The Orioles enter their final two series of the regular season with a two-game lead for the last Wild Card spot and only a game out from the top Wild Card position. After a very frustrating series against the Boston Red Sox, the O’s took care of business against the dreadful Arizona Diamondbacks with a sweep.
The Orioles control their own destiny for the top wild card spot, but they will have to win some games in the house of horrors in Toronto against the Blue Jays. The good news is Kevin Gausman, Chris Tillman and – I can’t believe I’m saying this – Ubaldo Jimenez will all take the mound to try and find a way to win at least the series in Toronto before concluding the season in New York.
Offensive Struggles Continue
The Orioles have scored three runs or fewer 14 times in the month of September. Especially over the past week against the Red Sox and Diamondbacks, their inability to to hit with runners in scoring position even or simply move a runner over was exposed.
The popular opinion is this team is too talented to go through these hitting struggles, but the numbers don’t lie. The offense has a batting average of .234 and on base percentage of .296 in the second half and this month they have their worst average of the season at .229. That happens to also be the fourth-worst in baseball for the month of September.
Also, don’t look now but Jonathan Schoop has the seventh-worst on base percentage in all of baseball. We will hear all off-season how this team needs rotation help, but don’t listen to those people. A rotation of Gausman, Tillman, Dylan Bundy and a mix of Jimenez, Yovani Gallardo and Wade Miley is more than capable of putting this team back in the position it is right now.
This team finally needs to retool their offensive approach and in fairness, they tried this year with Hyun Soo Kim and the failed signing of Dexter Fowler.
However, it actually has to happen in 2017, even if that means guys like Mark Trumbo – and perhaps Schoop – are wearing different uniforms.
Who Would Start the Wild Card Game?
At this point, Gausman is in line to start the regular season finale against the Yankees which would mean the Wild Card game would fall to Tillman. However, the next two games could determine how Showalter decides to line up that game – if,of course, the O’s make it.
If the Orioles are home, the easy decision will be to use Tillman. If the game is in Toronto, Showalter may have to go with the hot hand. Unfortunately, both Gausman and Tillman have struggled mightily north of the border with Gausman pitching to a 5.48 ERA and Tillman pitching to a 7.51 ERA.
Gausman and Tillman both have a chance to turn their misfortunes around on Tuesday and Wednesday to hopefully gain some kind of confidence heading into that game if it is indeed in Toronto. Even if it isn’t, Tillman needs a strong start against a team that has owned him in his career and also to prove that he is finally back to the guy that was the O’s number one option prior to his shoulder injury.
