25,171 fans attended Tuesday night’s Orioles/Red Sox game and for the first time in years, the crowd was dominated by fans of the black and orange.

“[A] lot more Orioles fans than in pervious series or maybe they’re just louder/drunker,” MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli tweeted.

Hey, whatever it takes.

“My favorite part about tonight was the amazing O’s fans,” Orioles public address announcer Ryan Wagner tweeted.  “Showed up big time.  Never allowed the Sox fans to get going.”

As stupid as it sounds, hearing that the Orioles fans dominated the crowd at Camden Yards for a Red Sox series put a smile on my face.  I’ve been to far too many games against Boston that felt like I had traveled north to Fenway Park.  The “let’s go Red Sox” chants make my skin crawl when I’m sitting in the bleachers in Baltimore.

The times they are a changing.

The first place Orioles find themselves 6.5 games ahead of the last place Red Sox and suddenly the local support for the Red Sox has vanished.  Fans are excited about the great baseball being played in Baltimore and they should be.

Let’s take back the Yard.  Let’s fill the ballpark with black and orange every night.  And let’s support the first place Orioles.

They deserve it.