Tigers lineup vs. Orioles in Game 3

Tigers lineup vs. Orioles in Game 3
DETROIT - Rajai Davis is out of the Tigers lineup today for Game 3 of the American League Division Series at Comerica Park. Davis was included on the ALDS roster despite a groin injury that has limited his innings on the field. Don Kelly is playing center field today while Davis sits on the bench. For the Tigers Ian Kinsler 2B Torii Hunter RF Miguel Cabrera 1B Victor Martinez DH J.D. Martinez LF Alex Avila C Nick Castellanos 3B Andrew Romine SS Don Kelly CF David Price LHP The...

Notes on Young and Schoop before Game 3 of ALDS

Notes on Young and Schoop before Game 3 of ALDS
DETROIT - The weather this morning seems better suited for November baseball. The Orioles should be able to chill the champagne and beer without ice. They're one win away from advancing to the American League Championship Series for the first time since 1997. The elements and early start times don't faze them. It's business as usual for a team that won 96 games during the regular season and took the division by 12, yet remains an underdog and an inexplicable success story to so...

Jones: "We tee high and let it fly"

Jones: "We tee high and let it fly"
DETROIT - No matter where a series shifts in the playoffs, the Orioles are going to remain the same. They will continue to be aggressive at the plate, regardless of the situation. And they make no apologies for it. "You just let it go, man," said center fielder Adam Jones before heading outside to take his swings in batting practice. "You've seen us all year. We tee high and let it fly. That's been our motto. Sometimes it's good, sometimes we look crazy for six, seven innings, but...

Notes on the Game 3 lineup, defense at third base, Davis and more

Notes on the Game 3 lineup, defense at third base, Davis and more
DETROIT - Now that we know the Orioles' starter for Game 3 of the American League Division Series, we can start playing around with the lineup that will face Tigers left-hander David Price. It appears that Ryan Flaherty will make another start at third base despite the presence of a southpaw on the mound. Manager Buck Showalter trusts Flaherty's defense. Also, left-handers are batting .258 against Price this season and right-handers are hitting .234. Flaherty batted .288 in September and he...

Norris: "There's nothing holding me back"

Norris: "There's nothing holding me back"
DETROIT - Bud Norris was told yesterday on the flight to Detroit that he would start Game 3 of the American League Division Series. "Going into the postseason, we knew that anything was possible, and Buck (Showalter) said for all of us to be ready," Norris said. "He said he wanted to move things around and said, 'You got the ball in Game 3.' And I got excited and came prepared for tomorrow." Norris will be appearing in his first playoff game with a chance to pitch the Orioles into the...

Showalter on decision to start Norris in Game 3

Showalter on decision to start Norris in Game 3
DETROIT - The Orioles are taking batting practice this afternoon at Comerica Park while also braving the cold. Temperatures have dipped into the 40s and players are wearing hooded sweatshirts. Executive vice president Dan Duquette is sporting the Orioles wool cap that was given to fans at a recent game. We learned today that Bud Norris will start Game 3 on Sunday afternoon. Manager Buck Showalter indicated yesterday that Miguel Gonzalez would take the mound, saying, "It would be fairly safe...

Norris to start Game 3 (plus ALCS ticket info)

Norris to start Game 3 (plus ALCS ticket info)
DETROIT - Right-hander Bud Norris is now listed as the Orioles' starter for Game 3 of the American League Division Series on Sunday at Comerica Park. Manager Buck Showalter indicated yesterday that Miguel Gonzalez would start the contest while Norris would be in the bullpen and was likely to start Game 4 on Monday, if needed. Gonalez said he was told Friday that he would start Game 4 if the O's don't clinch with Norris starting Game 3. Norris and Showalter will meet with reporters this...

Orioles only team able to spell relief in ALDS

Orioles only team able to spell relief in ALDS
If I'm Tigers bullpen coach Mick Billmeyer, I'm pretending that the phone is on vibrate and I never heard it ring. Manager Brad Ausmus may not buy that excuse, but what does Billmeyer have to lose? The Tigers have lost the first two games of the American League Division Series because their relievers can't hold a lead or keep a game close. The Orioles have scored 12 runs in the eighth inning alone. They scored 10 in the entire 2012 ALDS against the Yankees. Joba Chamberlain and Joakim Soria...

Rest of ALDS times announced, Guilmet traded

Rest of ALDS times announced, Guilmet traded
If the Orioles can't close out the American League Division Series on Sunday, you'll need to know the starting times for Game 4 and a possible Game 5. Game 4 on Monday at Comerica Park will begin at 12:07 p.m. unless the Royals sweep the Angels in the other Division Series. If that happens, the Orioles and Tigers will start up at 1:37 p.m. Either way, the baseball gods are testing the Orioles' ability to win day games. Game 5 on Wednesday at Camden Yards would begin at 5:37 p.m. if the...

Showalter, Hardy and Gausman talk about 7-6 win in Game 2

Showalter, Hardy and Gausman talk about 7-6 win in Game 2
Fans kept chanting "We Won't Stop" today as the Orioles rallied in the bottom of the eighth inning to take the lead. They didn't stop until the final out. The Orioles may not stop until late October. Delmon Young's pinch-hit, bases-loaded double in the eighth gave the Orioles a 7-6 victory over the Tigers in Game 2 of the American League Division Series before 48,058 at Camden Yards. They hold a 2-0 lead in games as the teams head to Detroit. Young was 10-for-20 as a pinch-hitter during...

Markakis hits first postseason home run (O's win 7-6)

Markakis hits first postseason home run (O's win 7-6)
This playoff thing really agrees with Nick Markakis. Markakis homered with two outs in the bottom of the third to score Jonathan Schoop and give the Orioles a 2-0 lead in Game 2 of the American League Division Series. It's the first postseason home run of Markakis' career, and his third hit and second RBI in less than 24 hours. Justin Verlander shook off catcher Alex Avila and threw a 94 mph fastball with the count full. Markakis' ball hit the roof of the grounds crew shed, bringing an...

Markakis on early game, first playoff experience and Orioles fans

Markakis on early game, first playoff experience and Orioles fans
The Orioles may not have the most speed in the majors, but they're used to fast turnarounds. They're back at Camden Yards this morning for a 12:07 p.m. start in Game 2 of the Division Series. Sleeping fast, as manager Buck Showalter advises, may have included a few players spending the night here. Showalter's been known through the years to crash in his office - he had a Murphy bed in Arizona - but he wouldn't admit whether it happened last night. Right fielder Nick Markakis figures...

Gonzalez will start Game 3, Joseph catching today

Gonzalez will start Game 3, Joseph catching today
Miguel Gonzalez is scheduled to start Game 3 of the American League Division Series on Sunday in Detroit. Gonzalez won't be in the bullpen today unless there's an emergency. Bud Norris is available in relief today and is expected to start Game 4 if necessary. As for today's lineup, the only change is Caleb Joseph behind the plate. For the Orioles Nick Markakis RF Alejandro De Aza LF Adam Jones CF Nelson Cruz DH Steve Pearce 1B J.J. Hardy SS Ryan Flaherty 3B Caleb Joseph C Jonathan Schoop...

Third base not an issue for Orioles in Game 1

Third base not an issue for Orioles in Game 1
After committing seven errors at third base in their final 10 games of the regular season, the Orioles were flawless in the field yesterday in the opener of the American League Division Series. Try to figure out baseball. I dare you. Ryan Flaherty didn't burn his fingers on the hot corner. He made every play, including a clean grab of Torii Hunter's bouncer with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth. He also walked and collected an RBI single in an eight-run eighth inning. Flaherty...

Hearing from Showalter and Cruz following 12-3 win in Game 1

Hearing from Showalter and Cruz following 12-3 win in Game 1
If anyone forgot that the Orioles were supposed to hold the advantage over the Tigers in bullpens and defense in the American League Division Series, tonight provided a sharp reminder. Sharp enough to carve out a 1-0 series lead. The Orioles scored eight runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, their largest total of the season, and took advantage of a huge error by shortstop Andrew Romine in a 12-3 rout before 47,842 at Camden Yards. Fans waved orange towels all night. The Tigers were ready...

Tillman makes it through the fifth with lead (O's win 12-3)

Tillman makes it through the fifth with lead (O's win 12-3)
We have a Kate Upton sighting at Camden Yards. I keep telling her not to bother me at work, but she won't listen. The struggle is real. Chris Tillman has made it through five innings tonight with his pitch count at 105. He retired 11 in a row following the back-to-back home runs by Victor and J.D. Martinez in the second inning before Andrew Romine singled with two outs in the fifth. Rajai Davis also singled and Ian Kinsler walked to load the bases, but Torii Hunter bounced into a force at...

Cruz with another home run tale against Tigers (O's lead 3-2)

Cruz with another home run tale against Tigers (O's lead 3-2)
The Orioles got sentimental today before Game 1 of the American League Division Series, arranging for injured third baseman Manny Machado to throw the ceremonial first pitch to injured catcher Matt Wieters. Soon after, Nelson Cruz got serious and put a hurting on the Tigers. Cruz hit a two-run homer on the first pitch thrown to him by Max Scherzer to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead. The Tigers tied the score in the second on back-to-back home runs by Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez, raising...

Jimenez on being in bullpen for ALDS and Chen on making Game 2 start

Jimenez on being in bullpen for ALDS and Chen on making Game 2 start
The Orioles have finished batting practice and the Tigers are taking their turn in the cage. Ubaldo Jimenez stopped to sign a few autographs before ducking inside the clubhouse. A brutal season has taken a turn upward for him, capped by his inclusion on the Division Series roster. "I was wondering because I didn't know what was going to happen," he said. "I finished strong, but I didn't know. I realize that all of the guys have been doing their jobs, so it was a tough call, but I was...

Chen named Game 2 starter

Chen named Game 2 starter
Orioles manager Buck Showalter confirmed today that left-hander Wei-Yin Chen will start Friday afternoon in Game 2 of the American League Division Series at Camden Yards. Chen has allowed six earned runs in 11 innings over two career starts against the Tigers. Left-handers Brian Matusz and T.J. McFarland, omitted from the Division Series roster, will be introduced tonight and sit in the bullpen. They will stay with the club throughout the series. "It was tough," Showalter said while...

Orioles lineup for Game 1 of ALDS (plus Tigers lineup)

Orioles lineup for Game 1 of ALDS (plus Tigers lineup)
The Orioles have posted their lineup for Game 1 of the American League Division Series, and it has Ryan Flaherty at third base tonight with Jimmy Paredes and Kelly Johnson coming off the bench. Flaherty played third more than any other position this year, appearing there in 43 of his 102 games. As expected, Nick Hundley is catching Chris Tillman. The two have formed a battery in 18 of Tillman's 34 starts, and the right-hander pitched to a 2.78 ERA when throwing to Hundley. For the...