A few minutes with Dan Duquette (Markakis and rain delay updates)

The Orioles still don't have a starter listed for a possible Game 4 on Thursday. The Yankees will start Phil Hughes. Nate McLouth has driven in two runs in each postseason game so far to become the sixth player to record consecutive multi-RBI games in Orioles postseason history, joining Mike Bordick, Todd Zeile, Kiko Garcia, Brooks Robinson and Boog Powell. The postseason may provide executive vice president Dan Duquette with more downtime than usual, since organizational meetings have been put on hold and he isn't seeking trade partners and scanning the waiver wire. Basically, it's sit down with manager Buck Showalter to discuss the wild card and Division Series rosters and wait for the games "like everybody else," he said. "It's like you wait with anticipation, like, hurry up and get here. We want to play ball tonight. And we are focused a little bit on our roster for next season, but we did a lot of the preliminary work already in August and September." Duquette hasn't been in the playoffs since 1999 with the Boston Red Sox. His return came in his first season with the Orioles. "The year's been a lot of fun and it's been nice to see the fans reconnect with their team in Baltimore, right?" he said. "The fans say how happy they are to be out following the team and how happy they are that the team is back in the playoffs, so that's good. I think it's good for everybody. "I expected that we would have a competitive team and we could compete year in and year out, and by placing the emphasis and doing everything we could to do our best and have our best team out there for every game, it generated a winning season." One that has gradually led fans back to Camden Yards. Last night's crowd of 47,841 was the largest of the season. "It was great that the fans were out," he said. "There was all this pent-up emotion for the team and I think people were glad to see baseball back in Baltimore." Fans stayed through a lengthy rain delay and didn't head for the exits until New York scored five runs in the top of the ninth. "They wanted to participate in the game, right?" he said. "That was commendable." NOTE: Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis had the pins removed from his left thumb today. Doctors were pleased with results, according to the club. Also, Game 2 will start at approximately 8:45 p.m. The tarp isn't on the field as a light rain falls, but the mound and plate are covered. No tarp? Then let's play.