But something Basallo and his family are also quite proud of, has nothing to do with prospect rankings or anything on a stat sheet.

Still looking to clinch an American League playoff berth, with a magic number of two, and still not officially eliminated from AL East contention, the Orioles begin their final road trip of the regular season tonight at Yankee Stadium.

The Orioles can clinch a postseason slot tonight with a win and a loss by either Kansas City or Minnesota. 

Where once we thought this series might be the one to decide the AL East, the Orioles go into it six games behind with six to play, and one Yankees win will clinch them the division title.

The Orioles enter this series with an 86-70 record, clinching their second consecutive season finishing at least 10 games over .500 (101-61 in 2023). It’s the first time Baltimore has finished consecutive seasons 10 games over .500 since a streak of two between 1996 and 1997, per Stats Perform.

New York (92-64) is headed to the postseason for the seventh time in the last eight seasons (since 2017) and it's their 25th trip to the postseason in the last 30 years (since 1995).

It is not going to be the showdown for the American League East title we thought it could be or would be. As the Orioles play the Yankees tonight in the Bronx to start a three-game series, they still have yet to clinch a playoff berth.

Five straight series losses with a 5-10 record in that span while New York went 12-4 allowed the Yankees to open a six-game lead with six to play.

A year after winning 101 games, the O’s are fighting to get to 90 and are likely going to see the Yankees celebrate this week on their home field with a win over them.

Unless they sweep.

The Orioles' magic number to clinch a playoff berth is two. They will get there should they win tonight and either Kansas City or Minnesota loses. 

Well, Captain Obvious said that losing five straight late-season series is no way to win the American League East or build momentum for the playoffs.

With the AL East now all but gone, the Orioles have one week left to get more at-bats for returning players like Jordan Westburg and Ramón Urías and innings for relievers Danny Coulombe and Jacob Webb. Grayson Rodriguez hasn't made it back yet and neither has Ryan Mountcastle, but at least he is playing in games.

In their past five series, the Orioles are 1-2 versus the Rays, Red Sox, Tigers, Giants and Tigers.

The Orioles (86-70) are six games behind the Yankees (92-64) with six to play. Their only chance at the division is to go 6-0 while New York goes 0-6.

When the Orioles won last Saturday night at Detroit, on Sept. 14, they were just two games out of first place. On Sept. 10 they were a 1/2 game behind.

The Orioles played their first home game of the 2024 season on March 28 and they beat the Los Angeles Angels 11-3 on Opening Day. This afternoon they play their final home game of the regular season, still hoping home playoff games at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Along those lines, the O's report for duty with the same magic number as they had on Saturday, which is three, with the same scenario for clinching. They will wrap up a playoff berth today if they beat Detroit and Seattle loses at Texas. That game begins at 2:35 p.m. ET. 

The Orioles (86-69) have seven games remaining and hit the road after today for three games at Yankee Stadium and three at Minnesota to wrap up the regular season.

If the Orioles do clinch a playoff berth, they will be in the postseason in back-to-back years for the first time since 1996 and 1997.

They certainly must feel they let one get away yesterday, losing 6-4 to Detroit in 10 innings. Down 4-2 in the last of the ninth they tied the game 4-4 on Gunnar Henderson's two-run double. They had runners at second and third with no outs but could not push across another run to walk off the Tigers.

The Kansas City Royals lost again, so the Orioles' four-game lead for the first American League wild card berth is still intact. But they had a chance to build some real momentum and get their mojo back.

It sure looked like they were doing exactly that, until they were not.

Most Valuable Oriole Gunnar Henderson doubled in two runs in the last of the ninth and the Orioles and Tigers were tied at four. More than 39,000 fans were roaring. Another walk-off seemed moments away.

Second and third, no outs. But no more runs. A 6-4 loss to Detroit in 10 innings was a gut punch.

A few random thoughts:

If you didn't think a team could erase a magic number of three in one day, you are wrong. The Orioles begin today with a magic number of three to wrap up a 2024 MLB playoff spot. They can get there with a win over Detroit this afternoon and a loss by Seattle tonight at 7:05 p.m.

A potential Clinchmas is here for an Orioles team that heading into Thursday's game having lost five of six, eight of 10 and nine of the last 12 games and was 26-30 in the second half.

The Orioles (86-68) take the field today with eight games remaining. They are four games behind New York for the American League East lead and four ahead of Kansas City for the No. 1 AL wild-card spot. If the O's wrap up the No. 1 wild-card berth, should they not win the AL East, they will host all games in the best two-of-three wild-card playoff round beginning on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

The Orioles hit a season-best five home runs last night in beating a hot Detroit team 7-1. The Tigers (80-74) entered the night having won four in a row, nine of 11 and 18 of 25. And since Aug. 11 Detroit was 25-10, best in the majors in that span.

But Anthony Santander hit his 43rd home run while Colton Cowser and James McCann hit two homers each. It was Cowser's second career multi-homer game and McCann's third.

Winning one Most Valuable Orioles award is quite special. Doing it two seasons in a row takes Gunnar Henderson to a whole new level.

By doing that today he joins a list littered with some of the best players in Orioles history.

Eddie Murray once did this five years in a row from 1981-1985. Others to get two in a row are Adam Jones (2011-12), Rafael Palmeiro (1995-96), Jim Palmer (1972-73), Boog Powell (1969-70), Cal Ripken Jr. (1990-91) and  Frank Robinson (1966-67).

Gunnar joins that list that includes four Hall of Famers.

“Yeah, just the history of this team and just the caliber of players that have come through this team. It’s pretty special to win it back-to-back years. There have been a lot of highly-touted guys that have won this award so I’m humbled to be part of that,” said Henderson.

They are a trio of players who took part in Orioles batting practice before Friday’s game. They all hope they will have another chance to do that here later in their careers and that they will be on the Orioles' active roster when that happens. 

But Friday afternoon under the Baltimore sun, the O’s first three selections in the 2024 MLB Draft took part in some pregame work.

That includes top draft pick, No. 22 overall, University of North Carolina outfielder Vance Honeycutt. Also the O’s second selection, University of Virginia infielder Griff O’Ferrall, taken No. 32 overall and catcher Ethan Anderson, Baltimore’s second-round pick, No. 61 overall, also out of UVA.

Honeycutt was asked about hitting during batting practice.

“It was cool,” he said. “Definitely nervous for the first round. But just taking this all in.”

Two teams hoping to play October baseball meet this weekend at Oriole Park. The Orioles (85-68) host the Detroit Tigers (80-73) in their final home series of the 2024 regular season.

The O’s beat San Francisco 5-3 Thursday on Anthony Santander’s two-run, walk-off homer in the ninth. When the Yankees lost later they had moved to four games back in the American League East with nine to play, including three next week at Yankee Stadium. The O’s begin play tonight leading Kansas City by three games for the top AL wild card spot.

Detroit, which took two of three at Comerica Park last weekend versus the Orioles, has now moved into a tie with Minnesota for the third and final AL wild card and No. 6 seed.

Minnesota, however, holds the tiebreaker over the Tigers, having won the season series, 7-6.

Last weekend, Detroit beat the Orioles 1-0 Friday on a one-hitter, the O’s won 4-2 Saturday and lost 4-2 Sunday. Baltimore was outscored 7-6 in that series.

Two players the Orioles acquired in and after the 2020 MLB Draft have won their two top player development and scouting awards, the club announced today.

Slugger Coby Mayo wins the Brooks Robinson Award as the Orioles' minor league Player of the Year. Right-hander Brandon Young is the Jim Palmer Award winner as minor league Pitcher of the Year.

The Orioles also today named Latin America Coordinator of Instruction Samuel Vega the Cal Ripken Sr. Player Development Award winner and Donovan O'Dowd the Jim Russo Scout of the Year.

Due to the pandemic, the 2020 draft was just five rounds. The O’s selected Mayo in round four at selection No. 103. After that draft, they added Young out of Louisiana-Lafayette as a non-drafted free agent.

Mayo is ranked as the club’s No. 1 prospect and No. 8 overall in the top 100 by both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline after a big year at Triple-A Norfolk.

With one swing, the Orioles ended a losing streak and maybe relieved some pressure on their clubhouse. They have scored five or more runs just twice in the last 13 games.

The second time was Thursday afternoon when Anthony Santander hit a two-run walk-off homer in the ninth to beat the Giants 5-3.

Did that swing relieve some pressure on the clubhouse?

“Yean, I mean, whether you are winning or losing, there is always pressure. It’s the big leagues,” said catcher James McCann. “We are coming down to the wire here. It’s a matter of being able to handle that pressure. You know, things haven’t been going our way right now, so to finally break through after what seems like an extremely long stretch, this is big. Big for the guys and hopefully this is something we can build on.”

Santander hit No. 42 and produced his third career walk-off homer and the O’s first walk-off win since July 14, the final day of the first half.

With three straight losses and their last win coming Saturday at Detroit, the Orioles host the San Francisco Giants this afternoon in the finale of this series. With wins Tuesday by 10-0 and last night by 5-3, the Giants can sweep this series this afternoon.

The Orioles (84-68) are 16 games over the .500 mark, the fewest over they have been since May 29.

In last night's loss, the O's scored two runs in the third on James McCann's RBI double and Cedric Mullins' groundout. An RBI double by Ryan O'Hearn in the sixth produced their final run. They had seven hits and went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

The Orioles have scored nine runs their past five games and 24 in the last 12 games. In those 12 games they are batting .191/.263/.312/.575 and have gone 11-for-74 (.149) batting with RISP.

Overall, Baltimore has lost three in a row, five of six, eight of 10 and nine of the last 12 games. The Orioles are 26-30 since the All-Star break, 31-37 since July 1 and 19-26 on the season versus National League teams. 

It wasn't the most productive inning as the Orioles, after scoring once in the last of the third inning to tie San Francisco 1-1, had runners on second and third and no outs. They scored another run there, but just one more, letting yet another chance for a bigger inning pass by.

The Orioles took a brief lead last night, 2-1 after the third, but by the top of the fourth the lead was gone and later another game was lost. 

The Orioles fell to 84-68 after a 5-3 loss to San Francisco, and they have now lost four series in a row. They are 16 games over .500, their fewest since May 30.

And they are now five games back in the American League East with just 10 to play. The Yankees won 2-1 over Seattle in 10 innings to clinch an AL playoff spot and reduced to six their magic number to clinch over the Orioles.

The O's have a series in the Bronx next week, but right now, even with a sweep, they would still be two games back.

Having fallen four games out in the American League East race with 11 games left, the Orioles host San Francisco tonight in Game 2 of a three-game series at Oriole Park.

The Orioles (84-67) were held to five hits and blanked 10-0 last night. They have been shut out twice in the last four games, three times in the last eight and eight times on the season.

They have scored six runs the past four games and just 21 over the last 11 games, going 3-8. In that span, they are batting .189 with a .577 OPS and are 9-for-64 (.141) with runners in scoring position. Baltimore batters have scored two runs or less seven times in this span.

The Orioles are now 17 games over the .500 mark, the fewest they have been over .500 since June 6.

The O's have lost four of five, seven of nine, eight of 11 and are 26-29 since the All-Star break, 19-23 since Aug. 1 and 31-36 since July 1.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde described it as a “tough day” as the team designated for assignment closer Craig Kimbrel. Hyde called him a “great teammate and class act.”

When I asked ace right-hander Corbin Burnes about Kimbrel, he said similar things. He may have been a poor pitcher for the team in the second half but his teammates sure seemed to support and have respect for him. And Burnes said even as Kimbrel’s season was spiraling downward he was in the clubhouse helping other players.

But in the end, performance matters most. And he went from an ERA of 2.80 in the first half to a pitcher that in 18 second-half games was 1-3 with a 10.59 ERA and 2.177 WHIP.

“Obviously it’s tough,” said Burnes. “You never want to see a guy get designated. A guy that has been here all year and given a lot to this team. And been a leader in the clubhouse, been a leader in the bullpen. You never want to see that happen. You understand why it happens, how baseball and how the business goes.

“I wish him the best. He’s had a Hall of Fame career, if this is it. If he comes back to play, I don’t know. I haven’t talked to Craig much about that. But he’s going to be a Hall of Famer.”