Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Orioles fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
At times this year, never for more than three days at a time, the Orioles can almost convince you that maybe they will be able to be a good team, or at least a good enough team. If there are a few good games in a row from the starting pitchers at the same time the offense does positive
things, when they’re doing that, it doesn’t feel foolish to believe. The only problem is that they can’t do it more than three games in a row. Or at least they haven’t done it yet.
In this week’s survey, I asked Orioles fans whether they think the team can get back above .500 before the All-Star break. At the time I posted the survey, that would have required an 18-12 record before the break. They went 2-1 in the remaining games in the Mariners series since then, so we’re now talking 16-11 between now and July 12’s game. Can they do that? Here’s what you said:
That’s a resounding no. It’s almost even a shocking no, because in my experience these surveys have tended towards the optimistic, perhaps even the foolishly optimistic. With the way the Orioles managed to lose on Monday and Tuesday – the two freshest games in people’s minds as they would have been voting this week – it seems the optimism was temporarily beaten out of them. I don’t blame them. I don’t think this team can get back above .500 before the break either.
They’re probably going to have to fire off at least a five-game winning streak to do it. That’s a tall order with the recent state of the rotation. There aren’t five good pitchers out there. There might not even be two. We’ll see if they can do anything to make us feel a little better in hosting the struggling Padres.
This week’s survey was sponsored by FanDuel.
