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The playoffs are clinched. The division is clinched. And now, the Orioles can intensify their focus on getting the rotation and roster prepped for the American League Division Series, and reveling in the rest that’s coming to them with the bye.
Cedric Mullins is batting leadoff tonight with Gunnar Henderson out of the lineup. Heston Kjerstad is in right field, Adam Frazier is the second baseman and Ramón Urías is at third.
Ryan Mountcastle gets the start at first base, with Ryan O’Hearn serving as designated hitter.
John Means is making his fourth start since coming off the 60-day injured list. He didn’t allow a hit for 6 2/3 innings in Cleveland. He’s allowed two runs in 12 innings in his last two starts to seemingly thrust himself into the postseason rotation.
Means owns a 3.70 ERA and 0.992 WHIP in eight career games (seven starts) against the Red Sox. Rafael Devers is 3-for-20.
Heston Kjerstad grabbed a bat to hit on the field yesterday afternoon but paused to satisfy a reporter’s request for a minute of his time. That’s exactly how much of it he could spare, doing so with the usual smile and polite nature.
Kjerstad would begin the game on the bench, hours after learning that he made Baseball America’s Minor League All-Star Team, along with shortstop Jackson Holliday and catcher Samuel Basallo. He delivered a pinch-hit, RBI double in the eighth inning. Three of his first six career hits have gone for extra bases.
The honors keep finding him, even in Baltimore.
“I spent the majority of the season down there, and you consider that I’ve only been up here a little bit,” he said. “Definitely a solid year, cool to be a part of that and everything. There’s a lot of O’s players on that list, too. It just shows the organization we’re in.
“It’s awesome to be up here and getting things rolling. It’s been awesome to be a part of this clubhouse so far.”
The wait is over.
For the last magic number to hit zero. For the first American League East championship since 2014. For the Rays to accept their wild card fate.
Pop those corks again.
Anthony Santander homered in the first inning, his fly ball traveling 405 feet to left field and clearing the wall. The crowd roared. Dean Kremer tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings. Pinch-hitter Heston Kjerstad dumped a double into left field that scored Adam Frazier in the eighth.
The ballpark kept getting louder, reaching its peak volume when Trevor Story grounded out against Tyler Wells to seal the Orioles’ 2-0 victory over the Red Sox before an announced crowd of 27,543. The 11th shutout of the season. The latest reason for the city to embrace its team and not let go.
The final out was made in the bottom of the third inning tonight and Orioles chairman and CEO John Angelos and Governor Wes Moore appeared on the video board in center field. They were applauding. Big smiles on their faces. Huge news printed below them.
The Orioles, Moore and the State of Maryland, and the Maryland Stadium Authority agreed to a deal that will keep the team in Baltimore and at Camden Yards for at least the next 30 years.
The current lease was set to expire on Dec. 31. Angelos, Moore and commissioner Rob Manfred kept insisting that the club wasn’t moving, but fans wanted a commitment.
They got it on a night when the Orioles are trying to clinch their first division title since 2014.
The agreement covers a guaranteed 30 years, with two five-year extension options, according to the Baltimore Banner, and enables the Orioles to unlock the $600 million in state bonds for stadium improvements. Same as the NFL’s Ravens, who signed a 15-year extension with options on Jan. 4.
The last two spots in the Orioles rotation this weekend remain vacant in case they clinch the division title early and manager Brandon Hyde can tweak it. Perhaps hold back Kyle Bradish, whose next turn is Sunday. Maybe give Jack Flaherty a start. Go against where it normally would flow.
Hyde knows that a win tonight or Friday, when John Means is listed, comes with certain perks.
“There’s a lot of reasons why you want to, whether it’s to rest guys, schedule some bullpen innings, those types of things,” Hyde said this afternoon. “But we’re a game away from that, so I’m just really focused on trying to win. Try to win tonight, hopefully that goes well, if not, try to win tomorrow.”
Players have traveled different roads to reach tonight’s possible clincher, the fourth at home in club history. Only one is a former All-Star who returned this summer from elbow ligament-constructive surgery.
Means has his own story and emotions.
A win tonight gives the Orioles their 10th division title and first since 2014. It’s that simple.
The magic number is one and the Orioles are entering a four-game series against the Red Sox at Camden Yards. A 100th victory would match their total in 1980.
Ryan Mountcastle returns to the lineup and is playing first base. He was reinstated from the 10-day injured list yesterday after dealing with left AC joint inflammation.
Austin Hays stays in the leadoff spot after reaching base four times last night. Adley Rutschman is the designated hitter again.
Aaron Hicks is the center fielder.
While picking the brain of a scout from outside the organization about the Orioles’ farm system, which players stood out to him, which ones graded highly, I noticed how he paused the minor league analysis and headed straight to Baltimore.
“Of course, your big league club is loaded. It’s loaded,” he said.
“I mean, you guys are impressive.”
And then, within seconds, the focus and curiosity rewind.
“I just wish I was a fly on the wall,” he said, “to know what they were going to do.”
One more night.
Maybe that’s how much longer the Orioles must wait to clinch the American League East for the first time since 2014.
A night when they don’t need anyone’s help.
Adley Rutschman homered, singled and drove in three runs, the bullpen retired all 10 batters behind starter Grayson Rodriguez, and the Orioles won 5-1 before an announced crowd of 24,278 at Camden Yards.
Tampa Bay defeated the Red Sox 5-0 to leave the magic number at one, and fans checking on ticket availability for Thursday night.
Ryan Mountcastle pulled a hoodie over his head this afternoon at his locker, with full range of motion in his left shoulder and the ease of a healthy player, and went outdoors to take some early swings.
He smiled. As if knowing that his stay on the injured list was concluding on the date of his eligibility. An expression that was missing for more than a week.
The Orioles reinstated Mountcastle this afternoon and optioned outfielder Ryan McKenna. He isn’t in tonight’s lineup but will start Thursday against Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale.
Manager Brandon Hyde indicated yesterday that it could be a few more days with Mountcastle.
“He took batting practice yesterday, we wanted to have another day of batting practice on the field,” Hyde said. “We put the machine out there, did some high-velocity stuff. He’s hit on the field twice, so I didn’t want to jump the gun and say he’s going to be activated if it didn’t go very well.
Austin Hays is the leadoff hitter tonight and Anthony Santander makes his seventh start at first base as the Orioles try to clinch the division.
The magic number is down to two. The Rays play the Red Sox at 6:10 p.m.
Gunnar Henderson moves down to fifth against left-hander Patrick Corbin. He has 65 extra-base hits to tie Cal Ripken Jr.’s club rookie record. Last night’s leadoff home run was his 100th career RBI.
Adley Rutschman is the designated hitter. Aaron Hicks is in right field and batting cleanup. Jordan Westburg gets the start at second base, with Adam Frazier on the bench.
Frazier’s 11 stolen bases equal his career high.
The Orioles haven’t clinched the American League East, and that’s the item on manager Brandon Hyde’s mind. That’s where his focus lies this week. The unfinished business before the playoffs begin.
Has he thought about specific roles for players during the postseason?
“No,” he said.
Short and to the point.
I’m sure that the club has considered various options regarding the roster, who might be added depending on health, how the rotation could line up. But Hyde, while trying to be accommodating to the media, doesn’t want to get too far ahead of himself.
Gunnar Henderson swung at the seventh pitch thrown to him tonight and moved closer to ranking first on more Orioles all-time rookie lists. Kyle Bradish was handed the ball and demonstrated again why he should be the first starter in the playoffs.
Henderson’s home run over the center field fence, a 400-foot shot leading off the bottom of the first inning, provided an immediate lead for the Orioles, and Bradish shut out the Nationals through the eighth in a 1-0 victory before an announced crowd of 20,823 at Camden Yards.
Their division lead is 2 1/2 games with the Rays defeating the Red Sox 9-7, and the magic number is two to clinch it.
The 98 wins are the most since 1997.
The champagne celebrations could reach two as early as Wednesday.
Amid the excitement of the Orioles making the playoffs for the first time in seven years came the sad news that Baltimore had lost one of its legends.
Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson passed away today at the age of 86. And nothing else seemed important.
A statement from the team and Robinson’s family read:
“We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Brooks Robinson. An integral part of our Orioles Family since 1955, he will continue to leave a lasting impact on our club, our community, and the sport of baseball.”
Nicknamed “The Human Vacuum Cleaner,” Robinson won 16 consecutive Gold Glove Awards in a 23-year major league career spent entirely with the Orioles. He also made 18 All-Star teams – chosen Most Valuable Player in 1966 – was named MVP in the American League in 1964 and was selected MVP of the 1970 World Series, when everyone learned of his defensive prowess.
Ryan Mountcastle hit on the field today for the first time since he went on the 10-day injured list with left AC joint inflammation, making hard contact on many of his swings.
Mountcastle is eligible to be reinstated on Wednesday. He’s been working out at first base.
“We’ll see how that goes, see how he feels,” manager Brandon Hyde said this afternoon, before Mountcastle stepped in the cage. “There’s a chance tomorrow, but I would think if all goes well, more than likely in a couple days.”
The Orioles want to see how he responds to another round of batting practice.
“Hopefully next couple days,” Hyde said.
Félix Bautista threw 25 pitches this afternoon to minor league catcher Ramón Rodríguez in his first time facing a hitter. And he didn’t go strictly with fastballs.
Bautista has had a few bullpen sessions and today was another step in the right direction.
The Orioles begin their final homestand of the regular season with their magic number at three to clinch their first division title since 2014.
A win tonight would be the 98th of the season, the most since 1997.
Gunnar Henderson is the shortstop. He needs one more triple to become the eighth player in major league history with at least 25 home runs and 10 triples in their age 22 or younger season, per STATS. The others are Jimmie Fox, Joe DiMaggio (twice), Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Al Kaline and Dick Allen.
A scout who was tracking the Orioles in Cleveland, likely in case of a possible playoff matchup, didn’t begin his impromptu report in the media dining room with observations about the hitters or pitching staff. He didn’t talk about the club’s defense that’s produced one of the lowest error totals in the majors.
He went straight to the enthusiasm and effort.
“They’re a lot of fun,” he said. “I love watching them play. I show up early to watch them get ready. Those guys come to play.”
They were allowed to stop for one day after 17 games in a row without a break. They have six more, on the last homestand of the regular season, while awaiting their opponent in the Division Series.
The wild card round is mathematically possible but would require a thunderous collapse with the magic number down to three. The earliest they can clinch is Wednesday night.
CLEVELAND – Three days after the Orioles optioned outfielder Ryan McKenna to Triple-A Norfolk, they clinched their first playoff berth since 2016 and celebrated with gusto.
But without McKenna.
He can work on his timing at the plate but has no control over the timing of his demotions.
“Yeah, it was tough not being there with the guys, but it was also a happy moment, you know?” McKenna said, after the Orioles recalled him Wednesday and placed Ryan Mountcastle on the injured list.
“Everybody worked so hard. It was a good celebration, and nothing taken away from that moment for them. And for us, being a part of the team. But we’re looking forward to more, and it’s going to be exciting coming down to the wire. It’s going to be fun baseball to watch. But yeah, it’s always good to be able to celebrate.
CLEVELAND – The Orioles are done with the road until the playoffs, finishing their last regular season trip today by splitting a four-game series against the Guardians.
They only way they’d stay off the team charter next month would be to lose the wild card series at Camden Yards.
They want the division and the bye that comes with it. They need it.
Their magic number for clinching is down to three following a 5-1 victory before an announced crowd of 20,287 at Progressive Field. The Rays lost 9-5 to the Blue Jays.
The Orioles pushed their division lead to 2 ½ games and they own the tiebreaker.
CLEVELAND – The Orioles play their last road game of the regular season today with Heston Kjerstad serving as designated hitter and Jordan Westburg playing second base.
Gunnar Henderson is starting at third base. The outfield is Austin Hays in left, Cedric Mullins in center and Anthony Santander in right.
Kyle Gibson is 14-9 with a 5.00 ERA in 31 starts. He faced Cleveland on May 30 and allowed three runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings in an 8-5 win. He’s 4-10 lifetime against the Guardians with a 5.55 ERA and 1.647 WHIP in 22 games.
Ramón Laureano is 9-for-18 with two doubles, a triple and two home runs against Gibson. José Ramírez is 13-for-36 with three doubles and a homer.
The magic number is five to clinch the division, which can’t happen before Wednesday.
CLEVELAND – Gunnar Henderson led off last night’s game with a walk, his mature approach at the plate enabling him to see eight pitches before tossing his bat toward the dugout. He singled in the fourth inning, pulling a splitter into right field at 103.9 mph off the bat.
The stolen base that followed made him the first rookie in Orioles history and the 20th in the majors with at least 20 doubles, five triples, 20 home runs and 10 steals.
What didn’t Henderson do in a much-needed 2-1 win over the Guardians?
Strikeouts in his last two at-bats left Henderson one extra-base hit short of Cal Ripken Jr.’s club rookie record of 65 in 1982.
The Orioles have seven games left before the playoffs. Time and talent are on his side.
