It took 15 years and one really bizarre day, but the Orioles are heading back to the playoffs.
The Angels lost to the Rangers tonight in Game 2 of their doubleheader 8-7, which thrust the Orioles into the postseason for the first time since 1997.
Joe Nathan, who blew the save in Game 1, stranded the tying run on first base, allowing the Rangers and Yankees to also clinch playoff berths.
Mike Napoli drove in six runs against his former team. He should receive a muffin basket from the...
The Orioles have waited this long to celebrate a playoff berth, so what's a few more hours? Or another day? Or...
Manager Buck Showalter took in the scene that unfolded following the Orioles' 6-3 victory over the Red Sox. Players stood together and watched the top of ninth inning of the Angels-Rangers game being shown on the JumboTron. Nobody wanted to go back inside the clubhouse.
"It's sincere," Showalter said. "They want to watch it together. One thing I challenged them with since...
Joe Saunders was handed the ball today with the possibility that the Orioles could clinch their first playoff berth since 1997.
He did his part.
Saunders picked up his third win, allowing three runs in 7 1/3 innings and receiving a huge ovation as he walked off the field.
"It was awesome," he said. "I'm very humbled to get the opportunity to do this, and to be able to come out and get a victory for the ballclub was pretty special.
"You always want to set the tone early, especially...
Jim Johnson recorded his 50th save, and the Orioles completed their sweep of the Red Sox with a 6-3 win at Camden Yards.
Johnson is the 10th pitcher to record 50 saves in a single season since it became an official stat in 1969.
The Orioles are 73-0 when leading after the seventh and 74-1 after the eighth.
Johnson retired the side in order with a fly ball and two ground outs. The Orioles filed out of the dugout as usual. No wild celebration, since the Angels game isn't a final.
The Rangers...
The Orioles are expecting a sellout or close to it for this afternoon's regular-season home finale.
Will fans get to watch them celebrate on the field after clinching a playoff berth?
It could happen if the Angels lose Game 1 of their doubleheader and the Orioles defeat the Red Sox. But how enthusiastically would the Orioles celebrate? How would they react?
"Honestly and sincerely," said manager Buck Showalter. "That's how they'll act, if it happens. And it's not something where I'm...
Matt Wieters is behind the plate again today for the home regular-season finale against the Red Sox.
For the Orioles:
Nate McLouth LF
J.J. Hardy SS
Chris Davis RF
Adam Jones CF
Matt Wieters C
Jim Thome DH
Mark Reynolds 1B
Ryan Flaherty 2B
Manny Machado 3B
Joe Saunders LHP
For the Red Sox:
Ellsbury CF
Pedroia 2B
Ross RF
Gomez 1B
Valencia 3B
Lavarnway C
Nava LF
Ciriaco DH
Iglesias SS
Stewart RHP
Steve Johnson said his right foot is much better today after being hit by Dustin...
Adam Jones has been voted the winner of the 2012 Louis M. Hatter Most Valuable Oriole Award by members of the local media who cover the team on a regular basis.
Jones is the seventh Oriole to win the award in consecutive seasons, joining Frank Robinson (1966-67), Boog Powell(69-70), Jim Palmer (72-73), Eddie Murray (81-85), Cal Ripken Jr. (90-91) and Rafael Palmeiro (95-96). Jones will receive his award during an on-field ceremony prior to today's home finale against the Red Sox.
Jim...
In a season that's gone completely mad, a season that's often defied logic - along with every industry expert who predicted 100 losses - it would seem appropriate for the Orioles to clinch a playoff berth from the team hotel in St. Petersburg, Fla.
It's possible that the Orioles will find out later tonight that they've reached the postseason for the first time since 1997. As I tried to explain last night, they're officially in if they win today and the Angels lose one of the games in...
The Orioles' magic number for clinching a playoff berth is down to two. If they win tomorrow and the Angels lose one of their doubleheader games, the Orioles clinch. If the Orioles lose and the Angels are swept, they clinch. If the Dempsey's sign on the warehouse lights up in a certain inning...
OK, not that one.
The Orioles have scored 25 runs in their last three games, 21 coming via home runs. Chris Davis had a two-run shot, his 30th homer, and Manny Machado went deep in the seventh to...
Brooks Robinson received plenty of loud ovations today during his statue unveiling and his on-field ceremony. The crowd really erupted when he said, "I don't like to call you fans, I like to call you friends."
Among the players attending the statue unveiling were Adam Jones, Mark Reynolds, Jim Thome, Chris Davis and Ryan Flaherty. Robinson summoned manager Buck Showalter to come over and say hello before the ceremony started.
Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver had tears in his eyes as...
The Orioles have arranged for Jason Hammel to pitch four or five innings in a simulated game Monday morning at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. He will face both left-handed and right-handed hitters.
Hammel threw a sim game in the bullpen yesterday and said his knee felt good today.
Steel Russell, son of Orioles bench coach John Russell, will catch Hammel on Monday. Pitching coach Rick Adair will attend the game, and manager Buck Showalter may join him.
The Orioles won't know whether Hammel...
Matt Wieters has rejoined the Orioles and will bat cleanup tonight against Red Sox left-hander Felix Doubront.
Lew Ford, who had an MRI on his hip earlier this week, will serve as the designated hitter.
For the Orioles:
Nate McLouth LF
J.J. Hardy SS
Adam Jones CF
Matt Wieters C
Chris Davis RF
Mark Reynolds 1B
Manny Machado 3B
Lew Ford DH
Robert Andino 2B
Steve Johnson RHP
Baseball's circle of life has taken another spin, bringing Steve Pearce back to the Orioles.
The Orioles claimed Pearce off waivers from the Yankees today, reuniting him with a team that's trying to catch one of his former teams in 2012.
There have been a few of them.
To review: Pearce signed with the Yankees as a free agent on March 29. The Orioles purchased him from the Yankees on June 2 before he could opt out of his contract. The Astros claimed Pearce off waivers from the Orioles on...
The Orioles have been keeping Elias busy. Here's the latest:
The 18 consecutive runs scored on home runs in the last two games were the most since the Orioles moved to Baltimore in 1954.
Manager Buck Showalter doesn't reveal much about his rotation, which leaves the rest of us trying to guess how it's lined up for the postseason.
The TBAs tend to complicate the process.
Here's what I learned yesterday: Joe Saunders is starting on Sunday in the final home game of the regular season....
The Orioles are a 90-win team with a magic number of three to clinch a playoff berth. And they have five more games to play in the regular season.
Yep, we all saw it coming back in March.
The Orioles have scored 21 runs in their last two games and have recorded double-digit hits in nine of their last 12 games, going 9-3 in that stretch.
Also, the Orioles have a plus-7 run differential, the first time they've been off the negative side since June 24.
The Orioles are 69-21 when their starter...
The Orioles hit two more home runs in the first inning tonight, giving them a franchise-record 122 at home this season.
That's only part of the story.
Chris Davis hit a two-run homer to wipe out the Red Sox's 1-0 lead. The Orioles loaded the bases with two outs against Boston starter Aaron Cook, and Ryan Flaherty launched his first career grand slam.
Orioles 6, Red Sox 1.
Cook threw 30 pitches in the first inning. Alfredo Aceves began warming in the bullpen before Flaherty's...
Nolan Reimold has been at Camden Yards for the past few days, though he wasn't visible to the media until he strolled through the clubhouse this afternoon and plopped down on Chris Tillman's chair.
Reimold is in town to get checked by a team physician and hang out for a little while. He's progressing well from surgery to remove a herniated disc and fuse the vertebrae, but he's not close to playing again. He couldn't suddenly be activated from the disabled list and become part of a playoff...
As I wrote in my last blog entry, Matt Wieters is expected to rejoin the team for Saturday's game. He won't be here tonight, according to manager Buck Showalter.
Wieters still hadn't gotten any sleep by 3 p.m. today. He's past the 24-hour mark, which is fine if you're hosting a telethon, but not if you're a major league catcher.
"He's got his priorities where they need to be," said manager Buck Showalter, who has exchanged a few text messages with Wieters today. "He's still at the...
Taylor Teagarden will be behind the plate for tonight's game against the Red Sox at Camden Yards.
Matt Wieters became a father for the first time today at 5:11 a.m. The clubhouse isn't open to the media yet, so I don't know whether he's at the ballpark and sleeping on a couch. I'll pass along an update later.
Wieters is 5-for-7 with four doubles lifetime against Red Sox starter Aaron Cook.
For the Orioles:
Nate McLouth LF
J.J. Hardy SS
Chris Davis RF
Adam Jones CF
Jim Thome DH
Mark...
The Orioles will hold their annual Fan Appreciation Celebration during their final regular-season series that begins tonight against the Boston Red Sox at Camden Yards.
Here's the information:
The three day celebration includes many opportunities for the Orioles to give back to their fans. Celebrations on Friday, Sept. 28 include randomly selecting a fan to throw out the first pitch, randomly selecting nine fans to take the field with Orioles starters for the National Anthem, and post-game...
