Obviously, meaningful games in September haven't been what they were expected to be at the turnstiles for the Orioles, but they've sure carried an impact in the standings. An 8-4 start to the final month of the season that saw the Orioles start one game behind the division-leading Boston Red Sox wasn't enough to generate much enthusiasm for the final home stand of the year -- and then, the Red Sox completed two four-game sweeps that left manager Buck Showalter's club gasping for postseason air.
The one-two punch came after the Orioles won their most exciting game of the year, a 1-0 gut-wrencher against the Red Sox at Fenway Park Sept. 14. It seemingly set the stage for a rousing finish, but what followed wasn't part of that script.
Trailing by three runs with two outs in the ninth inning Sept. 15, the Red Sox rallied to beat the Yankees, 7-5, setting up the first sweep, as the Yankees blew leads in three of the four games. Meanwhile, the Orioles sleepwalked through a split of a four-gamer against Tampa Bay Sept. 15-19, before reality hit in the form of a second straight four-game sweep by the Red Sox. Bye-bye division title -- and possibly a Wild Card chance for the playoffs.
