Meaningful baseball in September: Baltimore Orioles fans have waited five years for this

There is no other way to look at it. The next three days at Camden Yards could easily make or break the Baltimore Orioles’ 2022 postseason hopes.

Baltimore has not played a meaningful September game since 2017 and was not supposed to this September.

But on this Labor Day 2022, the Toronto Blue Jays, currently 2.5 games ahead of the Orioles for the third and final wild card spot, come to town for what looks to be a tense four-game series.

A costly loss to Oakland Sunday (5-0) has notched up the intensity for the team, with the margin for error diminishing with each game. Toronto, as expected, took care of business over the weekend with a three-game sweep of Pittsburgh.

Baltimore has called up Mike Bauman from Norfolk to make the start on the mound in one of today’s games.

Now back to yesterday’s debacle against Oakland. Something about Sunday afternoon games for the O’s just seems to bring out the worst of this bunch.

After blasting five homers in an 8-1 pasting of the A’s Saturday evening, Baltimore dropped its seventh straight Sunday day game, going out with a whimper, shut out on just a handful of hits.

After failing to capitalize on a first inning scoring opportunity with runners in scoring position and no outs, Baltimore was able to get just two runners to second the remainder of the game.

The highlight of the matinee was two spectacular defensive plays by recently called up rookie Gunnar Henderson at second base.

The Orioles have been remarkably resilient this season, as the club has not suffered more than two consecutive losses since mid-July. After the dust has settled on this three day, four game showdown Baltimore desperately needs to gain a split in order of falling further behind with four fewer game remaining.

Here is a quick look at the AL wild card race:

• Seattle   76-58  +2
• Tampa   74-58  +1
• Toronto 73-59     –
• O’s          71-62   2.5

Clearly there is plenty at stake for the Orioles. But Oriole fans will take it. Last year on Labor Day the club was 32 games out of postseason play.  What a difference a year makes.