The Baltimore Orioles open the postseason this afternoon. Game one of three in a Wild Card series against Kansas City at Camden Yards. Whether they’ll be the noise or have it made against them remains to be seen.
There’s a subset of the fanbase which is incredibly disappointed that the Orioles are even playing in the Wild Card round. Yes, I suppose that the goal was to win the division again. And the fact is that it was there for the taking.
However given the injuries this team had, the fact that they made it to this point at all, much less now with many pieces of the team back and active, is a minor miracle. You can’t wear blinders and have tunnel vision in the sense that you discount the fact that this team had obstacles over 162 games. Now every team has obstacles, including many of the other teams in the postseason – such as New York, who was bitten at the end by a couple of injuries.
However the fact that this team had the injuries that it did had to factor into the overall story of the 2024 Orioles. And the fact is that the story isn’t written yet. The second part of it begins to be written today.
The Orioles traded for Corbin Burnes in the off season almost specifically for today. To start game one of a postseason series. That’s not to say that whether or not the trade was worth the while will be decided today alone. Burnes meant a lot to this team down the stretch – meaning he’s meant a lot to them already.
However the sting of last season’s division series is still there. The Orioles were ambushed by a buzz saw that was hellbent on the World Series. So they need a strong start this afternoon to set the tone for the playoffs. Which is why they traded for Corbin Burnes.
It won’t be easy. Kansas City wasn’t expected to be here. Therefore they’re playing with house money. Their season could end and it would still be a success. Any team with Bobby Witt Jr. is going to be tough to beat. Especially knowing that one of Burnes’ weaknesses has been holding runners on.
The Orioles don’t have that luxury. If their season ends this week a lot of people won’t see it as a success. End of the day if you get into the postseason I think you can say it was a good year, but again a subset of the fanbase would disagree with that. None of this is to say that the Orioles are overmatched on paper. They’re at home, and they’re playing a team against whom they went 4-2 in the regular season.
Furthermore while Kansas City may just be happy to be there, are they really salivating at playing the Orioles? Probably not. Would anyone? Probably not. But ultimately the game isn’t played on paper. Ultimately this isn’t the NCAA Tournament, where people pick who competes. Everyone playing now earned their spot over 162 games.
The Wild Card series begins this afternoon at Oriole Park at Camden Yards against Kansas City. The aforementioned Corbin Burnes gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Cole Ragans. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.
Birdland Crush 