Orioles magic number and playoff odds after another series win over the Red Sox

Despite losing a tough game to the Red Sox on Sunday, the Baltimore Orioles were still able to secure yet another series win and inch ever closer to not only the playoffs and hopefully their first AL East division title since 2014. A sweep would have been nice, but that is just a nitpick.

The Rays haven't exactly made things easy for the Orioles to wrap things up of late. Baltimore has won seven of their last 10 games, but Tampa has gone 6-4 over that same span including winning their last three games. Here is what the Orioles' playoff picture looks like as of today.

With Sunday's games in the books, the Baltimore Orioles' magic number to make the playoffs is down to 5 and to win the AL East is down to 17. These magic numbers assume, of course, no weirdness with tiebreakers in the wild card or division races. Orioles fans will likely get to see Baltimore clinch their postseason appearance this coming week either against the Cardinals or the Rays.

As for the current playoff odds, things are looking quite good. Fangraphs still has the Orioles with a 100% chance of making the playoffs to the surprise of no one as well as a 76.7% chance of winning the AL East. Baseball-Reference generates their own playoff odds and are even more bullish on the Orioles' chances of winning the division at 93.5%.

After the Orioles' upcoming series against the Cardinals, Baltimore has the toughest remaining stretch of the regular season with a four game set against the Rays followed immediately by a road series against the Astros. How well that stretch goes will determine how quickly the Orioles will be able to clinch a division title....if they will at all.