Dusty Baker passing by Bucky Harris in the Astros’ victory over the Orioles

BALTIMORE — At this point, when it comes to setting personal goals, Dusty Baker says he only knows the numbers he’ll never hit. Take, for example, Connie Mack’s all-time record of 3,731 managerial victories, which despite Baker’s decorated career the 74-year-old would realistically admit is probably out of his grasp.

“Unless I stay here until I’m 85, which I won’t,” Baker said.

But that doesn’t mean he can’t keep getting progressively closer, and with every victory he does. Baker continued to climb the all-time managerial wins list on Wednesday, passing Hall of Fame manager Bucky Harris and moving into seventh place with the 2,159th career win thanks to Houston’s 8-2 victory over the Orioles at Oriole Park.

Right fielder Christian Javier recorded his first win in over two months, and Kyle Tucker (HR) and Jose Altuve (3-for-5, 3 RBI) led the offense as Houston pulled back two games from the Rangers in the MLS. Western race while helping Baker reach a personal milestone.

“Achieving the numbers is great… the closer I get, I use it as motivation,” Baker said. “But my motivation is this: If you’re doing well and your team is doing well, that’s going to take care of anything that worries you.”

Baker enters the year 10th on the all-time list with 2,093 wins, and with 66 more this season, he’s now passed Hall of Famers Joe McCarthy and Harris in 2023. Baker needs 35 more wins to match Sparky Anderson’s 2,194 for the first time. sixth all-time, but to do so would require the Astros to win 35 of their last 47 games and finish with 101 wins.

During his 26-year managerial career, teams led by Baker have won 100 or more games twice: in 1993, his first season with the Giants, and last year, when the Astros won 106 regular season games. In Baltimore last September, Baker was just the fourth coach in Major League Soccer history to win 100 games in a season in both leagues.

“He deserves every good that happens to him,” Altuve said. “awesome man. Wonderful manager. He cares about the team. He cares about us. We are happy for him and happy that we can help him move forward.”

Then there’s always the possibility that Baker could manage beyond this season, even though he’s not under contract for 2024.

“I’m not going to retire today or tomorrow,” Baker said. “I hope we win the world championship, and then I’ll make a decision.”

Meanwhile, his Astros are one of the hottest teams in baseball and play like everyone else in the second half.

Houston has won 16 of 24 since the break, tying division rivals the Rangers for the best record since the All-Star break.

“We were really good,” said Altuve, who extended his hitting streak to 11 straight games and passed Jim Wynn for the club’s seventh RBI. “Yordan [Alvarez] Jordan runs. Tucker is having a great season and [Alex Bregman] He achieves great success. We play defense well, we play well, so I’m really happy with the way we’re playing.”

After a night of hitting a grand slam, Tucker opened the scoring on Wednesday with a two-run leadoff hit by Jack Flaherty, the eighth All-Star in 24 games since the All-Star break. 326 with 16 extra base hits and MLB-best 28 RBIs in that period.

Javier’s second straight power outing was another positive development, and Houston’s four runs scored in the eighth against Baltimore Pencil helped secure the Right’s first win since June 3. Getting Javier back on track will be a priority for the Astros over the last two months of the season, after the breakout star entered the World Series last year, hauling in an 8.16 ERA over his past seven starts.

“He was trying to get his eighth win in forever,” said Baker. So I said, I should give him a chance.

A leader knows a thing or two about chasing wins.

Bakr said: I asked [NPB legend] Sadaharu Oh, years ago, when he had nine top players: “What motivates you? Tenth,” he said.