Over the last few days, the O's players have been asked a lot about the team's strong finish under Buck Showalter and what it could mean for the club's future.
Here are some player opinions.
Nick Markakis:
"It shows you what we have and what we're capable of doing. I've said all along we've got a great group of guys and we have great talent. It's just a matter of putting it together. When we put it together, we can play with anybody."
Markakis on the 14-13 record vs. the AL East...
...The O's will:
*Finish with a record of 67-95, topping last year's win total by three.
*End the second-half of the season as they ended the first, with a four-game sweep. The O's won four straight at Texas from July 8-11 right before the All-Star game.
*Have their seventh series sweep of the year of three or more games.
*Finish the year with a .500 record combined at 36-36 in games vs. AL Central and Western division foes.
*Finish the second-half with a winning record of 38-36.
*End...
On a night when he had some of his best stuff of the season and produced a career-high nine strikeouts, Brian Matusz continued the O's starting pitching roll tonight in a 2-1 win over Detroit.
He gave up just two hits and one run over six innings, throwing 100 pitches to finish his year at 10-12, 4.30.
Over his final eight starts, the 23-year-old lefty went 6-0, 1.57 and tied his career-high with a six-game win streak.
"All my pitches were working today. I was using them all in different...
For the Orioles it was a case of another night and another outstanding performance from a starting pitcher.
Brian Matusz had the honors on Saturday night, allowing just one run over six innings as the Orioles tamed the Tigers 2-1, in front of 35,332 at Camden Yards to take the first three games of this series.
Matusz gave up just two hits and one was a solo homer by Brandon Inge in the 2nd. He improved to 10-12, 4.30 and won for the sixth time over his last eight starts.
The O's three...
At the end of April, Luke Scott was batting just .194 with only two homers. Who knew then he would end the year being named winner of the Louis M. Hatter Most Valuable Oriole award.
"For me, it's a tremendous honor. It has been a year of a lot of adversity but it's been a year of a lot of victory for myself and us as a group. We had the opportunity to cash it in and go through the motions the rest of the year. It says a lot about this group of guys in this clubhouse. The character that...
We are sending along best wishes tonight for Orioles long time umpires attendant Ernie Tyler, who became ill earlier today at the ballpark and was hospitalized.
Ernie, who celebrated his 86th birthday in April, is currently stable and staying overnight at University of Maryland Medical Center for observation. His sons Jimmy and Freddy are with him.
An O's official said doctors have not determined yet what caused Ernie to feel ill.
Tyler began his 50 years of service to the Orioles in 1960...
As Andy MacPhail spoke to reporters at Camden Yards today he again mentioned the club's interest in acquiring a middle of the lineup bat.
I asked him if now that some of the young pitchers have made the Major Leagues and had some success, if the club is more open to trading some of its young pitching to get a bat.
"We always have to be open to whatever we think makes us better and we have to look at it on an individual basis. No grand pronouncements about whose not available, who is...
With starting pitching like the Orioles are getting, who needs much offense?
Okay, we all know the O's need more offense for next year, but consider the fact they scored just six runs in three games in the Tampa series, but won two of three. They scored just two runs in game two last night and won.
In their last four wins, O's starters have allowed just one earned run with an ERA of 0.31:
*Monday at Tampa: Matusz - 7IP, 3H, 0R, 2B, 8K.
*Wednesday at Tampa: Millwood - 7IP, 2H, 0R, 3B,...
After watching Chris Tillman hold the Tigers to one run on three hits over seven innings in game one, the O's had to be hoping Jeremy Guthrie could duplicate that outing in game two vs. Detroit.
He did even better.
Guthrie gave up just two singles over eight shutout innings in the Orioles 2-1 win as they swept a doubleheader.
Guthrie and Tillman combined to give up just five hits and one run over 15 innings tonight.
"It feels real good to go out there and give this kind of effort as a...
After allowing 10 ER over his previous two starts, Jeremy Guthrie finished his 2010 season with a flourish tonight, pitching eight shutout innings as the Orioles beat Detroit, 2-1, to sweep a doubleheader at Camden Yards.
With the win the O's are 65-95 and now have one more win than the 2009 Orioles.
Guthrie was in command throughout, giving up just two singles, one to Ryan Raburn in the 2nd and to Will Rhymes in the 5th.
He had never pitched a complete-game shutout in the Majors, but after...
In his last start of last season, Chris Tillman gave up six runs over two innings vs. Cleveland.
Today, he ended his 2010 season on a real high note, allowing just three hits and one run over seven innings in the Orioles 10-6 win over the Tigers in game one of today's doubleheader.
Chris Tillman talks about his outing in the O's 10-6 win in Game 1 of Friday's doubleheader
"I think it's huge, that last start of the year is always a big boost into the off-season. Last year I had a tough...
The Orioles used one big inning and one big pitching performance to beat the Tigers 10-6 in game one of a doubleheader at Camden Yards.
With the win they improved to 64-95, matching last season's win total.
They also improved to 32-22 under Buck Showalter. His 32 wins matches the combined total of Dave Trembley and Juan Samuel over 105 games.
Buck Showalter talks with the media following the O's 10-6 win in Game 1 of Friday's doubleheader
Winning pitcher Chris Tillman gave up just one...
It's been one of those "weird years."
That is the phrase Nick Markakis used to describe his season.
In some respects, his stats have matched what he did last year. He hit .293 then and is at .293 now. He had 45 doubles last year and has 45 now. He had an on-base percentage of .347 last year and is at .367 now.
He is tied for third in the AL in doubles, is tied for 11th in walks and is 14th in on-base percentage.
He leads all league lefty hitters with an average of .351 vs....
No one is naming any names, but some players from other teams have expressed an interest in joining the Orioles through free agency.
This is a bit of a gray area, since players can't even file yet for free agency.
But when asked today if the O's improved play since August 3rd might help the club attract possible free agents this winter, O's manager Buck Showalter indicated that answer might already be yes.
"I know Andy and I get calls and whatever. Some of them don't completely make...
Maybe he tired a bit late in the year and his bat slumped then, but overall, the 2010 season has to be considered a pretty successful one for O's outfield prospect Xavier Avery.
He began the year with Frederick as one of the youngest players in the Carolina League (at 20) and by season's end, was the leadoff hitter and center fielder for Double-A Bowie.
"I feel like there are a lot of things I still have to learn at this level, but I've gotten better since I've been here too," Avery...
There are so many encouraging stats to pick from since Buck Showalter took over as manager of the Orioles.
How about these:
The Orioles went 1-14 in series vs. AL East foes before Buck and with Buck they won five of nine series vs. the East. Before Buck, they were 10-35 in games in the division and with Buck they went 14-13.
O's record vs. AL East teams with Buck:
*vs. Tampa: 5-4
*vs. NYY: 3-3
*vs. Boston: 3-3
*vs. Toronto: 3-3
The East seems like less of a Beast these days. Maybe...
If this was Kevin Millwood's last outing in an Orioles uniform, he sure left on a high note.
Millwood gave up just two hits, both bloop singles, over seven innings, as the Orioles beat Tampa 2-0, to win the series at Tropicana Field.
O's pitching recorded two shutouts and allowed just 12 hits in this series.
Millwood, who threw just 50 pitches over the first four innings, walked three with seven strikeouts. This was just his second win on the year in 27 starts vs. American League...
I say the answer to that question is a resounding yes. Despite being the owner of just 13 wins, I believe that 24-year-old right-hander Felix Hernandez should be the winner of this year's AL Cy Young Award.
Yes, Felix should be King.
After beating the Texas Rangers last night, Hernandez has a record of 13-12 and ERA of 2.27.
While CC Sabathia is 21-7, 3.18, David Price is 19-6, 2.73 and Clay Buchholz is 17-7, 2.33, my take is that all they have over Hernandez is more wins.
Did you know...
One night after getting an outstanding outing from their starting pitcher, tonight the Orioles got one not nearly as good and lost 5-0 to the Tampa Bay Rays.
With the win, Tampa clinched a playoff spot for the second time in team history.
Brad Bergesen gave up runs in four straight innings and left after five tonight in his third start of the year vs. Tampa.
Jim Hunter talks with Buck Showalter following the O's 5-0 loss to the Rays
Bergesen allowed six hits and five runs over five...
If the Tampa Bay Rays win to wrap up a playoff berth, but no one is there to see it, did they really clinch?
It seems quite a few people were surprised at the low turnout of 12,466 Monday night at Tropicana Field.
With a win, the Rays would have clinched the second playoff berth in team history and Tampa-St. Pete apparently was not bubbling over with excitement.
The Rays began Monday with the best record in the Majors and some of the game's most exciting young players.
The team has a...