Norfolk playoff preview: A look at Terry Doyle, who takes the ball in Game 1 tonight

For Triple-A Norfolk right-hander Terry Doyle, his 2015 season is ending up very differently than it started.

Hoping to break spring training with Norfolk, he was instead sent to Double-A Bowie, where he was not even on the active roster on opening day. But on April 17, he was activated by Bowie. On May 10, he joined the Baysox rotation and pitched great. On Aug. 3, he was promoted to Norfolk, and tonight, he will pitch the playoff opener for the Tides at home against Columbus to start a best-of-five International League playoff series.

In 26 games (21 starts) between the Baysox and Tides, Doyle has gone 16-2 with a 2.16 ERA. Over 158 2/3 innings, he has given up 137 hits with just 22 walks and 110 strikeouts. He went 12-1 with a 1.97 ERA for Bowie. In seven Norfolk starts, Doyle is 4-1 with a 2.57 ERA.

Last Friday, as second-place Gwinnett had cut Norfolk's division lead to one game, he pitched the Tides past the Braves, allowing just three hits over eight innings. The 29-year-old Doyle, in his eighth pro season, has pitched to a 1.15 ERA his last two starts for the Tides and he'll try to pitch them to a win tonight in Norfolk's first playoff game since 2005.

"Personally, record and statistics, this is easily the best year I've ever had," Doyle said during a phone interview Tuesday. "Also, I've been fortunate that I've been in the playoffs every year but two in my career. For whatever reason, winning keeps following me around.

"With pitching and hitting in baseball, everything is about being able to repeat - either your swing or your delivery. This year, for whatever reason, my mechanics have been a lot better and a lot more consistent than in the past.

"I've consistently been getting the same release point and not having to fight against myself, trying to figure out why I'm off. I've basically been able to command the ball and move it around in the strike zone as much and as easy as it's been for me my whole career."

At 29, Doyle has probably passed the age where he has any chance to make those prospect lists, and if his age doesn't do it, his lack of a mid 90s fastball might. But this year for the Orioles, he has come up big for two playoff teams in addition to providing some help and leadership to younger pitchers.

"I'll throw a sinker or cut fastball that gets down to 84 or 85 mph," he said. "If I really let the four-seamer go, I'll get it up to 91 or maybe 92 earlier in the year. Mostly it's upper 80s relying on my fastball and off-speed off of that depending on how the hitter is reacting."

Drafted in the 37th round out of Boston College by the Chicago White Sox in 2008, Doyle has also pitched in the Boston and Atlanta organizations. The O's signed him as a minor league free agent in November.

Doyle now has 916 career minor league innings under his belt as he gets set to start tonight. He was the O's minor league Pitcher of the Month in June when he went 4-0 with a 1.54 ERA for Bowie. His team is 17-3 in his last 20 starts.

Doyle's 16 wins is tied for second in all of minor league baseball, behind only Jacob Faria of Tampa Bay, who has 17. Doyle is the first O's farmhand with 16 wins since Brad Bergesen in 2008.

Since he spent more of this year with Bowie than Norfolk, he also takes a lot of pride in the Baysox being playoff bound as well.

"I have roommates in Bowie that I keep in touch with. When Bowie clinched, I got a video from (pitching coach) Alan Mills of the celebration that they had. Guys are here that were there - (Elih) Villanueva and myself - that were big parts of that team."

Doyle was new to the Orioles when he reported to Sarasota, Fla. in March. But he said he quickly found a comfort level with his new organization.

"The Orioles don't worry about the insignificant things that don't affect baseball," Doyle said. "In spring, they showed me some things and said, 'This is our program and what we do. But your job is to make a team, so if what we do makes you uncomfortable, do what you want to do.' That was comforting for a new guy in the organization. They wanted me to be comfortable and put the best me I could out on the field."

Doyle has certainly done that. Has any pitcher on the farm had a better year in 2015? But as the Orioles rotation at the big league level has struggled, Doyle did not get the call to the majors and he is still waiting for that chance.

"You learn in this game that no matter what you do, you don't get to make decisions about where you play or your role on the team. All I can do is go out and control how much effort I put in and what I do on the field. That is all my focus right now. I don't get to make the decisions. I just want to do my job and make it as difficult as I can for them to not give me an opportunity," he said.

Despite not getting a big league chance to this point, Doyle has had an excellent first year with the Orioles. He will be a minor league free agent after the World Series. He said he is very open to re-signing with Baltimore for the 2016 season.

"Absolutely. Being comfortable in a place is important. I'm comfortable with this organization, the guys on the team and I like the coaches. I'm absolutely hoping that the Orioles ask me to come back next year," Doyle said.

Doyle tonight will face Columbus left-hander Ryan Merritt (2-0, 4.20 ERA). In Game 2, it's Chris Jones (8-8, 2.94 ERA) facing Columbus right-hander Jarrett Grube (9-0, 2.26 ERA). In Game 3, Norfolk's Tyler Wilson (5-5, 3.24 ERA) pitches against right-hander Toru Murata (15-4, 2.90). If a fourth game is needed, Norfolk is expected to start right-hander Elih Villanueva (4-5, 4.71 ERA) against right-hander Will Roberts (3-4, 3.06 ERA).

Norfolk went 38-34 at home this season and 5-4 versus Columbus. The Tides were 21 games over the .500 mark at 72-51 on Aug. 18, then lost 15 of 21 games. But still, Norfolk held off Gwinnett to take the IL South. In the other IL playoff series, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre faces Indianapolis.

Later today, I'll have a story on Double-A Bowie's playoff series that starts tonight against Altoona in the Eastern League playoffs.