I'm not talking about one-run games. I'm talking about overall record. No team wins 90 games (which the O's can do with a .500 September) by luck. I could care less if they win all 90 games by 1 run or 5 runs. A W is a W.  I'll absolutely concede that their record in 1-run games is an anomaly, but that doesn't take away from what they've accomplished and where they are.

And dahs - stop trying to pretend you're an O's fan. Everytime you come in this thread it's to talk about how lucky the O's are and talk down what they've accomplished this season. I may be a bit of a homer at times, but at least I back my team. Poser.

Anyway, I think the next 10 games will make or break the O's season - 4 vs. NY, 3 vs. TB, 3 @ Oak.  After that, they have 3 against the M's, 6 against the Sux, 4 against TO, and then they close with what could be a crucial series against TB.

No gimmies in September, but if they can win 6-7 of these next 10 games, they'll be in very good shape.

Please edit the title of this thread. It is not accurate.

Because I'm capable of being reasonable and objective I'm not an O's fan?  It doesn't make me any less of a fan.  It just makes me less of an idiot.  I'm sorry you're too narrow-minded to be able to separate reality from what you wish to be true.  Doesn't mean I don't "back the team" or that I'm a "poser."  I can be an intelligent fan.  You don't have to be intelligent, I still respect you as a fan.

Did you enjoy your stay in first?   Sorry it was so short. 

Here's what I think dahs is saying(changed to apply to me as a Yankee fan):

The Yanks rely way too much on the homer to generate offense.   Their SP is suspect.  Their bullpen is a bit scary.  They're old and, apparently, fragile.   Nonetheless, despite this recent bad run, they have the 2nd best record in the AL.   So, despite their issues, they're winning games.  I'd much rather have a solid, reliable front three starting and a shutdown bullpen, Mariano-style, over the next month but a three run homer in the 8th can win a 8-6 game.  So I'll take that instead.

There's a reason Baltimore got back into it.   They played well but they don't do it if the Yanks problems aren't exposed.

That's my point Mike - when the Yanks do well it's because they're good. When another team passes them, it's only because the Yankees did poorly. That's the arrogance of NY fans.

And dahs - writing off everything your team does as "luck" doesn't make you intelligent. It makes you a cynic. Just because I choose to embrace where they are instead of being jaded over the last 15 years doesn't make me an idiot.

I'll say it again since you're failing to grasp it - 90 wins is 90 wins. Doesn't matter one bit how you get there.

if Baltimore wasn't winning, this wouldn't even be a conversation....so they get credit for taking care of their end


however, most 'magic runs' are accomplished in tandem with a fail from the top......



I'm sure Tampa Bay fans would like to believe their team was heroic in making the playoffs last year.....in reality, they were barely even average down the stretch.......

it doesn't have to be arrogance of New York fans in play here...it could be true

Well, yeah, if the Yanks, 10 games up, don't play sub .500 ball over the last 5-6 weeks, they're 7 games up regardless of Baltimore's run.    Baltimore won their games and contributed some losses to the Yanks record but, if the Yanks had played .620 ball like they were, it's all about Baltimore and Oakland fighting for the WC with Tampa, Detroit and the Angels.   That's not an excuse for the Yanks or a shot at the O's.   It's just math. 

It could go both ways. I could say "sure, the Yanks won the division last year, but if the Rays had played better, they'd have been up there". You're implying the performance if other teams factors in to teams like the Orioles doing well, but when the Yanks get to the top of the mountain, it's all on their own. It's a double standard.

Would the Yanks have won as many games over the last ten years without a scheduled filled with games against crappy Rays, Jays and O's teams? Maybe in the NL East the wouldn't have fared so well. Every teams performance depends on other teams, even the mighty Yanks

You're failing to understand(shocker).   Yanks have dropped something like 10 of their last 14.   If they play .500 ball, not too demanding for a team that was playing .600+ ball, they're 4 games up on Baltimore and no one is yammering about how the Yanks are blowing it(yes, that's right, no one is saying the O's are taking charge).   They've played poorly and Baltimore has handled their business.   So we have a race.    If Yanks don't play poorly or Balt doesn't handle their business, there is no race.   Two things had to happen. 

And again, you're failing to understand (shocker) - it goes both ways. The Os had a 6-13 stretch in June that allowed the Yanks to build up their lead in the first place - if they play .500 ball, they'd be 2-3 up on the Yanks right now.

Unfortunately, you like to apply your logic unevenly, which is also not shocking, since you do that with everything.

It's also telling that you barely made a peep in this thread until the Os caught the Yanks. Then you're insecurity took over and you had to come and make excuses for your team.