Thursday, September 25, 2014

Home , Adam Jones (baseball), American League East, Bleacher Creatures, Buck Showalter, Cecil Fielder, Chris Tillman

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Game Stories:  Orioles score six runs in fourth inning, cruise to 9-5 victory over the Yankees The Sun 9/24  Six-run eruption helps O's eliminate Yankees MLB.com 9/24  Hearing from Showalter, Norris, Flaherty and Lough after 9-5 win MASNsports.com 9/24  O's use big inning to get best of Greene, Yankees 9-5 MASNsports.com 9/24  Orioles' victory kills Yankees' playoff chances Frederick News-Post 9/25  Jeter, Yanks eliminated with 9-5 loss to Orioles Washington Post 9/24  Jeter, Yanks Eliminated With 9-5 Loss To Orioles CBS Baltimore 9/24  Orioles eliminate Yankees from contention Fox 45 9/24  Orioles score big again at Yankee Stadium CSN Baltimore 9/24  Orioles end playoff hopes for Yankees, Jeter The Morning Call 9/24

Columns:  Looking at how rain could affect Derek Jeter's farewell vs. Orioles The Sun 9/25  Buck Showalter leaning toward carrying 11 pitchers in ALDS and other notes The Sun 9/24  With Orioles set for playoffs, Zach Britton and wife expecting first child The Sun 9/24  Orioles' Nelson Cruz says he didn't expect 40 home runs this year The Sun 9/24  Starting Game 1 of AL Division Series 'means a lot' to Chris Tillman The Sun 9/24  If you could pick Orioles' playoff opponent, which team would you choose? The Sun 9/24  O's steady rise even sweeter in Bronx MLB.com 9/24  Stage set for Jeter's farewell to home fans MLB.com 9/24  Tillman pumped to open O's postseason run MLB.com 9/24  Eclipsing 40 homers a surprise even to Cruz MLB.com 9/24  Trying to figure out the Division Series roster MASNsports.com 9/25  Notes on the AL East, O's hot hitters and more MASNsports.com 9/25  Orioles bat around in fourth to take lead (O's win 9-5) MASNsports.com 9/24  Notes on Steve Johnson, Tillman, Cruz and playoff tickets (O's down 3-0) MASNsports.com 9/24  More on Division Series roster MASNsports.com 9/24  O's game blog: Bud Norris is 8-1 with a 2.72 ERA against AL East MASNsports.com 9/24  LOOKING BACK AT DEREK JETER'S CAREER AGAINST THE ORIOLES PressBoxOnline 9/25  ORIOLES, NATIONALS DRAW COMBINED FIVE MILLION FANS DURING 2014 SEASON PressBoxOnline 9/25  BOTTOM THIRD OF ORIOLES' LINEUP STILL A QUESTION MARK PressBoxOnline 9/24  MASN, Orioles ask NY court to throw out MLB panel’s TV rights award Washington Post 9/25  For Orioles' corporate sponsors, more postseason wins means less advertising space Baltimore Business Journal 9/24  Steve Davis: O’s Roster Could Undergo Major Changes CBS Baltimore 9/24  Jeter says goodbye to the Bronx in finale with Orioles Fox 45 9/25  Rain could disrupt legendary Yankee Stadium finale CSN Baltimore 9/24  Did Cruz think he had a chance at 40 homers? CSN Baltimore 9/24  Two years makes a huge difference for Tillman CSN Baltimore 9/24

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bal-orioles-new-york-yankees-september-24-2014- game-recap-20140924,0,3169992.story Orioles score six runs in fourth inning, cruise to 9-5 victory over the Yankees By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun

7:12 p.m. EDT, September 24, 2014

NEW YORK -- A key ingredient to the Orioles’ formula for winning this season has been hitting home runs. They have relied on it more than any club in the major leagues.

But in their 9-5 victory over the New York Yankees on Wednesday afternoon, the Orioles mounted their best offensive outing in nearly two weeks without a homer — all while ending New York’s postseason hopes in front of an announced 46,056 at Yankee Stadium.

The nine runs were the Orioles’ highest offensive output since a 10-6 win over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Sept. 10.

After only getting one hit in Monday’s series opener — a 5-0 shutout loss — the Orioles recorded 32 hits over the past two games, including 15 on Wednesday. It was the first time in history that the Orioles had 15 or more hits in consecutive games in New York.

The last time the Orioles scored nine or more runs without hitting a home run was May 10, 2013 in a 9-6 win over the Minnesota Twins. The Orioles were 5-for-10 with runners in scoring position Wednesday.

“It's important, especially in the postseason,” said shortstop Ryan Flaherty, who started a six-run fourth inning with a two-run double. “Weather's cold, wind's blowing in, kind of like today. There weren't many people who were going to hit the ball through that wind.”

The Orioles (95-63) remained 2 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Angels (98-61) in the race for the best record in the major leagues and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Orioles have four games remaining, while the Angels are off Thursday before finishing the season with three games on the road against the Seattle Mariners.

If the Orioles and the Angels finish the season tied after 162 games, the Orioles would gain the top seed because of a better head-to-head record.

Down by three runs early in Wednesday’s game, the Orioles — who lead the major leagues with 205 homers — methodically scored six runs in the fourth inning with seven hits, including five singles. “That’s what it takes,” said left fielder David Lough, who hit an RBI triple in the fourth and had two RBIs on the day. “But it seems as though hits always come in bunches, and it feels good to get that win. …

“It seems as though, when we hit home runs, we win a lot of ballgames, but today showed that we’re capable of just coming up with hits and coming up with runs and getting from scoring position in.”

The Orioles are now 13-5 against the Yankees this season and can win all six series against New York this season with a victory Thursday. The win also put the Orioles at 46-26 against the AL East this season. The last time the Orioles finished the season 20 games over .500 versus the division was 1980.

Right-hander Bud Norris, who entered the game with a scoreless streak of 12 1/3 innings, improved his record against the AL East this season to 9-1 with a 2.91 ERA in 14 starts. The Orioles have gone 13-1 in those games.

Norris (15-8) also improved to 4-0 with a 2.73 ERA in four starts against the Yankees this season.

“Everybody talks about the AL East being the division, the best division in baseball, and it elevates my game,” Norris said. “I go out there and pitch, and I’ve learned a lot from the guys here. ... I’m just going to go out there and compete.”

Trailing 3-0 entering the fourth, the Orioles sent 11 batters to the plate and had six hits and a walk in their six-run inning.

Nelson Cruz and Steve Clevenger opened the inning with back-to-back singles off Yankees right-hander Shane Greene (5-4), who then issued a one-out walk to Kelly Johnson to load the bases.

Following a visit to the mound by Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild, Flaherty jumped on the first pitch and lined it off the right-field fence for a two-run double. Nick Markakis followed with a two-out single to right field, scoring two more runs to give the Orioles a 4-3 lead.

The hit parade continued as Lough hit a triple to right field to score Markakis easily, and Adam Jones dropped a bunt to the left of the mound past Greene to score Lough from third base.

“I thought the most impressive hit might have been Adam’s bunt,” manager Buck Showalter said.

Norris fell behind on Mark Teixeira’s two-out RBI single in the first inning. After Teixeira’s hit, Norris recorded his next seven outs by strikeout. But in between, he allowed solo homers to Stephen Drew in the second and Chase Headley in the third. After a one-out walk to Drew in the fourth, Norris retired the final eight batters he faced. The Orioles added three more runs in the eighth. After back-to-back singles by Johnson and Flaherty and a sacrifice bunt by Caleb Joseph, reliever David Phelps intentionally walked Markakis to load the bases with one out.

Lough knocked in one run with a sacrifice fly to right field, and Jones and Cruz each singled in a run to give the Orioles a 9-3 lead. The Yankees (81-77) cut the Orioles’ lead to three in the eighth on Teixeira’s two-run homer off Brad Brach.

Trying to get work for his bullpen, Showalter used five relievers after Norris came out of the game, including four different pitchers in the eighth. Right-hander Darren O'Day recorded the final four outs for his fourth save of the season.

After the game, Showalter said he didn’t get any special satisfaction from ending the Yankees’ postseason hopes.

“We got an outside shot of catching Anaheim,” Showalter said. “But you don't ever take some satisfaction out of that. When we came in here the first time earlier in the year, we knew and here they are in it with four, five games left to play.

“That’s quite a testament to them and the challenges that [manager] Joe [Girardi] and the staff and the organization has had with a lot of injuries. To stay this engaged this long was pretty impressive.” http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2014_09_24_balmlb_nyamlb_1& mode=recap_away&c_id=bal Six-run eruption helps O's eliminate Yankees By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

9/24/2014 7:05 PM ET

NEW YORK -- Any more concerns about the Orioles' offense in late September?

Baltimore, which clinched the American League East Division on Sept. 16, has proved its recent lull was no more than a temporary dip with a combined 32 hits in its last two games in the Bronx. On Wednesday, the Orioles used an 11-batter, six-run fourth inning to top the Yankees, 9-5, and officially eliminate New York from postseason contention.

"It seems as though when we hit home runs, we win a lot of ballgames," outfielder David Lough said of the powerful O's lineup, "but today showed that we're capable of just coming up with hits and coming up with runs and getting [baserunners] in from scoring position."

The O's (95-63) remained 2 1/2 games behind the Angels, who also won Wednesday, for the best record in the AL. If the Orioles can overtake the Halos, they would guarantee themselves home- field advantage throughout the playoffs. The sentiment in the clubhouse after the win was that the O's didn't take extra pride in knocking out New York.

"We've got an outside shot of catching Anaheim," manager Buck Showalter said. "But you don't ever take some satisfaction out of [eliminating another team]. When we came in here the first time, earlier in the year, we knew -- and here they are, in it with four, five games left to play. That's quite a testament to them and the challenges that [manager] Joe [Girardi] and the staff and the organization have had with a lot of injuries. To stay this engaged this long was pretty impressive."

Also impressive? The way the Orioles turned the tables on Yankees starter Shane Greene, who was dominant early and watched a three-run lead -- and his outing -- go by the wayside as the O's bats woke up.

Ryan Flaherty, up with the bases loaded and one out in the fourth, put the Orioles on the board with a two-run double. He was followed one out later by Nick Markakis' two-run single, and Lough added a triple to score Markakis. Adam Jones' bunt single scored Lough for the sixth run of the inning.

"It's important [to manufacture runs], especially in the postseason," Flaherty said. "The weather's cold, wind's blowing in -- kind of like today. There weren't many people who were going to hit the ball through that wind."

Orioles starter Bud Norris did his part to keep the Yankees in check, going six innings and allowing three runs on five hits. Norris, who improved to 9-1 with a 2.91 ERA against the AL East this season, struck out nine in the 95-pitch outing.

"Everybody talks about the AL East being the best division in baseball, and it elevates my game," Norris said. "I go out there and pitch, and I've learned a lot from the guys here. I've gotten a lot of critiquing from [Chris] Tillman and other guys to help me get through these things. I'm just going to go out there and compete. The numbers have been outstanding, but the victories are what it's about -- team victories for me and this group."

After allowing one run in each of his first three innings, including homers by Stephen Drew and Chase Headley, Norris settled in and retired his final eight batters, then turned the ball over to right-hander Tommy Hunter. Hunter recorded one out in the seventh before a double prompted Showalter to tab lefty Brian Matusz to finish off the inning. Showalter wanted certain pitchers to work in back-to-back games, so in all, Baltimore used six pitchers, setting up righty Darren O'Day's fourth save.

Baltimore tacked on three more in the eighth inning on Lough's sacrifice fly off reliever David Phelps and RBI singles by Jones and Nelson Cruz, who singled four times on the day. Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira cut into that lead with a two-run homer off Brad Brach in the bottom of the frame. http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2014/09/hearing-from-showalter-norris-flaherty-and- lough-after-9-5-win.html Hearing from Showalter, Norris, Flaherty and Lough after 9-5 win By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

September 24, 2014 5:16 PM

NEW YORK - The Orioles posted their 95th victory today, the most since the 1997 team won 98 games. They're 43-2 in their last 45 games when scoring four runs or more.

The Orioles have totaled 14 runs and 32 hits since the one-hitter on Monday night. Don't poke the bear.

They didn't need any home runs today. So much for being unable to play small ball or come up with timely hits that don't clear the fence.

With today's win, the Orioles improved to 13-5 against the Yankees this season and eliminated them from playoff contention.

Bud Norris improved to 15-8 with a 3.65 ERA this season and 9-1 with a 2.91 ERA against the American League East. Opponents are hitless in their last 21 at-bats against him with runners in scoring position, according to Elias.

Darren O'Day notched his fourth save. flaherty-swing-white-sidebar.jpgLet's move around the clubhouse and collect some postgame comments before it starts to rain here. Dark clouds are rolling in and the tarp is on the field. It could start pouring any minute.

Derek Jeter wouldn't walk in this weather.

Here's manager Buck Showalter:

On Norris

"Had a couple extra rest days, I believe, and may get one more. He was pretty good. I thought he got a little stronger when he got that inning out of the way. He was a little frustrated. Mistakes have a way of leaving this ballpark. But he kept us close. The six-run inning obviously was big."

On having 32 hits in the last two games "You'd like to say the one thing about playing in the playoffs is the pitching is probably the chief reason they're there. The Yankees are pitching as well as anybody in baseball for the last two, three months. (Shane) Greene is having a good year for them. I can see why they're so high on him. I thought the most impressive hit might have been Adam (Jone's) bunt."

On the balance between resting players and keeping them sharp

"I knew I wanted to pitch some guys back-to-back today and was able to do that and not get too far away from that. Back off them tomorrow and will continue to see if we can get something out of the last four games. There's four games left in the season? Wow. Feels like it."

On whether he's happy to eliminate the Yankees

"No. It's just, we've got an outside shot of catching Anaheim. But you don't ever take some satisfaction out of that. When we came in here the first time earlier in the year, we knew, and here they are in it with four, five games left to play. That's quite a testament to them and the challenges that Joe (Girardi) and the staff and the organization has had with a lot of injuries. To stay this engaged this long was pretty impressive."

On whether it's good to play in front of big crowds before the playoffs

"I think so because sometimes you can get too far removed. But New York doesn't have a corner on big crowds. We have big crowds in Baltimore, too. But yes, it is good. I thought about that, to have that. Guys feed off the emotion in the ballpark, and trust me, as we go forward in the playoffs not everybody is going to be friendly."

Here's Norris:

On his performance

"I felt good. I was trying to get into a groove. Caleb (Joseph) and I had a good approach. Made a couple of mistakes that they beat me on, which is what good teams do. To have a big six-run inning and a three-run cushion kind of changed the game for me. Anytime I get six runs, I'm pretty excited. It's a team game. These guys swung the bats, put 'em up on the board, bullpen picked me up, another team victory."

On having 15 wins

"It won't settle in now. Like I said, this year has been so special, not only for me, but for this group and the team. It's just a number for personal goals, but I came in here with all these guys and so forth. I'm just blessed for this opportunity to get into Baltimore and play some meaningful baseball games. We're going to the postseason and I want to do my part to help out."

On winning games after clinching "That's the way you're supposed to do it. We're deep. We understand that we have a lot of guys that can do a lot of things, not only on the bench, but in the field, too. We're right where we want to be. We've got our stride going and we've got a couple of games to finish the season out, but nothing happens until the first game of the playoffs."

On his success in the division

"Everybody talks about the AL East being the division, the best division in baseball, and it elevates my game. I go out there and pitch and I've learned a lot from the guys here. I've gotten a lot of critiquing from (Chris) Tillman and other guys to help me get through these things. Like I said, I'm just going to go out there and compete. The numbers have been outstanding, but the victories are what it's about. Team victories for me and this group. But like I said, it hasn't settled in yet, but I'm sure it will here soon."

On whether the Orioles are a secret to a lot of people

"It is kind of a secret. Like I said, we go out there and we play hard every single day. There's not a day that we come out necessarily flat and not ready go to go. Obviously, it starts with Buck and the leaders in the clubhouse. We have a bunch of professionals in the clubhouse and we come every day ready to go."

On when he's scheduled to pitch again

"I don't know. I haven't been told."

On when he starts concentrating on the playoffs

"Once again, I haven't been there before, so I don't know how I'm going to think about it any differently. I'm just going to help be a teammate for these last four games and when we get to the postseason and we get to the first game, I'm going to be on the bench helping out, so when I get the ball, I'll be ready to go and I'll prepare myself the best I can."

Here's Ryan Flaherty, who had three hits, including a two-run double in the fourth:

On not needing to hit home runs today

"It's important, especially in the postseason. Weather's cold, wind's blowing in kind of like today. There weren't many people who were going to hit the ball through that wind."

On the offensive outbursts two days in a row after being one-hit

"It seems like that's happened a couple times this year where we get one hit or no runs and then we bounce back. But they had a really good guy (Michael Pineda) pitching the first night, as well as today. He just left a couple pitches up that I'm sure he wishes that he didn't throw."

On his contributions today "Just went up there bases loaded and he threw a changeup that he probably wanted to get down a little more. I put a good swing on it and got a couple runs in."

On Norris

"He pitched well. Couple home runs, but outside of that he did what he usually does. Obviously, we had a big offensive day, but he pitched pretty well."

On when his focus shifts to the playoffs

"There's still four games left that are meaningful games. Every night we take the field, we expect to win."

On whether it's meaningful to eliminate the Yankees

"Not really. It's just another team out there. They're a good ballclub."

Here's David Lough, who contributed an RBI triple and a sacrifice fly:

On the diversified offense today

"Yeah, it's awesome. It seems as though when we hit home runs, we win a lot of ballgames, but today showed that we're capable of just coming up with hits and coming up with runs and getting from scoring position in. Bud pitched a good game. He settled down there after those three runs and he kept us in it and we were able to put a lot of runs on the board."

On Lough's improved second half at the plate

"I feel great at the plate. I just felt like I was in one of those slumps early on. It kind of stinks to get into one of those and not be reliable day in and day out, but I feel better at the plate and hopefully Buck can see what I'm doing and kind of feel good about putting me in there."

On sending 11 batters to the plate in the fourth and passing the baton

"That's what it takes. Hits come in bunches it seems like. Kakes (Nick Markakis) came through with a big hit and I was able to come through with a big hit there, as well. But it seems as though hits always come in bunches and it feels good to get that win."

On how he scored from third on Jones' bunt

"I did not know that was coming. It was a great bunt. I just read it when I saw him go down with it. I was able to see it was going to get past the pitcher, so I knew I was going to score easily."

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2014/09/os-use-big-inning-to-great-greene-yankees- 9-5.html O's use big inning to get best of Greene, Yankees 9-5 By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

September 24, 2014 4:42 PM

The Orioles finally made Shane Greene feel blue.

He went 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in his first two starts against them this year and took a 3-0 lead into the fourth inning today.

Then the Orioles knocked him out of the game during a six-run, seven-hit inning where they sent 11 batters to the plate on the way to beating the Yankees 9-5 this afternoon.

Held to one hit and shut out in the series opener on Monday, the Orioles produced 14 runs on 32 hits in winning the last two games at Yankee Stadium.

The Orioles improve to 13-5 on the season against New York. That is their most wins against the Yankees since going 13-5 in 1976. With a win tomorrow, the Orioles will win all six of their series against the Yankees for the season.

Nelson Cruz and Steve Clevenger singled to start the fourth and Kelly Johnson's one-out walk loaded the bases. Ryan Flaherty doubled in two runs to pull the O's within 3-2 and a Nick Markakis two-run single gave the Orioles a 4-3 lead. David Lough's RBI triple made it 5-3 and an Adam Jones' bunt RBI single capped the scoring in the inning.

The Orioles added three runs in the eighth on a Lough sac fly and RBI singles by Cruz and Jones.

Cruz went 4-for-5 and is 7-for-10 the last two games while Flaherty went 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Markakis, Lough and Jones also had two RBIs. Markakis has five RBIs over his past two games after going 21 games without an RBI.

With that big inning, Bud Norris went from three runs behind to three ahead after he gave up single runs in the first three innings, including solo homers to Stephen Drew and Chase Headley.

Norris gave up five hits and three runs over six innings with one walk and nine strikeouts, one less than his season-high. Norris is 15-8 with an ERA of 3.65.

In five September starts, Norris is 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA.

In 14 starts this year against the American League East, the right-hander is 9-1 with a 2.85 ERA. The Orioles are 13-1 in those games. Today's win makes the Orioles 16-7 in September, 45-32 on the road and 95-63 for the season with four regular season games left.

In the final game of this four-game series on Thursday night, Kevin Gausman (7-7, 3.57 ERA) pitches against Hiroki Kuroda (11-9, 3.77 ERA). http://www.fredericknewspost.com/public/associated_press/orioles-victory-kills-yankees- playoff-chances/article_c571c6f5-f1da-5502-b40d-9360ba568bc9.html Orioles' victory kills Yankees' playoff chances By Associated Press / Frederick News-Post

Thursday, September 25, 2014 2:00 am

NEW YORK — Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter is happy to be in the Bronx, even with the all the distractions of Derek Jeter’s final game at Yankee Stadium.

Nelson Cruz had two of his four hits in a six-run fourth inning and the Orioles eliminated the Yankees from postseason contention with a 9-5 victory Wednesday in Jeter’s next-to-last home game.

“Not everywhere you play in the postseason is going to be a friendly environment, so it is good to have that kind of emotion going on before you get there,” Showalter said of the boisterous, sold-out crowds this week.

Jeter went 0 for 4 Wednesday, ending a seven-game hitting streak and dropping his average to .253.

Baltimore, headed to the playoffs for the second time in three seasons, remained three games behind the Los Angeles Angels for the best record in the league.

“We’ve got an outside shot of catching Anaheim,” Showalter said. “But you don’t ever take some satisfaction out of” eliminating a team.

The Orioles followed their 17-hit night Tuesday with nine more hits to support Bud Norris (15- 8).

Trailing by three runs early, Baltimore broke out for six in the fourth, sending 11 batters to the plate. Cruz started it off with a single against Shane Greene (5-4) and got the team’s last hit of the inning.

Ryan Flaherty had a two-run double, David Lough an RBI triple, Nick Markakis singled in a run and slugger Adam Jones added a safety squeeze with the third baseman playing deep. “It’s great to play in this environment,” Flaherty said, “especially headed to the postseason, where the weather is cold and the wind blows in like it did today.”

Norris gave up a run in each of the first three innings despite getting seven of his first nine outs by strikeout. He allowed a leadoff homer in the second to Stephen Drew then fanned five straight, a string stopped in the third inning with Chase Headley’s long ball.

Norris improved to 9-1 against the division in 14 starts. He allowed three runs and five hits in six innings and struck out nine.

“I heard a lot about the AL East being the division, and it’s true,” Norris said. “Playing against these teams really elevates your game.”

The Yankees missed the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since 1992 and ’93. The only other time New York missed the playoffs during in the retiring captain’s 20-season big league career was in 2008.

“It’s disappointing. It’s frustrating,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “This is not where you want to be at this time of year.”

Jeter was given an extended ovation after he tapped out to first base in the eighth but he remained seated in the dugout and did not come out for the curtain call. The game ended when Brett Gardner struck out looking with Jeter on deck.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Orioles: Showalter said he exchanged texts with suspended 1B Chris Davis. Serving a 25-game ban following a positive test for an amphetamine, Davis reported to the Orioles complex in Sarasota, Florida, and will play in instructional games. Davis could return late in the postseason.

Yankees: Girardi said Carlos Beltran (elbow) will not play the rest of the season. He will monitor Jacoby Ellsbury (hamstring) but it seems unlikely he will play in Boston.

UP NEXT

Baltimore’s RHP Kevin Gausman (7-7) and New York’s RHP Hiroki Kuroda (11-9) are scheduled starters in the series finale.

MULTIHIT BONANZA

Jones went 2 for 5, his eighth mulithit game against New York this season.

STARRY FAREWELL Stars were out to say goodbye to Jeter, though. Former teammates Tino Martinez, Gerald Williams and Cecil Fielder were on hand as was Mo Vaughn, the 1995 AL MVP with Boston. Willie Randolph, a former Yankees co-captain and coach, caught a foul ball behind home plate. http://stats.washingtonpost.com/mlb/recap.asp?g=340924110&final=true Jeter, Yanks eliminated with 9-5 loss to Orioles By Howie Rumberg / The Washington Post

September 24, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) All that's left for Derek Jeter to do is say goodbye.

Right now, though, the captain is still stewing over a lost season.

New York was eliminated from playoff contention Wednesday, wasting a three-run lead in a 9-5 loss to Nelson Cruz and the AL East champion Baltimore Orioles.

"It's tough. It's what you play for. It's a rough feeling," Jeter said.

Jeter went 0 for 4 as the designated hitter in his next-to-last game home game, ending a seven- game hitting streak and dropping his average to .253.

The Yankees (81-77) missed the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since 1992 and `93. The only other time New York did not play in the postseason during in the retiring captain's 20-season big league career was in 2008.

"It's disappointing. It's frustrating," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "This is not where you want to be at this time of year."

When Jeter is lauded by fans Thursday night - weather permitting. There's rain in the forecast - for a career that included five of New York's 27 World Series titles, he will be playing his first game in the Bronx that has no implications on his team's playoff chances. (Jeter was out with an injury last year).

"For the guys that are coming back and the team that plays it's a feeling you shouldn't like and you shouldn't want to get used to," Jeter said.

Baltimore remained 2 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Angels, who beat Oakland 5-4, in the race for the AL's best record and home-field advantage throughout the postseason. Manager Buck Showalter sees Thursday night festivities as good preparation.

"Not everywhere you play in the postseason is going to be a friendly environment," he said, "so it is good to have that kind of emotion going on before you get there." Cruz had two of his four singles and slugger Adam Jones a safety squeeze in a six-run fourth for Baltimore.

As they have throughout the final homestand, fans stood, cheered and chanted "De-rek Je-ter!" for each of the captain's at-bats during a rare September mid-week afternoon game. Even though Jeter was the designated hitter, the Bleacher Creatures included Jeter in the first-inning roll call. Jeter wasn't in the dugout to acknowledge them with the customary wave.

"The game wasn't over. We were trying to come back," Jeter said of the eighth. "You can't help but notice. I catch myself looking around sometimes and I've always tried not to do that but I've caught myself a couple of times."

Bud Norris (15-8) fell behind 3-0 despite getting seven of his first nine outs by strikeout. He allowed a leadoff homer in the second to Stephen Drew then fanned five straight, a string stopped in the third inning with Chase Headley's long ball.

Norris allowed three runs and five hits in six innings and struck out nine.

Shane Greene (5-4) loaded the bases in the third but got Jones to ground into an inning-ending forceout. The rookie had no such success in the fourth inning, when the Orioles sent 11 men to the plate and scored three times with two outs.

Mark Teixeira had an RBI double and two-run homer for New York.

Yankees: Girardi said Carlos Beltran (elbow) will not play the rest of the season. He will monitor Jacoby Ellsbury (hamstring) but it seems unlikely he will play in Boston.

Baltimore's RHP Kevin Gausman (7-7) and New York's RHP Hiroki Kuroda (11-9) are scheduled starters in the series finale.

Norris improved to 9-1 against the division in 14 starts, and Baltimore is 13-1 in those games.

Stars were out to say goodbye to Jeter, though. Former teammates Tino Martinez, Gerald Williams and Cecil Fielder were on hand as was Mo Vaughn, the 1995 AL MVP with Boston. Willie Randolph, a former Yankees co-captain and coach, caught a foul ball behind home plate. Tickets for Jeter's final home game on the secondary market are going from $248 in the bleachers up to $10K in section 19, right next to the Yankees dugout.

Louisville Slugger said in a news release it is retiring model number P72, the bat Jeter has used for his entire career. It will be renamed DJ2. http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2014/09/24/jeter-yanks-eliminated-with-9-5-loss-to-orioles/ Jeter, Yanks Eliminated With 9-5 Loss To Orioles By Associated Press / CBS Baltimore

September 24, 2014 4:53 PM

NEW YORK (AP) — Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees were eliminated from postseason contention, wasting a three-run lead Wednesday in a 9-5 loss to Nelson Cruz and the AL East champion Baltimore Orioles.

Jeter went 0 for 4 as the designated hitter in his next-to-last game home game, ending a seven- game hitting streak and dropping his average to .253.

The Yankees missed the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since 1992 and `93. The only other time New York missed the playoffs during in the retiring captain’s 20-season big league career was in 2008.

“It’s disappointing. It’s frustrating,” Yankees managerJoe Girardi said. “This is not where you want to be at this time of year.”

Trying to play through injuries to four-fifths of their starting rotation, the Yankees are 81-77 and still trying to ensure a 22nd straight season with a winning record. New York played the entire season without star third baseman Alex Rodriguez, suspended following a drug investigation by Major League Baseball.

The Yankees were eliminated with four gamesremaining for the second straight year. They are scheduled to end the home portion of their schedule Thursday night, when Jeter is expected to be lauded by fans for a career that included five of New York’s 27 World Series titles. Rain is in the forecast.

Baltimore, headed to the playoffs for the second time in three seasons, began the day 2 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Angels, who play at Oakland.

Cruz had two of his four singles and slugger Adam Jones a safety squeeze in a six-run fourth for Baltimore, which is trying to overtake the Los Angeles Angels for the AL’s best record and home-field advantage throughout the postseason. As they have throughout the final homestand, fans stood, cheered and chanted “De-rek Je-ter!” for each of the captain’s at-bats during a rare September mid-week afternoon game. Even though Jeter was the designated hitter, the Bleacher Creatures included Jeter in the first-inning roll call. Jeter wasn’t in the dugout to acknowledge them with the customary wave.

Norris improved to 9-1 against the division in 14 starts. He allowed three runs and five hits in six innings and struck out nine.

Ryan Flaherty had a bases-loaded two-run double and David Lough an RBI triple. Greene exited to boos after Jones bunted toward third base with Headley playing deep for a 6-3 lead.

Mark Teixeira had an RBI double and two-run homer for New York.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Orioles: Manager Buck Showalter said he exchanged texts with suspended 1B Chris Davis. Serving a 25-game ban following a positive test for an amphetamine, Davis reported to the Orioles complex in Sarasota, Florida, and will play in instructional games. Davis could return late in the postseason.

Yankees: Jacoby Ellsbury (hamstring) and Carlos Beltran (elbow) are still not ready to return, and manager Joe Giardi said it would be “pretty tough” for either to play again this season.

UP NEXT

Baltimore’s RHP Kevin Gausman (7-7) and New York’s RHP Hiroki Kuroda (11-9) are scheduled starters in the series finale.

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sinclair- baltimore&page=/mlb/news/AAN4726706.htm#.VCQvxPldV1Y Orioles eliminate Yankees from contention By Sportsnetwork / Fox 45

09/24 20:20:07 ET

Bronx, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Nick Markakis and Ryan Flaherty each knocked

in two runs during a six-run fourth inning, sending the Baltimore Orioles to a

9-5 victory over the New York Yankees on Wednesday.

Adam Jones and David Lough ended with two RBI apiece for the Orioles, who

pounded out 15 hits. Nelson Cruz went 4-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.

Baltimore starter Bud Norris (15-8) allowed three runs on five hits while

striking out nine over six innings. The right-hander won his fourth straight

decision and improved to 4-0 lifetime against the Yankees.

"I made a couple mistakes that they kind of beat me on, which is what good

teams do," said Norris. "But to have a big six-run inning like that and have a

three-run cushion kind of changed the game for me. Any time you get six runs,

you're pretty excited. This is a team game. These guys swung the bats, put up

nine on the board. The bullpen picked me up. Another team victory."

Mark Teixeira, Chase Headley and Stephen Drew homered for the Yankees, who

were officially eliminated from playoff contention. Shane Greene (5-4) gave up

six runs on seven hits with three walks over 3 2/3 innings.

This is the first time since 1992-93 that the Yankees have not participated in consecutive postseasons.

"It's disappointing. It's frustrating," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi.

"This is not where you want to be at this time of year."

Derek Jeter went 0-for-4 as the designated hitter in the third game of the four-game series. There is a decent chance of rain for Thursday night when

Jeter is scheduled to play at Yankee Stadium for the final time.

Jeter was given an extended ovation after he grounded out in the eighth.

"You can't help but notice. I catch myself looking around sometimes and I've always tried not to do that but I've caught myself a couple of times," said

Jeter.

Trailing 3-0, the Orioles exploded for six runs in the fourth. Cruz and Steve

Clevenger singled before Kelly Johnson walked to load the bases with one out.

Flaherty followed with a two-run double to right. After Caleb Joseph struck out swinging on a foul tip, Markakis hit a two-run single to right. Lough added an RBI triple before scoring on Jones' bunt single.

Baltimore tacked on three more runs in the eighth. With the bases loaded and one out, Lough hit a sacrifice fly, before Jones and Cruz followed with consecutive RBI singles to make it 9-3.

Teixeira hit a two-run homer off Brad Brach in the bottom half of the eighth.

Darren O'Day tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings to pick up his fourth save of the season.

The Yankees opened the scoring with two outs in the first inning, as Headley singled and raced home from first on Teixeira's double into the right-field corner. Drew belted his seventh homer of the season leading off the second.

Greene cruised through the first two innings, then surrendered a one-out single to Flaherty in the third before issuing a pair of two-out walks to load the bases. Jones then grounded into a force out to end the inning.

Headley homered in the third to make it 3-0 New York.

Game Notes

The Orioles improved to 13-5 against the Yankees this season ... New York went

0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and stranded five ... Flaherty had three hits.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/orioles-score-big-again-yankee-stadium Orioles score big again at Yankee Stadium By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore

September 24, 2014, 6:00 pm

NEW YORK – The Orioles are trying to ignore all the Derek Jeter hoopla and just concentrate on preparing for the postseason. If they somehow end up with the best record in the American League, that’s even better.

In Jeter’s penultimate game at Yankee Stadium, the Orioles scored six runs in the fourth inning on their way to a 9-5 win over New York before 46,036 on Wednesday.

After getting one-hit on Monday night, the Orioles had 17 hits in Tuesday night’s win and added 15 on Wednesday.

Perhaps the best part of this newly diversified offense, which leads the majors with 205 home runs is that they were able to score nine runs without the long ball.

“It seems as though when we hit home runs, we win a lot of ballgames, but today showed that we’re capable of just coming up with hits and coming up with runs and getting from scoring position in,” David Lough said.

Nelson Cruz had four singles, and Ryan Flaherty had three hits and stressed the need for an offense that was totally dependent on the homer.

“It's important, especially in the postseason. Weather's cold, wind's blowing in kind of like today. There weren't many people who were going to hit the ball through that wind,” Flaherty said.

Bud Norris (15-8) won his fourth game against the Yankees (81-77) this year, allowing three runs in six innings.

Trailing 3-0 against Shane Greene (5-4), who had beaten them twice this season, the Orioles (95- 63) sent 11 to the plate in the fourth.

Cruz and Steve Clevenger started the inning with singles. With one out, Kelly Johnson walked to load the bases. Flaherty’s two-run double scored Cruz and Clevenger. With two outs, Nick Markakis singled to score Johnson and Flaherty. Lough tripled to drive in Markakis, and Adam Jones’ bunt single scored Lough, and it was 6-3.

“To have a big six-run inning and a three-run cushion kind of changed the game for me. Any time I get six runs, I’m pretty excited,” Norris said. Norris, who allowed five hits and a walk, struck out nine. Last year, Norris won 10 games and this year easily set a career high, winning half again as many.

“It won’t settle in now. This year has been so special, not only for me, but for this group and the team,” Norris said. “It’s just a number for personal goals.”

Norris (15 wins), Wei-Yin Chen (16) and Chris Tillman (13) give the Orioles their first trio of 13-game winners since 1997.

Mark Teixeira’s RBI double scored Chase Headley with the first Yankee run in the first. Stephen Drew’s seventh home run of the year in the second and Headley’s sixth homer in the third gave New York a 3-0 lead, but help was on the way for Norris.

“I thought he got a little stronger when he got that inning out of the way. He was a little frustrated. Mistakes have a way of leaving this ballpark. But he kept us close,” manager Buck Showalter said.

Lough’s sacrifice fly and RBI singles by Jones and Cruz extended the Orioles’ lead to 9-3 in the eighth.

Teixeira’s 22nd home run in the eighth off Brad Brach cut the lead to 9-5. In the eighth, Showalter used four pitchers: Brian Matusz, Brach, T.J. McFarland and Darren O’Day. O’Day worked 1 1/3 innings for his fourth save.

Since the Orioles clinched the AL East eight days ago, Showalter hasn’t used relievers in consecutive games. He used O’Day and Tommy Hunter both Tuesday and Wednesday.

“I knew I wanted to pitch some guys back-to-back today, was able to do that and not get too far away from that. Back off them tomorrow and will continue to see if we can get something out of the last four games. There’s four games left in the season? Wow. Feels like it,” Showalter said.

The win kept the Orioles two games behind the Los Angeles Angels, who play Wednesday night against Oakland, for the best record in the AL and it eliminated New York from playoff consideration.

“We got an outside shot of catching Anaheim. But you don't ever take some satisfaction out of that. When we came in here the first time earlier in the year, we knew and here they are in it with four, five games left to play,” Showalter said.

NOTES: Derek Jeter was 0-for-4 as the designated hitter. …Steve Pearce played for the first time since being scratched with a sore right wrist on Saturday. … Clevenger started at first base for the first time with the Orioles. … Steve Johnson underwent surgery to shave down a bone spur in his back and tweeted that it went well. … Kevin Gausman (7-7, 3.57) faces Hiroki Kuroda (11-9, 3.77) on Thursday night. http://www.mcall.com/sports/mc-yankees-orioles-0924-20140924-story.html Orioles end playoff hopes for Yankees, Jeter By Larry Fleisher / The Morning Call

September 24, 2014 8:40 PM

NEW YORK — While the Baltimore Orioles are preparing for the postseason and setting their sights on attaining the American League's best record, the New York Yankees are lamenting another quiet October and getting ready for the end of Derek Jeter's career.

The Orioles scored six runs in the top of the fourth inning and rallied from an early deficit for a 9-5 victory Wednesday that officially eliminated the Yankees from postseason contention.

Right fielder Nick Markakis had the go-ahead two-run single against New York rookie starter Shane Greene (5-4) and shortstop Ryan Flaherty also had a two-run single. Left fielder David Lough added an RBI triple and scored on center fielder Adam Jones' bunt single before lifting a sacrifice fly in a three-run eighth.

Designated hitter Nelson Cruz added four hits, including an RBI single as the Orioles improved to 95-63 and 13-5 against the Yankees. Baltimore clinched at least the second-best record in the league Monday and is two games behind the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who are facing the Oakland Athletics.

Baltimore's 15-hit day after its 17-hit output from Tuesday sent the Yankees to their second straight non-playoff season. The Yankees last missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons in 1992 and 1993 under manager Buck Showalter, who downplayed eliminating the Yankees.

"We're trying to we got an outside shot at catching Anaheim," Showalter said. "You don't ever take satisfaction in that.

"We came in here the first time early in the year and here they are in it with what four or five games left to play. That's quite a testament to them and the challenges that Joe and his staff and the organization have had (with) a lot of injuries. To stay this engaged that long was pretty impressive."

The Yankees made it to their penultimate home game for the second year in a row and must win their four remaining games to equal last year's win total. Even if they had won, a victory by the Kansas City Royals would have officially eliminated them.

"It's tough," Jeter said. "It's what you play for. It's a rough feeling and it should be a rough feeling for everyone in here. "We didn't play well enough. We put a lot of work into it and unfortunately we're not going. This is something for the guys who are coming back that they shouldn't like."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said, "Disappointing, it's frustrating. It's a lot of work that goes into the course of the year for everybody involved and this is not where you want to be this time of year and that's why it's so frustrating."

Jeter went 0-for-4 in his penultimate home game with three groundouts and a strikeout. He is 10- for-29 on his final homestand, which may not continue Thursday if the projected heavy rains force a rainout and the game is not made up.

Baltimore's latest win was in question early as right-hander Bud Norris (15-8) gave up an RBI double to first baseman Mark Teixeira in the first inning and solo home runs to second baseman Stephen Drew and third baseman Chase Headley in the next two innings.

Norris eventually settled down and won his fourth straight decision. He allowed three runs and five hits in six innings while striking out nine and issuing one walk.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he is the first Oriole to beat the Yankees four times in a season since Mike Flanagan in 1978.

"I made a couple mistakes that they kind of beat me on, which is what good teams do," Norris said. "But to have a big six-run inning like that and have a three-run cushion kind of changed the game for me. Anytime you get six runs, you're pretty excited. This is a team game. These guys swung the bats, put up nine on the board. The bullpen picked me up. Another team victory."

It really was a team victory for the Orioles as every starter except for catcher Caleb Joseph had a hit and Showalter used five relievers to get the final nine outs.

"Seems like that's happened a couple times this year," Flaherty said. "We get one-hit or no runs, then we come back and bounce back. Got a really good guy pitching the first night as well as today he just left a couple pitches up."

The Yankees made a late comeback attempt in the eighth when Teixeira hit a two-run homer off Brad Brach. They had the tying run on deck after pinch-hitter Jose Pirela singled off T.J. McFarland, but Darren O'Day recorded the final four outs and the Yankees were officially eliminated when Gardner struck out looking with Jeter on deck.

"Knowing Derek, I thought he might (have gotten a hit in the ninth)," Showalter said. "I enjoy watching him hit, as far as the moment and being a part of it, I don't enjoy the results most of the time."

NOTES: CF Jacoby Ellsbury sat out a fifth straight game because of a strained right hamstring and Yankees manager Joe Girardi said it is doubtful that he will be back for the final four games. … Girardi described the situation for OF/DH Carlos Beltran the same way, as it pertains to his right elbow, which will need offseason surgery. … Suspended Baltimore 1B Chris Davis has reported to the team's minor league facility in Sarasota, Fla., to play in instructional league games and manager Buck Showalter said he communicated with him via text message. … Showalter also said he was leaning toward using 11 pitchers in the Division Series and starting RHP Ubaldo Jimenez in Sunday's regular-season finale at Toronto. http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-looking-at-the-orioles-rainout-possibilities- in-new-york-tonight-20140925,0,2901221.story Looking at how rain could affect Derek Jeter's farewell vs. Orioles By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun

8:00 a.m. EDT, September 25, 2014

NEW YORK – It is scheduled to rain here throughout the day, and there’s a 70 percent chance of rain when Thursday night's series finale against the Yankees is supposed to begin.

That's throwing the locals into a frenzy because of the possibility that Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter's final home game could be rained out.

If the game cannot be played Thursday, it would unlikely be made up if it’s a meaningless game in the standings. The Orioles are still chasing the American League’s best record – and home- field advantage throughout the postseason – but they’re running out of games to catch up with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The Angels could clinch home-field advantage throughout the postseason as soon as Friday. The Angels don’t play Thursday, so if the Orioles lose on Thursday, the Angels would clinch with their next win or the next Orioles loss.

If the Orioles and Angels end the regular season with the same record, the Orioles would win home-field advantage because they’ve won 4 of 6 head-to-head meetings with the Angels.

But if Thursday’s game against the Yankees is rained out, and it is critical in terms of deciding playoff seeding, it could be made up Monday.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter doesn’t want that. He’s planned to give his players Monday off before holding workouts Tuesday and Wednesday. The Orioles play Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Thursday at Camden Yards.

Tickets for Thursday’s game at Yankee Stadium ranged from $243 to $336 on online ticket broker SeatGeek.com on Wednesday night. Having said all of that, the teams will try to get the game in on Thursday by any means. It’s a historic day that the Yankees and their fans have been anticipating it for months. Legitimate ticket brokers would lose out because they’d have to refund money from sales.

Thursday's start against the Yankees would be left-hander Wei-Yin Chen’s last one of the regular season. He’s likely to start Game 2 of the ALDS, but Miguel Gonzalez could also fill that spot. Gonzalez last pitched Sunday

A big question is how Showalter gets Chen and Gonzalez work between now and ther division series. Gonzalez could go 11 days between starts. Showalter has made mention of sending a pitcher to Sarasota to get work in.

Showalter said he’s leaning toward starting right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez in Sunday’s regular season finale in Toronto, but most of that game will be pitched out of the bullpen to give relievers work and prevent them from going more than three days without getting on the mound. http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-pregame-notes-on-postseason- roster-sundays-starter-cruz-tillman-and-more-20140924,0,2399443.story Buck Showalter leaning toward carrying 11 pitchers in ALDS and other notes By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun

12:55 p.m. EDT, September 24, 2014

NEW YORK – Orioles manager Buck Showalter will meet with his staff Monday to decide the team’s roster for the American League Division Series. In the meantime, he still wants to get some final looks at players before making those choices.

Showalter said he’s leaning toward carrying 11 pitchers in the best-of-five series, but he hadn’t made that decision.

He’s also leaning toward starting right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez in Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Whoever starts that game likely won’t pitch too long, because Showalter wants to use some of the relievers he'll have on the playoff roster to make sure they don’t have more than three days off before the postseason starts.

There is a competition for the final few infield spots on the playoff roster. Today, Showalter will get a glimpse of Steve Clevenger at first base. It will be Clevenger’s first start at first base this season and his first start overall since Aug. 28. Nelson Cruz, who will be the starting designated hitter today, said he didn’t think he’d be able to hit 40 homers before the season began, but he said staying healthy has been the key to having a career season at age 34.

“No shot,” he said when asked if he thought at the beginning of the year he’d hit 40. “I was able to do that number. I didn’t expect 40, the number. I think the aim for any player is to stay healthy, play as many games as he can, stay on the field. That was my main goal, to try and stay healthy, to try to put up numbers. I was able to put up the numbers. My main concern was to stay healthy.”

With his 40th homer in the Orioles’ 5-4 win Tuesday, Cruz became the sixth Orioles player to reach that milestone in a season. He joined Chris Davis (53 in 2013), Brady Anderson (50 in 1996), Frank Robinson (49 in 1966), Jim Gentile (46 in 1961) and Rafael Palmeiro (43 in 1998).

“Any time you make history with that type of performance, especially with this team, it has lots of history, and it’s been here for a while, that makes it special,” Cruz said.

After hitting just .213 in July and August, Cruz is hitting .360/.400/.640 with five home runs and 18 RBIs in 22 games this month.

“It’s the same routine with everything I do since day one,” Cruz said. "I guess you put a little more effort into tough situations and try to stay focused for the end of the season and the start of the playoff drive.”

-- Right-hander Chris Tillman said he was honored to be named the Orioles’ starter in Game 1 of the ALDS.

“It means a lot,” Tillman said. “I’m excited about it, looking forward to it. I still got one more start to go, so I’m pretty focused on that. But at the same time, I know it means a lot to the team, means a lot to me and hopefully get us going in the right direction.”

The Orioles have won each of Tillman’s last 11 starts, and Tillman is 6-0 in August and September, all from a pitcher who didn’t pitch in the postseason in 2012.

Tillman said it doesn’t matter who he will face in the ALDS. The Orioles are currently slotted to face the winner of the AL Central, where the Detroit Tigers hold a one-game lead over the Kansas City Royals.

“Yeah we still don’t know, got a couple more games I guess to go,” Tillman said. “It is what it is. It’s just another baseball game to us, just the stakes go up a little higher.”

-- With a win this afternoon at Yankee Stadium, the Orioles will improve to 46-26 against the American League East, marking the first time they will be 20 games over .500 against the division. They haven’t finished that well against the division since 1980, when they were 49-29 against the AL East. -- Right-hander Bud Norris has had his share of success against the division. He is 8-1 with a 2.72 ERA in 13 starts against the AL East. The Orioles are 12-1 in those games. His .889 winning percentage against the AL East is the best in the major leagues among all pitchers with eight or more starts.

-- The Orioles have three pitchers with 13 wins this season -- Chen (16), Norris (14) and Tillman (13) -- equaling the number of 13-game winners they’ve had the past eight years combined (Tillman last year and Erik Bedard in 2006 and 2007).

-- With his 36th save last night, closer Zach Britton became the eighth left-hander in AL history to record 36 or more saves. He’s the third Orioles left-hander to do that, joining Randy Myers (45) in 1997 and B.J. Ryan (36) in 2005. http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-with-orioles-set-for-playoffs-zach-britton- and-wife-expecting-first-child-20140924,0,669854.story With Orioles set for playoffs, Zach Britton and wife expecting first child Club's closer plans to welcome boy at induction Oct. 9, a scheduled day off in postseason

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun

7:14 p.m. EDT, September 24, 2014

NEW YORK — With the Orioles preparing for the postseason, closer Zach Britton is anxiously anticipating the birth of his first child, and his baby boy’s arrival could come in the middle of the club’s playoff run.

Britton’s wife, Courtney, initially was expected to give birth in late-October, but the due date was pushed up to Oct. 14, when the Orioles could be in the midst of the American League Championship Series.

So the Brittons sat down with their doctor and looked at the playoff schedule. Now, Britton’s wife is scheduled to be induced Oct. 9, which is a scheduled day off between a possible Game 5 of the AL Division Series and Game 1 of the ALCS.

Provided the Orioles advance from the Division Series, Britton plans to fly to his home in Southern California to be with his wife on the day off and return in time for the ALCS opener.

“I’d fly all the way there and then make it back,” Britton said. “I don’t want to miss my kid’s birth. I figure that’s a crappy way to start out being a parent, not being there when he’s born. But I’m also going to be there for the team, so we can make it work both ways, and that’s what we’re going to try to do.” An ideal scenario for Britton would be if the Orioles face the Los Angeles Angels in the ALCS. Game 1 would be in Anaheim, Calif., so he wouldn’t have to fly anywhere to rejoin the team.

“It works out pretty well,” Britton said. “We didn’t want it to be her going into labor right before a game. We were hoping to induce before an off day. Originally, her due date was the 14th, so the 9th is the earliest he sees that we can induce.

“The doctor said, ‘You can’t just be like, he’s coming here at this time. That’s not how it works.’ But the doctor thinks we should be OK. And if he comes early, then hopefully he will come the 7th, when it’s an off day. Hopefully he has good timing.”

Since Britton took over as closer on May 15, he leads the major leagues in saves, converting 36 of 40 opportunities. On Tuesday, he became the eighth left-hander in AL history to record 36 or more saves. He became the third Orioles left-hander to accomplish that feat, joining Randy Myers (45 saves in 1997) and B.J. Ryan (36 in 2005).

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-nelson-cruz-says-he-didnt-expect- 40-home-runs-this-year-20140924,0,455617.story Orioles' Nelson Cruz says he didn't expect 40 home runs this year By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun

7:16 p.m. EDT, September 24, 2014

NEW YORK -- Nelson Cruz said Wednesday that he didn’t expect to hit 40 home runs before the season began, adding that staying healthy has been the key to having a career year at age 34.

The Orioles have been able to keep Cruz healthy by using him more at designated hitter in the second half to keep his legs fresh. In the past, Cruz has gone on the disabled list with quad and hamstring injuries.

With his 40th homer in the Orioles’ 5-4 win Tuesday, Cruz became the sixth Orioles player to hit 40 homers in a season. He joined Chris Davis (53 in 2013), Brady Anderson (50 in 1996), Frank Robinson (49 in 1966), Jim Gentile (46 in 1961) and Rafael Palmeiro (43 in 1998). “Any time you make history with that type of performance, especially with this team, it has lots of history, and it’s been here for a while, that makes it special,” Cruz said.

After hitting just .213 in July and August, Cruz is hitting .383 with five homers and 19 RBIs in 23 games this month after a four-hit game Wednesday.

“It’s the same routine with everything I do since day one,” Cruz said. “I guess you put a little more effort into tough situations and try to stay focused for the end of the season and the start of the playoff drive.” http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-starting-game-1-of-al-division-series- means-a-lot-to-chris-tillman-20140924,0,5307426.story Starting Game 1 of AL Division Series 'means a lot' to Chris Tillman By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun

7:16 p.m. EDT, September 24, 2014

NEW YORK -- Right-hander Chris Tillman said he was honored to be named the Orioles’ starter in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.

“It means a lot,” Tillman said. “I’m excited about it, looking forward to it. I still got one more start to go [in the regular season], so I’m pretty focused on that, but at the same time I know it means a lot to the team, means a lot to me and hopefully get us going in the right direction.”

The Orioles have won each of Tillman’s last 11 starts, and Tillman is 6-0 in August and September, all from a pitcher who didn’t pitch in the postseason in 2012.

Tillman said it doesn’t matter who he will face in the ALDS. The Orioles are currently slotted to face the winner of the AL Central, where the Detroit Tigers currently lead the Kansas City Royals.

“Yeah, we still don’t know, got a couple more games, I guess, to go,” Tillman said. “It is what it is. It’s just another baseball game to us, just the stakes go up a little higher.”

Around the horn

Orioles manager Buck Showalter hasn’t announced a starter for Sunday’s regular-season finale in Toronto, but he said he’s leaning toward right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez. Showalter plans to pitch most of that game out of the bullpen to ensure his key relievers won’t have more than three days off going into the postseason. … Showalter said he is leaning toward carrying 11 pitchers in the ALDS, which would allow him to use an additional position player. Showalter carried 12 pitchers in the 2012 ALDS. … Steve Clevenger made his first start at first base this season on Wednesday, and his first start overall since Aug. 28. He went 1-for-4 with a run scored. … With two hits Wednesday, center fielder Adam Jones has eight multihit games in 17 against the Yankees this season. … Right-hander Steve Johnson’s right shoulder surgery Wednesday went well. Doctors shaved a bone spur in his shoulder and did other repairs. He is expected to be ready for spring training. … Right fielder Nick Markakis was selected last week as the Orioles’ nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award. Fan voting to help select an overall winner ends Oct. 6, and the selection will be announced at the World Series. http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck-blog/bal-if-you-could-pick-orioles-playoff- opponent-which-team-would-you-choose-20140924,0,2574142.story If you could pick Orioles' playoff opponent, which team would you choose? By Peter Schmuck / The Baltimore Sun

3:43 p.m. EDT, September 24, 2014

Though there still is a slight chance that the Orioles could overtake the Los Angeles Angels and finish the season with the best record in baseball, it's far more likely that they will be the second seed and will match up against either the Detroit Tigers or Kansas City Royals in the American League Division Series.

So, who do you think would be a more vulnerable opponent?

It might seem obvious, since the Tigers have all those great starting pitchers and the best middle- of-the-lineup hitter in the sport, but there are also reasons to fear the scrappy Royals, who have a terrific bullpen and a very balanced offensive lineup full of guys who find ways to win. Guess that's why they are battling down to the wire for the AL Central title.

I'll go with the obvious choice. The Orioles won just one of six games against the Tigers during the regular season. They didn't have a winning record against the Royals either (3-4), but the potential for the Tigers to send out a former Cy Young Award winner in almost every game is too much too overlook.

That doesn't mean the Orioles wouldn't win that series, but the club's starters would have to hang very tough to give their hitters a chance to get to the Tigers bullpen, which has been their major weakness. The Royals rotation is nothing to take lightly, of course, but it isn't quite as scary as the star-studded group the the Tigers can trot out there.

The head-to-head record is a concern, but the Orioles played both the home and away series during the first couple months of the season, so it's hard to gauge its relevance. If you want a little ancient Schmuck history on that score, the Los Angeles Dodgers team I covered during the 1983 season had an 11-1 record against the Philadelphia Phillies during the regular season, which seemed pretty significant going into the National League Championship Series.

I'm guessing everyone knows which team ended up losing to the Orioles in the World Series. http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/96249818/barry-m-bloom-orioles-steady-rise-even- sweeter-in-bronx O's steady rise even sweeter in Bronx Former Yanks skipper Showalter has Baltimore confident ahead of October

By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com

September 24, 2014

NEW YORK -- It's been a banner year for the Baltimore Orioles. They ensured the Yankees wouldn't win the American League East title with a win over them at home on Sept. 14, and after a 9-5 win at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, Baltimore eliminated its rival from postseason contention.

It's certainly an inner source of pride for Orioles skipper Buck Showalter, whose managerial career began with four seasons in the Bronx (1992-95) before he was replaced by Joe Torre. Torre's teams won four World Series titles and six AL pennants in 12-playoff bound seasons, earning the skipper a plaque this past summer in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

"Ah, that's all water under the bridge," Showalter said before Wednesday's game.

Maybe yes, maybe no. Now, it's on to bigger and better things for the O's, as they get ready for their own AL Division Series beginning Oct. 2 at Camden Yards. An opponent is still to be determined, but if the season ended Wednesday, they would host Detroit.

With 95 wins and counting, the Orioles certainly aren't going through the motions. It doesn't hurt playing before big crowds this week as Derek Jeter draws the curtain on a 20-year career with his last home series. The O's are playing in front of packed houses -- 46,056 fans filled the Bronx on Wednesday afternoon -- at the still relatively new Stadium, located across 161st Street from the city-owned ballfields that are now on the land where Showalter and Torre once managed the Yanks.

"That's a good point," Showalter said afterward. "Sometimes you get too far removed. New York doesn't have a corner on big crowds. We have them in Baltimore, too. But, yes, I did think about that because guys feed off an emotional ballpark. Trust me: As we go forward in the playoffs, not everybody is going to be friendly." The emotions should be even more acute for Jeter's final home game before his retirement on Thursday night. When Showalter took over the Orioles in 2010 after three seasons off the field, he knew he had to instill some ethos in a ballclub that hasn't been to an AL Championship Series since 1997 and hasn't won the World Series since 1983, when a young shortstop named Cal Ripken Jr. caught the final out and the O's defeated the Phillies in five games.

In the long history of the St. Louis Browns-Orioles franchise, these guys have won seven pennants and the World Series thrice, all since the move in 1954 to Baltimore: 1966, '70 and '83.

Showalter's message in his first meeting with the O's in Spring Training of 2010 was to forget about the Yankees and their collection of championships. Find a way to beat them.

"I had a lot of help; it wasn't me," Showalter said. "Everybody is looking for a hook with that stuff, but it's the players. They got better, but we knew we had to find a way of being more competitive in our division, win some games at Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium."

The Yankees defeated the Orioles in 2012 during a best-of-five ALDS that went the distance. But baby, look at them now. The Yanks will miss the playoffs two seasons running for the first time since the Showalter era, and the O's are 13-5 against them this season. It's the first time the Orioles have won a season series against their Gotham City foes since 1997, the year they lost the ALCS to the Indians in six games.

Under Showalter and general manager Dan Duquette, the Orioles have just kept building a better product and the confidence to go along with it. That all began with the downfall of the 2011 Red Sox that September, when the O's scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth on the final night of the regular season to eliminate Boston from postseason contention.

"Right then and there, we kind of looked around and realized we could do some things," Showalter recalled. "We could hold ourselves to a certain standard and believe in ourselves. We could compete."

And now, the Yankees are gone and the Orioles are far from treading water. Under this latest postseason format, the O's will have enjoyed 16 days between clinching the division on Sept. 16 and playing Game 1 of the ALDS. Showalter has tried to draw a very thin line between keeping his players fresh and healthy but sharp enough to win when the real games begin.

Showalter was at his best in the eighth inning on Wednesday, using four relievers in righty-lefty matchups to blunt a late Yanks rally. It's been fun so far, but Showalter knows more than anyone that the real work is still ahead of the Orioles, as they try to win the final 11 pressure-packed games that stand between the franchise and a fourth championship.

"It's a fine line between keeping a ball in a guy's hand and giving him some time off," Showalter said. "We need to get back in the grind -- win something right now. Win that at-bat. The increments shorten up here pretty quickly." http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2014_09_25_balmlb_nyamlb_1& mode=preview Stage set for Jeter's farewell to home fans Iconic Yankee set for one final game before adoring Bronx crowd

By Jamal Collier / MLB.com

9/24/2014 7:34 PM ET

Of all the accomplishments -- statistical and otherwise -- that Derek Jeter has accumulated throughout his career, perhaps the most remarkable is that of his 2,744 regular-season games, the Yankees have been eliminated from postseason contention for only one. On Sept. 26, 2008, Jeter went 0-for-2 before being taken out of the the Yankees' 19-8 victory over the Red Sox.

That number will rise this year. The Orioles' 9-5 victory over the Yankees on Wednesday officially eliminated New York, shifting the focus of the Yankees' remaining four games almost entirely to Jeter's sendoff. Thursday night's game against Baltimore will be Jeter's final home game at Yankee Stadium.

"For him to do it one more time in Yankee Stadium, I think, is going to be special," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "I've talked about how special it is to put a uniform on, how special it is to put on a Yankees uniform. It's very difficult to take it off. I think tomorrow will be kind of a culmination of all the love he's been shown and all the appreciation he's been shown during the course of this year, and in his career and I think it'll be something we'll remember for a long time."

Girardi orchestrated Mariano Rivera's farewell moment last season, when two of Rivera's longtime teammates -- Jeter and Andy Pettitte -- came to the mound to remove the all-time saves leader from the game. That idea came to Girardi a half-inning earlier, and the skipper will wait for Jeter's moment to come naturally.

It remains to be seen if Thursday's contest will be the final game of Jeter's career. Girardi said he will give Jeter the option of playing or resting during the club's three-game season-ending series in Boston, starting on Friday. Throughout his career, Jeter has fought the urge to sit out any game, but Girardi also thought Rivera would want to play center field during one of his final three games in Houston last season.

On Wednesday, the 46,056 fans at Yankee Stadium gave Jeter an extended standing ovation, pushing for a curtain call, after he grounded out to first base in his final at-bat of the game. Jeter did not grant their wish, and he said after the game that he did not think it was the right time with the Yankees trying to come back in the eighth inning. "You can't help but notice," Jeter said. "I catch myself looking around sometimes. I've always tried not to do that, but I've caught myself a couple of times doing it, so I'm well aware of it."

Hiroki Kuroda will take the mound in what could be the final start of a productive three-year stint with the Yankees, with whom he has gone 38-33 with a 3.46 ERA. Kuroda, who will be a free agent after this year, has not yet made a decision on his future, and he has hinted that he could also retire at the end of the season.

Opposing Kuroda will be Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman, who is 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA in two starts against the Yankees this season.

Although they have locked up home-field advantage in the American League Division Series -- starting on Oct. 2 at Camden Yards -- the Orioles are still fighting the Angels, whom they trail by 2 1/2 games, for the AL's top record.

Orioles: Cruz proud of milestone Nelson Cruz became only the sixth player in club history to hit 40 home runs in a season when he homered during Tuesday night's 5-4 win. Had he been told he would reach such heights before this season, Cruz wouldn't have believed it.

"No shot I [would be] able to do that number," Cruz said on Wednesday morning. "I didn't expect 40, the number. I think the aim for any player is to stay healthy, play as many games as he can, stay on the field. That was my main goal, to try and stay healthy, to try to put up numbers."

Cruz has done much more than stay in the lineup. He also ranks second, behind Frank Robinson, for the most home runs hit by a player in his first season with the Orioles.

Yankees: Beltran, Ellsbury and Teixeira likely finished Carlos Beltran's season is over, and it is likely that Jacoby Ellsbury and Mark Teixeira could join him, with all three players still not making much progress as they vie to return from injuries.

The bone spur in Beltran's right elbow has restricted his ability to swing the bat, and Girardi announced after Wednesday's game that the veteran outfielder has been shut down. Ellsbury tested his strained right hamstring with some light jogging on the field before Wednesday's contest, but he sat out his fifth consecutive game.

Girardi added that he will check daily with Teixeira, who has required three cortisone injections this season in his surgically repaired right wrist. Teixeira said that he would prefer to play, even with the Yankees mathematically eliminated.

"It's going to be pretty tough [for them to play]," Girardi said.

Worth noting • Baltimore is 13-5 against New York this season and will boast a winning record against the Yankees in a season for the first time since 1997. • The Yankees are one win away from clinching a winning record for a 22nd consecutive season, the second-longest streak in Major League history, trailing their own streak of 39 straight seasons from 1926-64.

• Jeter went 0-for-4 on Wednesday, snapping his seven-game hit streak. He is hitting .345 with three doubles, a homer, six RBIs and four runs scored on this homestand. http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/96196824/alds-game-1-starter-chris-tillman-pumped-to- open-os-postseason-run Tillman pumped to open O's postseason run Right-hander honored but keeps focus on final regular-season start

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

September 24, 2014

NEW YORK -- Two years ago, Chris Tillman never got a chance to pitch for the Orioles in the postseason. Now, he'll open the American League Division Series on Oct. 2 at Camden Yards, an honor manager Buck Showalter officially announced on Tuesday.

"It means a lot," Tillman said on Wednesday morning of the postseason assignment. "I'm excited about it, looking forward to it. I've still got one more start to go [in the regular season], so I'm pretty focused on that, but at the same time, I know it means a lot to the team and means a lot to me. Hopefully, I'll get us going in the right direction."

The Orioles' Opening Day starter, Tillman has gone 13-5 with a 3.26 ERA in 33 starts this season. The O's have won 11 of Tillman's past 13 starts, with the righty posting a 6-0 record and 2.06 ERA over that stretch while averaging 6 1/3 innings per start and holding opponents to a .201 batting average.

"We've gotten better as a team and as a unit, so I think I like our chances going in to it," Tillman said of the O's, who punched their postseason ticket last week when they clinched the AL East. "As long as we pitch well and do what we've been doing all year, I think we can't second-guess ourselves."

The Orioles still don't know who their opponent will be (they would host Detroit if the postseason started today), and they're leaning toward going with 11 pitchers for their ALDS roster. Showalter said he will reveal the rest of the four-man rotation when the O's know who they will play.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/96194296/eclipsing-40-homers-a-surprise-even-to-nelson- cruz Eclipsing 40 homers a surprise even to Cruz Veteran second to F. Robinson for most dingers in player's first year with O's

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

September 24, 2014

NEW YORK -- If you had told Nelson Cruz this spring that he'd hit 40 home runs, what would the outfielder's response have been?

"No shot I [would be] able to do that number," Cruz said on Wednesday morning, a day removed from hitting No. 40 in Baltimore's 5-4 win over the Yankees. "I didn't expect 40, the number. I think the aim for any player is to stay healthy, play as many games as he can, stay on the field. That was my main goal, to try and stay healthy, to try to put up numbers. I was able to put up the numbers. ... My main concern was to stay healthy."

Cruz has done much more than stay in the lineup, becoming only the sixth player in club history to hit the 40-homer mark. He also ranks second, behind Frank Robinson, for the most home runs hit by a player in his first season with the O's.

"Any time you make history with that type of performance, especially with this team, it has lots of history and it's been here for a while, so that makes it special," Cruz said.

A veteran of the postseason, Cruz has never won a World Series and has what manager Buck Showalter referred to as tunnel vision as the season heads toward October.

"You know, he'll never admit it: He pressed all the time," Showalter said. "Not presses -- he pushes. Nicky [Markakis] said to me about 10 pitches after [Cruz's homer], 'That's a lot of home runs.' And it is. That's a lot of souvenirs. I cant remember a cheap one. It seems like he gets his money's worth. He's been solid."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2014/09/trying-to-figure-out-the-division-series- roster.html Trying to figure out the Division Series roster By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

September 25, 2014 5:44 AM

NEW YORK - We've reached the final home game of Derek Jeter's career unless rain causes a postponement tonight and Major League Baseball decides to mess with the Orioles again by giving them another scheduling nightmare.

Always room for one more, right?

"Jeter's last home game. How long do you think we'll be here if there's rain?" manager Buck Showalter asked.

"Get comfortable."

I can't imagine that the game would be moved to Monday unless there are playoff implications such as home field advantage. The fact that it's Jeter's last game at Yankee Stadium isn't sufficient reason to bring back the Orioles next week.

That would be quite a reach, and we all know that his range is diminished.

Showalter intends to give his players Monday off before conducting workouts on Tuesday and Wednesday leading into Game 1 of the Division Series.

Chris Tillman was chosen to start the opener, which came as no surprise. He's the ace of this staff, having allowed three earned runs or fewer in 20 consecutive starts. It's nice to have choices, and he was the obvious one.

Tillman has come a long way from the pitcher who was relegated to the bullpen in the 2012 Division Series and didn't appear in a game.

"The last two years he's reached 200 innings, right?" said shortstop J.J. Hardy. "He's been kind of our horse that hasn't missed starts. Goes out there every fifth day, and if he doesn't have his stuff that day, he finds a way to get through six or seven innings and gives us a chance to win. He's been doing that for the last two years."

All five of the current starters - not counting sixth man Ubaldo Jimenez - have ERAs below 4.00. Wei-Yin Chen is a 16-game winner. Bud Norris won his 15th yesterday.

"That's what everyone preaches in spring training, that the starting pitching has got to go deeper into ballgames. And this year, they've all been pretty impressive," Hardy said. "Then the bullpen on top of that is a totally different story."

Different in that he's talking about relievers instead of starters. That unit also has been impressive.

Showalter hasn't shed much light on his Division Series rotation beyond Tillman starting Game 1. Still waiting for confirmation on Chen for Game 2 and whether Miguel Gonzalez gets Game 3.

Showalter did supply one nugget yesterday, confirming that he's leaning toward carrying 11 pitchers and taking an extra position player. paredes-post-walk-off-white-sidebar.jpgNo matter the number, I still expected infielders Jimmy Paredes and Kelly Johnson to make it, since Chris Davis is down in Sarasota getting ready to play in the fall instructional league. It's just a question of which roles they fill, which could vary depending on the opposing starter.

Johnson has started at second base the last two games. Is it related to Jonathan Schoop's slump or just a chance for Showalter to do a little evaluating?

Having 14 position players would allow Showalter to carry an extra outfielder. But does he go with David Lough or Quintin Berry?

Lough has been with the club all season. He's a plus-defender who, after a miserable first half (.197) at the plate, is batting .340 (18-for-53) in the second half. He hit .333 in August and is batting .333 in September.

Lough has speed, but he's only 7-for-12 in stolen base attempts. Berry, meanwhile, is 30-for-30 in his major league career.

Carrying a pinch-runner is a luxury, but it's more feasible with an expanded bench.

Nelson Cruz is batting .383 this month. He hit .339 in May, but dipped to .215 in June, .211 in July and .216 in August. Staying this hot through the postseason would provide the Orioles with a huge lift.

So, about that Division Series roster ...

Catchers

Caleb Joseph, Nick Hundley

Infielders

Steve Pearce, J.J. Hardy, Ryan Flaherty, Jonathan Schoop, Kelly Johnson, Jimmy Paredes

Outfielders Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, Nelson Cruz, Alejandro De Aza, Delmon Young, David Lough/Quintin Berry

Which player would you remove?

Someone has to get bumped on an 11-man pitching staff.

Tillman, Chen, Gonzalez and Norris figure to be the four starters. Does Kevin Gausman move to the bullpen? If so, who comes out of it?

Showalter likes having T.J. McFarland as a left-handed long man to back up the right-handed starters. Brad Brach has been valuable in a variety of roles, including right-handed long man, though Gausman could take over those duties or be another power arm later in the game.

Does Andrew Miller's presence in the bullpen impact Brian Matusz? Opponents are batting .191 against Matusz in the second half. He's allowed three earned runs in 21 1/3 innings over the past three months.

Talk about flying under the radar.

If you predicted back in March that Chen and Norris each would have more wins this season than Justin Verlander, Felix Hernandez and Chris Sale, we need to hang out. http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2014/09/notes-on-the-al-east-os-hot-hitters-and- more.html Notes on the AL East, O's hot hitters and more By Steve Melewsi / MASNsports.com

September 25, 2014 7:42 AM

With the Orioles' win on Wednesday in New York, the American League East champion has won 95 or more games for 14 consecutive seasons, dating back to 2001. No other division comes even close to that.

On another note, this year will be the first time since 1993 that neither the Yankees or Red Sox will be in the postseason. That will come as music to the ears of some Orioles fans.

As we get into next week, and the national media begins to focus solely on the playoff teams, some may portray the Orioles' AL East championship as won in a year the division is down.

But if you look at winning percentage by division, the opposite is true, and the AL East ranks first in baseball:

.508 - AL East .507 - AL West

.504 - NL Central

.501 - AL Central

.498 - NL East

.481 - NL West

With four games now left in the regular season a few Orioles are heating up at the plate while others are slumping.

Nelson Cruz is definitely in the first category. The 2014 Most Valuable Oriole is 7-for-10 over his last two games.

Over his last 24 games, Cruz is batting .378 with eight doubles, a triple, six homers and 20 RBIs. Cruz is slugging .649 with an OPS of 1.069 this month.

Nick Markakis, after missing several games with a sore shoulder, is 5-for-8 with a homer and five RBIs over the last two games. That is his most RBIs this year in back-to-back games.

Those are two pretty good players to get going at bat. Adam Jones added two hits yesterday after a 2-for-22 stretch. Now Steve Pearce is back and before he missed time with a wrist injury he had a red-hot bat.

On the other end of things are catcher Caleb Joseph and second baseman Jonathan Schoop. They have a combined four hits over their last 72 at-bats with Joseph 0-for-25 in his last eight games and Schoop 4-for-47 over 17 games.

Manager Buck Showalter might be torn between resting those two to freshen them up or playing them since you can't get any hits on the bench. Schoop has not started the last two games.

Also, Alejandro De Aza is 2-for-16 after a fast start with the Orioles and J.J. Hardy is 5-for-35 his last nine games.

There is also the matter of which player or players will start at third base in the postseason? Will it be Ryan Flaherty, Kelly Johnson, Jimmy Paredes or some combination of the three? Can the O's risk Paredes and his inconsistent glove and arm out there?

For what it's worth, the Orioles are 6-0 when Johnson has started at third, 8-3 with Paredes and 15-11 with Flaherty.

If the O's do go with an 11-man pitching staff for the American League Division Series that should allow the Orioles to keep all three on the postseason roster. I would guess David Lough gets the final spot over Quintin Berry. A pinch runner would be a luxury, but Lough can pinch run and he's played too well down the stretch to be excluded from that first series.

Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers (88-70) have now opened a two-game lead on Kansas City atop the AL Central and have a magic number of three to clinch the division. They are the O's most likely opponent in the ALDS.

Fans keep asking when we will know the game times for the ALDS. Nothing will be set by MLB and the TV networks at least until they know the matchups. I will guess that we don't get that information until Monday or possibly Sunday night at the earliest.

There will be two ALDS games next Thursday and I would assume one gets a primetime start while the other could potentially be a 3 or 4 p.m first pitch. The next day, Friday Oct. 3, all four LDS series will be played. So there will probably be games all day beginning around 1 p.m. http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2014/09/orioles-bat-around-in-4th-to-take-lead.html Orioles bat around in fourth to take lead (O's win 9-5) By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

September 24, 2014 2:31 PM

NEW YORK - Well, that escalated quickly.

The Orioles sent 11 batters to the plate in the top of the fourth inning and destroyed a 3-0 deficit, scoring six runs on seven hits and forcing Yankees manager Joe Girardi to go to his bullpen.

Girardi may have reacted too late, considering how much he normally enjoys that little stroll to the mound.

Shane Greene was charged with all six runs. His replacement, David Huff, gave up a single to Nelson Cruz before retiring Steve Clevenger.

Cruz led off the fourth with a single and collected another one as the Orioles batted around in the inning.

The Orioles have 25 hits in the last 13 innings since being one-hit in the series opener.

Clevenger singled and Kelly Johnson walked to load the bases with one out. Ryan Flaherty plated two runs with a double and Nick Markakis singled with two outs to give the Orioles a 4-3 lead.

Markakis has five hits in the last two games.

David Lough followed with an RBI triple, and he scored on Adam Jones' bunt single. Lough has five hits in his last nine at-bats, with a home run and three RBIs. He batted .333 in August and was hitting .333 this month before today. http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2014/09/note-on-steve-johnson-tillman-cruz-and- playoff-tickets.html Notes on Steve Johnson, Tillman, Cruz and playoff tickets (O's down 3-0) By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

September 24, 2014 1:13 PM

NEW YORK - Chase Headley singled with two outs in the first inning and scored on Mark Teixeira's double to right field to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead over the Orioles.

Steve Johnson underwent surgery this morning in New York to shave down a bone spur behind his right shoulder.

Johnson is expected to be full-go for spring training.

Earlier today, Chris Tillman talked about his starting assignment in Game 1 of the Division Series.

"It means a lot," he said. "I'm excited about it, looking forward to it. I've still got one more start to go, so I'm pretty focused on that, but at the same time I know it means a lot to the team, means a lot to me and hopefully get us going in the right direction."

Tillman was on the playoff roster two years ago, but he didn't pitch.

"We've gotten better as a team and as a unit, so I think I like our chances going into it," he said. "As long as we pitch well and do what we've been doing all year, I think we can't second-guess ourselves."

The Orioles are still guessing the identity of their opponent.

"Yeah, we still don't know. Got a couple more games I guess to go," he said.

"It is what it is. It's just another baseball game to us. Just the stakes go up a little higher."

Nelson Cruz is the sixth Oriole to hit 40 home runs in a season.

"It was a big deal for a lot of people. I come with the mindset to help the team and any way you can help it is good," Cruz said. "Any time you make history with that type of performance, especially with this team, it has lots of history and it's been here for a while, so that makes it special."

Cruz's reaction if he had been told in spring training that he'd hit 40 home runs this season?

"No shot," he said. "I was able to do that number. I didn't expect 40. I think the aim for any player is to stay healthy, play as many games as he can, stay on the field. That was my main goal, to try and stay healthy, to try to put up numbers. I was able to put up the numbers, but my main concern was to stay healthy."

Cruz is batting .360 this month.

"It's the same routine with everything I do since Day One," he said. "I guess you put a little more effort into tough situations and try to stay focused for the end of the season and the start of the playoff drive."

The Orioles today announced two options for fans to purchase American League Division Series tickets, which will be available exclusively online. Fans are encouraged to visit www.orioles.com/postseason for a postseason seating chart, schedule, and additional ticket information.

Both options are for fans to purchase only American League Division Series tickets. Championship Series and World Series tickets will be made available for sale at a later date, as necessary.

Option 1 - Guaranteed ALDS tickets

Fans are guaranteed the opportunity to purchase postseason tickets by placing a minimum $250 per seat deposit on a 2015 full or partial season-ticket plan, including the popular and convenient 13-game plan. Fans who place a deposit by midnight tonight will be guaranteed the chance to buy Game 1 of the American League Division Series, and other future postseason games, via an exclusive online-only pre-sale on Thursday, Sept. 25 at 10 a.m. Beginning Thursday, 2015 deposits will no longer guarantee fans an opportunity to participate in the ALDS pre-sale.

Option 2 - No Guarantee

A public sale for American League Division Series tickets will take place on Monday, Sept. 29 at 10 a.m. exclusively online at www.orioles.com/postseason. Ticket availability is expected to be extremely limited, and tickets - which will be primarily scattered single seats, limited view seating, and standing room only - will sell out quickly. A maximum of six tickets per ALDS game may be purchased.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2014/09/more-on-division-series-roster.html More on Division Series roster By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

September 24, 2014 11:41 AM

NEW YORK - Orioles manager Buck Showalter continues to withhold the official announcement on his Division Series rotation. However, he said today that he's leaning toward going with 11 pitchers on his staff.

Showalter will use four starters in the series, giving him a seven-man bullpen.

By using 11 pitchers, Showalter would be able to keep an extra position player. The decision may come down to David Lough or Quintin Berry as an extra outfielder.

Showalter also said he's leaning toward starting Ubaldo Jimenez in the final regular season game Sunday in Toronto. Chris Tillman and Wei-Yin Chen will start the first two games.

The Blue Jays are listing Drew Hutchison, J.A. Happ and R.A. Dickey as their starters. No Marcus Stroman, who earned a six-game suspension from Major League Baseball after firing a pitch behind catcher Caleb Joseph's head.

Chris Davis has reported to the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota. He's going to start playing in instructional league games.

A win today would put the Orioles 20 games above .500 against the American League East (46- 26). The last time they finished a season 20 or more games over .500 in the division was 1980 (49-29).

The Orioles have three pitchers with 13 or more wins, equaling their total from the previous eight seasons combined (Chris Tillman in 2013, Erik Bedard in 2006 and 2007). The last time the Orioles had three pitchers with 13 or more wins in a season was 1997 (Scott Erickson 16, Jimmy Key 16 and Mike Mussina 15).

The last time the Orioles had three 10-game winners in a season was 2005.

Zach Britton became the eighth American League left-hander to save 36 or more games in a season and the third with the Orioles, joining Randy Myers (45 in 1997) and B.J. Ryan (36 in 2005).

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2014/09/os-game-blog-bud-norris-is-8-1-with-an- era-of-272-against-the-al-east.html O's game blog: Bud Norris is 8-1 with a 2.72 ERA against AL East By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

September 24, 2014 12:38 PM

Right-hander Bud Norris (14-8, 3.62 ERA) pitches against right-hander Shane Greene (5-3, 3.24 ERA) today as the Orioles face New York at Yankee Stadium.

Norris is 3-0 with a 2.12 ERA in three career starts against New York, all coming this season. In 17 innings, he has allowed 12 hits and four runs with five walks and 19 strikeouts. Yankees batters are hitting just .197 against him.

In 13 starts against the American League East this season, Norris is 8-1 with a 2.72 ERA and the O's have gone 12-1 in those games. His .889 winning percentage against the AL East is the best in the majors among pitchers with eight or more starts in 2014.

In four September starts, Norris is 3-0 with an ERA of 1.48, 25 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings and a .193 average against.

The Orioles are now 12-5 against the Yankees and one more win in the two remaining games in this series will tie the 2014 O's for second-most wins ever against New York, matching the Orioles' most wins against New York since 1976.

The most wins ever for the Orioles in one season against the Yankees was in 1966 when they went 15-3. They were 13-5 in 1965, 1967, 1968 and 1976.

Nelson Cruz became the sixth Oriole to produce a 40-homer season when he connected last night. Cruz is now days away from giving the Orioles back-to-back major league home run leaders.

The Orioles would become just the fourth team since 1920 to have two players win the homer title in consecutive years with Cruz and Chris Davis, joining the 1936-37 Yankees (Lou Gehrig 49, Joe DiMaggio 46), the 1987-88 Athletics (Mark McGwire 49, Jose Canseco 42), and the 1993-94 Giants (Barry Bonds 46, Matt Williams 43).

The Orioles went just 1-for-28 at the plate and were shut out on Monday night when they didn't even advance a single runner to second base. Then they went 17-for-43 with three homers in last night's win. According to MASN's "O's Xtra" postgame last night, the Orioles have the majors' best record in games after they were shut out.

.818 - Orioles (9-2)

.750 - Pirates (6-2)

.700 - Tigers (7-3)

.667 - Angels (2-1)

The Orioles have a remarkable 34-1 record when scoring four runs or more since July 19.

After a three-hit game last night, Cruz is batting .355 (33-for-93) over his last 23 games with eight doubles, a triple, six homers and 19 RBIs. Cruz has seven doubles over his past 14 games.

A win today would put the Orioles 20 games above .500 against the AL East (46-26). The last time they finished a season 20 or more games over .500 in the division was 1980 (49-29). http://www.pressboxonline.com/2014/09/25/looking-back-at-derek-jeters-career-against-the- orioles LOOKING BACK AT DEREK JETER'S CAREER AGAINST THE ORIOLES By Paul Folkemer / PressBoxOnline

September 25, 2014

Have you heard? New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is retiring at the end of the season. It might have been mentioned somewhere.

There have been plenty of articles throughout sports media praising Jeter's overall accomplishments, so there's no need to rehash them here. Instead, we'll focus exclusively on Jeter's history against the Orioles.

Jeter has played more games against the Orioles than any other team, with 290 games under his belt (and one more on the schedule for Sept. 25). And he has certainly made life difficult for the Orioles throughout his career. Jeter has more hits (351), runs (205), doubles (69), extra-base hits (102) and RBIs (141) against the Orioles than any other team. His 24 home runs against the Birds are tied for his most against anyone but the Boston Red Sox (26).

All told, Jeter compiled a career .296/.365/.430/.795 batting line against the Birds through Sept. 23. The Orioles were a bad team -- with bad pitchers -- for the majority of Jeter's career, and he took full advantage. Nine different times, Jeter hit better than .300 against the Orioles during a season, and three times he was better than .400 (.417 in 1998, .404 in 1999 and .403 in 2012). But perhaps his best season against the Birds came in 2004, when Jeter thrashed the O's for seven home runs in 79 at- bats; he didn't hit more than three dingers against the Birds during any other season. That year, he collected 19 RBIs, a .759 SLG and 1.198 OPS, all the highest of his career versus the Orioles. In June, Jeter was a one-man wrecking crew, swatting five homers against the Birds that month alone (the victims: Matt Riley, Eric DuBose, Darwin Cubillan and Sidney Ponson twice).

From his rookie year through his final season, Jeter had no shortage of notable games and series against the Orioles.

APRIL 30, 1996: Jeter's first game against the Orioles came April 30, 1996, during which he went 2-for-5, leading off the game with a single off Arthur Rhodes. The O's led the game 9-4 after two innings, but the Yankees went on to win a 13-10 slugfest.

OCT. 9, 1996: During Game 1 of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium, with the Orioles holding a 4-3 lead in the eighth, Jeter lofted a fly ball to deep right field, toward a young fan named Jeffrey Maier, and … well, there's no need to continue this story, lest every O's fan stop reading in disgust. It's safe to say that Orioles fans haven't forgotten that now-infamous moment. Beyond that fluke home run, though, Jeter torched the Birds during the ALCS, going 10-for-24 with at least one hit and one run during each game of the series as the Yankees won in five. Jeter didn't face the O's in the playoffs again until 16 years later.

APRIL 13-15, 1999: During a three-game series against the Orioles April 13-15, Jeter went 7- for-13 with three multi-hit games, collecting two doubles, two triples, a homer and five runs scored as the Yankees won the set.

JULY 3, 1999: Jeter hit a game-tying two-run homer in the fifth off Ponson (against whom he hit the most homers of his career, with five), with the Yankees ultimately winning a walkoff.

JULY 6, 2000: Jeter swatted a game-tying three-run homer off Jason Johnson in the second inning, helping the Yankees erase a 7-0 Orioles lead and eventually win. That was part of a three-game series during which Jeter hit two homers, scored six runs and drove in six.

MAY 12, 2001: In a 5-5 eighth-inning tie at Yankee Stadium, Jeter crushed a go-ahead three-run homer off Josh Towers to lead New York to a victory.

JULY 3-5, 2001: Jeter collected multiple hits during each game of a three-game set at Camden Yards, going 7-for-16 with a homer, three runs, and three RBIs.

AUG. 17, 2003: Jeter went 3-for-5 with two runs during an 8-0 Yankees win in Baltimore. But Orioles fans were probably more annoyed by the fact that ex-O's ace Mike Mussina -- who had bolted the Birds for the Yankees three years earlier -- pitched a complete game shutout that day. MAY 26-27, 2004: Jeter had back-to-back three-hit games, collecting two doubles during each. The Yankees outscored the Orioles by a combined total of 30-14 during those two games.

JUNE 1, 2004: Jeter had perhaps the best game of his career versus the Orioles, with a 4-for-5 performance, including two homers, two runs, and three RBIs -- one of 10 career multi-homer games for Jeter.

JUNE 2, 2006: In Baltimore, Jeter had two go-ahead hits during one game. In the seventh, he snapped a 3-3 tie with a two-out RBI single. Then in the ninth, with the score deadlocked at five, Jeter again stroked an RBI single with two down, providing the game-winner.

SEPT. 8-11, 2006: During a four-game series, Jeter went 7-for-17 with two doubles, a homer, two runs and four RBIs as the Yankees took three of four from the O's. At the end of that series, Jeter had a 21-game hitting streak and was batting .346 for the season.

JUNE 28, 2007: During an unusual game, a torrential downpour erupted at Camden Yards in the top of the eighth as the Yankees rallied to tie the Orioles, 6-6. Despite the Orioles' protestations, the umpires refused to call for the tarp and let play continue during the monsoon, which set up Jeter to poke a go-ahead two-run single through the puddle-filled infield off Chris Ray. Immediately after Jeter's hit, the umps called for the tarp, and the game was suspended and resumed a month later. The Yankees held on to win.

APRIL 24, 2011: Jeter had his second career four-hit game against the Birds, going 4-for-6 with a run, a double and an RBI. The last of his four hits was part of a three-run Yankees 11th inning that led them to a win.

2012: Although the Orioles returned to respectability in 2012, they still had trouble getting Jeter out. During the regular season, he had three separate series of seven or more hits against them: a 7-for-14 performance April 9-11, an 8-for-13 showing July 30-Aug. 1 and a 9-for-19 eruption Sept. 6-9.

OCT. 7-12, 2012: During the AL Division Series, Jeter went 8-for-22 and collected two hits during each of the first four games. He contributed four runs, a double, a triple and two RBIs, helping the Yankees edge out the Birds, three games to two.

It hasn't been until the past two seasons that O's pitchers have been able to solve Jeter. He went 0-for-11 against the Birds during an injury-shortened 2013 season, and 2014 hasn't been much better. Most recently, Jeter went 0-for-11 during his final series in Baltimore Sept. 12-14, and on Sept. 23, Zach Britton struck him out on three pitches to end the game with the tying run aboard in the ninth.

Jeter's career is coming to a close with a whimper rather than a bang. Still, the Orioles probably won't be upset to see him retire, considering all the trouble he has caused for O's pitchers during the past 20 years.

http://www.pressboxonline.com/2014/09/25/orioles-nationals-draw-combined-five-million-fans- during-2014-season ORIOLES, NATIONALS DRAW COMBINED FIVE MILLION FANS DURING 2014 SEASON By Jim Williams / PressBoxOnline

September 25, 2014

Both the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles are seeing the payoff of their successful, division-clinching seasons -- both teams' fans have shown their support from spring training and heading into the postseason.

By the time Washington plays its final game of the 2014 regular season Sept. 28 against the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park, they will have drawn nearly 2.5 million fans. Meanwhile, through 80 home games at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, 2,464,473 fans have passed through the turnstiles.

The two teams, separated by 43 miles, will together draw more than five million fans, all with postseason games left to be played. The 2014 season will go down as the second best season, attendance wise, since there have been baseball teams in both Baltimore and D.C.

This year is topped only by 2005, when the Nationals made their debut in D.C.

In 2005, the Nationals drew more than 2.7 million to RFK Stadium, and the Orioles drew more than 2.6 million fans, which gave the teams 5.3 million in marked attendance numbers.

Sirius XM MLB Insider Mike Ferrin serves as the co-host of "Power Alley" with longtime baseball executive Jim Duquette, who served as the as the Orioles' former co-vice president of baseball operations, with the late Mike Flanagan.

Ferrin has lived in the Baltimore-Washington area since joining the network in 2007, and has witnessed the growth of baseball in the area. Ferrin speaks frequently to the front office members of teams, as well as the managers, players and fans to give a unique view of what is going on with the Nationals and the Orioles.

PRESSBOX: Does it surprise you that this region has such great support for two MLB teams?

MIKE FERRIN: No, not really. If you figure that together the Baltimore-Washington region has a large pool of fans to draw from, and only three areas nationwide can boast drawing more than five million fans between two teams. Not surprising, in Los Angeles the Dodgers and the Angeles will combine for over six million. Then we have New York with the Yankees and the Mets over 5.5 million, along with the Giants and the A's out in the San Francisco Bay Area also topping the five plus million mark. But all three markets are much bigger than Washington- Baltimore.

I think the fans in the mid-Atlantic region have represented their favorite teams very well in 2014, and the key, of course, to get fans out to the park is winning, and for the last three years both teams have proven that they are working hard to become perennial playoff contenders. The Nationals and the Orioles both made the playoffs in 2012, and they are back this season That is two out of the last three season's we have seen both teams in the postseason, and it is the excitement and drama of making that playoff run that helps sell tickets now, and gives each team a leg up on getting the fans back into the parks in 2015.

PB: What has been the secret to the success of each team in getting fans to the park?

MF: To be successful at the gate and on the field you must have marketable players, and both teams have guys who fans come out to the park just to see them play. For the Nationals that means guys like Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth. In Baltimore it is Adam Jones, J.J. Hardy, Chris Davis and this season's big addition, Nelson Cruz. It is, of course, too bad that fan favorites Manny Machado and Matt Wieters were injured so early in the season. But frankly, if you are a real fan then both teams are loaded with outstanding players that are worthy of following. Like the Nationals' Jordan Zimmermann, who is clearly one of baseball's best pitchers. Anthony Rendon, Ian Desmond, Denard Span and Adam LaRoche, who night after night just help keep the team winning. Same goes in Baltimore for Jonathan Schoop, Alejandro De Aza, along with pitchers Chris Tillman and Wei-Yin Chen, who are just a few guys who fans have learned to love because they have heart and never stop trying to win.

PB: So can fans look for a Nationals-Orioles World Series?

MF: Look, living here in this area I know how exciting and fun that would be if these two teams could face each other in the World Series. I will say that I feel that both teams are better than they were in 2012 when they were last in the postseason. The Nationals are a far more complete and wiser team than the 2012 edition. Meanwhile, the Orioles just seem to know how to win and are a dangerous bunch. However, we have a long way to go before those two can play in the Fall Classic. The Nationals will likely have to get past the Wild Card winner -- either the Pirates or Giants -- and then face the winner of the Dodgers-Cardinals series. That is no easy task. While the Birds will have to contend with either the Tigers or the Royals, whoever wins the Central, then face most likely the Angeles before they can make it to the World Series. Look, one thing fans know for sure, and that is the playoffs start for Orioles Thursday, October 2 at home in Baltimore. The Nationals will start their quest for a World Series title a day later, Friday, October 3 in Washington. So hey, as long as they are in the playoffs, they have a chance to win. It will be great fun to see how things play out over the next few weeks.

http://www.pressboxonline.com/2014/09/24/bottom-third-of-orioles-lineup-still-a-question-mark BOTTOM THIRD OF ORIOLES' LINEUP STILL A QUESTION MARK By Jim Henneman / PressBoxOnline

September 24, 2014

It might be too late in the game for experiments, but in Orioles manager Buck Showalter's world it's not too late for auditions, which is exactly what has been going on the last few days as the Orioles prepare for the postseason.

On the surface, it would appear Showalter is merely making sure his key players get sufficient rest, but there's more to it than that as he tries to tap dance around an issue with the bottom third of his lineup. Those with good memories will recognize it as being identical to one faced by Joe Altobelli, the manager when the Orioles won their last World Series in 1983. The similarity is hard to miss.

The bottom three spots in the lineup 31 years ago were occupied by the same position players who fill those spots now -- the second baseman, third baseman and catcher. It was perhaps the greatest testimony to the 1983 team's chemistry that former player now announcer Ken Singleton was able to get away with dubbing the bottom trio in the lineup -- Rich Dauer, Todd Cruz and Rick Dempsey -- the three stooges.

When one of the loveable stooges, Dempsey, became the World Series MVP on a team that featured Eddie Murray and Cal Ripken Jr., it became a signature moment for that team.

Nobody has made the three stooges comparison with this year's team, Showalter certainly wouldn't approve anyhow, because unlike 1983, the names keep changing. And the guessing is likely to continue right up until the morning of Oct. 2, when the Orioles have to submit their 25- man roster for the American League Division Series.

Offensive production from the bottom third of the O's lineup during the last few weeks has been dangerously low, and it hasn't gone unnoticed by Showalter, who doesn't want to sacrifice defense, but obviously feels the offensive woes can't be ignored. With right fielder Nick Markakis also struggling before his four-hit outburst Sept. 23, it left the Orioles with four straight outs starting with the No. 7 hitter. That left the scary thought of 12 of the 27 outs available in a nine-inning game lined up in order, leaving an impossible burden on the other five in the lineup.

In recent days, Ryan Flaherty has played first and third base. Kelly Johnson has been at second and third base. Jimmy Paredes has appeared at third and made cameos in the outfield, and Nick Hundley has become more prominent while alternating with Caleb Joseph behind the plate. With Alejandro De Aza settled in left field against right-handed starters, Showalter has gained a little flexibility, but the possibility exists that he's going to have to sacrifice some defense at the three positions making up the bottom third of the lineup if the Orioles are going to advance.

De Aza has seemingly taken over the role expected to be handle by David Lough, but it would appear Showalter will have to choose between Johnson, Parades, Flaherty and Jonathan Schoop at second and third base. Third base has been the most vulnerable defensive position, but if you rely on pure stats, which seems to be the norm these days, the bottom line is so even that a good third baseman averages barely more than three chances a game.

Since Hundley has settled in nicely as Chris Tillman's regular catcher, his bat will probably dictate how much he plays during other games, even if it means sacrificing some defense behind the plate. Schoop's defense at second base will be hard for Showalter to ignore, but the availability of both Johnson and Flaherty, along with Paredes' (sometimes shaky) ability to play third could become factors.

With so many pieces to this puzzle, Showalter may even opt to move somebody out of the bottom third and into the second spot in the lineup. It would be a gamble, particularly if

Markakis isn't the table-setter the O's need in the top spot, but it could be necessary to break up the perceived weak links in the lineup.

Pitching, of course, will dictate, but how far the Orioles go during the postseason may well be determined by what they get out of the 7-8-9 spots in the lineup. If it's any consolation, at least the Orioles have some history on their side. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/nationals-journal/wp/2014/09/25/masn-orioles-ask-ny- court-to-throw-out-mlb-panels-tv-rights-award/ MASN, Orioles ask NY court to throw out MLB panel’s TV rights award By James Wagner / The Washington Post

September 25 at 10:36 AM

In their ongoing legal dispute, Mid-Atlantic Sports Network and the Orioles filed an amended petition late Tuesday night asking a New York Supreme Court judge to dismiss a Major League Baseball panel’s decision that awarded the Nationals higher rights fees. Dozens of documents of evidence were also filed in support of the argument. Now the Nationals and MLB have until Oct. 20 to sort through the evidence and file a cross petition disputing the claims. All sides are scheduled to meet before Judge Lawrence Marks for a hearing on Dec. 15.

Marks granted MASN and the Orioles a preliminary injunction in mid-August against MLB and the Nationals, a significant early victory in the legal battle over the Nationals’ television rights fees. Marks raised concerns about conflicts of interest in an MLB panel that ruled the Nationals should receive higher television rights fees, which MASN and the Orioles have disagreed with.

On June 30, a panel of major league executives from three teams, part of the MLB’s Revenue Sharing Definitions Committee (RSDC), determined that MASN owed the Nationals roughly $60 million in annual rights fees, a figure closer to the Orioles’ proposal than the $118 million the Nationals requested. The Nationals petitioned MLB Commissioner Bud Selig on July 7 to enforce the ruling, and the Orioles and MASN took the issue to court to prevent the Nationals from pulling their games from the network.

In previous court filings and in the August hearing, MASN raised concerns about the impartiality of MLB’s three-team panel. MASN and the Orioles have argued that MLB, the Nationals and the three teams on the panel — the Pittsburgh Pirates, Tampa Bay Rays and New York Mets — all used the same legal team, Proskauer Rose, and didn’t disclose it. In the court filings, they provided further detail about those conflicts.

According to the filings, MASN and the Orioles allege Proskauer Rose represented Commissioner-elect Rob Manfred, who oversaw the MLB panel, at the same time the firm also represented the Nationals and executives of the other teams on the panel in other matters. (“Manfred oversaw the Arbitration, is vested with supervisory authority, and was directly involved the Arbitral process,” MASN and Orioles attorneys wrote in court documents.)

MASN and the Orioles also allege that MLB advanced the Nationals $25 million with the understanding that it would be repaid after the panel awarded a higher TV rights fee. They also argue that the arbitration process that awarded the Nationals a higher rights fee was biased because MLB controlled the panel, thus acting as judge and jury, and the teams had a financial interest at stake because rights fees are subject to revenue sharing.

In the petition, MASN and the Orioles ask that the court throw out the MLB panel’s award and send the dispute to an impartial and independent venue, such as an American Arbitration Association panel. http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2014/09/24/for-orioles-corporate-sponsors-more- postseason.html?page=2 For Orioles' corporate sponsors, more postseason wins means less advertising space By Sarah Meehan / The Baltimore Business Journal

Sep 24, 2014, 2:08pm EDT

The Baltimore Orioles’ postseason run gives the team a chance it wouldn’t otherwise have to sell additional sponsorships and ads. But the further the team goes into the playoffs, the less control it has over postseason advertising.

The Orioles are generating triple the sponsorship revenue for next week's American League Division Series compared with 2012, said Marco Gentile, the Orioles’ vice president of corporate partnerships. Many of the sponsors that have signed on to advertise during the playoffs are local — a mix of companies that previously sponsored the Orioles and newcomers.

There are just two guaranteed remaining game day giveaways, print ads, radio spots and sign renewals available for advertisers — the Orioles will play home playoff games Oct. 2 and Oct. 3. And as the Orioles advance through the playoffs, Major League Baseball gets more control over advertising assets, giving Gentile’s office fewer options to offer sponsors.

Most of the deals for playoff sponsors are already in the works, and sponsors have contingency plans based on how far the team goes. The deals must be worked out in advance of the ALDS, the American League Championship Series and the World Series, so sponsors for ALDS game day giveaways and print ads in the ALCS and World Series programs had to be finalized a week ago.

“It’s not just something that the team clinched last Tuesday and we all started,” Gentile said. “This all started a month ago.”

Should the Orioles reach the World Series, many of the on-field signs at Camden Yards will be replaced with MLB green screens where the league can promote its own sponsors. That means the Orioles can’t sell ads on the signs behind home plate or down the base lines. MLB even places signs in spots the Orioles generally try to keep open, including the outfield walls.

For the World Series, MLB handles its own giveaways and the league even has a say in which scoreboard features the Orioles can run.

Although MLB limits the sponsorship opportunities the Orioles can offer its corporate partners in the playoffs, Gentile said his team is still exceeding its expectations in terms of the postseason revenue. The Orioles declined to share specific revenue figures.

“Our playoff slogan is, ‘We won’t stop,’” Gentile said. “And for our department it’s, ‘We won’t stop selling.’ And we haven’t all year.” http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2014/09/24/steve-davis-os-roster-could-undergo-major-changes/ Steve Davis: O’s Roster Could Undergo Major Changes By Steve Davis / CBS Baltimore

September 24, 2014 1:08 PM

Enjoy this team right now because I have a feeling some of your favorites might not be back. If they all wanted to stay, there’s no way the Orioles will be able to afford them. I went and looked at the salary situation and many of their players are due for raises and some will be huge.

Tillman, Gonzales, Pearce and Britton are all eligible for arbitration, so they are going to get hefty raises.

Norris made $5.3 million last year and is eligible for arbitration again, so his number will go up.

Hunter and Matusz are eligible for arbitration. They made $3 and $2.4 million respectively. I doubt they both will be back, especially Matusz.

Weiters is in his final year of eligibility. He will probably get a raise.

So is Davis. He may not get a raise, but he won’t get cut either, so he is $10 million or so.

Never mind all the free agents: Cruz, Hardy and Markakis (I doubt the Orioles pick up his $17 million one year option).

O’Day has a team option for $4.25 million, Chen for $4.75 million.

Plus, Ubaldo isn’t going anywhere and they’re not going to pay him $13 million to pitch out of the bullpen, so you have to figure they will trade one of the starters.

Tillman isn’t going anywhere.

Chen is their only lefty so he isn’t going anywhere.

Gausman is young, cheap and talented.

That leaves Norris and Gonzales. I can’t see them putting one of their starters in the bullpen; they’re too good. And there’s nothing to be gained by sending them to the minors.

Like I said, this is a great team, but it will be interesting to see how many key guys aren’t here next year. http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sinclair- baltimore&page=/mlb/news/AAN4726807.htm#.VCRDp_ldV1Y Jeter says goodbye to the Bronx in finale with Orioles By Sportsnetwork / Fox 45

09/25 10:25:10 ET

(SportsNetwork.com) - Derek Jeter's final game at Yankee Stadium is coming

a littler sooner than he had hoped.

One day after being officially eliminated from postseason consideration, Jeter

says goodbye to the Bronx in the finale of the New York Yankees' four-game set

with the American League East champion Baltimore Orioles.

"For him to do it one more time in Yankee Stadium, I think, is going to be

special," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "I've talked about how special it

is to put a uniform on, how special it is to put on a Yankees uniform. It's

very difficult to take it off. I think tomorrow will be kind of a culmination

of all the love he's been shown and all the appreciation he's been shown

during the course of this year, and in his career and I think it'll be

something we'll remember for a long time."

Jeter, though, will not have a chance to help his team in the playoffs, as the

Yankees were eliminated on Wednesday with a 9-5 loss to the Orioles. It's only

the third time in Jeter's 20-year career the Yankees won't be in the

postseason, but the second straight year, marking the first time the franchise

has missed the playoffs in consecutive years since going 12 straight seasons

from 1982-1993.

Amazingly, tonight's contest will only be the second of the 2,744 games Jeter will have played that the Yankees have been eliminated and the first at Yankee

Stadium.

"It's tough. It's what you play for," said Jeter, a five-time World Series champion. "It's a rough feeling and it should be a rough feeling for everyone in here."

Rain is in the forecast for Thursday and it's unknown if Jeter will play this weekend in Boston.

"You can't help but notice," said Jeter of his pending farewell. "I catch myself looking around sometimes. I've always tried not to do that, but I've caught myself a couple of times doing it, so I'm well aware of it."

Getting the call for the Yankees on Thursday will be righty Hiroki Kuroda, who is 11-9 with a 3.77 ERA. Kuroda has won three of his last four decisions and struck out seven in a win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday.

Jeter might not be the only one retiring at season's end, as the 39-year-old

Kuroda could also be making his final appearance on Thursday.

That won't be the case for 23-year-old Baltimore starter Kevin Gausman, who gets his final tuneup before the postseason. Gausman has been solid for the

O's going 7-7 with a 3.57 ERA and could start a potential fourth game in the American League Division Series.

Gausman battled through a blister in a no-decision against the Boston Red Sox

on Friday, but it doesn't appear to be an issue.

Baltimore is 13-5 against New York this season and will boast a winning record

against the Yankees in a season for the first time since 1997.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/rain-could-disrupt-legendary-yankee-stadium- finale Rain could disrupt legendary Yankee Stadium finale By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore

September 24, 2014, 2:45 pm

NEW YORK – Say you’ve always been a Derek Jeter fan and you’re sorry to see him go and hadn’t made plans to see his Thursday night farewell at Yankee Stadium. You can still buy tickets, but you may have to wait a while to see the game.

The Orioles’ game with the Yankees is scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m. Rain is in the forecast, especially early in the day. A 100 percent chance of heavy rain is called for during the day, but at game time, the chance falls to 60 percent with clearing later in the evening.

“Jeter’s last home game. How long do you think we’ll be here tomorrow if there’s rain? Get comfortable,” manager Buck Showalter joked.

MORE ORIOLES: TILLMAN SHOWING BIG GROWTH

Showalter remembers that on Sept. 6, 2011, the Orioles waited for more than four hours to start a game with the Yankees. The game began at 11:08 p.m., and didn’t conclude until 2:15 a.m., and the teams returned the next afternoon for a 1 p.m. game.

Tickets for the game on Stubhub range from $329.80 for an obstructed view to over $5,000 for a suite.

Both teams are leaving after the game. The Orioles go to Toronto while Jeter finishes his career in Boston. The Orioles and Yankees are willing to wait because they don’t want to return to New York on Monday if the game could decide home field advantage in the American League Championship Series. The Orioles began play on Wednesday trailing Los Angeles by 2 ½ games. http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/did-cruz-think-he-had-chance-40-homers Did Cruz think he had a chance at 40 homers? By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore

September 24, 2014, 1:45 pm

NEW YORK – On Tuesday night, Nelson Cruz became the sixth Oriole to hit 40 home runs in a season. The 34-year-old Cruz had never before hit more than 33.

It’s not what Cruz expected when he signed with the Orioles before the season.

“No shot,” Cruz said. “I didn’t expect 40.”

On Wednesday, Cruz played in his 156th game, equaling Adam Jones for most on the Orioles.

“I think the aim for any player is to stay healthy, play as many games as he can, stay on the field. That was my main goal, to try and stay healthy, to try to put up numbers,” Cruz said.

Chris Davis set the team record with 53 last year eclipsing Brady Anderson’s 50 in 1996. Frank Robinson, Jim Gentile and Rafael Palmeiro are the other Orioles who’ve had at least 40 in a season.

“It was a big deal for a lot of people,” Cruz said. “Any time you make history with that type of performance, especially with this team, it has lots of history and it’s been here for a while, so that makes it special.”

Cruz is going into the postseason in strong shape. He says he didn’t so anything special to get him ready.

“No, it’s the same routine with everything I do since day one. I guess you put a little more effort into tough situations and try to stay focused for the end of the season and the start of the playoff drive,” Cruz said.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/two-years-makes-huge-difference-tillman Two years makes a huge difference for Tillman By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore

September 24, 2014, 12:30 pm

NEW YORK – Two years ago, Chris Tillman was on the roster for the Division Series. He didn’t get to pitch against the New York Yankees. When the Division Series starts on Oct. 2, he’ll be starting for the Orioles.

“It means a lot. I’m excited about it, looking forward to it. I still got one more start to go so I’m pretty focused on that, but at the same time I know it means a lot to the team, means a lot to me and hopefully get us going in the right direction,” Tillman said.

Tillman remembers well that he didn’t get a chance to pitch Game 4 in 2012 though he was considered a strong possibility. He was the only one of 12 pitchers not to throw.

“We’ve gotten better as a team and as a unit so I think I like our chances going into it. As long as we pitch well and do what we’ve been doing all year I think we can’t second guess ourselves,” Tillman said.

The Orioles don’t know who they’ll play. If the season ended now they’d play Detroit, which leads Kansas City by a game in the AL Central.

“Yeah we still don’t know, got a couple more games I guess to go. It is what it is. It’s just another baseball game to us just the stakes go up a little higher,” Tillman said.