Baltimore Orioles: Earning a New All-Or-Nothing Nickname

After a quarter of the shortened 60-game MLB season, a theme has emerged in pretty much every game that the Baltimore Orioles have played so far: they have a strong tendency to play their very best or not show up at all.

Some Baltimore Orioles fans and commentators are deeming this team the 2020 edition of the Why Not? Orioles because they have played better than expected and have a shot at making the expanded playoffs,

But this team is pretty unique from the original Why Not? Birds of 1989, so they deserve their own name: the All-Or-Nothing Orioles.

Red Sox Series

All Or Nothing has come up in all six series the Orioles have played, starting on Opening Day. In their first game, the Orioles got absolutely embarrassed by the Red Sox, giving up 13 runs with all pitchers leaving with inflated ERA’s.

The offense only got two runs after the game was already a blowout. But what happened the rest of the weekend? The Orioles got passed that eye sore and won the next two behind good starting pitching and good hitting, scoring seven runs in both games.

Hey! The Orioles won a series they weren’t supposed to win! Maybe they can keep the momentum up.

Nope.

A Marlins outbreak cancels the next series and the Orioles sit around for two days — the most literal nothing they have had so far. Even worse, the unbeatable Yankees are rescheduled for two games, and their lineup torches the staff for a six-run win.

Then the Yankees Came to Town

In game two, All Or Nothing emerges in game to once again hurt the Orioles. John Means gave up five earned runs in the first inning, but the pitchers didn’t give up any more for the next seven. The offense scored six runs to make a great comeback in the eighth, but bird killer Aaron Judge hit a 3-run shot in the ninth to win, with new closer Cole Sulser blowing the save.

Defeating the Rays

Despite the frustrating loss, the Orioles made up for it by playing like a team and sweeping the heavily-favored Rays, a World Series contender coming into the season. Who knew that if a team pitches well and hits well, then good things happen? The offense put up nice scores of six, five, and five, while the pitchers only gave up three, four, and one. All of a sudden, the Orioles were 5-3 and making people wonder if they actually had a chance.