Series Notebook: O’s Close AL East Gap to Just 1

There is no denying it now: with just 17 games left to go on the schedule, the Baltimore Orioles are starting to soar as the playoffs draw near after winning yet another monumental series at Fenway.

The Orioles are now a perfect 4-0 in series play in the month of September and own an impressive 8-4 record during that stretch. Thanks to their current surge in form, the Orioles find themselves just a game behind the Red Sox for first in the division. The O’s have also leapfrogged the Blue Jays for the first wild card spot in the AL.

Along with the Jays trailing the O’s by a game for the top wild card spot, the Orioles have also gained ground on the Tigers (2.0 GB), Mariners (2.5 GB) and Yankees (3.0 GB) in the hunt for October.

The fact is, the Orioles have already proven themselves to be worthy of a postseason spot this season. Now, they’ve just got to find a way to stay rolling and finish the job.

Another fact: this Orioles squad has a ton of heart and soul, and that was on full display in Boston. After Wade Miley & Co. got shredded by a score of 12-2 in the series opener on Monday, a lot of teams would have been down and out for the rest of trip.

But not this squad. Not these goonies Orioles!

After a three-run shot by J.J. Hardy and a two-run blast from Nolan Reimold handed the Orioles a 5-0 lead in the second inning on Tuesday, the Orioles never looked back and were able to withstand three unanswered runs from the Sox before Jonathan Schoop delivered the KO blow with a solo bomb in the ninth en route to a critical 6-3 Orioles win to force a rubber match.

Then, we had an electric Rick Porcello–Kevin Gausman pitchers’ duel to settle the score on Wednesday which was decided by a score of 1-0 after Mark Trumbo recorded his 42^nd home run and 100^th RBI on the year in the second. Meanwhile, Gausman literally carried the team to the BIGGEST WIN OF THE SEASON on his platinum shoulder as he allowed just four hits over eight phenomenal shutout innings. It was truly a sensational display by the Orioles’ 25-year-old rising star, and may have been one of the most clutch pitching performances in the entire league to date.

What an outstanding finish to a series that started with a nightmare.

Now, let’s take a look at the highlights from Fenway:

– The toast of the town: Kevin Gausman. After his stellar outing on Wednesday, the LSU alum has recorded a sparkling 5-1 record along with an outstanding 1.85 ERA and 1.12 WHIP over his last seven starts. The Colorado native would be a AL Cy Young candidate if the season started in July, as Gausman has been terrific en route to registering a 8-5 record with a 2.74 ERA over his last 15 starts.

– After recording two saves versus Boston, Zach Britton is still a perfect 43-for-43 in save situations this season. His 43 saves rank first in the AL and third in the majors. To go along with his incredible save streak, the O’s 28-year-old star closer owns a microscopic 0.61 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and .150 BAA. Can we please see a show of hands if you think these are Cy Young credentials? It’s a no-brainer people…

-After clubbing six home runs at Fenway, the Orioles MLB-leading home run total now stands at an incredible 232 on the year. The Orioles are now on pace for an Orioles All-Time single-season team record of 259 homers, which would be two more than the record-holding O’s of 1996.

After winning two straight massive series on the road versus Detroit and Boston, the Orioles will now look to cement their status as a playoff contender over their upcoming 11-game home stretch.

First on the schedule is Tampa Bay, a club that the Orioles have posted an 11-4 record against this season.

Here’s to taking care of business and letting the good times roll!