Jim Thome is the voice of experience in the Orioles clubhouse. When it comes to playoff games, that is certainly true. He has played in 67 in his career. The rest of the players in the O's clubhouse had a total of 58 going into Game 1 of the American League Division Series.
Thome was asked how crucial tonight's game is as the Orioles try to even this series.
"We just play one game at a time. We don't look two games ahead," Thome said. "They've got a very good ball club, we know that...
If you go back over the Orioles' last five games, their offense has produced just 12 runs in that stretch. But is that because they are struggling at the plate now at such a critical time or just because they've faced some very good pitching?
In those five games - starting with the Tampa Bay series - the Orioles are batting just .170 as a team with four doubles and three homers.
In September, the Orioles hit .270 as a team with an OPS of .806. They averaged 5.46 runs per game and hit 47...
To no one's surprise, the Orioles came to the defense of their closer tonight. They've seen Jim Johnson do too many special things for them this year to do anything else. He is one of the team leaders and they were standing behind him tonight after he gave up five runs in the ninth in Game 1 of the ALDS.
"It's not deflating," catcher Matt Wieters said. "We have to do a better job getting him the lead. Jim's been great for us all year and everyone in this clubhouse wants to give him the...
Jim Johnson said he made mistakes with his location tonight, costing him and the Orioles as the New York Yankees scored five in the ninth off the O's closer to post a 7-2 win tonight in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.
"I made a mistake, obviously to (Russell) Martin and a couple of other mistakes over the middle of the plate, and we paid for it," Johnson said. "It's unfortunate after the effort we got out of everybody else. I didn't hold my end of the bargain. I feel...
Jim Johnson has been so great for the Orioles this year. He entered this game in the top of the ninth of a 2-2 tie tonight having allowed just one run over his last 26 innings and three homers all year and none since June 5.
But Russell Martin homered to left on a 2-0 pitch leading off the ninth and the Yankees went on to a 7-2 win in Game 1 of the American League Division Series in front of 47,841 at Camden Yards.
The Orioles will need to win tomorrow night behind Wei-Yin Chen or they will...
Tonight's live blog: Our live blog for Game 1 of the American League Division Series is under way. Please check back here often tonight for updates, but I also hope to see a lot of comments from fans and readers. Post often your thoughts on this game and series. Ask any O's questions you have. Start leaving comments right now if you have one.
Some O's playoff history: The Orioles have never lost an American League Division Series. OK, they have only played in two of them, but they beat...
A reporter pointed out to Matt Wieters that all the Orioles in the clubhouse now have playoff experience. It may just be one game for some of them, but that was a pretty big one and Wieters said the players' effort against Texas could help them in the American League Division Series against the Yankees.
"That one game was playoff experience like you get in a Game 7," Wieters said. "Some of the nerves for some of the guys, you get it out of your system and that means you care. Winning that...
It has been a pretty good first year for Wei-Yin Chen as an Oriole and the next step for him is starting Game 2 for the Orioles tomorrow night against the Yankees here at Camden Yards.
"It's been a great year to me and the Orioles," Chen said today through his interpreter. "I'm so lucky to be here and I want to give everything to the fans and the city of Baltimore. This has been an amazing year to me and I don't want to think too much right now, just want to keep going, keep going and...
Several Orioles players and manager Buck Showalter said they hoped to bring a home playoff game to Camden Yards and tonight is the night. The Orioles host the Yankees in the first playoff game at Camden Yards since Oct. 15, 1997.
"We feel like the fans came out to support us and it's big to get two games at home and hopefully more. We know we'll have Camden Yards rocking," catcher Matt Wieters said.
"Baltimore is a great baseball town and we saw it this year. What great fans we have...
It seems some Orioles fans have not been able to forget what happened in the fifth inning at Camden Yards on the night of Sept. 8. The Yankees' CC Sabathia hit Nick Markakis with a pitch on his left thumb. Markakis suffered a broken thumb and has been out of the lineup ever since.
Tonight, when the Orioles face Sabathia again in Game 1 of the American League Division Series, they want to beat him to win this series and not because they feel Sabathia intentionally hit Markakis. In fact, they...
Brian Matusz said he knows he could be a busy man over the next week or so. The Yankees have some big guns that bat from the left side, including Ichiro Suzuki, who has hit .394 over his last 16 games, and Robinson Cano, whose bat is absolutely sizzling right now.
Cano has posted nine straight multi-hit games, going 24-for-39 for a .615 average with seven doubles, three homers and 14 RBIs during that torrid stretch.
"They have a pretty left-handed heavy lineup and some pretty good ones there...
Orioles first baseman Mark Reynolds got hit on his left hand by Texas pitcher Yu Darvish in the second inning last night. Reynolds stayed in the game and said this afternoon that he fully expects to play tomorrow night in Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Yankees.
"Yeah, it's a little sore but it's fine. I'll be good to go," he said.
What about that postgame celebration in Texas?
"It was neat," he said. "We didn't get to have it when we made it to the...
During a press conference here at Camden Yards a few moments ago, New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that Andy Pettitte will start Game 2 for the Yankees followed by Hiroki Kuroda in Game 3 and Phil Hughes in Game 4.
CC Sabathia will be on the mound for New York in the series opener tomorrow night. Here are some other comments from Girardi.
On the Orioles' improvement
"Their pitching improved. Position players improved here. Look at what their bullpen did. You know, the games you are...
Here is a stat that may surprise some people: The Orioles lost just one series against the Yankees among the six they played this year. The Orioles got swept in the first series of the season at Camden Yards in April, losing two of those games in extra innings.
They never lost another extra-inning game the rest of the year after those losses on April 10 and 11.
In those six series, they went 0-3, 2-1, 1-1, 2-1, 2-1 and 2-2.
You have to wonder how much the Orioles' lefty starters, Joe...
A lasting image of the Orioles' win last night: The look on Buck Showalter's face as he watched his players celebrate on the field after the wild card win over Texas. That look should go under "proud" in the dictionary.
The pride on Showalter's face could have spoken for every O's fan at that moment. It was a night and win 15 years in the making.
Everywhere you looked, there were clutch performances. Nate McLouth drives in two and scores one. J.J. Hardy drove in the first run. An Adam...
The veteran pitcher, who in the minds of some, was a very controversial choice to pitch tonight, got the job done for the Orioles. Joe Saunders, ignoring his poor career stats vs. Texas, held the Rangers to just one run in a very gutty effort as the Orioles beat Texas 5-1 in the AL wild card game.
With this win, in their first playoff game since 1997, the Orioles now advance to meet the Yankees in the American League Division Series. The O's host Game 1 Sunday night at 6:15 p.m. at Camden...
Tonight's live blog: We'll be keeping this blog going throughout tonight's game and are looking for your input. Hope you post a lot of comments and/or questions here all night starting now.
Let's start with this question: How are your nerves holding up tonight, O's fans? What are your feelings about tonight's game and what do the Orioles need to do to win it?
Again, feel free to post your impressions of the game with comments and questions through the night. I'll add some of my own as...
Here is something to consider about tonight's game. Some are wondering about the Orioles' lack of playoff experience coupled with the fact that Texas has plenty of it. The Rangers are 18-15 in playoff games the last two seasons.
But heading into October 2010, Texas was the only major league franchise to never have won a playoff series and it won the AL championship that year.
Gerry Fraley covers the Rangers for the Dallas Morning News. We all know the Rangers struggled down the stretch,...
If the Orioles can get past Texas tonight and into a five-game series, that might be where one of their strengths - their bullpen - can really help the team.
This unit has been sensational this year and is a big reason the club is so outstanding in one-run and extra-inning games. In the playoffs, it often seems that teams with deep bullpens do well.
The Orioles have a deep and talented bullpen, and given a chance to show his mastery at using it, I would expect Buck Showalter to put the right...
A day dawns that Orioles fans have waited 15 years for. Your Baltimore Orioles are back in the playoffs.
As I've said a few times now, I am so happy for all O's fans, but especially the very large number of you that stuck with the team through every loss, every negative article, every negative phone call on the talks shows and everything that was negative, negative, negative.
Take those days and trash them.
This is a new day and time of Orioles baseball. I hope every one takes time today...