NEW YORK — The hardest stretch of the season so far is done.
The Phillies and Yankees, the top two teams in MLB, back to back. It was as big a test as any to see just how good this Orioles team is.
Well, after this six-game stretch, it’s safe to say the Orioles are pretty darn good.
The Orioles went 4-2 against the Phillies and Yankees, dropping just one game to each as they won both series.
These two series were very telling. Here’s what we learned about the Orioles:
The Orioles don’t care about outside noise
Albert Suárez hit Aaron Judge in the hand Tuesday, a situation that pissed off the superstar. It was not intentional — Suárez had gone in on the pitch before and gotten Judge to foul it off. He was hoping for similar results on the pitch that hit Judge, but he didn’t command it.
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A day later, Gunnar Henderson and Colton Cowser were both hit by pitches. New York reporters asked players if they thought it was intentional, but the Orioles simply do not care about the narrative.
“I’m really proud of our guys, not buying too much into outside noise and things like that,” first baseman/DH Ryan O’Hearn said.
They could have reacted — brawls have started with far less. But Henderson and Cowser stayed calm and handled the situation maturely, so the dugout followed their lead.
The 22-year-old Henderson said he didn’t think anything of it. The 24-year-old Cowser was just happy his on-base percentage rose.
Jordan Westburg, the oldest of the three at 25, was smacked in the back by a pitch Thursday. He had the most reason of anyone to be upset after Juan Soto ran into him on the basepaths Tuesday. Westburg, like his teammates, reacted by just tossing his bat and heading to first.
Austin Hays was also hit Thursday, and he too just moved on.
The pitching is holding up, for now
In the year of the elbow injury phenomenon, the Orioles have been hit just about as hard as anyone. Kyle Bradish, John Means and Tyler Wells all have had season-ending elbow surgeries this month, taking out three key pieces of the rotation.
But the Orioles, so far, have held up just fine. They have the lowest ERA in the American League, and the depth pieces who have been put in big spots have done their job.
Against the Phillies and Yankees, no pitcher allowed more than three runs. Grayson Rodriguez and Corbin Burnes, now their top two, held Philadelphia to two runs in seven and six innings, respectively. Against the Yankees, Suárez struggled with command but still allowed only three runs in 3 2/3 innings. Cade Povich gave up just one in 4 2/3, while Cole Irvin allowed five in 4 2/3 but was aided by 16 runs.
The American League East is going to be a battle
The Orioles lead the season series 5-2, but New York owns the best record in baseball. Neither team is going anywhere. This is going to be close right down to the end of the season. Think this June series was intense? Just wait until the Orioles return for the second-to-last series of the regular season in September.
It might take 105-plus games to win the division. Winner will likely get the top seed in the playoffs and a week off. Loser will have to play a wild-card series and risk its season ending — just ask the 2022 Mets how that one turned out. They won 101 games but finished second in their division and lost in a wild-card series.
