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2014 ALDS: Orioles rout Tigers, 12-3, to win Game 1 2014 ALDS: Orioles rout Tigers, 12-3, to win Game 1
(about 1 hour later)
BALTIMORE — They packed the red-brick ballyard on Eutaw Street, once a precocious toddler of a building, later a sullen, empty teenager, and now a graceful young adult of 22 years old. They stood shoulder to shoulder atop the scoreboard in right, and lined up six-deep at Boog’s Barbecue stand. In the hotels and office buildings beyond left and center fields, they clustered on the balconies and pressed their faces to windows. Everyone wore orange. From above, Oriole Park at Camden Yards must have looked like the inside of a giant pumpkin.BALTIMORE — They packed the red-brick ballyard on Eutaw Street, once a precocious toddler of a building, later a sullen, empty teenager, and now a graceful young adult of 22 years old. They stood shoulder to shoulder atop the scoreboard in right, and lined up six-deep at Boog’s Barbecue stand. In the hotels and office buildings beyond left and center fields, they clustered on the balconies and pressed their faces to windows. Everyone wore orange. From above, Oriole Park at Camden Yards must have looked like the inside of a giant pumpkin.
It had been 17 years – a baseball generation ago – since the Baltimore Orioles had delivered a team this good into the teeth of October, and their opener of the 2014 postseason, a 12-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers in Game 1 of the American League Division Series, put on display to 47,842 delirious fans, the greater Baltimore populace and the entire baseball-watching nation all the attributes that have endeared this team to its home town. It had been 17 years — a baseball generation ago — since the Baltimore Orioles had delivered a team this good into the teeth of October, and their opener of the 2014 postseason, a 12-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers in Game 1 of the American League Division Series, put on display to 47,842 delirious fans, the greater Baltimore populace and the entire baseball-watching nation all the attributes that have endeared this team to its home town.
The formula has become familiar around Camden Yards during this 96-win march to the AL East crown: effective if unspectacular starting pitching, plentiful offense, pristine relief pitching and expert managing. On Thursday night, they cradled a slim lead through the early and middle innings and exploded during a gory eighth, tacking on eight runs against the Tigers’ porous bullpen to turn a tense affair into a laugher. The formula has become familiar around Camden Yards during this 96-win march to the AL East crown: effective if unspectacular starting pitching, plentiful offense, pristine relief pitching and expert managing. On Thursday night, they cradled a slim lead through the early and middle innings and exploded during a gory eighth, tacking on eight runs against the Tigers’ porous bullpen to turn a tense affair into a laugher and giving the franchise its first lead in a postseason series since Game 1 of the 1997 AL Championship Series.
Despite the unsightly final score, there was a point when the game could have gone either way. Game 1 was won in those critical moments. Despite the unsightly final score, there was a point as late as the top of the eighth inning when the game could have gone either way. Game 1 was won in those critical moments.
Buck Showalter, the most popular manager in these parts since Earl Weaver himself, navigated the game’s critical innings with the careful aggression October baseball requires. After the Tigers wore down starter Chris Tillman, Showalter called on bullpen sniper Andrew Miller in the sixth inning and left him in for five outs — earlier and longer than the left-hander is accustomed to pitching. Miller’s 12 / 3-inning shutdown performance, which included three strikeouts and zero balls leaving the infield, may have been the key sequence of the game. Buck Showalter, the most popular manager in these parts since Earl Weaver himself, navigated the game’s critical innings with the careful aggression October baseball requires. After the Tigers wore down starter Chris Tillman, Showalter called on bullpen sniper Andrew Miller in the sixth inning, holding a one-run lead, and left him in for five outs – earlier and longer than the left-hander is accustomed to pitching.
Sidearmer Darren O’Day was the bridge man, taking care of the next three outs and delivering a one-run lead to closer Zach Britton. Britton hadn’t been asked to record a save of four or more outs since taking over the closer’s job in May, but that’s exactly what Showalter was poised to do — until the eighth-inning explosion gave Britton the ninth inning off. “Things change,” shrugged Showalter, when asked about the strategy. “It’s the postseason. . . . Everything is different.”
The Orioles carried a one-run lead into the bottom of the eighth and emerged from it a lifetime later with a nine-run lead. Moments later, when the final out of the game was secure, the Orioles bounced out of their dugout to shake each other’s hands, having taken their first lead in a postseason series since Game 1 of the 1997 AL Championship Series. “I knew it was a possibility,” Miller said of the extended outing. “We all did.”
Miller’s brilliant, 12 / 3-inning performance, which included three strikeouts and zero balls leaving the infield, was undoubtedly the key sequence of the game, carrying the lead to the late innings, where Showalter had plenty of options.
“That part of the game was huge,” Orioles left fielder Steve Pearce said. “[Miller] came in and nailed it down.”
The next three outs were secured by sidearmer Darren O’Day, who was lifted with two outs in the eighth, after Miguel Cabrera’s homer trimmed the Orioles’ two-run lead in half. Now what? Closer Zach Britton hadn’t been asked to record a save of four or more outs since taking over the closer’s job in May — but that’s exactly what Showalter was poised to do, until the eighth-inning explosion provided the luxury of giving Britton the ninth inning off.
In a game of matchups in which the Tigers, at least on paper, enjoy most of the advantages, the Orioles’ most important edge may be the one Showalter has over Brad Ausmus, his Tigers counterpart.
“I knew [Showalter] was good,” said Miller, who came to Baltimore at the trade deadline from Boston. “But he really does have a way with [running a game]. It’s been really impressive.”
As the bottom of the eighth began, the Orioles still cradled their one-run lead. When it ended — a lifetime or two later — the lead was nine, as the Orioles pummeled Max Scherzer and three Detroit relievers, with Alejandro De Aza contributing two doubles in the frame. The 12 runs the Orioles ultimately posted were the most in a playoff game in franchise history.
The honor of starting Game 1 of the postseason in Baltimore has passed through some impressive hands, those of pitchers named Palmer, Cuellar, Wells and Mussina. Tillman, a fringe major leaguer as recently as 2012, may have seemed like an unlikely candidate to join their ranks, but he has won 29 games the past two seasons, making an all-star team in 2013, and has come very close to acquiring the label of ace.The honor of starting Game 1 of the postseason in Baltimore has passed through some impressive hands, those of pitchers named Palmer, Cuellar, Wells and Mussina. Tillman, a fringe major leaguer as recently as 2012, may have seemed like an unlikely candidate to join their ranks, but he has won 29 games the past two seasons, making an all-star team in 2013, and has come very close to acquiring the label of ace.
Tillman took a deep breath as he climbed the mound for the top of the first, and proceeded to strike out the side — and not just any side, but Ian Kinsler, Torii Hunter and Miguel Cabrera, with 894 career home runs between them — with a stream of mostly fastballs, the last of which was a 96-mph seed that Cabrera waved at for strike three. Tillman took a deep breath as he climbed the mound for the top of the first and proceeded to strike out the side – and not just any side, but Ian Kinsler, Torii Hunter and Miguel Cabrera, with 894 career home runs between them – with a stream of mostly fastballs, the last of which was a 96-mph seed that Cabrera waved at for strike three.
The breezy start to his outing was merely a tease. Tillman was staggered by back-to-back homers by Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez in the second and was forced to work for every subsequent out, as the Tigers fouled off dozens of pitches and worked Tillman’s pitch-count ever higher. Kinsler, in particular, was a tough out, seeing a total of 30 pitches from Tillman in his three plate appearances and fouling off 15 of them. When Tillman struggled to finish off the top of the fifth, as his pitch-count zoomed past 100, it spelled the end of his night. The breezy start to his outing was merely a tease. Tillman was staggered by back-to-back homers by Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez in the second, and was forced to work for every subsequent out as the Tigers fouled off dozens of pitches and worked Tillman’s pitch-count ever higher. Kinsler, in particular, was a tough out, seeing a total of 30 pitches from Tillman in his three plate appearances, and fouling off 15 of them.
Max Scherzer, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, put the Tigers in position to steal a win, carrying the game to the eighth inning, whereupon everything fell apart for the visitors. The Orioles didn’t so much as crush Scherzer as survive him. When Tillman struggled to finish off the top of the fifth, as his pitch-count zoomed past 100, it spelled the end of his night — but the beginning of the bullpen’s.
“Now,” center fielder Adam Jones said, “you’re going right into our strong point.”
Meantime, Scherzer, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, put the Tigers in position to steal a win, carrying the game to the eighth inning, whereupon everything fell apart for the visitors. The Orioles didn’t so much as crush Scherzer as survive him.
Detroit will come back with another recent Cy Young winner, Justin Verlander, in Game 2 (Friday at 12:07 p.m.), and yet another one, David Price, in Game 3 in Detroit on Sunday. But the Orioles have proven to be masters in the ancient art of finding a way to win. They may not find a way every time, but they always believe they can.Detroit will come back with another recent Cy Young winner, Justin Verlander, in Game 2 (Friday at 12:07 p.m.), and yet another one, David Price, in Game 3 in Detroit on Sunday. But the Orioles have proven to be masters in the ancient art of finding a way to win. They may not find a way every time, but they always believe they can.