The last ray of hope was blocked this afternoon.

The Orioles can’t fiddle with the math while their playoff hopes burn.

The inevitable, barring a baseball miracle, became a reality for the Orioles while they spent an off-day in New York. Their elimination number in the Wild Card race hit zero after the White Sox defeated the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

Chicago raced out to a 3-0 lead in the first and 6-0 in the second. They were ahead 8-1 by the fourth and 9-1 in the fifth.

Elimination didn’t sneak up on the Orioles. It was loud and brash.

Yesterday’s doubleheader sweep of the Blue Jays kept the heart beating, faint but audible. The Orioles headed back inside the clubhouse and waited out the rest of Chicago’s game, which was decided after Kansas City broke a 4-4 tie in the seventh inning.

The Wild Card deficit was down to 3 ½. The Orioles just needed to keep winning and see whether the White Sox would collapse, including in their upcoming series against the Rockies.

Delayed until denied.

Colton Cowser’s spectacular leaping catch in Colorado to prevent a walk-off home run improved the Orioles to 69-69. They lost their next six games. Looking back, that was the final nail for a team that didn’t have a winning record since April 14. Anything masquerading as momentum didn’t matter.

What’s left now is trying to reach .500 and avoid back-to-back losing seasons. The Orioles are 78-81 but haven’t swept a three-game or more series at Yankee Stadium since June 6-8, 1986.

So long ago that Scott McGregor won the opener over Ron Guidry despite Dale Berra’s home run. And despite a lineup that had Alan Wiggins batting leadoff. Mike Boddicker bested Tommy John in the second game, and Lee Lacy hit three homers and drove in six runs the following day in an 18-9 victory.

Neither team has announced its starters for this weekend, and reports today suggest the possibility of a Friday doubleheader due to rain in the forecast for Saturday and Sunday. The Yankees clinched the top Wild Card and can’t win the division. The Orioles will keep playing for pride and perhaps to establish some sort of momentum heading into offseason workouts and spring training.

Their last playoff victory remains on hold since 2014.

“We’re trying to win every game we can,” manager Craig Albernaz said last night. “Every game we’re play we’re trying to win, and .500 would be great. We still (don’t) have an ‘E’ next to our name, so we’re still in the fight. Our guys are well aware of everything.”

That includes the repercussions of today’s result in Kansas City and the hole they dug for themselves earlier this season that put their fate in another team’s hands.

“Regardless of what the record is, I just want to play good baseball, good quality baseball, and whatever we have left in the tank, just empty the tank, because after 162, that’s it,” said first baseman Pete Alonso.

“You’ve got to wait until spring, and then it’s another six months before baseball. So it’s whatever you have left, just empty the tank and hopefully we win all three there because that’s the goal. We want to win every game that we play regardless of the standings. But again, I think, yeah, empty the tank.”