It’s over.
A season that winded through avenues down which the once-proud franchise had rarely traveled came to an end Sunday with a 10-4 loss to the New York Yankees before 43,589 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
The Orioles (69-93) finish in fourth place in the American League East ? 25 games behind the Yankees in the wild card race and 27 behind first-place Boston? for the third consecutive season and the ninth time in the past ten years. The 93 losses are the most since 2002, when the team went 67-95.
“I wish it would have turned out different,” Manager Dave Trembley, who took over on June 18 and went 40-53, said. “For a lot of reasons and for a lot of people. Namely for the fans and for the players.”
The defeat marked the eighth time this month the Orioles have allowed 10 runs or more in a game, and the 18th time this season the opponent reached double figures.
The Yankees (94-68) used most of their regulars to start the game, but inserted their reserves by the fourth inning. The American League wild card winners will play the American League Central Division champion Cleveland Indians (95-66) in thedivision round of the playoffs. Boston (96-66) plays West Division champion Anaheim (94-67).
The Orioles and Yankees split the season series 9-9. Entering the season, the Orioles had lost the season series to New York in 22 of the past 25 years.
In his 17th start of the season, Orioles lefty Brian Burres (6-9) allowed six runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings. Burres threw 93 pitches, walking two and striking out three.
The Yankees scored four runs in the fourth inning and three more in the fifth to put the game out of reach.
New York third baseman Alex Rodriguez, a favorite to win the American League MVP award, was pulled ? like many of his teammates ? in the fourth inning after he had gone 2-for-2 with a walk, a run and an RBI.
Miguel Tejada was 1-for-2 and was replaced by pinch runner Brandon Fahey after singling in the sixth.
Kevin Millar hit his 17th season of the season, and J.R. House hit his third in a the losing effort.
