The Yankees and Orioles find themselves in unfamiliar roles.
Injuries and disappointments have turned this version of the Bronx Bombers into scrappy underdogs, while the Orioles have become the team to beat in the AL East. It has given Orioles manager Buck Showalter another chance to reap the rewards of his reclamation job, and win the AL East title that eluded him in The Bronx.
“I don’t think Buck has been given enough credit for some of the turnarounds he’s been able to pull off,” former Orioles infielder and MLB Network analyst Billy Ripken said of Showalter, who was let go by the Yankees after they won the wild card in 1995.
“He’s just missed the payoff in New York, Arizona and Texas. I think the foundation Buck put in place with those three teams needs to be talked about more. And I think Buck is finally going to stick around long enough to celebrate in some of the winnings that they will have. Buck is a very no-nonsense guy. He shows confidence in the guys that feel good about playing for him.”
The Orioles have grown a decent lead over the Blue Jays and Yankees in the AL East as they eye their second trip to the playoffs in three seasons after a 15-year drought. The Yankees have a shot to cut into that lead when the rivals meet for three games in Baltimore starting on Monday.
“The difference between Baltimore and the rest of the AL East is consistency with the starting staff,” Ripken said. “I don’t think they have a pitching staff that 100 percent completely wows you, but as of late those guys have been throwing the ball extremely well — starters and relievers.”
The Yankees have lost four-fifths of their rotation for the majority of the year, while the Orioles have had six guys start all but one game this season. Yet, it’s still the Yankees that Ripken sees as the biggest threat.
“I think the Yankees are the one that I’d put in the conversation over the Blue Jays right now,” Ripken said. “When I look at the overall collection of the Yankees, and what they are on paper, I don’t see the right matchups, but someway, somehow they are in the thick of things and if anyone is going to challenge the Orioles, it’s them.”
That might not have been the case if not for a flurry of moves made by GM Brian Cashman that landed them Brandon McCarthy, Chase Headley, Stephen Drew and Martin Prado.
“The things they have done have definitely been an upgrade to this team,” said Yankees great and YES Network analyst Paul O’Neill. “If they get [Carlos] Beltran and [Mark] Teixeira heated up, [Brett] Gardner has been having a great season, this team can win a lot more games.”