The Baltimore Orioles just will not go quietly into the night.
After looking left for dead following a sweep at the hands of the Boston Red Sox, the Birds took two of three from the Cleveland Guardians, the holders of the third AL Wild Card spot.
Though injuries to Blaze Alexander and Luis Robert Jr. have raised concerns, the Orioles appear ready to keep fighting until the very end.
So, before the Birds fly into their next series, let’s see who makes this week’s edition of The Great, The Good & The Ugly.
THE GREAT: PETE ALONSO
The undisputed leader of the team and one player literally putting the club on his back has to be Pete Alonso.
It seems that as the season goes on, Alonso just keeps getting better, as his AL-leading 97 RBIs show. Over the past week, Alonso reached base via walk five times and recorded six hits, including two home runs. His .400 on-base percentage has helped contribute to five RBIs and three runs scored during that time.
For the season, The Polar Bear is slashing .286/.363/.498 with 147 hits, including 24 doubles and 34 home runs, while driving in 97 runs, scoring 88 and walking 74 times.
Along with his stellar defense at first base, Alonso has been good with runners in scoring position as well, slashing .268/.370/.508 with eight doubles, eight home runs and 56 RBIs.
THE GOOD: COBY MAYO
Who would have thought losing a strong-caliber player like Jordan Westburg would open the door for the Birds to find out just how good Coby Mayo could be at the big-league level?
Yes, he got off to a slow start and predominantly played against lefties only. But as he started seeing more consistent playing time, Mayo has rewarded the Birds by showing he might just be more than a platoon player.
Over the past week alone, the O’s young slugger slashed .286/.375/.762 with six hits, including three home runs, four RBIs, five runs scored and only five strikeouts to three walks.
For the season, Mayo is slashing .223/.290/.411 with 22 home runs, 14 doubles and three triples to go along with 59 RBIs and 58 runs scored.
THE UGLY: ANDREW KITTREDGE
It appears the once-reliable Andrew Kittredge has hit the proverbial wall and has become more of a liability than a lockdown reliever when he enters the game.
After going the entire month of August allowing just three earned runs, Kittredge has surpassed that total in two outings in September, including blowing a save opportunity that cost the Orioles a series win in Colorado and another game in which he had to be removed against the Guardians.
Kittredge has allowed five hits and four earned runs in his last 1.1 innings of work while blowing a save, pitching to a 3.75 WHIP and allowing batters to hit an astounding .556 against him.
For the season, the right-handed veteran is still having a strong overall year for the Birds. He has appeared in 51 games, totaling 44.2 innings while amassing a 3.83 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. Opponents are hitting .282 against him, and he has struck out 37 while walking only 11 batters, picking up nine holds.
The Orioles remain three games back in the AL Wild Card standings and begin a three-game set in Toronto for their second-to-last series with the Blue Jays and then on to New York to face the Mets.
Can the Birds maintain a strong road trip in which they can afford no more than two losses? Come back next week and see if Alonso and Mayo can keep carrying the Orioles forward and if Kittredge is able to kick the monkey off his back.
The Birds are still in the thick of the race, but time is running out. Follow along next week to see what The Great, The Good & The Ugly has in store as the season winds down.
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