Another tough week saw the Baltimore Orioles limp to another 2-4 week, and opportunities to clinch a postseason berth came and went.
As of now, the Orioles will have to wait until Tuesday, at the earliest, to secure that coveted postseason assurance.
With the return of Danny Coulombe, Jacob Webb, Jordan Westburg and Ramón Urías, the Orioles did get stronger, with a better management of depth being secured.
With the hopes of Ryan Mountcastle and Grayson Rodriguez being the last two pieces to return, the O’s just might be in the best position health-wise going into October.
As we head into the final week of the season, let’s see who/what made this final edition of The Great, The Good & The Ugly.
The Great: Getting Healthy
As mentioned above, the Orioles have had some key pieces return to the team, providing well-rested experience to the team in its drive to the postseason.
For Jackson Holiday and Coby Mayo, that might be some good news. Though they got some big league experience, they were put into a pressurized situation, along with the already high expectations of performing as top prospects.
On top of that, the bullpen aligns itself properly for the middle and back-end to be deployed properly.
The pressure for others to pick up the slack and perform in lieu of others being absent will give the lineup and bullpen some fluidity. The struggles of the last couple months have been due to holes created by injuries, and with those injured players returning, the O’s could return to the team it was before the All-Star break.
The Good: Keegan Akin
One player who had to pick up some slack with the bullpen injuries was Keegan Akin.
Akin has been a strong and consistent reliever this season for the Orioles. Over his last 15.1 innings, the left-hander has given up just two earned runs.
For the month of September, Akin has pitched nine innings, allowing just one earned run. Opponents are batting .188 against him this month, while he is sporting a WHIP of 0.78 and an ERA of 1.00.
This past week, Akin made three appearances, totaling 4.2 innings, allowing no runs, just two hits, one walk and six strikeouts.
For the season, Akin is 3-1 across 63 games while pitching 76.1 innings. He has struck out 96 to just 18 walks and has five holds. While he has blown three saves, opponents are hitting just .192 against the lefty, who has a WHIP of 0.93 with an ERA of 3.18.
Opponents have a .243 OBP, .341 SLG and .584 OPS, all career bests for Akin while also setting a career mark in inherited runners held (65%).
The Bad: Craig Kimbrel
It’s really hard to make this list playing in only one game during the week, but it was a matter of hitting the nail in the coffin that ended it all.
Craig Kimbrel, the future Hall of Famer, was brought in to bring some stability to the closing position with Félix Bautista sidelined for the year. Through the first part of the season, it looked like a good signing, and Kimbrel was even second in the AL in saves right before the All-Star break.
Then the wheels fell off, and it kept getting worse. This past week, one game closed the door on a signing turned rotten. Kimbrel appeared in the Orioles’ 10-0 loss to the Giants on Tuesday. Entering with the Birds down 4-0, Kimbrel proceeded to let the floodgates open.
Kimbrel lasted 0.2 innings, walking two, allowing three hits and giving up six runs in the process. The 36-year-old was designated for assignment the following day.
Over his final seven games with the Birds, Kimbrel allowed 11 runs (all earned) in 6.2 innings (14.85 ERA). He had a 2.40 WHIP while walking five batters.
Kimbrel finished his Orioles career 7-5 in 57 games across 52.1 innings of work. He had four holds and converted 23 of 29 saves, ending with a -1.1 WAR.
It’s the final week of the season, and the Orioles travel to the Bronx for three against the New York Yankees, ending the season with three against the Minnesota Twins.
It all comes down to this stretch of games. Will the players returning provide the boost we all are expecting? Will the Orioles clinch Tuesday? How will the Birds end the season heading into October?
This is the conclusion of the 2024 edition of The Great, The Good & The Ugly. We thank you for following along with the series this season, and we can’t wait to bring it back next year.
Which O’s stood out to you the most this week? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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