Markakis: "Want to thank the best fans in baseball" (plus other clubhouse quotes)
Amid the crush of the Orioles postgame clubhouse, Nick Markakis talked about playing and winning the first playoff game of his career.
"Awesome," Markakis said. "Everything you want it to be. We play for the people that come here and they supported us. It was everything you work for. We want to thank the best fans in baseball. They showed it tonight."
Markakis had played the third-most games (1,365) of any active player before making his playoff debut.
Meanwhile, as he has often this year, Nelson Cruz got the Orioles started on their way to a 12-3 win over Detroit with a big two-run homer in the first inning off Max Scherzer.
"That set the tone," Markakis said. "That was big. We came out swinging the bats early and we made him throw the ball over the plate and that was the biggest thing.
"We got a bunch of two-out hits all game and we thrived on that. Guys wanted to be in that situation. Hopefully we didn't waste them all tonight."
If Markakis had any nerves, it didn't show. He went 2-for-2 in the first two innings and came up with an RBI single in the second.
"It's a baseball game, you have to have fun," he said. "Butterflies were flying a little bit. But after that first at-bat I settled in and everybody else settled in nicely and we played a great game."
Andrew Miller gave the Orioles a clutch relief outing tonight. He pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings throwing 32 pitches, eight more than he has thrown since joining the Orioles. He fanned three batters including Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez.
He threw some nasty sliders.
"I felt like I used my fastball tonight as well," Miller said. "I need both pitches to be successful. I'm a two-pitch pitcher so if I can keep them guessing because I have both options available, I'm going to be at my best. Felt like I had a good slider tonight."
Miller was asked about being part of such a good bullpen.
"The time I had in Boston I feel like that was the strength of that team. Here everything is clicking right now at the same time. If you can get the ball to the next guy we'll be in good shape."
After his longest Orioles outing, Miller feels he will still be available to pitch in Game 2 on Friday afternoon.
"Oh for sure. I'm ready for anything," Miller said. "I could do what I did tonight again I think tomorrow. That's the plan. I talked to a couple of guys I played with and guys here that have been through this. My understanding is you get a little extra energy and you feel fresher going into these games because of the adrenaline for the situation."
Making his first postseason start, Chris Tillman gave the Orioles a solid outing. But he gave up back-to-back homers in a 31-pitch second inning that led to his going just five innings on 105 pitches.
"It was a grind. They fouled off and spoiled a lot of good pitches," Tillman said. "But that is what teams do this time of year. They look for a mistake to make you pay. But we made some adjustments and executed some pitches later in the game."
He started the game striking out the side on 14 pitches, ending the first inning getting Miguel Cabrera with a 97-mph fastball.
"I don't know. The emotions got the best of me, looking back on it now," Tillman said. "Pretty cool. But was able to settle in and I think hopefully I set the tone for the game."
Tillman earned the win and the Orioles take the opener as they take a big first step toward winning this series.
"It's not going to get any easier," Tillman said. "They've got good guys going every time. Their lineup is not going to change. But we have a good game plan and we just need to execute."
Adam Jones talked about the fan support.
"Have your fans with the support that Camden Yards was rocking with tonight, you never know what can happen. Our bats just fell in synch," he said.
Jones threw some praise Tillman's way.
"He's been our ace all year. This is the reason why he got the ball. He went pound for pound with Scherzer."
In scoring 12 runs tonight, the most the Orioles have ever scored in a playoff game, they got a lot of contributions. Five players had two hits and seven players drove in runs.
"That's how we've been all year," Jones said. "One through nine, someone will get the job done. We don't care who does it, as long as it happens.
"Scherzer is a tough guy to get out the game. We just grinded him out and battled and battled him. Once we got to the pen we just turned it on.
"Big win at home. You have to take, well not you've got to, but it was good to get the first one at home. Obviously it's not going to be easy still but we'll battle and grind it out."
A reporter told Jones that the O's eight-run eighth was their biggest inning of the year.
"No time like the present, right? It was good to swing the bats and get some momentum. I'm sure the fans loved it."
Now the fans and players both have a quick turnaround heading into Friday's 12:07 p.m. start.
"How you going to feel tomorrow?" Jones said. "We'll feel good. We have to come out here and do the same thing."
"That set the tone," Markakis said. "That was big. We came out swinging the bats early and we made him throw the ball over the plate and that was the biggest thing.
"We got a bunch of two-out hits all game and we thrived on that. Guys wanted to be in that situation. Hopefully we didn't waste them all tonight."
If Markakis had any nerves, it didn't show. He went 2-for-2 in the first two innings and came up with an RBI single in the second.
"It's a baseball game, you have to have fun," he said. "Butterflies were flying a little bit. But after that first at-bat I settled in and everybody else settled in nicely and we played a great game."
Andrew Miller gave the Orioles a clutch relief outing tonight. He pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings throwing 32 pitches, eight more than he has thrown since joining the Orioles. He fanned three batters including Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez.
He threw some nasty sliders.
"I felt like I used my fastball tonight as well," Miller said. "I need both pitches to be successful. I'm a two-pitch pitcher so if I can keep them guessing because I have both options available, I'm going to be at my best. Felt like I had a good slider tonight."
Miller was asked about being part of such a good bullpen.
"The time I had in Boston I feel like that was the strength of that team. Here everything is clicking right now at the same time. If you can get the ball to the next guy we'll be in good shape."
After his longest Orioles outing, Miller feels he will still be available to pitch in Game 2 on Friday afternoon.
"Oh for sure. I'm ready for anything," Miller said. "I could do what I did tonight again I think tomorrow. That's the plan. I talked to a couple of guys I played with and guys here that have been through this. My understanding is you get a little extra energy and you feel fresher going into these games because of the adrenaline for the situation."
Making his first postseason start, Chris Tillman gave the Orioles a solid outing. But he gave up back-to-back homers in a 31-pitch second inning that led to his going just five innings on 105 pitches.
"It was a grind. They fouled off and spoiled a lot of good pitches," Tillman said. "But that is what teams do this time of year. They look for a mistake to make you pay. But we made some adjustments and executed some pitches later in the game."
He started the game striking out the side on 14 pitches, ending the first inning getting Miguel Cabrera with a 97-mph fastball.
"I don't know. The emotions got the best of me, looking back on it now," Tillman said. "Pretty cool. But was able to settle in and I think hopefully I set the tone for the game."
Tillman earned the win and the Orioles take the opener as they take a big first step toward winning this series.
"It's not going to get any easier," Tillman said. "They've got good guys going every time. Their lineup is not going to change. But we have a good game plan and we just need to execute."
Adam Jones talked about the fan support.
"Have your fans with the support that Camden Yards was rocking with tonight, you never know what can happen. Our bats just fell in synch," he said.
Jones threw some praise Tillman's way.
"He's been our ace all year. This is the reason why he got the ball. He went pound for pound with Scherzer."
In scoring 12 runs tonight, the most the Orioles have ever scored in a playoff game, they got a lot of contributions. Five players had two hits and seven players drove in runs.
"That's how we've been all year," Jones said. "One through nine, someone will get the job done. We don't care who does it, as long as it happens.
"Scherzer is a tough guy to get out the game. We just grinded him out and battled and battled him. Once we got to the pen we just turned it on.
"Big win at home. You have to take, well not you've got to, but it was good to get the first one at home. Obviously it's not going to be easy still but we'll battle and grind it out."
A reporter told Jones that the O's eight-run eighth was their biggest inning of the year.
"No time like the present, right? It was good to swing the bats and get some momentum. I'm sure the fans loved it."
Now the fans and players both have a quick turnaround heading into Friday's 12:07 p.m. start.
"How you going to feel tomorrow?" Jones said. "We'll feel good. We have to come out here and do the same thing."
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