Unpress the Panic Button!

Let me start off by answering a few questions. Yes, the Orioles were just swept at Wrigley Field by the lowly Cubs. Yes, the Orioles division lead has been reduced from 9 to 6 games. Yes, the sky is falling.

Okay, I made that last one up, but given some of the fan explosions on social media the last few days, you’d think it was the case. I realize it’s been a rough week for the Orioles. They posted their first losing road trip of the season and lost three straight games for the first time in three months. I’d say that’s a pretty impressive accomplishment. They had a rough trip (4-5) against subpar competition, but O’s fans should not feel that embarrassed. The Indians are one of the AL’s best home teams (14 games above .500, 11 games under on the road), and the Cubs are a .500 home team that does most of their losing on the road. Throw in the fact that the Orioles are 18-25 in day games this season and, well, let’s just be thankful 95% of playoff games are after dark.

The problem with a good chunk of Orioles fans is they look at everything this team does in a vacuum:

Swept by the Cubs? Season’s over! I guess the NL West-leading Dodgers should throw in the towel as well. They lost a series to the Cubs AT HOME three weeks ago.

Lose a series to the “lowly” Indians at Progressive Field (a team that is above .500, by the way…and as previously mentioned, 14 games over at home)? Season over! Someone better break the news to Tigers, Angels and Royals fans that there will be no postseason this year. All three teams lost series at Progressive Field this season.

Manny Machado is out for the season? Season over! Nevermind that the Orioles are 26-19 without Machado’s services this season. You would think O’s fans would have learned their lesson after they proclaimed the season over when Wieters suffered a season-ending injury. While Caleb Joseph and Nick Hundley aren’t the hitters Wieters is, both have combined to match his home run production and provide good (Hundley) to exceptional (Joseph) defense.

Manny Machado's season-ending knee injury does NOT
spell the end of the Orioles postseason hopes. 

I’m not trying to minimize the challenges facing the Orioles. They’re going to have to bring it in September and an anemic offense is going to have to find its rhythm again. Chris Davis and his .190 average – he is currently dead last in the majors in BA of all qualified contenders – are not the answer at third base. The Orioles need to solve that problem fast, whether it’s finding a solution in the minors or trading for someone. Adrian Beltre is an intriguing name – he cleared waivers, so the Orioles do not have to navigate that minefield. But he is signed through next season with an option for 2016, so Texas is not parting with him cheaply.

Orioles fans need to remain calm though. This team still has a 6 game lead over the New York Yankees, who are pulling out wins with a patchwork team at the moment. Only the Nationals have a bigger lead in their division. The Birds have the fourth best record in the majors and their pitching is still going strong, including a bullpen that is among the best in baseball. This is not last year’s team that completely ran out of gas going into September. Workloads have been managed well and everyone should be as fresh as can be expected going into the final month. I’m sure many have visions of last year’s disastrous, season-crushing series loss in Arizona. That is not what this was. The Orioles couldn’t find their bats against some pitchers who have been pitching well this season – even before the Orioles got there – and they had to play three consecutive day games, which for whatever reason, are a weakness for them this year.

The Orioles now begin an 11-game homestand featuring four games with TB, four games with Minnesota and three games with Cincinnati. After that, it’s nothing but divisional games the rest of the way. Judging by social media responses, a lot of people are worried about that, as they seem to think it means the mighty Yankees will use their remaining eight head-to-head games to leapfrog the Orioles.

Let me inject a little sunshine into your day. Who can tell me what the following numbers mean: 7-6, 8-3, 8-4, 7-6? Those numbers, respectively, are the Orioles’ records this season against Boston, New York, Tampa Bay and Toronto. They have owned this division. They have steamrolled it, ground it into a pulp and trampled over the dust. That equals a 30-19 record in the AL East. Toronto is the only other team in the East with a winning record against the division, at 28-23. 

I know weeks like this past week can be frustrating, especially when the Orioles are playing teams most people view as inferior, but the fact is winning on the road in professional baseball is never easy or guaranteed. A 4-5 trip is solid, especially when it’s their first losing trip of the season. But the Birds have risen to the challenge this season and beaten the teams they’ve needed to beat. That hasn’t been the case in years past, and should bring comfort to O’s fans.

Some final parting thoughts to brighten your evening – let’s see where the Orioles rank among American League playoff contenders in record since the trade deadline:

Kansas City: 17-4 (Wow!) 
Seattle: 14-6 
Baltimore: 13-7 
Los Angeles: 12-9 
New York: 11-9 
Oakland: 10-11 
Detroit: 11-12

The boys in black and orange are sitting pretty. So let’s take a step back from the cliff, take a deep breath, settle into that oversized La-Z-Boy and enjoy a September ride for the ages.

And for those of you that still insist on pressing the panic button, Jim Carrey has a little message for you.

--Christopher Mills, cjmills82