As the season approaches its last few weeks, the Baltimore Orioles (76-63) are locked into a hotly-contested race for the AL East, while trying to hold onto one of the two AL Wild Card berths should they not emerge as the division champions. Currently, Baltimore is two games out of first place in the AL East, but they do hold the second AL Wild Card slot, albeit amidst a lot of competition. The Detroit Tigers trail them by only one game, with the New York Yankees also close behind, being two games back. The Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners also are hovering right behind them.
Of course, it goes without being said that things will not be easy for the O’s. Baltimore has one of the toughest remaining schedules of any team and their starting pitching staff carries the worst ERA of any playoff contender. With Buck Showalter at the helm, Baltimore has the potential to overcome any obstacle, but a lot of that will be on the pitching, as their offense has done more than its fair share in consistently delivering the long ball. Let’s take a look at an overview of Baltimore’s top remaining games at Camden Yards.
9/17 vs. Tampa Bay Rays | Matt Andriese vs. Yovani Gallardo | Get-In: $21
After a brief six-game road trip to Detroit and Boston, the Orioles will head home and take on the Tampa Bay Rays in a crucial four-game set. The third game of the series, which will be played on Saturday, September 17th, features an Orioles bobblehead giveaway. On the mound, Gallardo (5-7, 5.44 ERA) will be looking to finish the season on a high note. Given the promotion, this game has the highest get-in ticket price (i.e., $21) in this series. Fans driving to the game can find great deals for Camden Yards parking on ParkWhiz.com.
9/21 vs. Boston Red Sox | Drew Pomeranz vs. Chris Tillman | Get-In: $19
After finishing a four-game set against Tampa, Baltimore will welcome another AL East foe to Camden Yards for a four-game set. The third game of this four game set, which will be played on Wednesday September 21st, will be aired nationally on ESPN. The Boston Red Sox, who are engaged with Toronto and Baltimore for playoff positioning, will need to win this series to hold off Baltimore’s surge up the standings. To win the game, Baltimore will need a great performance from ace, Chris Tillman (15-5, 3.76 ERA). Tillman is 1-0 against Boston this season.
9/24 vs. Arizona | Pitching Match-Up TBD | Get-In: $23
The Orioles will close out their eleven game homestand with three games against the Arizona Diamondbacks. All fans that attend that game on Saturday, September 24th will receive an Orioles’ hooded sweatshirt. Arizona has not met expectations this season, so expect Baltimore to go for the sweep in this series. The get-in ticket price for this game is $23, which is the highest ticket price in this three-game set.
9/25 vs. Arizona | Pitching Match-Up TBD | Get-In: $19
The Orioles will finish off their homestand on Sunday, September 25th. All fans that attend this game will receive a Maryland flag Orioles cap, making it one of the more unique giveaway games of the campaign. At the late stages of the season, every game matters, so this could be a huge one for the Orioles as they try to lock up a playoff berth. ParkWhiz.com will have cheap parking options available all around the stadium, just as they do for every game.
submitted by Ralph Garcia
