Despite the puzzling number of empty seats at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the Orioles have had a solid season.
But as teams approach the 120-game mark, it is, as they say, nut-crunching time. And the harsh reality in Baltimore is the Orioles are on the verge of slipping out of contention in the American League East and out of the playoffs altogether.
It's really as simple as the math can get. Texas looks like a lock to win the AL West, and the Indians look like a near-lock in the AL Central. A few days ago, the AL East looked to be a three-team dog fight that would go down to the wire, with the second- and third-place teams claiming the two AL Wild Card spots.
