Orioles dismantled by the Yankees, drop AL East in brutal fashion

Despite getting another exceptional September start from ace Corbin Burnes, the Orioles bullpen collapsed once again in a blowout loss to the Yankees on Thursday night. Burnes did everything he could, going 5 innings with 9 strikeouts while allowing just 1 run on 2 hits and a walk.

Unfortunately for the Orioles, the group of Yennier Cano, Cionel Perez, Bryan Baker, and Matt Bowman combined to allow 10 runs between them. Cano and Perez combined to allow 5 runs in just 0.2 total innings, and the pair notched just 1 total strikeout between them.

In the grand scheme of things, it's just another loss. However, with the Orioles having won the first two games in New York, they had the opportunity to delay the Yankees' AL East title for another night. With all of the challenges the Orioles have faced and overcome this year, it would have been quite cathartic to go into New York and sweep the Yankees in the season's penultimate series.

The Orioles will have to settle for second place in the AL East in 2024

The Orioles are now locked into a Wild Card spot, with the most likely scenario being that they earn the 4th seed and host one of either the Tigers or Royals. It's still possible that the Orioles drop down to the 5th seed, though they'd have to be swept by Minnesota this weekend and the Tigers would have to sweep the miserable White Sox.

The Tigers very well may sweep Chicago this weekend but thankfully the Twins have been reeling over the past three weeks. With any luck, the Orioles should be able to take at least one game in Minnesota to secure home field advantage in the first Wild Card round.

The best the Royals could do would be to tie the Orioles at 88-74, but the Orioles hold the tiebreaker over the Royals thanks to their regular season head to head record. The Royals have a tough series coming up this weekend against the Braves, who are also fighting for a Wild Card spot over in the NL. It's possible the Royals sweep but at this point, it feels unlikely.

Both the Mariners and the Twins are technically still alive in the Wild Card race but neither control their own destinies. Both would have to sweep their respective weekend series' and need to see at least one of Detroit or Kansas City be swept in theirs.

For now, the Orioles will have to settle for the Wild Card round. Earlier this year it was looking like they'd have good odds at capturing back to back division titles for the first time since the mid-1970's. However, that dream didn't play out. Thankfully the Orioles are still locked into the postseason field and with any luck will be able to make a deep run and a serious push at a World Series title.