Can Baltimore Orioles Maximize Key Advantage During Playoff Race?

The Baltimore Orioles have a soft schedule coming up, but will they take advantage?

Aug 30, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Eloy Jimenez celebrates his double at Coors Field. / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Labor Day Weekend is here, which means the dog days of August are over and MLB's stretch run has officially begun.

Despite an up-and-down summer, the Baltimore Orioles are right where everyone thought they'd be -- challenging the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Entering Saturday's game against the Colorado Rockies, the Orioles trail the Yankees by just 1.5 games in the standings with 26 games to go.

Fortunately for Baltimore, it has a crucial advantage as it looks to win the division and lock up a playoff spot before the regular season ends on Sept. 29.

After a brutal streak of four straight series against postseason contenders (the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers), the Orioles now have one of the easiest schedules in baseball.

The Orioles have to take advantage of this schedule pic.twitter.com/VRcWO736Gs

— 𝙆am Brice (@kambrice1tv) August 30, 2024

Prior to Friday's 5-3 win over the Rockies at Coors Field, Baltimore had MLB's third-easiest remaining schedule in terms of opponent winning percentage (.477). Meanwhile, New York ranked 21st (.504), giving the Orioles a possible leg up in the division.

Baltimore's top competitors for the AL Wild Card -- the Cleveland Guardians (10th), Minnesota Twins (14th) and Kansas City Royals (25th) -- all have tougher schedules as well.

The Orioles likely won't face another playoff-bound team until late September, when they wrap up their season with a six-game road trip against the Yankees and Twins, potentially with the AL East on the line.

In the meantime, Baltimore has five more games against bottom-feeders (Colorado and the historically bad Chicago White Sox), followed by 15 games against teams hovering around .500 (Tampa Bay Rays, Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants).

If the Orioles can post a winning record during that stretch or at least go .500, they'll be on track to clear 90 wins and clinch a postseason berth as the month winds down.

If Baltimore falters, however, it opens the door for a team like Boston or the Seattle Mariners to potentially make things interesting down the stretch.

The Orioles are entering their most critical stretch of the year. If they take care of business and play winning baseball against their weak and middling opponents, October baseball will be guaranteed. But if they keep struggling as they have over the last two months, their season may go down to the wire.

The MLB schedule-makers have given Baltimore a gift. Hopefully the Orioles don't squander it.