If there was any doubt that the Baltimore Orioles were a legitimate baseball team, look no further than their win over the New York Yankees on Thursday. Baltimore's 17-5 demolition over New York was a sight to behold and a game that helped set several records.
The win secured the series win for the Orioles, giving Baltimore 22 consecutive series wins over AL East opponents. That is an MLB record for division series wins, per Elias Sports Bureau.
The 17 runs are the most the Orioles have scored this season and are the third most Baltimore has ever scored in a road game. The Orioles are now 5-2 against the Yankees in 2024 and sit a half-game back of New York for first place in the division.
Baltimore bounced back from series-opening losses in each of their last two series, not to mention they were against the Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies, the teams with the two best records in baseball. The Orioles have won four series in a row and haven’t lost one since mid-May.
“I don't know what kind of statement we're making,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said, per ESPN. “I know teams think we're a good team, and our record shows it and the way we've been playing against our division and how we've been playing baseball in the last couple of years.”
The Orioles are 49-25 and on the verge of regaining first place in the AL East. It will be a race until the end, but jumping in front could garner momentum. Baltimore will always be in New York's shadow based on history, but the Orioles have been and can be better than the Yankees this decade.
The outcome of this season will be telling in that discussion.
Orioles becoming part of MLB elite
It wasn’t long ago that the Orioles were the laughingstock of MLB. Baltimore lost 110 games in 2021 only to win 101 in 2023. They're proving this season that last year was no fluke.
The Orioles did their rebuild the right way, building the farm system and putting together a talented team with a crop of prospects. Baltimore couldn’t have imagined things going as well as they have, but earning all those high draft picks had to pay off somehow.
After getting a taste of the playoffs last year, the Orioles want to hang around for a little longer. Baltimore hasn’t reached the World Series since winning it in 1983. Winning the AL pennant this year would certainly be an accomplishment worth celebrating.
The Orioles didn’t just build this roster to be good for a couple of years. Baltimore fully expects to compete for championships for the next decade with this core, and as long as the band stays together, the Orioles have every shot to remain atop the American League rankings.
The likes of Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman and Jordan Westburg are just a few of the names that will be part of Baltimore's roster for a long time. Among them are MVP candidates and clubhouse leaders that any franchise would be lucky to have.
The Orioles have everything they could ask for in their core. It's part of the reason why they are one of the best teams in baseball.
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