The Baltimore Orioles were tied for the worst record (52-110) in MLB in 2021. The Seattle Mariners have the longest playoff drought (2001) in North American team sports.
And now they each have 10-game winning streaks.
On Wednesday night, the Orioles took down the Chicago Cubs 7-1, and the Mariners swept a doubleheader against the Washington Nationals with 6-4 and 2-1 victories.
10. STRAIGHT. pic.twitter.com/eSJCVPvTJq
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) July 14, 2022
That's 10! 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/owhCaTHI7p
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) July 14, 2022
MASN’s Roch Kubatko tweeted several wild factoids about the Orioles:
- At 45-44, the Orioles above .500 for the first time since April 8, 2021.
- It took the Orioles until Sept. 8 in 2021 to get win No. 45.
- Baltimore hasn’t been above .500 this late in the season since Sept. 8, 2017.
- The 10-game win streak is the Orioles’ longest since September of 1999.
- And the Orioles hadn’t swept three consecutive series since 2005.
#Orioles are 45-44, above .500 for 1st time since April 8, 2021. 45th win last season came on Sept. 8 in their 138th game. 10-game win streak is longest since Sept. 1999. Haven’t cleared .500 this late in season since Sept. 8, 2017. Hadn't swept 3 series in a row since 2005.
— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) July 14, 2022
While the Mariners last made the postseason in 2021, they were at least a good team as recently as last season, when they went 90-72. And maybe this is the season they finally get back to the playoffs.
Seattle is now 47-42, which has them in a three-way tie with the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox for the second and third AL Wild Card slots (the Tampa Bay Rays have a 1.5-game lead for the first Wild Card slot). FanGraphs currently gives the Mariners a 50.7% chance to make the playoffs.
The Mariners’ 10-game winning streak is tied for the second-highest in franchise history. The top mark is a 15-game streak, which Seattle achieved in that 2001 playoff season; the Mariners tied the MLB record with 116 wins that season.
Longest winning streaks in @Mariners history:
15 G — May 23-June 8, 2001
10 G — July 2, 2022-current
10 G — April 8-17, 2002
10 G — Sept. 12-21, 1996— Mariners PR (@MarinersPR) July 14, 2022
Next up, the Orioles face a very difficult challenge in Tampa Bay against the Rays (48-40) for a three-game series, while the Mariners have a more winnable opportunity at the Texas Rangers (41-45).
The baseball world has had a lot to say about these winning streaks, and here’s a peek at some of the reaction on Twitter:
The Orioles are now over .500, as are the other four teams in the American League East. The last time all five teams in a division were above .500 this late into the season? Almost a decade to the day, July 15, 2012, when the AL East was a combined 236-207. This year? 249-194.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 14, 2022
Since Adley Rutschman debuted May 21, the Orioles are 29-20. An identical record to the Mets' over that span and better than the Padres, Brewers, Cardinals, Phillies, Jays, Rays.
Only teams superior to Baltimore since May 21: Braves, Astros, Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox, Mariners.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 14, 2022
The Orioles started the season with the lowest payroll in the MLB. They've now won 10 consecutive games.
They are the first team since at least 1990 to win 10 straight games in a season despite entering Opening Day with the league's lowest payroll. pic.twitter.com/ynITNQbF9p
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 14, 2022
2021 Orioles:
Win 10 games in 50 days (May 10-June 29)2022 Orioles:
Win 10 games in a row (July 10-13)Baseball!
Where there's always another beautiful story there to be written.
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) July 14, 2022
#orioles fan yelled my name on concourse, gave me hardest high five in recorded history and said “We’re never losing another game!!” They’re fired up here.
— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) July 14, 2022
The Orioles & Mariners after winning 10 straight games pic.twitter.com/hFHhIDAKoh
— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) July 14, 2022
What these @Mariners have done in the last 25 days to turn their season around, has been a lot of fun to watch🔥🔥#3rdwildcard #seausrise #booneapproved @Softykjr @dickfain
— Bret Boone (@theboone29) July 14, 2022
Dear Mariners (Mr Stanton),
The players continue to come through & have won 7 consecutive series. The fans have stuck w/you through 21 tough years. Please add payroll/talent at the trading deadline & get this team to the playoffs. The players deserve it & so do the fans.
Go M’s
— Brock Huard (@BrockHuard) July 14, 2022
Seattle Mariners are 13-2 since the brawl.
(currently on 10-game win streak) pic.twitter.com/XfGqm9hfDi
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) July 14, 2022
Julio Rodríguez is the 5th player with 90 hits and 20 stolen bases before the All-Star Break in his first season since the All-Star Game was first introduced in 1933.
He's the first to do this since fellow Mariner Ichiro Suzuki in 2001. pic.twitter.com/IX4DuoubzM
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 13, 2022
