After Defeating the Athletics Last Night, the Orioles Must Put Together a Late Season Surge; Will Ubaldo Jimenez Emerge Again as Their Ace?

TOWSON, Maryland, Tuesday, August 22, 2017 - By my count, the Baltimore Orioles still have 37 games left on this season's schedule.  They stand some 3.5 games off the pace for the second and final American League Wild Card position.  That is, for those still asleep, the final playoff spot and the only one the Orioles have any shot of qualifying for.  

The trouble is - as if being 3.5 down with 37 left isn't enough trouble by itself - there are eight (count them) teams furiously fighting for that one Wild Card Spot.  The Twins own the spot this morning, but only by the skin of their teeth.  The Angels are .5 behind the Twins, the Mariners are 1 behind the Twins, the Royals are 1.5 back, the Rangers are 2 back, then come the Orioles at 3.5 games behind the Twins.

But there are more!  Really!  The Rays are 4 in back of the Twins, and the Blue Jays are 5 behind the Twins.  Three other teams remain mathematically alive in the wild card hunt, but realistically they have no hope.  Those three are the Tigers (9.5 back), the Athletics (10.5 back) and the White Sox (15.5 back).  But there is one other team that could figure into the race before it is over.  That team is the Yankees, who have the first wild card spot and stand, this morning, just 2.5 ahead of the Twins.  A lot of teams, including the Orioles (but just barely) would dearly love to get where the Yankees are, and have at least a slim chance to achieve their goal.

The first wild card team plays the second wild card team in a one game playoff 'series.'  You read it correctly.  It is a one game, winner take all, playoff, with the winner then entering a best of five series with the division winner with the best record in the American League.  The winner of that best of five then plays the other best-of-five winner in the American League Championship Series, a best of seven affair.  The winner there goes to the World Series.  The big advantage for the first wild card team is that they get to play that one game playoff in their home park.  Last year, when the Orioles were the second wild card team, they had to play the one game playoff at Toronto.  The game, you'll recall, went into extra innings, before the Orioles lost. 

Wouldn't you know, they are busting their guts now to get back where they were last season.  

Last night the Orioles hit four homers - two solo homers by Adam Jones, a three-run shot by Jonathan Scope and a solo shot by Mark Trumbo, in a 7-3 win over the Athletics.  Tonight, they are again at home against the Athletics.  Winning two in a row has been a problem for the Orioles, and is a primary reason why they cannot seem to get above .500.  Yet they clearly will have to get on top of that mark to have any hope of emerging above their seven primary competitors.  

Ubaldo Jimenez starts tonight for the Orioles.  Before you throw up your hands at what you believe is a hopeless situation, remember that it was Ubaldo who got hot at the end of last season to propel the Birds into the playoffs.  There was even talk at the very end that he might get the Wild Card start in Toronto.  

The Orioles desperately need him to get on top of his game again.  They are depending on him, again.