BALTIMORE — The grind of 162 regular season games is now in the rear view for the Orioles. The only number that means anything at this point is the number two. It will take two more wins to advance in the playoffs.
The O’s and Royals begin their best-of-three American League wild card series on Tuesday at 4:08 p.m. at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Baltimore is the No. 4 seed in the AL. Kansas City is seeded fifth.
The Birds come into the postseason winners of five of their past six games and healthier than most of the rough second half of their season.
"I’m hoping it makes us tougher, honestly. I think that the adversity that our guys went through this year, I hope it benefits us this postseason," said manager Brandon Hyde before the Orioles' Monday afternoon workout at Camden Yards.
With their health they also now bring playoff experience. After earning the No. 1 seed last year and being swept out of the division round by the Texas Rangers, the O’s think they are now more equipped for October baseball.
"I think last year’s experience of what that felt like at the end, when we did have that kind of fairy tale season and then the quick exit, I’m hoping that these guys still have that taste in their mouth going into this postseason. I think they do," said Hyde.
"[We] definitely learned on some of the bad experiences that we had last year and the postseason," added shortstop Gunnar Henderson. "We kind of used it to fuel us this year and give us the kick that we need to push through and hopefully make a good run this year."
The run begins with O’s ace Corbin Burnes on the mound for game one.
"Postseason baseball is a different monster," said Burnes. "We’re here. We’re in October. It’s time to go. So, we got to come out and we got to play good baseball."
Tuesday’s game one will be critical. Since Major League Baseball expanded the playoff format in 2022, seven out of the eight wild card series have been sweeps.
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