NEW YORK — The Orioles are not only attempting to avoid a series sweep at Yankee Stadium this afternoon, but they are also trying to stop from falling seven games back in the American League East standings.
If the Orioles do lose this afternoon, it would be the first time they were swept in a three-game series in New York since June 1-3, 2010, before Buck Showalter took over in Baltimore.
The Orioles (46-47) enter Thursday six games out of first place, and while that's the furthest back they've been this season, they have been further out at this point over the previous three seasons during the franchise's resurgence.
The two wild-card spots still give teams a lot of hope. And in 2012, when the Orioles claimed one of the wild cards, they were eight games out of first place at the 93-game mark, but they were still five games over .500 at 49-44.
In 2013, a season when the Orioles were in the playoff chase until the regular season's final week, the Orioles were 51-42 at the 93-game mark, but trailed the division leaders by 5 ½ games.
Interestingly enough, last year's division-winning team was also 51-42 at the 93-game mark, but had already built a three-game division lead that they would never relinquish.
The AL East is down this season. There's no doubt about that, but the Orioles' division hopes are banking on a second-half Yankees slide.
Here are some other tidbits from Wednesday night's game:
-- After receiving just two runs of support in six innings Wednesday, Kevin Gausman has received just four total runs of support in his four starts this season.
-- Manny Machado has reached safely in 14 of his past 15 games, but Wednesday was the second straight game that he was erased on the basepaths in the first inning. He was picked off after a leadoff walk Tuesday and was doubled up on Adam Jones' line drive Wednesday.
-- The Orioles bullpen tossed two scoreless innings Wednesday and has now posted an 0.90 ERA with 19 strikeouts over the past eight games.
eencina@baltsun.com
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