Orioles Were Merely Playoff Stepping Stone for Rangers
The Baltimore Orioles didn't show up in the postseason, plain and simple. After winning 101 regular-season games and finishing with the American League's best record, they seemed to have a real chance at October glory. Instead, they didn't win a single playoff game and were swept aside by the Texas Rangers in the ALDS.
Getting knocked out of the postseason is never fun, especially when your team has a legitimate chance to win it all. But if you're going to lose, it's a bit easier to swallow if you lose to the team that nobody can stop.
At least that's what Orioles fans are telling themselves after the Rangers advanced to the World Series on Monday night, knocking out the Houston Astros in seven games.
Texas is going to the World Series, and deservedly so. The Rangers swept the 99-win Tampa Bay Rays in the Wild Card Round before sweeping the 101-win Orioles in the ALDS. That was just an appetizer for their epic clash with the Astros, which ended with Baltimore taking down the defending World Series champs and current AL West champs.
When a team runs through the playoffs like that, all you can do is tip your cap and get out of the way.
The Rangers had the best offense in the American League during the regular season (first in runs, first in hits, etc.), and that lineup has been mashing its way through October, averaging 5.93 runs per game. That's considerably higher than their regular-season average of 5.43 runs per game, which shows just how hot they really are right now.
See, Orioles pitchers weren't the only ones who got pulverized!
Texas also hasn't lost on the road yet in the postseason, which is insane. The Rangers are 8-0 away from home, which is incredibly hard to do in a playoff atmosphere. They are true road warriors.
This Texas team is a good club that got hot at the right time, kicking it into high gear once October started. The Rangers have taken down everyone in their path so far, and Baltimore just happened to be in the way.
