Wrapping up the home portion of the schedule

We've reached the final regular season home game of the 2014 season. In past years, boxes would be stacked in front of lockers as players gathered their belongings and said their goodbyes. Reporters would circle the room collecting contact information - phone numbers, e-mail addresses, whatever a player is willing to give. Manager Buck Showalter calls it the saddest time of the year. It's a lot different when the team qualifies for the playoffs, as it's done in two of the last three seasons. The Orioles will return here following next Sunday's game in Toronto that concludes the regular season. Yes, we're down to the final week. We'll find out today which player was named Most Valuable Oriole. It's expected to be Nelson Cruz unless someone tore up the ballots and filled out their own. It won't be unanimous. Cruz has hit safely in 13 of his last 14 games, including eight in a row. He's 22-for-59 (.373) in those 14 games, with 10 extra-base hits and 12 RBIs. Enjoy your Chris Tillman bobblehead if you're 15 and over and among the first 25,000 fans in attendance. I've already got mine. It needs a shave. Miguel Gonzalez doesn't usually need much help against the Red Sox. He's 4-0 with a 2.18 ERA in five lifetime starts against them, with eight earned runs allowed in 33 innings. He's posted a 0.63 ERA in two starts against them this season. Daniel Nava is 5-for-13 (.385) against Gonzalez. Gonzalez has registered six consecutive quality starts and 10 in his last 11 games. I'd expect Gonzalez to pitch the third game of the Division Series following Tillman and Wei-Yin Chen. The Orioles have won Tillman's last 11 starts dating back to July 29 and outscored their opponents 65-27. Over the last 18 games, the Orioles' rotation has gone 10-1 with a 1.83 ERA and 12 quality starts in 113 innings. In the last 12 games, the rotation has gone 8-1 with a 1.73 ERA and seven quality starts in 73 innings. Adam Jones has hit 19 home runs against the Red Sox in his career, his second-highest total vs. any opponent. He's hit 24 against the Blue Jays, who, in turn, tried to hit 24 Orioles during their last series. Brad Brach has registered a 2.35 ERA in his last 22 outings and struck out 22 batters in 23 innings.