Orioles Make Playoffs, Magic Number Down to 3 to Secure Home Playoff Games and 10 to Win Division Title

For the first time since 2016, the Baltimore Orioles are headed back to the MLB Postseason. Yesterday the Orioles clinched an American League Playoff berth as teams behind them in the Wild Card race dropped games. The Orioles also topped the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 in 11 innings increasing the team’s American League East lead to two games while also holding a tiebreaker over the Rays by winning the season series.

In 2016, the Orioles lost a one-game playoff on the road against the Toronto Blue Jays. Now every team is guaranteed at least a three-game Wild Card Round series.

If the Orioles hold on to its lead in the American League East, the team will have a Wild Card Series bye and then play in a five-game Divisional Round series. They would host the first, second, and fifth game (if needed) in the Divisional Round. If the Orioles don’t win the division, they will need to be the Wild Card team with top record to host all three games of a Wild Card Round series, however only two games may be needed to advance.

The Orioles (93-56) hold a 10.5 game lead (plus the tiebreaker) over the Toronto Blue Jays (83-67), which are currently in second place in the Wild Card. The Orioles hold an 11-game lead (no tiebreaker) over the Texas Rangers (82-67) which are currently in the third and final Wild Card position.

With 13 games left for the Orioles, 12 games left for the Blue Jays, and 13 games left for the Rangers, the Orioles magic number is three to secure at least the top Wild Card in the American League. The magic number is a combination of wins needed by a team and losses by its closest competitor to clinch a given goal. Every time a team wins, its magic number decreases by one. Similarly, every time that team’s closest competitor for the division or Wild Card loses, the magic number also decreases by one.

The Rangers can’t catch the Orioles if the Orioles get to 96 wins as the Rangers would have to finish the season 13-0 to get to 95 wins. So each Orioles win or Rangers loss drops the magic number. The Orioles have a magic number of two over the Blue Jays due to a tiebreaker.

The Orioles Magic number for the American League East title is 10. The Rays have 12 games left.

If the Orioles host playoff games at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, it will be the first time the MLB Postseason has come to Baltimore since 2014 when the Orioles swept the Detroit Tigers in the Divisional Round before getting swept by the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship Series.

Home playoffs games would certainly be a big event in Baltimore.

About the Author: Kevin Lynch

Founder and Publisher of SouthBmore.com, longtime resident of South Baltimore, and a graduate of Towson University. Diehard Ravens and O's fan, father of three, amateur pizza chef, skateboarder, and "bar food" foodie. Email me at Kevin@InceptMM.com and follow me on Twitter at @SoBoKevin.