ALDS notebook: Hardy on intensity, Cruz on crowd, Scherzer on facing the O's and more
The Orioles clinched the American League East on Sept. 16 and they played 11 games since with a postseason berth already assured.
We saw the Orioles end the season playing with less intensity than they had before the clincher. Now they need to get that back for the AL Division Series that starts at Camden Yards Thursday against Detroit.
Will it be hard to get it back?
"No, I don't think so," shortstop J.J. Hardy said before today's workout. "Not with the way these fans are going to be. Not with what we've got in front of us. If we can't, there's a problem. There's a big problem."
Across the clubhouse, major league home run leader Nelson Cruz also mentioned the fans and the wild atmosphere expected.
"The fans can make a difference," Cruz said. "Hopefully they come with the energy they bring every day to keep us pumped up the whole game."
Since 2010, no player has more postseason homers than Cruz with 14. In 34 career postseason games, Cruz is batting .278 with the 14 homers, 27 RBIs and an OPS of 1.018.
What has been the key for Cruz to have played so well in the playoffs?
"I think just be prepared," he said. "When you prepare the right way, with any challenge, you will most likely be successful. You have to make every pitch important. Along the way with 162, sometimes it is hard to stay focused on every pitch, even when you try. The playoffs, that changes a little bit.
"I remember in the 2011 playoffs, the first series against Tampa Bay I was coming off an injury and I wasn't quite ready. That first series, I think I got one hit in five games. Then I got my timing back. I'm ready for the challenge."
Catcher Nick Hundley is likely to be behind the plate tomorrow to catch Chris Tillman in Game 1. He's basically become Tillman's personal catcher, although Hundley can't exactly explain how it came to be that way.
"I think it is just the fact he's throwing the ball really well," Hundley said. "I've just been the fortunate one to be back there. He's been really, really good for the last probably four months. It's a testament to his work ethic and that he didn't let a slow start affect him at all."
Hundley and Tillman have to find a way to combat Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez in the middle of the Tigers order. That pair combined to bat .395 with two homers and 10 RBIs against the O's this season.
"Those are probably the best two hitters going right now that we'll face," Hundley said. "To try and get them out four times is a tall task for us. Without revealing too much, we have a lot of respect for them, but at the same time we are tying to go get it done."
Meanwhile, the Tigers pitchers have to face some big guns of their own. The Orioles led the majors in homers with 211, although the Orioles hit just three in six regular-season games against Detroit.
Right-hander Max Scherzer (18-5, 3.15 ERA) was asked about facing the O's lineup of homer hitters.
"A team that swings the bat like that, they're dangerous," he said. "They're dangerous one through nine. That's something I know going into the start. They need to have a good game plan against me and I need to have a good game plan against them.
"And as for the home runs, you can't worry about that. You can't focus on the negatives. For me, I can only focus on what I can control. That's executing what I think will be successful and that's what I will do, is try to come up with a plan and execute that for as long as I can."
Steve Pearce is one of the players he'll face in the middle of that lineup. Pearce missed some games late in the year with a right wrist injury and had a cortisone injection. Today, he pronounced that his wrist fine and healed for the ALDS.
"Everything feels great. That is what we did it for. To knock out the discomfort and be healthy going into this series," he said.
Across the clubhouse, major league home run leader Nelson Cruz also mentioned the fans and the wild atmosphere expected.
"The fans can make a difference," Cruz said. "Hopefully they come with the energy they bring every day to keep us pumped up the whole game."
Since 2010, no player has more postseason homers than Cruz with 14. In 34 career postseason games, Cruz is batting .278 with the 14 homers, 27 RBIs and an OPS of 1.018.
What has been the key for Cruz to have played so well in the playoffs?
"I think just be prepared," he said. "When you prepare the right way, with any challenge, you will most likely be successful. You have to make every pitch important. Along the way with 162, sometimes it is hard to stay focused on every pitch, even when you try. The playoffs, that changes a little bit.
"I remember in the 2011 playoffs, the first series against Tampa Bay I was coming off an injury and I wasn't quite ready. That first series, I think I got one hit in five games. Then I got my timing back. I'm ready for the challenge."
Catcher Nick Hundley is likely to be behind the plate tomorrow to catch Chris Tillman in Game 1. He's basically become Tillman's personal catcher, although Hundley can't exactly explain how it came to be that way.
"I think it is just the fact he's throwing the ball really well," Hundley said. "I've just been the fortunate one to be back there. He's been really, really good for the last probably four months. It's a testament to his work ethic and that he didn't let a slow start affect him at all."
Hundley and Tillman have to find a way to combat Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez in the middle of the Tigers order. That pair combined to bat .395 with two homers and 10 RBIs against the O's this season.
"Those are probably the best two hitters going right now that we'll face," Hundley said. "To try and get them out four times is a tall task for us. Without revealing too much, we have a lot of respect for them, but at the same time we are tying to go get it done."
Meanwhile, the Tigers pitchers have to face some big guns of their own. The Orioles led the majors in homers with 211, although the Orioles hit just three in six regular-season games against Detroit.
Right-hander Max Scherzer (18-5, 3.15 ERA) was asked about facing the O's lineup of homer hitters.
"A team that swings the bat like that, they're dangerous," he said. "They're dangerous one through nine. That's something I know going into the start. They need to have a good game plan against me and I need to have a good game plan against them.
"And as for the home runs, you can't worry about that. You can't focus on the negatives. For me, I can only focus on what I can control. That's executing what I think will be successful and that's what I will do, is try to come up with a plan and execute that for as long as I can."
Steve Pearce is one of the players he'll face in the middle of that lineup. Pearce missed some games late in the year with a right wrist injury and had a cortisone injection. Today, he pronounced that his wrist fine and healed for the ALDS.
"Everything feels great. That is what we did it for. To knock out the discomfort and be healthy going into this series," he said.
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