Orioles focused on finishing final stretch strong

BALTIMORE -- With less than three weeks to go in the regular season, the Orioles’ return to the postseason is all but certain. However, general manager Mike Elias isn’t ready to reflect upon Baltimore’s path to get to this point -- and likely into the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

“As great of a season as we’re having, we haven’t won anything yet. And it’s not clear yet what exactly that is going to be,” Elias said Monday afternoon. “My job is not getting too up or down during things and keeping an eye on the big picture. ... Winning more games than we lose here in the next 20 games is at the top of our list.”

The O’s, who have been especially hot of late, began their final 20-game stretch by keeping their focus on the short term and securing yet another victory.

Cedric Mullins swatted a go-ahead grand slam during a five-run fifth inning and Gunnar Henderson belted the 25th homer of his rookie season as Baltimore defeated St. Louis, 11-5, on Monday night at Camden Yards. It was the eighth win in nine games for the Orioles, who were coming off a 7-2 road trip vs. the D-backs, Angels and Red Sox.

• Games remaining: vs. STL (2), vs. TB (4), at HOU (3), at CLE (4), vs. WSH (2), vs. BOS (4)
• Standings update: The Orioles (91-52) are three games up in the American League East over the second-place Rays (89-56), who beat the Twins on Monday. Baltimore has the best record in the AL, meaning it would not have to play a best-of-three Wild Card Series and would head to the best-of-five AL Division Series as the No. 1 seed.
• Magic number: 4 for postseason berth

Baltimore rallied from behind for its 46th comeback win of the season in the opener vs. the Cardinals, who tagged O’s right-hander Dean Kremer for five runs on seven hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings. St. Louis took a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the fifth.

Then, the Orioles reversed the course of the game. Ryan O’Hearn cut the Cards’ lead to 5-4 with a one-out RBI double, and Ryan Mountcastle drew a walk to load the bases and end right-hander Dakota Hudson’s night as St. Louis handed the ball off to its bullpen.

“We’re just staying diligent with our approach,” Mullins said. “We go over a handful of guys that are possibly going to be available each day, just having a broad idea of what we want to do against them. When they come in, we just narrow in our focus.”

It didn’t take long for Mullins to figure out how he wanted to attack righty Andre Pallante, who entered the game to face Baltimore’s center fielder with the bases full. Mullins pounced on Pallante’s fourth pitch (a 1-2 slider low in the strike zone) and swatted it a Statcast-projected 370 feet over the right-center-field wall to put the O’s ahead, 8-5.

Mullins’ second grand slam of the season (and third of his career) was the decisive swing on another big night for the Orioles’ offense. They’ve scored 10 or more runs in four of their past five games, a stretch in which they’re averaging 9.6 runs per contest.

“Our lineup is pretty deep, and our lineup is deep when we swing at strikes and make pitchers work,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “We’re just being really competitive at the plate and we’re doing a good job on the bases. It’s really an unselfish mentality right now offensively. For me, that’s how we keep rallies going.”

Baltimore’s depth on the position-player side of its roster is one reason why it could be poised for postseason success. Hyde often has more than nine players he’d like to slot into the lineup on any given night.

For example, All-Star outfielder Austin Hays began Monday on the bench to get a quick breather before entering as a defensive replacement in the seventh. He had a two-run single in the eighth after he made a tremendous inning-ending catch in left field to end the top of the frame.

“Raring to go, ready to play,” Hyde said of Hays. “That play in left might be the game-saving play.”

The latest impressive win was a promising start to a big week for the Orioles, who have a great opportunity to clinch a postseason berth in front of their home fans sometime during this seven-game homestand. They’ll also have a chance to take a stronger hold on their AL East lead with the Rays coming to town for a four-game set that begins Thursday.

But Baltimore isn’t looking too far ahead -- even with a clinch celebration in its home clubhouse possibly coming within the next few days.

“Every conversation that we’re having is maintaining that lead, winning the division and what it’s going to take to do that. That is now our goal,” Elias said. “Once we officially get something, I’ll be as thrilled as anybody.”