Baltimore, ranked 1st in the district, won 5-4 over Tampa Bay after 11 close games.
Last place in the league with a winning percentage of 0.321 two years ago, advanced to PS for the first time since 2016.
Tampa Bay also played fall baseball for 5 consecutive years.
Baltimore confirmed its advancement to fall baseball for the first time in seven years. This is a major turnaround for a team that was ranked last in the major leagues with 110 losses just two years ago.
Baltimore won 5-4 in the home game against Tampa Bay held at Oriole Park in Baltimore, Maryland, USA on the 18th (Korean time) after a close game in the 11th inning.안전놀이터
Baltimore, which was trailing 1-3, balanced the game thanks to Adley Lutchman’s home run in the 8th inning and Adam Frazier’s double in the 9th inning. Both teams exchanged one point each in the 10th overtime shootout.
Baltimore, who left the top of the 11th inning scoreless, had a chance with one out and a runner on third base in the ensuing attack, and ended the game with Cedric Mullins’ sacrifice fly.
As a result, Baltimore, first place in the Eastern Division of the American League (AL), recorded 94 wins, 56 losses, and a winning percentage of 0.624, earning a wild card ticket regardless of the results of the remaining games. This is the first time since 2016 that Baltimore has advanced to fall baseball in the AL East Division, which includes strong teams such as the New York Yankees and Boston.
Baltimore, which had been ranked last in the division for three consecutive years since 2017, ranked last in the league in 2021 with 52 wins and 110 losses (0.321). However, based on an excellent minor league system, they succeeded in rebuilding the team in just two years. Last year, they ranked 4th in the district, but their winning percentage exceeded .500 with 83 wins and 79 losses.
“Everyone thought we were going to struggle this year, and I hoped our players would be a little upset at that prospect,” Baltimore coach Brandon Hyde said. “I believed we were a good team,” he said.
Tampa Bay (92 wins, 59 losses, 0.609), ranked second in the district, two games behind Baltimore, also secured a wild card ticket and advanced to the postseason for the fifth consecutive year.