O'Day talks about Gordon's go-ahead homer (plus other clubhouse quotes)

Orioles reliever Darren O'Day gave up just three homers in his first 77 2/3 innings this season. Then he allowed three homers in September.

Tonight he gave up a tiebreaking homer to Alex Gordon leading off the 10th inning as Kansas City posted an 8-6 win over the Oriolesto take Game 1 of the best-of-seven American League Championship Series.

O'Day got a double play to end the ninth and keep the game tied at 5-5, but Gordon untied it for Kansas City.

"It's tough, that's a hard-fought game," O'Day said in the quiet O's clubhouse. "It's really tough. Highs and lows of playoff baseball. Came in the inning before and got out of a situation you don't expect to get out of and, as easy as that, just like I'm throwing batting practice, gave up a home run.

"I take great pride in being able to get left-handers. Lately, I haven't been. Forget getting them out. You have to keep guys in the yard, left or right-handed.

"Just a mental mistake. I have two righties behind him. I made a mistake and he got it."

The pitch was out and up, and it was certainly not the intended location.

"I'm not trying to let him get his arms extended there. That is right where he wants it. I had a few options and that wasn't a good one," O'Day said.

Now the Orioles have to come back later today and try to even this series.

"We have a quick turnaround, which is good. It happens. It just usually happens to them. We'll keep fighting," O'Day said.

"Greg Holland, he is right up there with the best closers in the game. If we can keep that score to just one run. That was another mental mistake there is me walking (Salvador) Perez. You can't do that. As frustrated as I was, you have to get the next guy out and keep that lead to one run. Give our team a chance to tie and we'd probably still be playing.

"You know everybody can see when we screw up. You're on the stage and that is where we want to be, no question about it. But sometimes you are going to be on the wrong end of things."

Chris Tillman gave up five runs tonight, four of them coming in the Royals' third inning. He threw 84 pitches, going just 4 1/3 innings.

"It was a struggle," Tillman said. "Physically, I felt pretty good, but my pitches weren't where they needed to be. If I'm able to limit the damage a little better there in the big inning, it's a whole different ballgame. I put my bullpen in a tough situation. It was tough to watch on my part. Not good enough. Got to be better."

That big inning included a three-run double by Gordon.

"I executed a pitch I wanted to. He hit it to a spot where no one is going to get it," Tillman said.

After seeing the Orioles bullpen falter late in this game, Tillman said there is no doubt the same pitchers want the ball in Game 2.

"One hundred percent.," he said. "These guys have been doing it all year. You know what, have another one tomorrow. We'll rally and show up tomorrow."

Adam Jones talked about the back-and-forth nature of a very long Game 1.

"A 4 1/2(-hour) game, that's a long game. But both teams stayed into it every pitch, to the last pitch. Credit goes to both team for grinding it out. Obviously they pulled Game 1 out but it's a long series," he said.

Zach Britton walked the bases loaded in the ninth of a 5-5 tie, but the Orioles got out of that jam. Still, Britton threw just five strikes among 20 pitches.

"You know, I wasn't that far from the zone," he said. "I think you give their hitters credit for being patient and not swinging at those pitches. At the same time, I have to throw strikes. But there is a fine line between giving in and trying to get them to swing at my pitch, but they didn't do it. We will go get them tomorrow. We have to win four and it doesn't matter what four you win so we'll bounce back tomorrow, we've done it before."