What the Orioles are doing in 2026, whether or not intentionally, reminds me of some teams in other sports in previous years. Stay close and find a way to win at the end.

The North Carolina State men’s basketball team used that strategy in tournament games on its way to an improbable national championship in 1983. The Orioles are applying their own spin by trying to do it with their season.

They go into tonight’s series finale against the Rays, which concludes a three-city road trip, with ownership of the last Wild Card by a half-game over the Rangers. All of the teams nearest to them lost yesterday. A stretch that could make or break them looks like it’s cloaked in the same mediocrity as the league itself, with the Orioles going 5-4, including series losses in Texas and Minnesota. However, three straight wins over Tampa Bay, which held the best record in baseball, looks like a flex.

Yesterday’s seven-run sixth inning, the largest of the season, propelled the Orioles to a 10-2 victory, improved their record to 61-63 and moved them closer to a possible sweep. They’ve won six in a row over the Rays by a combined score of 46-20.

Perhaps we’ll have to wait until the Orioles host the Yankees and Tampa Bay this week to gain a better feel for their destiny, but most likely not. That’s asking way too much this year.

The injured list has been whittled to nine players, but that includes the Adley Rutschman trade to the Red Sox. They’re the team that reinstated him.

Chris Bassitt came off the 60-day IL and reentered the rotation. Catcher Samuel Basallo, on the 10-day IL with right shoulder inflammation, began his rehab assignment yesterday at Triple-A Norfolk and finished with a double and three RBIs. He could return to the Orioles during their homestand.

The non-displaced fracture in utility player Blaze Alexander’s left hand has healed, though a scan this week will confirm the progress made, and he’s hitting and fielding. Reliever Félix Bautista, on the 60-day after undergoing multiple repairs on his right shoulder last August, is throwing live batting practice and bullpen sessions.

This may not be the intended plan, but the Orioles just need to stay within striking distance of the Wild Card, if they aren’t in possession of it, and count on the in-house roster upgrades to carry them past their competitors and into the playoffs.

We haven’t even talked about closer Ryan Helsley, who’s on the 60-day IL with a second bout with right elbow discomfort. The back end of the bullpen could be much strong if Helsley also comes back and is in peak form with Bautista, which might be a gradual process and is far from a certainty.

More evident is the rotation’s ability to lift the Orioles over other teams, and how Basallo and Alexander could be huge difference-makers for the lineup.

And this doesn’t take into account roster expansion in September.

Just stay close.

Basallo’s eventual return leaves the Orioles to decide whether to carry two or three catchers. It was easier to hold a pair with Rutschman on the roster, but using Basallo as the designated hitter and perhaps having to pinch-hit for Carlos Narváez or Yohel Pozo brings an obvious risk.

Narváez came to the Orioles as part of the return for Rutschman and catcher Jake Rogers, and he’s 3-for-29 with 10 strikeouts since changing teams. He’s committed two errors in 10 games and basestealers are 3-for-3. He has two minor league options.

Pozo, who has three options, is 4-for-14 with a home run in nine games. He’s committed one error and basestealers are 5-for-5.

Alexander’s return could come after roster’s stretch to 28 players. Otherwise, a corresponding move will be necessary.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand homered again Saturday night, delivered a three-run double yesterday and has registered a .793 OPS with 18 RBIs in 23 games. Coby Mayo seems to be safe. He’s murder on left-handed pitching and also is beginning to do some damage against right-handers.

Is Jeremiah Jackson in danger of being sent down for a second time? He’s been in the lineup three times this month, and his right-handed bat and versatility lose some value with Alexander on the roster.

The Orioles love the guy, but they might be forced into another hard call with him. Or September expansion might save him. Who knows?

Pete Alonso stayed in the lineup yesterday after experiencing some cramping in his calf, and he had a double, two walks, a hit-by-pitch and two RBIs before coming out of a blowout. He can carry this team by himself, but it isn’t necessary.

Encarnacion-Strand has become one of the season’s best pickups. Jackson Holliday had an RBI single off left-hander Garrett Cleavinger and a two-run double off left-hander Steven Matz as further evidence that he should just stay in the lineup. Colton Cowser hit a left-on-left home run.

The “Gunnar is back” crowd keeps riding the roller coaster. He collected three hits Tuesday, none Wednesday, four Friday, one Saturday and none yesterday. He mixed in four walks.

Let’s just agree that the at-bats are better and some encouraging signs are posted.

Left-hander Shane McClanahan will be reinstated from the injured list and start tonight in his first appearance with the Rays since experiencing back soreness on July 30. He faced the Orioles May 18 at Tropicana Field and allowed four runs in five innings, saw them again May 25 at Camden Yards and tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings.

McClanahan is 7-0 with a 2.97 ERA in 11 career starts against the Orioles.

It sounded more intimidating before the series began.

“We get to play for a chance for the playoffs, and I think everyone in here can feel that,” Holliday told the media yesterday.

“We go out there and beat a good team three nights in a row, I don’t think it’s much of a fluke. We have a really good team, and we’re going out there and showing it.”

“We really believe we can play with anyone,” manager Craig Albernaz told the media. “You have to believe that. I truly believe that, and the guys in that room believe it most importantly.”

If they don’t, just look at the standings.

Note: The Orioles are promoting outfielder Vance Honeycutt, their first-round draft pick in 2024, from High-A Frederick to Double-A Chesapeake.

Honeycutt, 23, batted .182/.285/.359 with nine doubles, 10 home runs, 31 RBIs, 30 walks and 110 strikeouts in 63 games. He stole 28 bases in 32 attempts.

Honeycutt missed a month with a strained oblique.

The Orioles also are moving up right-hander Jack Crowder and left-hander Brendan Parks to Frederick.