The Orioles learned over the past two days what a difference getting a sizable early lead makes.
When the Orioles took a quick three-run lead in the top of the first inning in their 5-2 series-clinching win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday afternoon, it marked their highest scoring first inning in more than five weeks, since scoring six runs in the opening frame in an eventual 19-3 win over the Phillies on June 16 at Camden Yards.
Going up 3-0 provided left-handed Wei-Yin Chen with the cushion he needed. Chen hadn't allowed more than three runs in his last 10 starts entering Sunday's game.
"Yeah it was good," said Orioles right fielder Nolan Reimold, who posted his first three-hit game since April 20, 2012. "It always feels good to get a lead but [Chen is] a really solid starting pitcher, so you know if you get him a couple runs, you have a really good chance of winning the game. He pitches really well today and we're happy to come out with a win."
The Orioles won two series on their nine-game road trip out of the break to Detroit, New York and Tampa Bay, but were just 4-5 overall on the trip.
"You want to go out and win every single game," catcher Caleb Joseph said. "I think coming back and being able to win out of three against a good Tampa team; they're right in the thick of it, fighting just like we are. To be able to take two out of three after we lose three to the Yankees, we've got to keep fighting, we've got to keep grinding.
"One game isn't going to derail the thing right now," Joseph added. "We've got to keep going at it. If we lose, we've got to pick it up and play again tomorrow. These games are starting to get important, but we can't put too much emphasis on it where we go in tight and go in and squeezing the bat too hard and gripping the ball too hard. We've just got to keep playing our game."
While the Orioles back-to-back wins in Tampa Bay definitely give fans something to be encouraged about, the O's didn't gain any ground on the division-leading Yankees, still trailing New York by seven games. But they are just 3 ½ games out of the second wild-card spot, which should be their primary postseason focus now.
And even though these were big wins because they beat a Tampa Bay team that is still competing in the AL East and wild card races, here's how much the Rays are struggling offensively. This weekend marked their eighth series loss in their last nine. They've lost 21 of their last 30 overall and over that span they're averaging just .220 as a team and scoring just 2.9 runs a game.
Here's a staggering stat: Through 100 games this year, the Rays have scored just 351 runs, the fewest through that point in the season in the franchise's 18 years of existence, which included some pretty morimund teams. Tampa Bay scored 361 runs through 100 games in the team's inaugural season in 1998.
So the fact that the Orioles took two of three from the reeling Rays must be taken with a grain of salt. They're struggling.
As the Orioles open up a seven-game homestand today with the first of three games against the Atlanta Braves, the main storyline of the game will be Nick Markakis' first game back at Camden Yards since he joined Atlanta.
In an interview with The Sun this weekend, Markakis admitted he didn't know what to expect in his return to Camden Yards as an opposing player after being drafted by the Orioles, coming up through the organization and playing nine years with the team before becoming a free agent.
Though they won't say it publicly, the circumstances under which Markakis left still leave a bad taste in some Orioles' mouths. Markakis was on the verge of agreeing to a four-year deal in November until a MRI showed a bulging disk in his neck, a remnant of a herniated disk that he had dealt with since 2013. The Orioles pulled their offer, concerned about the condition, which would likely require surgery, and never made another formal offer. The Braves then swooped in to sign Markakis to a four-year deal.
Some of the Orioles felt the organization should have treated a player who gave the team everything a little better. And that's understandable. Markakis was the longest-tenured Oriole and one of the organization's cornerstones. He had been through the battles with several of the team's established veterans, grinded through the tough times and was a part of the club's recent resurgence. And above all, he wanted to remain an Oriole.
Still, nearly four months into this season, they've started to get used to life without Markakis. It's not that they don't miss his presence on and off the field, but in baseball, life does go on.
"I don't think you ever replace a guy with his skill set or his presence around the clubhouse," catcher Matt Wieters said. "But at the same time, you just look at every year as a different team. There's a different dynamic each year and we've taken a different dynamic this year. That doesn't mean that Nick's ability and presence isn't welcomed in any clubhouse. As players, we really don't look at the 'what ifs.' He wasn't here, so other guys had to take on different roles and they do what they can do."
twitter.com/EddieInTheYard