O's clinch first playoff birth since 1997

[CameronCrazy06]

BALTIMORE -- The champagne was on ice, plastic shields were in place above the cubicles in the Baltimore clubhouse and couches were removed to accommodate a celebration 15 years in the making.
The party never happened -- at least not at the ballpark. Baltimore clinched its first playoff berth since 1997, but not until late Sunday when the Texas Rangers beat the Los Angeles Angels 8-7 in the finale of a day-night doubleheader.

After the Orioles beat the Boston Red Sox 6-3 earlier Sunday, around two dozen players and coaches took scoreboard watching to a new level by staying on the field at Camden Yards and rooting for the Rangers to win the opener.

Orioles players exchanged high-fives and fist-bumps following their fourth straight win, then gathered along the first-base line to watch the scoreboard telecast of the ninth inning, which began with Texas winning 4-3.

Many in the crowd of 41,257 stood and watched, too.

But a two-run double by Torii Hunter put the Angels in front and ruined the fun. As the Orioles walked off the field, manager Buck Showalter waved to the crowd and offered a fist-pump of encouragement.

Sitting in front of his locker with a beer in his hand, first baseman Mark Reynolds said, "It would have definitely been cool to celebrate with our fans. They've been supporting us all year. To be able to celebrate out there with them and take in the moment, it would have been pretty neat."

Baltimore, on the other hand, is looking to go into the postseason as AL East champions. The Orioles remain tied atop the division standings with the New York Yankees, who rallied to beat Toronto 9-6 and also clinched no worse than a wild-card berth.

Both contenders have three games left. New York begins a season-ending series against visiting Boston on Monday night, and the Orioles travel to Tampa Bay.

Baltimore held out hope of cracking open a few cases of champagne in Florida.
"I take particular enjoyment in ruining someone else's clubhouse," reliever Darren O'Day said.

Shortstop J.J. Hardy added, "I'm not going to say there's no disappointment, but we all understand we need to keep playing good baseball to get where we want to be. We'll just worry about ourselves and win the next three games."

Who'd have thought the Orioles would be talking about division titles, playoff berths and champagne after 14 consecutive losing seasons and four straight last-place finishes? The Orioles (92-67) already have 23 more wins than a year ago.

"Our goal now is try to figure out a way to play some more baseball games here at Camden," Showalter said. "Hopefully, it's see you later."

Hardy, Nate McLouth and Chris Davis hit solo homers, and Jim Thome drove in two runs for Baltimore. The Orioles completed a sweep and went 13-5 against Boston, their most wins in a single season versus the Red Sox since 1970 (13-5).

Joe Saunders (3-3) allowed three runs, eight hits and no walks in 7 1/3 innings for Baltimore. Obtained in a late-August trade with Arizona, Saunders has yielded a total of 12 earned runs in his last six starts.

Jim Johnson worked the ninth for his 50th save.

Cody Ross and Daniel Nava homered for the last-place Red Sox, who have dropped five straight and 16 of 22. Boston (69-90) last lost 90 games in 1966.

"We haven't had a good season," manager Bobby Valentine acknowledged.

Zach Stewart (0-2) gave up five runs and seven hits, including two homers, in 2 2/3 innings. In three starts this season he's surrendered eight home runs.

After being beaten and bashed by the Orioles, who hit seven homers in the three-game series, the Red Sox now head to Yankee Stadium.

A sunny, breezy fall afternoon couldn't have started much better for the Orioles. After the video board showed the Yankees and Angels losing early, McLouth hit the fourth pitch from Stewart over the left-field wall.

"After that just trying to do damage control," Stewart said. "Try to keep it at that score. Obviously I didn't do that."

Hardy and Davis followed with singles before Stewart hit Jones with a pitch to load the bases. After Matt Wieters bounced into a run-scoring 4-6-3 double play, Thome followed with grounder up the middle that beat the shift and rolled into the outfield, scoring Davis for a 3-0 lead.

Boston wasted doubles in the second and third innings before Hardy led off the bottom of the third with his 22nd home run. Jones singled with one out, and Thome chased Stewart with an RBI single.

Ross homered in the fourth to get the Red Sox to 5-1. Davis connected off Clayton Mortensen in the fifth, his 31st homer of the season and fourth in four games.

Nava homered in the seventh with a man on.

 

[Mexi]

idk how they do it. they dont have a single good pitcher and that offense is so weird. of course Jones and Wieters aint bad, but you know what im saying

but congrats to baltimore. they deserve some october baseball

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Single good pitcher? Come on man.

Btw shout out to BC, Domerocker, and Blake!!!

 

[Mexi]

im being serious
maybe Hammel, but he's hurt. and he's Jason Hammel, cmon

Chen has been ok i guess, but he's not really all that good

jim johnson? meh. he has more saves than K's lol

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Jim Johnson is one of the best closers in baseball.

Hammel would have been an All-Star had he not injured his knee.

Chen has been one of the best rookies in baseball this year. Only O's starter to pitch all season. Starting to wear down though.

Miguel Gonzalez has come out of nowhere to be a VERY consistent pitcher.

Chris Tillman has been great for us this year.

Joe Saunders has been really consistent since he came over.

And of course we have one of the best bullpens in baseball.

 

[Mexi]

it's ok to be overachievers CC
the O's are bullshit lol

though i admit, i slept on Tillman. not THAT bad. not that good either, but not that bad
but the rest, cmon man

 

[Rios15]

I, along with others, didn't expect this out of the Orioles this year lol. Adam Jones had a good year. It really sucks being a Jays fan. We're pretty much the only team in the AL East who hasn't made the playoffs in almost 2 decades now (1993). We've always been the middle team .

 

[VC15]

Single good pitcher? Come on man.

Btw shout out to BC, Domerocker, and Blake!!!

*Playoff berth

Last I checked, the Yankees also clinched last night.

 

[elcheato]

The fact that Joe Saunders and Miguel Gonzalez have been good for the Orioles shows you that they're overachieving.

And don't take it as an insult, sometimes it happens, just enjoy the season.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Saying they're overachieving and saying that they aren't good/are bullshit/etc. are two completely different things though....

 

[elcheato]

Joe Saunders has been mediocre his entire career and Miguel Gonzalez is a 28 year old rookie.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Joe Saunders has been mediocre his entire career and Miguel Gonzalez is a 28 year old rookie.

Been pretty good for us. I see nothing "mediocre" about a career 4.15 ERA, thanks for naming our 5th starter though

 

[Pugz]

 

[RipCity32]

I'm rooting for the O's to win the division

 

[Mexi]

Been pretty good for us. I see nothing "mediocre" about a career 4.15 ERA, thanks for naming our 5th starter though

4.15 is the definition of mediocre lol

 

[.infamous]

oh

 

[Mexi]

but yeah like cheato said CC, just enjoy it. it's ok to overachieve. playoffs are a crap shoot. anyone can win

 

[CameronCrazy06]

I'm rooting for the O's to win the division

I take this as an insult because I think what you're trying to say is "I hope we play you". Bring it on. I'm hoping the O's can get homefield throughout the ALCS. Gotta hope the A's can stump the Rangers and we beat out the Yanks for the division.

but yeah like cheato said CC, just enjoy it. it's ok to overachieve. playoffs are a crap shoot. anyone can win

It just annoys me that you don't think we're good but whatever.

 

[RipCity32]

I take this as an insult because I think what you're trying to say is "I hope we play you". Bring it on. I'm hoping the O's can get homefield throughout the ALCS. Gotta hope the A's can stump the Rangers and we beat out the Yanks for the division.


It just annoys me that you don't think we're good but whatever.

Well, Game 1 and 2 will be in Detroit. I'd be super confident playing a 5 game series with the first two games (with JV and Scherzer/Fister going) in Detroit against Baltimore.
Assuming you guys take the AL East, but have a worst record than Texas.

Take that however you'd like to take it lol.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Yeah. A lot left to be decided in the AL. Y'all haven't even clinched yet

I think after tonight especially, the picture will be clearer, assuming Detroit and Oakland both clinch of course. After that it's just a matter of seeding.

I'd love to play Detroit in the first round, not necessarily because of matchup but just because I hope my team can be the one to knock them out and make all the Detroit fans here mad

But really I feel confident playing anyone except the Rangers and Angels, both of whom just rape us annually.