REALITY: The Baltimore Orioles are scoreless in 36 of the last 37 innings.
PERCEPTION: The Orioles went 28 innings straight without scoring a run. This is inexcusable, especially for a team that was trying to make a final run at the playoffs. But that sort of defines the Orioles season, doesn’t it?
The ups and downs of this season were unlike any other. It’s a team that was good enough (and talented enough) to be in the playoffs. But then again, they went through spurts where they were also one of the worst in all of baseball. That roller coaster ultimately took them from first place to eliminated from the playoffs and fighting to stay out of the cellar of the American League East.
REALITY: There are just six games left in Baltimore’s baseball season.
PERCEPTION: The Orioles finish up at home with three more games against the 1st place Toronto Blue Jays and three against the 2nd place New York Yankees.
In order to finish the season with a winning record, the Orioles need to win their last six games. If they want to at least be .500, they need to go 5-1. Anything less will give the Orioles their first losing season since 2011. That was the season the Orioles eliminated the Red Sox from the playoffs by scoring two in the bottom of the 9th with two outs to win the game.
Currently, the Orioles and the Red Sox are tied for 3rd place in the AL East and are up on the Rays by just 1.0 game for last place.
It’s been a disappointing season for O’s fans, but at least we had something to pay attention to until the end of September. That sure beats the 14 years when we stopped paying attention by the All Star break.
REALITY: Chris Davis is tied with Nelson Cruz for most home runs in baseball with 43.
PERCEPTION: Amazingly, Davis has been robbed of five home runs this season. Davis could be close to 50 for the season, but guys kept reaching over the fence to steal home runs away from him throughout the season… something I cannot remember happening so much to one player.
REALITY: Chris Davis will most likely end the season being in the Top 5 for most strikeouts ever by a hitter in one season.
PERCEPTION: Chris Davis currently has 204 strikeouts with six games to go.
The record is held by Mark Reynolds, who struck out 223 times in 2009. Then it’s Adam Dunn (222), Chris Carter (212), Mark Reynolds (211 in 2010), and Drew Stubbs (205).
Davis is averaging over 1.0 strikeout per game this season. That means he will most likely end with around 210 strike outs in 2016, putting him with the 5th most strikeouts in one season in baseball history.
