BALTIMORE — Early Wednesday morning, sitting in the bowels of Camden Yards, executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias admitted the Orioles’ strongest season since his arrival “crept up” on him and those on the field.
This was all ahead of schedule. Next season, Elias aspires Baltimore to be a playoff-bound team, competing in the difficult American League East for free-agent signings as well as wins. They’ll ramp up spending and expectations.
But this? At the end of a season in which the success came unexpectedly yet fluidly? This was all a bonus, and it continued with a 5-4 win against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader before dropping the season finale, 5-1.
