For a club that lets the numbers dictate so much of what they do on and off the field, the math for the Orioles the rest of the way is simple if they want to make what would be baseball’s most surprising playoff appearance in years: take this four-game series against the Yankees, don’t fall back below .500 and hope New York never recovers.
With a disappointing loss the New York Mets on Wednesday night bringing the Orioles to 20-22 and leaving them 1½ games behind the Yankees for the last of the eight American League playoff spots, Orioles manager Brandon Hyde seems to be trying to temper expectations while acknowledging that playing to the club’s full potential won’t just be for pride, but for a possible postseason berth.