Russell expected to interview for Twins job

Russell expected to interview for Twins job
DETROIT - Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he expects the Twins to interview bench coach John Russell for their vacant managerial position. The Twins fired Ron Gardenhire last week, the first manager they've dismissed since Ray Miller in 1986. Russell has a close relationship with general manager Terry Ryan and will be brought in for an interview after the playoffs. As I wrote last week, Showalter values Russell's contributions as bench coach and catching instructor. However, he also...

Cruz homer gives Orioles lead (Orioles sweep Tigers, headed to ALCS)

Cruz homer gives Orioles lead (Orioles sweep Tigers, headed to ALCS)
DETROIT - Nelson Cruz broke a scoreless tie in the top of the sixth inning today with a two-run homer off Tigers left-hander David Price. The Orioles lead 2-0 in Game 3 of the American League Division Series. Cruz continues his assault on postseason pitching. Cruz has 16 career playoff home runs, tied with Carlos Beltran for ninth on the all-time list. He just passed Babe Ruth. Cruz is 6-for-11 with two homers and five RBIs in the series. Price was working on a two-hit shutout before Adam...

Getting ready to start Game 3 (still scoreless)

Getting ready to start Game 3 (still scoreless)
DETROIT - Plenty of empty seats at Comerica Park as we prepare for the first pitch in Game 3 of the American League Division Series. Fans must be heading over here from Ford Field after the Lions game. Tickets were still available this morning. There were lines at the ticket window. Fans were given white towels to wave, which is a dubious choice of color, considering that their team is down 2-0 in games. I would have gone with blue. Former Tiger Delmon Young heard some boos upon being...

Delmon Young talks about his pinch-hit, three-run double

Delmon Young talks about his pinch-hit, three-run double
Delmon Young was asked if it was Orioles magic. "Magic is the word to use, but we are just trying to beat a very good ballclub in Detroit," Young said. "We did it yesterday and we've been doing it all year against teams in our division. When we get guys on, we feel like we can win. "They gave us an opportunity with (Adam) Jones getting hit by the pitch. Nelson (Cruz) and (Steve) Pearce came through with base hits, so we had the opportunity." Made it sound simple anyway. But Young...

O's game blog: Bud Norris on the mound as O's go for a sweep

O's game blog: Bud Norris on the mound as O's go for a sweep
With a win this afternoon, the Orioles will advance to the American League Championship Series for the first time since 1997 when they played the Cleveland Indians. The Orioles hold a 2-0 lead over the Detroit Tigers in the AL Division Series and need one win to advance. A win today at Comerica Park would give them their first postseason series sweep since a 3-0 win over the Oakland A's in the 1971 ALCS. But the Tigers have rallied in the ALDS before - in fact, just last year when they...

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...

Orioles lineup vs. Tigers in Game 3

Orioles lineup vs. Tigers in Game 3
DETROIT - Steve Pearce is batting second today for the Orioles and Delmon Young is playing left field in Game 3 of the American League Division Series. Nick Hundley is behind the plate and Ryan Flaherty remains at third base. The Orioles are seeking their first playoff sweep since the 1971 American League Championship Series against the Athletics, which used to consist of five games. For the Orioles Nick Markakis RF Steve Pearce 1B Adam Jones CF Nelson Cruz DH Delmon Young LF J.J. Hardy...

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...

O's are only team with 96-plus wins with a playoff victory, plus other notes

O's are only team with 96-plus wins with a playoff victory, plus other notes
If Orioles fans didn't already greatly appreciate and enjoy the strong position their team is in the series with Detroit, just looked around a bit. * Los Angeles Angels, 98 wins, down 0-2. * Washington Nationals, 96 wins, down. 0-2. * Baltimore Orioles, 96 wins, up 2-0. The two No. 1 seeds are both a loss from elimination while the Orioles have a chance for a three-game sweep this afternoon at Detroit. Unless you want to count the 2012 wild card game as a one-game sweep, the last time the...

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...

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: "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...

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...

Adam Jones on key hit by pitch, playing in Detroit and other O's notes

Adam Jones on key hit by pitch, playing in Detroit and other O's notes
It started with an errant pitch. A pitcher missed his spot by several inches and hit a batter. When Joba Chamberlain plunked Adam Jones with one out and no one on in the eighth inning yesterday, it was the start of a big Orioles rally. It was a big mistake by Chamberlain. You can't hit a batter to fuel a rally leading by three with no one on base. Down 6-3, the Orioles went on to score four times, the last three on Delmon Young's pinch-hit, bases-loaded double as the O's comeback stunned...

A look at some heroes from first two ALDS games for O's

A look at some heroes from first two ALDS games for O's
You want a real unsung hero from the first two games of the American League Division Series? How about Orioles third base coach Bobby Dickerson? He had aggressive sends of Alejandro De Aza in the eighth inning Thursday night and J.J. Hardy in the eighth yesterday. Both players scored critical runs in what were, at the time, close games. When you coach third and a runner gets cut down at home, the fans notice and are often critical and questioning of the move. So Dickerson should get some props...

Operation October: ALDS Game 2

Operation October: ALDS Game 2
*We'll be updating this entry all day, so keep scrolling and check back often! REMINDER: We'll be covering the Birds on the road, so be sure to check out Operation October daily for insider's access throughout the team's postseason run! 10 a.m. - About last night Game 1 was fun, right? Let's do it all over again today! The gates are open and we're two hours away from first pitch. Can the Orioles carry last night's offensive momentum into today? (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs =...

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...

Zach Britton on last of eighth and top of ninth (plus other clubhouse quotes)

Zach Britton on last of eighth and top of ninth (plus other clubhouse quotes)
Zach Britton admitted that for a brief moment today, he was like a fan. While he was warming up in the last of the eighth inning Delmon Young came to bat. Seconds later, Young lined a pitch into left field to score three runs and give the Orioles a 7-6 lead. Britton let out a cheer in the bullpen and then realized now he was going into the game and it would be a save situation in the ninth. So it was an interesting few minutes for the O's closer. He took a moment to notice how crazy the...

Ausmus after Game 2 loss: "If we have a lead in the eighth inning Sunday, we're going to have to find somebody"

Ausmus after Game 2 loss: "If we have a lead in the eighth inning Sunday, we're going to have to find somebody"
After again watching his bullpen let the Orioles post a big eighth inning to cement a Division Series win, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus didn't know how he'd handle a lead going forward with his club one game away from being eliminated. For the second straight game, Joba Chamberlain and Joakim Soria simply couldn't record outs. Handed a three-run lead in the eighth, the late-inning duo combined to surrender four runs on three hits and a walk in their combined one inning of work. In Game 1 a...