The Baltimore Orioles played their last series at the Oakland Coliseum and left as winners. The O’s won two out of the three games as their All-Star snubs showed dominance in their wins.
Most fans would like to point out the game the A’s won 19-8 but one game does not hurt the Orioles long-term playoff picture.
The O’s are 7-3 in their last 10 games and are currently sitting atop the AL East division holding a three-game lead above the New York Yankees.
Goodbye Oakland
The Athletics are a team with so much history in Oakland and it’s a shame that the team is being uprooted from that history.
The Orioles of the ’70s crossed paths multiple times with the Athletics meeting in the American League Championship Series (ALCS) in 1971,1973, and 1974. The O’s claimed the American League Pennant in 1971 sweeping the A’s that year but lost in their next two ALCS meetings while the Athletics hoisted the Commissioner’s Trophy in ‘73 and ‘74.
Orioles’ pitcher Cole Irvin spoke about his time in Oakland as he spent 2021 and 2022 as an Athletic.
“This is where I became a big leaguer,” Irvin stated as he reflected on the Coliseum.
All will miss the Oakland Coliseum and it’s great that the O’s can leave the Coliseum with the last laugh.
Baltimore’s All-Star Snubs
The Orioles had six all-star starter finalists but only two of those players made the All-Star game in Arlington. Adley and Gunnar were locked in as starters and Corbin Burnes eventually made the roster but what about the guys who didn’t?
Craig Kimbrel, who many believed should’ve gotten the call showed the A’s why he should’ve been an All-Star. Kimbrel picked up two saves while striking out four batters in his two innings of dominance. He is fourth all-time in saves with 440 and the future Hall of Famer deserves to be honored in Arlington.
Anthony Santander and Jordan Westburg also were snubs for the Midsummer Classic. Westburg tallied four hits in the series and currently has an OPS of .834, ranked third out of all third basemen.
On the other hand, Santander hit a solo home run in the Orioles’ 6-3 victory Sunday afternoon. He currently has 23 home runs which is tied for fourth in all of MLB. After his monster month of June, he launched himself into All-Star consideration but did not receive the call.
Feels Good to Be Home
The Orioles return to Baltimore for the last homestand before the All-Star break. They will play host to the Chicago Cubs and the New York Yankees.
The Orioles are the best team in baseball according to MLB.com’s Power Rankings and cannot waste a chance to jump on these struggling teams.
All eyes will be on Baltimore for the Yankees series as the Orioles plan to outslug the “Bronx Bombers” for the third time this season. This series is pivotal because this could propel the Orioles above all the teams in the AL East and almost lock up the division very early in the season.
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