Reality: The Orioles will play at least two, maybe three, day games during the American League Divisional Series.
Perception: That’s not the best news for Orioles fans. The O’s were just 24-30 in day games in 2014 (as opposed to 72-36 during night games). The Tigers were 32-29 in day games. The Birds actually have the worst record of any playoff team in day games. So it’s not a perfect set up for the Orioles, but due to TV rights and overlapping all all of that, we just have to deal with it. And there is no use complaining about it either. At least Orioles fans have playoff baseball! That can’t be said for many cities throughout the country.
Reality: The Orioles will be facing the last three American League Cy Young Award winners in the ALDS.
Perception: Max Scherzer, the 2013 AL Cy Young winner, will pitch Game 1 for the Tigers. Justin Verlander, the 2011 AL Cy Young winner, will pitch Game 2. David Price, the 2012 AL Cy Young winner, will pitch Game 3.
The Tigers have a very strong pitching staff, but so did the Oakland Athletics and that didn’t help them get out of the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Big names don’t make them better. The Orioles team ERA was 3.43 this season, which was third in the American League. Detroit’s staff was 11th. The key for the Orioles will get knocking out the Tigers starters as early as they can because if they can get to the Detroit’s bullpen, the Orioles chances to win goes up dramatically.
Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com reports:
Detroit’s bullpen had a 4.07 ERA in 24 1/3 postseason innings in 2013, a 3.90 ERA in 32 1/3 innings in ’12 and an 8.01 ERA in 39 1/3 innings in ’11.
The Orioles cannot afford to go seven or eight innings with very few hits. They have got to work the pitch counts and get the starters out of the game quickly.
Reality: The Orioles finished the regular season with 96 wins and tied for the 2nd best record in all of baseball.
Perception: Some people forget that as we prepare to face the Tigers in the ALDS. The Orioles went just 1-5 vs Detroit this season, but their last game was back in May. The Orioles were barely a .500 baseball team back then. Now they are 30 games over .500, and a completely different ball club. So that 1-5 record means nothing.
The O’s just need to keep pitching well, and get crucial hits, especially the home runs. The Birds were 26-1 this year when they hit three or more home runs in a game, and their only loss was going to happen no matter what we did (it was Derek Jeter’s last home game).
The Orioles led all of baseball with 211 home runs as a team…but the Tigers pitching staff allowed the second fewest home runs in the American League.
So the Orioles need to hit home runs, but after seeing what Kansas City did Tuesday night, they also need to play some small ball, if they can. They just need to do whatever they can to attack the Tigers pitchers.
