Dyson’s Comments Make the Orioles Chuckle

Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

After watching those first two games of the ALCS, I have to admit I thought the Orioles had no chance of coming back. Leaving runners on base coupled with unlucky breaks gave Kansas City all the momentum once the final out was recorded on Saturday.

Kansas City is a young, energetic team. However, with youth comes cockiness. And when their center fielder, Jarrod Dyson, had a chance to speak to the media, that very arrogance was evident.

When asked about Game 3 of this series this is what Dyson had to say:

"“If we win Game 3, it’s going to be hard for them to look themselves in the mirror and say, ‘We can win the next four.’ That’s tough to do, man. … Everything must click. I’m just being honest. If we take Game 3, I guarantee there’s going to be multiple people over there saying, ‘Man, ain’t no way we can beat these guys four games in a row.”"

He was then asked if he thought the series will be brought back to Baltimore for Games 6 and 7. This was his reply:

"“No sir, I don’t. And I don’t think they think that, either.”"

When presented with Dyson’s comments, several Orioles chuckled. “That’s kind of their M.O. is to talk and try to be loud and do that stuff, but our M.O. is to go out and play the game,” catcher Nick Hundley explained to MASN reporter Roch Kubatko.

Reliever Darren O’Day reacted to Dyson’s comments as well. “I know we’re not really shaking in our boots right now. We’re ready to play baseball.” He continued, “Whatever he wants to say, he can say. We’re going to do it our way and do what we have to do.”

Although players in the Baltimore clubhouse will not admit that Dyson’s comments will work as added motivation to win, it most certainly will.

Despite being down 2-0 in the series, all the pressure is now on Kansas City. Since the ALCS has moved to the seven-game format, no team who has won the first two games on the road has ever lost the series. That is an enormous amount of pressure to make sure you are not the first team to lose the series.

The Orioles will go out there and play their type of baseball that won them 96 games in the regular season. This two game deficit is just adversity and unless you have been living under a rock all season, everyone should know that the Orioles were faced with adversity all season long and each time they were, they have overcome it. This is what the Orioles will do tomorrow as they just have to try to go 1-0 each day. Not looking ahead and worrying about the task at hand will provide the Orioles the best chance to win this series.