Opposite dugout: Tigers bring power arms, power bats into ALDS

Manager: Brad Ausmus, first year Record: 90-72 Last 10 games: 6-4 Who to watch: 1B Miguel Cabrera (.313/.371/.524, 52 doubles, 25 HR, 109 RBIs, 101 R); DH Victor Martinez (.335/.409/.565, 33 doubles, 32 HR, 103 RBIs); RHP Max Scherzer (18-5, 3.15 ERA, 1.18 WHIP); LHP David Price (15-12, 3.26 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) Season series vs. O's: 5-1, 33 runs scored, 20 runs allowed Pitching probables Game 1, Oct. 2: Max Scherzer vs. Chris Tillman, 5:30 p.m., TBS Game 2, Oct. 3: Justin Verlander vs. TBA, 12 p.m., TBS Game 3, Oct. 5: David Price vs. TBA, 3:30 p.m., TBS Game 4, Oct. 6: Rick Porcello vs. TBA, TBA, TBS Game 5, Oct. 8: TBA, TBA, TBS Series breakdown When looking at the Orioles' best and worst matchups for the American League Division Series, the Tigers have been a popular pick to fall in the latter category. But to get where the Orioles want to go, they have to beat the best, so why not try to knock out perhaps their most difficult matchup right away? Let's look at exactly what makes the Tigers such a challenge. The obvious reason: Detroit decisively won the season series, going 5-1 against the Orioles and outscoring them 33-20. The silver lining is that all six of those games came before May 14 and these aren't necessarily the same teams they were back then. For example, the Orioles went on to slip from first to third place and 6 1/2 games back before using one of the majors' best second halves to win the division by 12 games. The Tigers went from holding a seven-game lead in the AL Central in mid-May to jostling with the Royals down the stretch and clinching the division crown on the last day of the season. Another reason the Tigers are a challenge is their postseason experience. Detroit is the only AL team making its fourth straight playoff appearance. During that streak, the Tigers have reached the AL Championship Series in each of the last three seasons and advancing to the 2012 World Series, where they were swept by the Giants. And now to the specifics of this year's Tigers. Much has been made of the fact that the Orioles are about to stare down a tremendous set of starting pitchers to open the ALDS. Detroit opens the series with each of the last three AL Cy Young Award winners (right-handers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander and left-hander David Price) before following with 15-game winner Rick Porcello. But pitching has been far from the Tigers' strength this season. They ranked 11th in the AL with a 4.01 team ERA and a 1.33 WHIP, 10th with a 3.89 rotation ERA and 13th with a 4.29 bullpen ERA. That's not to diminish the quality of starters the Orioles are up against, but Verlander (15-12, 4.54 ERA) is having a down season and the relief corps is among the shakiest in baseball. Offensively, however, the Tigers have been an absolute bear for opposing clubs to handle. Detroit led the majors with a .277 average and 325 doubles while ranking second with 757 runs. The Tigers also led the AL with a .331 OBP, a .426 slugging and a .757 OPS, tied for fourth with 155 homers and were alone in fourth with 106 steals. Designated hitter Victor Martinez had an MVP-caliber season to lead a deep lineup, which includes seven players that reached double digits in homers. Martinez led the majors with a .974 OPS, ranking second with a .335 average, a .409 on-base percentage and a .565 slugging percentage. The 35-year-old switch-hitter tied for seventh in the AL with 103 RBIs and ranked eighth with 32 homers. First baseman Miguel Cabrera led the AL with 52 doubles, ranked second with 109 RBIs, tied for third with 101 runs scored, ranked seventh with a .313 average and sixth with an .895 OPS. In his first year with the Tigers, second baseman Ian Kinsler tied for fourth in the AL with 40 doubles and fifth with 100 runs scored while ending with 17 homers and 92 RBIs. Left fielder J.D. Martinez broke through for 23 homers, 76 RBIs and a .912 OPS in 123 games. Right fielder Torii Hunter added 17 homers and 83 RBIs. Detroit can cause trouble in multiple ways with speed accompanying its power. Outfielder Rajai Davis' 36 steals ranked third in the AL during the regular season, but a groin injury could sideline him for the ALDS. Kinsler (15 steals) and shortstop Andrew Romine (12 steals) also add a baserunning element to the offense. So, in short, the Tigers lineup is awfully dangerous throughout. Moving on to a closer look at the pitching, starting with the Cy Young Award winners. Scherzer pitches against Chris Tillman in Game 1 after a fantastic regular season. Scherzer isn't the reason the Tigers' pitching staff ranked so low, as he finished tied for the AL lead with 18 wins, ranked ninth with a 3.15 ERA and third in the majors with 252 strikeouts. The reigning AL Cy Young winner had a terrific September, going 3-0 with a 2.48 ERA in five starts. He's 3-1 with a 3.92 ERA in six career starts against the Orioles, but didn't face them this season. Verlander, the 2011 AL Cy Young Award winner, will pitch Game 2 despite having his worst season since 2008. His 15-12 record was fine, but his 4.54 ERA gave him his first ERA over 3.46 in six years. His strikeouts and innings dropped while his WHIP rose during a forgettable campaign. He finished the regular season well, however, allowing two runs in 15 1/3 innings for a 1.17 ERA over his last two starts. Against the Orioles, Verlander is 9-2 with a 3.43 ERA in 15 career starts. He hasn't been as good against them the last two seasons, going 2-2 with a 5.19 ERA in four starts. Price (15-12, 3.26 ERA) rounds out the trio of AL Cy Young winners in Game 3 at Comerica Park. The left-hander finished 12th in the AL in ERA, fifth with a 1.08 WHIP and led the majors with 271 strikeouts. Price, the 2012 Cy Young winner, didn't match his performance with the Rays after being dealt to Detroit on July 31. He went 4-4 with a 3.59 ERA in 11 starts with the Tigers after going 11-8 with a 3.11 ERA over his first 23 starts. Like Verlander, Price's last two starts were redeeming. He allowed three runs and fanned 16 in 16 innings for a 1.69 ERA over his final two outings. Price knows the Orioles well from his Tampa Bay days and has dominated them - 7-3 with a 2.82 ERA in 17 career starts. However, he's just 1-1 with a 4.67 ERA in five starts against them over the last two seasons. The Game 4 starter, Porcello, doesn't mark much of a dropoff from his much-recognized rotation mates. Porcello went 15-13 with a 3.43 ERA and a major league-best three shutouts in 32 games (31 starts). The right-hander had a tough finish, surrendering at least four runs in three of his last five starts. His last two starts were especially weak, as he permitted 10 runs (eight earned) in seven innings for a 10.29 ERA. Porcello is 3-5 with a 4.28 ERA in nine career starts against Baltimore, but is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in two starts against the Orioles this season. The Orioles' goal will be to get to a bullpen that has the third-worst ERA in the AL. Closer Joe Nathan, a six-time All-Star, converted 35 of 42 save opportunities, but his 4.81 ERA was only his second above 2.96 in 12 seasons as a reliever. Right-hander Al Alburquerque pitched to a 2.51 ERA in 72 appearances and lefty Blaine Hardy had a 2.54 ERA in 38 appearances, but no other reliever who appeared in at least 30 games with the Tigers had an ERA under Joba Chamberlain's 3.57. Left-hander Phil Coke had a 3.88 ERA in 62 appearances and former Orioles closer Jim Johnson had a 7.09 ERA in 54 appearances split between Oakland and Detroit. Right-hander Joakim Soria posted a 3.25 ERA in 48 appearances with the Tigers and Rangers, but his ERA was 4.91 in 13 games with Detroit. Detroit doesn't have many attractive options to finish off games, and that contributed significantly to the club's difficulty holding off Kansas City in the division race. In 71 games since the All-Star break, the Tigers ranked 12th in the AL with a 4.06 ERA. Detroit did finish the season well, however, winning six of its last 10, 13 of its last 20 and 22 of its last 35 to come back from three games behind the Royals to win the AL Central. The Tigers might pose a significant threat to the Orioles' chances to advance, but so would any team in the most exclusive postseason in American pro sports. The Birds will have to get through the best of the best to reach their first ALCS since 1997 and first World Series sine 1983. And a case could be made that the Orioles will have to take down the most talented club in the AL first.