Both the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays confirmed their advancement to the postseason.
Baltimore recorded its second consecutive win with a 5-4 overtime victory over Tampa Bay held at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland on the 18th (Korean time).
Baltimore, whose starting pitcher Dean Creamer pitched well in 5 innings, allowing 2 hits (1 home run), 2 walks, 5 strikeouts, and 1 run, allowed the bullpen to tie the game and continued the game into overtime. However, in the 11th inning of overtime, Cedric Mullins hit a one-run sacrifice fly to win the game. In the batting lineup, Aldley Lutchman led the day’s victory by going 3 hits in 5 at-bats, 1 home run, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored.
For Tampa Bay, starting pitcher Jack Littell pitched 4⅔ innings, allowing 4 hits, 3 strikeouts, and 1 run. Closing pitcher Pete Fairbanks failed to preserve the team’s victory, recording 3 hits (1 home run), 4 strikeouts, and 2 runs and a blown save in 2 innings. In the batting lineup, Brandon Rowe (21st of the season), Tristan Gray (1st of the season), and Christian Betancourt (10th of the season) hit home runs, but the shine was overshadowed by the team’s loss.
Baltimore, which achieved a thrilling walk-off victory, succeeded in advancing to the postseason for the first time in seven years since advancing to the American League Wild Card Game in 2016. They recorded 93 wins and 56 losses, widening the gap with Tampa Bay (92 wins, 59 losses), second place in the American League East Division, to 2 games, solidifying their lead.
MLB.com, the official major league media, said, “Baltimore did not have high expectations before the season. Baseball statistics site FanGraphs’ ZiPS (performance prediction program) predicted that Baltimore would win 80 games, three fewer than last season. But there was no doubt. From the first day of spring training, they fully demonstrated what they can accomplish in 2023. “And I returned to fall baseball for the first time since 2016.”
Coach Brandon Hyde said,메이저놀이터 “Honestly, we didn’t have much expectations going into this season. Smart people gave a negative outlook, saying they knew what kind of record we would make this year. I thought we were underestimated. Everyone thought we would struggle this year and I hoped our players would be a little upset at that prospect. These are the friends who played last year. I thought those reviews were not purifying. “I believed we were a good team,” he said, expressing his feelings about successfully advancing to the postseason.
MLB.com said, “Baltimore began rebuilding in 2018 with the appointment of general manager Mike Elias and manager Hyde. And it paid off this year. Under General Elias and Coach Hyde, Baltimore recorded 131 wins, 253 losses, and a winning percentage of .341 in the first three years. However, the situation turned around last year, recording 83 wins and 79 losses. The key to Baltimore’s success is consistency. Baltimore has never lost more than four games in a row and has lost four games in a row only twice. In addition, he analyzed the secret to Baltimore’s success, saying, “Dating back to May 2022, we have not been swept in a series for 87 consecutive series.”
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay, which lost in the game that day, also confirmed its advancement to the postseason as Texas, ranked third in the American League wild card, lost 2-9 to Cleveland. This is the fifth consecutive year from 2019 to this year to advance to the postseason.
MLB.com said, “From 2019 to this year, the only teams that have participated in the postseason every year are Tampa Bay, Atlanta, and the Dodgers. Houston, which is leading the American League West Division, is also likely to join this list. “Tampa Bay became the 8th team to advance to the postseason for 5 consecutive years since the wild card was introduced in 1995,” he said, highlighting Tampa Bay’s achievements. Tampa Bay, founded in 1998, has yet to win the World Series. He finished second twice in 2008 and 2020.