Joseph on Stroman's high and tight pitch (plus more clubhouse quotes)
Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph had a crowd of reporters around his locker tonight. They asked him about Wei-Yin Chen and the O's 5-2 win over Toronto, but also about plays he was involved in during the middle of the game.
Joseph was asked about the play at the plate that angered Jose Reyes and the Blue Jays in the fifth inning and then the pitch that Marcus Stroman threw that buzzed his head in the last of the sixth.
"We had a play at the plate," Joseph said. "Close game, late in the year. Just trying to make a play there. I'm not really sure (what angered Reyes). You have to ask him. I was just trying to make a play there and we had a chance really. It was close."
Did Joseph inadvertently spike Reyes while trying to make the tag?
"Not sure. It all happened so fast," Joseph said. "All I knew is we had a play a the plate and tried to put myself in the right position at home plate. Felt I was in good position."
In the last of the sixth, with two outs and no one on, Stroman threw a fastball head-high and Joseph had to duck out of the way. That didn't go over well in the Orioles dugout.
"There is life outside of baseball," Joseph said. "I have a wife and baby on the way. Those are the type of things that go through your head when that kind of stuff happens. Glad it didn't hit me.
"Yeah, there is a code. Every baseball player knows there is a code. I'm not the judge here to judge intent or any of that stuff. I'm just glad it didn't hit me.
"We're just trying to win the game. At that point, a win is better than any kind of retaliation you can have."
And now the Orioles' magic number is one. They can wrap up the American League East title here tomorrow night.
"We'll see it when it happens," Joseph said. "We are still just focused on tomorrow's game. That has kind of been the motto for this team for a while now. Just try to go out and win every day.
"It'd be fun. Be a lot of fun. But we have to win first. They're over there trying to beat us. No one is going to lay down for us."
Brad Brach was the O's pitcher on the mound in the seventh after he got the last out of the sixth inning. He said he did not have retaliation in mind at that point.
"We are trying to win games," Brach said. "I was going to go out there and get outs. I didn't want to put someone on base or do something stupid. There just to get outs. Just trying to get wins right now."
Wei-Yin Chen gave up two runs over 5 2/3 innings to become a 16-game winner tonight. Chen is 2-0 with a 1.45 ERA in three September starts. He was asked about his outing and the O's chance to win the AL East on Tuesday night.
"I allowed quite a few hits out there, but I was trying to battle and not allow too many runs," Chen said through his interpreter. "Fortunate I could do that with the help of my teammates. Happy about the result.
"One more game and we are going to clinch the AL East. I will be rooting for my teammates. I believe we are going to do great in the postseason."
Ryan Flaherty gave his team a boost tonight with a two-run homer in the fourth inning. He said he got a first-pitch hanging curveball.
Flaherty was asked about the chance for the O's to clinch tomorrow night on their home field.
"It's special," he said. "Back in February, we set out on this mission and believed we could do it. The light is there at the end of the tunnel. Couple of years ago we were not able to (clinch at home). It would be great."
Adam Jones said the turning point in tonight's game may have happened in the top of the first when Nick Markakis made an inning-ending diving catch in right field with a run in and two men on.
"Markakis made I think the play of the game," Jones said. "Because if that drops, you never know how many runs could score. He made the play of the game to give us momentum and a boost on the offensive front."
And this win has the Orioles on the verge of the division championship.
"You go into spring training, all 30 teams that put that time and effort into it, they want to get into this moment," Jones said. "We're just forunate to put all the pieces together and we're also missing some pieces. The resilience of this team is our strength. No matter how we have to do it, we just find a way."
"Not sure. It all happened so fast," Joseph said. "All I knew is we had a play a the plate and tried to put myself in the right position at home plate. Felt I was in good position."
In the last of the sixth, with two outs and no one on, Stroman threw a fastball head-high and Joseph had to duck out of the way. That didn't go over well in the Orioles dugout.
"There is life outside of baseball," Joseph said. "I have a wife and baby on the way. Those are the type of things that go through your head when that kind of stuff happens. Glad it didn't hit me.
"Yeah, there is a code. Every baseball player knows there is a code. I'm not the judge here to judge intent or any of that stuff. I'm just glad it didn't hit me.
"We're just trying to win the game. At that point, a win is better than any kind of retaliation you can have."
And now the Orioles' magic number is one. They can wrap up the American League East title here tomorrow night.
"We'll see it when it happens," Joseph said. "We are still just focused on tomorrow's game. That has kind of been the motto for this team for a while now. Just try to go out and win every day.
"It'd be fun. Be a lot of fun. But we have to win first. They're over there trying to beat us. No one is going to lay down for us."
Brad Brach was the O's pitcher on the mound in the seventh after he got the last out of the sixth inning. He said he did not have retaliation in mind at that point.
"We are trying to win games," Brach said. "I was going to go out there and get outs. I didn't want to put someone on base or do something stupid. There just to get outs. Just trying to get wins right now."
Wei-Yin Chen gave up two runs over 5 2/3 innings to become a 16-game winner tonight. Chen is 2-0 with a 1.45 ERA in three September starts. He was asked about his outing and the O's chance to win the AL East on Tuesday night.
"I allowed quite a few hits out there, but I was trying to battle and not allow too many runs," Chen said through his interpreter. "Fortunate I could do that with the help of my teammates. Happy about the result.
"One more game and we are going to clinch the AL East. I will be rooting for my teammates. I believe we are going to do great in the postseason."
Ryan Flaherty gave his team a boost tonight with a two-run homer in the fourth inning. He said he got a first-pitch hanging curveball.
Flaherty was asked about the chance for the O's to clinch tomorrow night on their home field.
"It's special," he said. "Back in February, we set out on this mission and believed we could do it. The light is there at the end of the tunnel. Couple of years ago we were not able to (clinch at home). It would be great."
Adam Jones said the turning point in tonight's game may have happened in the top of the first when Nick Markakis made an inning-ending diving catch in right field with a run in and two men on.
"Markakis made I think the play of the game," Jones said. "Because if that drops, you never know how many runs could score. He made the play of the game to give us momentum and a boost on the offensive front."
And this win has the Orioles on the verge of the division championship.
"You go into spring training, all 30 teams that put that time and effort into it, they want to get into this moment," Jones said. "We're just forunate to put all the pieces together and we're also missing some pieces. The resilience of this team is our strength. No matter how we have to do it, we just find a way."
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