Orioles happy to defend AL East crown free from outside expectations
NEW YORK — They surprised a lot of pundits by making a deep run into October last year, and after losing a major contributor to their success as a free agent, they got very little love when it came time for those pundits to make their predictions this year. So far, the early indications are that they will be in the thick of the playoff race once again. You’ve heard a lot about the defending American League champion Royals playing with a chip on their shoulder, getting into altercations at the first sign of disrespect. It’s certainly one way to make everyone recognize you. It’s not the approach the Orioles are taking after coming back from a 96-win season to hear about how the Red Sox, or maybe the Blue Jays, had the best chance to win the American League East this year. MORE: MLB award winners with unlikely beginnings | AL MVP Watch: Keeping up with Adam Jones “The only thing you can control is what you do every day on the field, and that’s how we do it around here on the Orioles,” th...