O's game blog: O's can move into second AL wild card spot with win

The Detroit Tigers allowed five runs in the top of the ninth this afternoon and lost to the Kansas City Royals 7-4 at Comerica Park. That loss provides the Orioles a chance to move back into the lead for the second American League wild card spot if they can beat the Diamondbacks tonight at Camden Yards. Toronto beat the New York Yankees 3-0 and the Orioles would stay 1 1/2 games back of the Blue Jays for the first wild card with a win tonight.

The Orioles (83-71) beat Arizona (64-89) 3-2 in 12 innings last night. They improved to 48-31 at home and ended a four-game losing streak. The Orioles are 11-10 in September and 12-6 against National League teams. Arizona is 6-11 since Sept. 5. The Diamondbacks are 1-3 on a 10-game road trip that heads to Washington on Monday.

On the mound tonight, it's a matchup of left-handers. Wade Miley (8-13, 5.65 ERA) pitches for the Orioles, making his 29th start of the year and his 10th with Baltimore. Robbie Ray (8-13, 4.66 ERA) makes his 31st start of the year for Arizona.

Miley pitched four shutout innings of one-hit ball in his last start on Sept. 18 versus Tampa Bay. But he left that game after 63 pitches with a muscle strain in his upper back. In his two previous starts, he had allowed 13 hits and 10 runs over 6 1/3 innings. In nine starts as an Oriole, Miley is 1-5 with a 7.55 ERA, allowing 54 hits in 39 1/3 innings.

In five home starts, he is 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA. Left-handed batters have hit .258 off Miley with right-handed batters hitting .348. He has yielded a batting average against of .395 when pitching with runners in scoring position.

The 24-year-old Ray has allowed nine runs in 10 2/3 over his past two starts. In four September outings, he is 1-1 with a 7.29 ERA. Over 21 innings, he has walked nine and struck out 29. On the year over 166 innings, Ray has walked 63 with 210 strikeouts, which is tied for fourth most in the NL.

In 12 starts since the All-Star break, he is 4-5 with a 4.46 ERA. In 15 road starts for Arizona, he is 3-7 with a 3.98 ERA. Lefty batters hit .244 off him and right-handed hitters are batting .270. He also yields a .270 average when pitching with runners in scoring position.

Mark Trumbo's homer in the 12th inning on Friday was his fifth career walk-off home run, the sixth walk-off victory for the Orioles this season and the second Orioles walk-off home run of the season.

Catcher Matt Wieters slugged a game-tying solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. It was his first career game-tying home run in the ninth inning or later, according to ESPN Stats & Info. He also posted his 23rd multi-hit effort this season, going 3-for-5, the sixth time Wieters has recorded three or more hits in a game.

Shortstop J.J. Hardy has hit safely in 11 of his last 14 games, batting .400/.460/.511 (18-for-45) with three extra-base hits, four runs scored and eight RBIs in that span.