Are the Orioles good, or just lucky?

September 20, 2012
Sep
20

We're not about to denigrate any of the Orioles' exceptional accomplishments this season, but all those extra-inning wins have us wondering. You can usually tell how good a team is by their run differential -- that is, the difference between their runs scored and runs allowed. The Orioles have made an art of outperforming their run differential -- they're at a .570 winning percentage despite having been outscored by 10 runs on the season. To put it in perspective, they're essentially tied with the Yankees in the AL East, and the Yankees have outscored their opponents by a full 100 runs. What's going on here?

AL East?

The Rays have been gradually falling off in the AL East and need something approaching last year's miracle to get back in it.

SportsNation

Which team will win the AL East?

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    48%
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    50%
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    2%

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