BALTIMORE -- The rebuild? That’s previously. The postseason push? It was already on.

The battle for the American League East crown? Well, that’s clearly removed from over. Because on Wednesday afternoon, the Orioles -- one of the vital thrilling, younger, up-and-coming groups within the sport -- moved right into a tie for first place with the Rays within the hardest, best division in MLB.

Fittingly sufficient, it’s now time for the highest two groups within the AL East to satisfy once more in one of many greatest collection of the season to date starting Thursday evening at Tropicana Field.

The marquee stage was set Wednesday, when Baltimore once more averted being swept for the primary time this season by beating the Dodgers, 8-5, at Camden Yards. Shortly after that sport concluded, Tampa Bay fell, 5-1, to Texas.

With these outcomes, the upstart Orioles (58-37) pulled even with the mighty Rays (60-39) for the primary time since March 31, when each groups have been 1-0. It’s the primary time Baltimore has been in first place within the AL East after the All-Star break since 2016, the final yr it reached the postseason, however as a Wild Card staff.

As the O’s eye their first division title since 2014, they understand the stakes they’re dealing with Thursday, then all through the weekend as properly.

“It’s going to be a fun series. This is what you want, and this is what baseball wants,” mentioned left-hander Danny Coulombe, who pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings of reduction to earn the win Wednesday. “It’s just two really good teams, and it’s going to be some fun games.”

Much like a lot of his teammates, Gunnar Henderson, a 22-year-old rookie, has by no means performed in a Major League collection of this magnitude. How is Baltimore getting ready for what might be a big-time, postseason-like environment?

“Against an AL East rival, it always feels that way,” Henderson mentioned. “We’re just going to go out there and do our thing.”

The Orioles have made it clear what that entails.

They’re not going to roll over at any level in a sport. After falling behind, 2-0, in the course of the high of the primary within the finale towards Los Angeles, Baltimore answered by rallying for 4 runs within the backside of the body through RBI singles by Aaron Hicks and Jordan Westburg and a two-run double from Ramón Urías, setting the stage for its MLB-best thirty fourth comeback win of the season.

The O’s received’t let the outcomes from earlier video games dictate their effort degree on a given day, both. That’s why they've performed 70 consecutive collection with out being swept, a streak courting again to May 13-15, 2022, after they misplaced three at Detroit. Baltimore is the one staff in MLB that hasn’t been swept this season.

“You lose the first two games of the series, and you could just get down and lose that last game,” mentioned Henderson, who swatted his fifteenth homer of the season on Wednesday. “That’s just a testament to our team. We’re not going to give away any games.”

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Orioles grew to become the eighth staff in AL/NL historical past to keep away from a sweep in 70 consecutive multi-game collection. Prior to their feat, the latest prevalence was a 72-series stretch by the Braves from 2003-05. The report is 125, set by the Cardinals from 1942-44.

Wednesday marked the sixth time this season Baltimore was on the verge of being swept heading right into a collection finale. It additionally staved off sweeps on May 28 (vs. Texas), June 8 (at Milwaukee), June 18 (vs. the Cubs in Chicago), June 21 (at Tampa Bay) and July 2 (vs. Minnesota).

“Every game is just separate for us,” Coulombe mentioned. “We don’t get down on ourselves if we [are] 0-2 in a series. I think that this team just has so much fight in it that every game, it’s a battle for the other team.”

The Orioles’ never-quit mindset is precisely why they by no means fell too far out of first place, even when the Rays had an historic 13-0 begin and received 30 of their first 39 video games. Tampa Bay’s AL East lead by no means exceeded 6 1/2 video games.

While Tampa Bay has struggled this month -- the Rays have misplaced 4 straight and 11 of 14 -- the Orioles have capitalized. Baltimore recorded a season-high eight consecutive victories from July 5-16 and has received 9 of its previous 11.

With yet another win Thursday evening, the O's may discover themselves someplace they have not been since Aug. 12, 2016 -- alone atop the AL East.

“We just continue to play,” supervisor Brandon Hyde mentioned. “We have a great attitude. I love how our guys prepare, they come to the park ready to play. But we’ve still got a long way to go.”

Content Source: www.mlb.com