To make a serious push for a Wild Card berth, the Orioles first had to move within five games of .500, a daunting task considering that they sat 18 below at their lowest point. Then, as interim manager Tony Mansolino explained, they could try to level the season record and get within reach of the playoffs.
This would be different type of progression, unlike the kind laid out for injured pitchers and hitters.
The Orioles didn’t hurt their chances tonight.
Dean Kremer tossed seven scoreless innings and the top of the order unloaded on Marlins starter Edward Cabrera in a 5-2 victory before an announced crowd of 22,213 at Camden Yards. A fourth shutout disappeared when Otto Lopez hit a two-run homer off Andrew Kittredge in the ninth.
Kremer struck out seven and lowered his ERA to 4.24, and the Orioles (43-50) crept within seven games of .500 for the first time since May 4. A sweep this weekend would meet one of Mansolino’s goals.
The Orioles are 16-10 in their last 26 games and 27-16 in their last 43. They’ve gone 28-22 under Mansolino. They refuse to behave like sellers.
The punishment came quickly, with the Orioles leading 1-0 after two batters and 2-0 after four. Jackson Holliday had a leadoff double and scored on Jordan Westburg’s single. Westburg raced home on Ryan O’Hearn’s double.
O’Hearn, the lone Orioles All-Star representative, had an RBI single in the third after back-to-back singles by Westburg and Gunnar Henderson. Ramón Laureano followed with a double into left-center field for a 4-0 lead.
Westburg had three hits, including an infield single off Cade Gibson leading off the seventh, and he scored on Laureano’s third hit, a soft single into right.
Kremer held the Marlins to three hits in only his sixth home start this season, and he left to a standing ovation after back-to-back strikeouts in the seventh. He retired 11 of the first 13 batters, allowing a single to Lopez in the first inning and former teammate Connor Norby leading off the third. Another former Oriole, Kyle Stowers, drew a two-out walk in the fourth and Kremer disposed of the next eight before Stowers singled in the seventh.
Kremer has thrown seven shutout innings with three hits in three starts this season, and in two of the last three.
The day began with the Orioles 6 ½ games behind for the last Wild Card and needing to pass seven teams. Mansolino just wants the opportunity to do it.
“I just think that as you get closer to .500, five games is the next step, it gets a little more real, it gets a little more obtainable, it brings in a lot more belief,” Mansolino said this afternoon.
“Some of those teams are in our division and we’ve still got to play them a lot. So I think if you get yourself closer to .500, you are in striking distance of passing those teams with the head-to-head that’s slated. But it’s not so much what they’re doing. I don’t think we can focus at all on what the other team’s doing. We just have to focus on getting ourselves to .500, and from there, off this thing goes.
“That third spot probably is going to be 85 wins is my guess, plus or minus a couple, so you get to .500, you are within striking distance of that. That’s one week away from maybe being the second Wild Card spot if you get to .500. But you have to get there. There’s a step before that, obviously, and if you can do that, then it gets really interesting.”
Stowers and Norby made their first visits to Camden Yards since last summer’s trade to the Marlins for left-hander Trevor Rogers, who starts Saturday afternoon.
“It’s really cool to see everyone,” said Stowers, who gave Henderson a signed teal blue Marlins jersey. “Very comfortable walking back into the ballpark, just familiar, but I think most of all, getting to see everyone.
“It’s where I debuted, hit my first home run, a lot of special moments. I shouldn’t say a lot. A few special moments. But no, it was where I was drafted. I keep going back to the people because those are the guys I came up with in the minor leagues, and some of my best friends in the world.”
Stowers has learned how to reduce the pressure he puts on himself, one of the keys to unlocking his power potential and earning an All-Star selection. He hit .229/.274/.369 with four home runs in 67 games with the Orioles and began tonight slashing .279/.352/.507 with 13 doubles, three triples, 16 home runs and 48 RBIs in 88 games,
“Always battling that and never have it figured out, but I think just like, giving myself some grace,” he said. “I kind of realized that I was the one person in my life who wouldn’t be OK with not having the baseball career that I think I should, and so when I realized that, it was very freeing because I have a multitude of people who love and care about me regardless of whatever happens on the field. So I really just kind of leaned on that, leaned on my faith, trusting that God has a plan regardless of whether I play well or not. That type of freeing feeling has just allowed me to go play the game and not have to do anything.”
Norby lined a sinker into left field tonight at 102.5 mph. He went 1-for-3.
“This place is special,” he said. “Obviously, the only place I knew before Miami. Came up with all their guys. Bittersweet to see them all again, but it’s such a great park here, great fans. They were so great to me and my family when I was here. It was short-lived, but times I wouldn’t change for the world.”
Norby didn’t expect to arrive in Baltimore with his former team in last place.
“Injuries are tough, changes are tough,” he said.
"They’re a very talented team. They have a very bright future. Orioles fans don’t need to panic. I see what they talk about on Twitter, probably too much. Just as much as Marlins fans do. Both organizations are in very good spots. They’re a good ballclub and we’re a growing ballclub that is gonna be really good for years to come.”
The Orioles couldn’t have played much worse earlier in the season, but .500 isn’t so far away anymore.