If the O’s want to end the year gaining some momentum as an organization, you have to build off of the 17-11 August.
Including today there are 26 games remaining this year:
9/5 vs Tampa (1)
9/6 – 9/8 @ New York (3)
9/9 – Off
9/10 – 9/12 @ Detroit (3)
9/13 – 9/15 vs Toronto (3)
9/16 – Off
9/17 – 9/19 vs New York (3)
9/20 – 9/22 @ Boston (3)
9/23 – Off
9/24 – 9/26 @ Toronto (3)
9/27 – 9/29 @ Tampa (3)
9/30 – 10/3 vs Detroit (4)
If the O’s play .500 ball the remainder of the year, they will avoid 100 losses.
If the O’s play .500 ball the rest of the way, that will mean they ended the year winning 31 of their last 58 games (a .534 winning % over the last 36% of the season). That would be an accomplishment, and would be cause for legitimate optimism heading into the off-season and 2011.
Winning today means you are 2-3 for the month, and have split home series with Boston and Tampa. A loss means you are 1-4 for the month, have lost both series and will head to NY in a less positive state of mind.
You do not play many important games in September when you have 50 wins, but today is one of those games.
The O’s will be sending Chris Tillman to the mound. In Tillman’s last 5 AAA starts his numbers were: 3-0, 2.17 era, 29 innings, 29 hits, 7 er, 1 hr, 6 walks, with 25 k’s.
This will be Tillman’s 7th Major League start of 2010. In his last two starts, he had that impressive outing at Texas, and 9 days later had the disaster at home against Tampa which sent him back to AAA. This is an opportunity at some redemption for Tillman, and a chance to position himself this September to be part of the Opening Day rotation next April.
Tillman has pitched a total of 146.1 innings at the AAA/ML level in 2010, after pitching a combined 161.2 innings in 2009. He should have more than enough in the tank to get through the remainder of the year.
Owner
Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.