Unless the Orioles crash back down to earth and out of contention soon, manager Brandon Hyde will have daily occasion to discuss how challenging a playoff run for his roster of castoffs will be.
He described Sunday’s challenge succinctly in his morning media briefing: “This is not easy. We’re facing Max Scherzer.”
Still, facing one of the best pitchers in the world, the Orioles erased a late four-run deficit Sunday against the Washington Nationals at Camden Yards and looked in line for another improbable win.
But once they tied the game, an uncharacteristic error from one of their breakout players — third baseman Rio Ruiz — allowed the go-ahead run to score in a 6-5 loss.