Orioles look to keep party going as Rangers playoff showdown set

For those about to double dip this weekend in Baltimore, Saturday night’s Billy Joel concert at M&T Bank Stadium will either be a continuation of a party — or a place to drown collective sorrows in the melancholia of “Piano Man.”

After all, there are surely those who plan on attending both playoff opener for the Baltimore Orioles and the Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks concert that begins hours later. The 101-win Orioles open the playoffs with an American League Divisional Series matchup against the Texas Rangers at 1 p.m., marking Baltimore’s first postseason appearance since 2016. 

And with all due respect to Joel and Nicks, it’s the Orioles who are the main attraction. 

These Orioles have captured the attention of Baltimore in a way not seen in years, muscling and hustling their way back into the hearts of area fans thanks to a rapid rise over the last two years. 

It would be an overstatement that these Orioles came out of nowhere — Baltimore’s regime conducted a multiyear rebuild to get to this point — but the team’s ascension still has been one of MLB’s biggest stories this season. 

The Orioles not only won the AL East but they finished with their best record since 1979 — when Baltimore lost in the World Series. The Orioles’ 101 victories this year are tied for the fourth-most in franchise history. The three teams in front of them all made the World Series. 

“For those guys to be on this stage early in their careers, and to be able to produce the way they have, is incredibly impressive,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said on a recent “SportsCenter” appearance. “You’re going to have some rough days, you’re going to have some good days, but how consistent we’ve been all year has been the most impressive thing for me.” 

Take a moment to remember how they got here. In 2018, Baltimore hired general manager Mike Elias from the Houston Astros front office to conduct a teardown and rebuild. That same year, the Orioles traded star Manny Machado and went a league-worst 47-115. Over the next three seasons, Baltimore was one of the worst teams in MLB — racking up 100-plus losses in two of the three years. The other was a pandemic-shortened season. 

But the Orioles were stockpiling talent — players who are now part of Baltimore’s core. The turning point proved to be catcher Adley Rutschman’s call-up in May 2022. Since then, the Orioles have yet to lose a series. Rutschman, the first overall pick in 2019, helped the Orioles finish 83-79 last season, laying the groundwork for Baltimore’s leap this season. 

Still, preseason prognosticators were skeptical.

PECOTA, a projection model, predicted an 80-82 season, while sportsbooks pegged Baltimore’s win total to be in the 70s. 

The Orioles, defied the experts. 

Shortstop Gunnar Henderson is a clear-cut favorite to be named the American League rookie of the year after hitting .255 with 28 home runs and 82 RBI. Ace Kyle Bradish is also in the mix for the Cy Young because of his 2.83 ERA, 1.04 WHIP campaign over 30 starts. 

“A lot of us have experience now and have a lot of trust in ourselves that we belong,” outfielder Austin Hays, who has been with Baltimore since 2017, told The Washington Times in April. “We’re having a lot of fun.”

The season has not been without speed bumps. 

The franchise drew criticism when play-by-play man Kevin Brown was suspended weeks for a seemingly innocuous comment he made about Baltimore’s previous struggles. Brown was later reinstated. Owner John Angelos also faced scrutiny for comments he made in various interviews about the team’s financials and future in Baltimore. (Last week, the Orioles and the state of Maryland announced a tentative 30-year extension for the club to continue to play at Camden Yards.) 

But the Orioles have remained focused on the field. 

Baltimore’s overall talent is why they’re early favorites to beat the Rangers and advance to the American League Championship Series. 

Texas, meanwhile, is coming off a two-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays in the wild card round. The Rangers will likely be without Max Scherzer — the former Washington Nationals ace acquired at the trade deadline from the Mets — as the 39-year-old ace has been sidelined since Sept. 12 with a shoulder injury. 

Still, the Rangers (90-72) still have a reliable pitching staff and have stars in Corey Seager and Marcus Semien. 

The best-of-five series will continue Sunday and then head to Texas on Tuesday. Game 4 will be Wednesday and Game 5 will be Friday in Baltimore, if needed. 

Like with Joel, the Orioles also avoided overlap for Sunday’s game. The Ravens have a heated showdown at rival Pittsburgh at 1 p.m., though that game should be over by the time Game 2 starts at 4:07 p.m. 

Mark that another instance of all going right for Baltimore.