Britton: "It was tough sitting down there and having to watch it"

Britton: "It was tough sitting down there and having to watch it"
TORONTO - The closer fidgeted tonight while a season burned. Zach Britton, the best reliever in baseball this season and one of the leading candidates for the Cy Young Award, warmed up a few times and never pitched. Six relievers followed starter Chris Tillman to the mound in the American League wild card. Britton's name won't appear in the box score. He won't get another chance in 2016. Ubaldo Jimenez faced three batters in the 11th inning and allowed back-to-back singles to Devon Travis...

Orioles season ends on Encarnacion walk-off in 11th inning

Orioles season ends on Encarnacion walk-off in 11th inning
TORONTO - This is where it ends. In the 20th meeting between the two teams. On fake grass and with the roof open. Real hurt for the Orioles over a season that drew to a close. Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run walk-off home run off Ubaldo Jimenez with one out in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Blue Jays a 5-2 win over the Orioles in the American League wild card game. Zach Britton warmed up once, but never got out of the bullpen until making the long walk to the clubhouse. The Orioles...

Final notes and quotes before wild card game (we're tied)

Final notes and quotes before wild card game (we're tied)
TORONTO - The Orioles broke out the black jerseys for tonight's wild card game. Fits their role of villains. The crowd booed players as they walked onto the turf and grew louder with each introduction, beginning with manager Buck Showalter. Center fielder Adam Jones playfully lifted his cap as the decibel level increased. Let's do this. The Orioles moved two starters into their bullpen tonight with Ubaldo Jimenez and Dylan Bundy joining the relievers. Jimenez could be the first man up if...

Showalter on wild card roster decisions

Showalter on wild card roster decisions
TORONTO - Orioles manager Buck Showalter explained his wild card roster decisions during today's press conference, starting with one of his many quips that he sprinkles into a session. "We're just copying Toronto," he said. "We figured they knew what to do." OK, that's not the actual reason. "You just have to present your best foot and think about all the scenarios," he said. "Some you still might be able to cover. There's a difference between one-game playoffs as opposed to five or...

Orioles and Blue Jays wild card lineups

Orioles and Blue Jays wild card lineups
TORONTO - Michael Bourn is in the Orioles' lineup for tonight's wild card game against the Blue Jays. Bourn is playing right field and Mark Trumbo is serving as the designated hitter. Hyun Soo Kim is batting second against Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman. For the Orioles Adam Jones CF Hyun Soo Kim LF Manny Machado 3B Mark Trumbo DH Matt Wieters C Chris Davis 1B Jonathan Schoop 2B Michael Bourn RF J.J. Hardy SS Chris Tillman RHP For the Blue Jays Devon Travis 2B Josh Donaldson 3B Edwin...

Orioles vs. the postseason

Orioles vs. the postseason
TORONTO - The Rogers Centre roof will be open for tonight's wild card game. If you made a prop bet, "closed" was the wrong choice. Which current Oriole carries the highest career postseason batting average? Hint: He won't be in the lineup. Utility man Ryan Flaherty is 9-for-32 for a .281 average, including two home runs, five RBIs and four walks. Which Oriole is due to break out? Center fielder Adam Jones is going to get lots of unwanted attention after going 8-for-53 (.151) in 13 games,...

Orioles announce wild card roster

Orioles announce wild card roster
TORONTO - The Orioles are going with 10 pitchers and 15 position players on their wild card roster as they await tonight's game against the Blue Jays. Rookie Trey Mancini made the cut, along with veteran outfielder Drew Stubbs. The bullpen includes starters Ubaldo Jimenez and Dylan Bundy, as expected. Brian Duensing gives manager Buck Showalter a third left-hander along with Donnie Hart and closer Zach Britton. No Vance Worley for the wild card. Here's the entire roster: Pitchers Brad Brach...

Kim in the playoffs, no gloating, a loud crowd and more

Kim in the playoffs, no gloating, a loud crowd and more
TORONTO - If Orioles manager Buck Showalter is going to take in certain moments on Tuesday, his gaze also will be fixed on outfielder Hyun Soo Kim. This is Kim's first playoff game in the major leagues, coming a few days after his first champagne celebration in North America. Teammates love him, a group seeking him out in a corner of the clubhouse at Yankee Stadium to pour the bubbly over his head. They never want him to feel excluded. It remains a sweet storyline for a player who resisted the...

Machado: "We've got 27 outs to do business"

Machado: "We've got 27 outs to do business"
TORONTO - Players gathered in the visiting clubhouse at Rogers Centre earlier today wearing their "We Came to Reign" hooded sweatshirts. They're like the guests who wouldn't leave. The Orioles and Blue Jays will meet for the 20th time Tuesday night in the wild card game. By taking two of three games Sept. 27-29, the Orioles improved to 4-6 at Rogers Centre this season. There will be introductions before the first pitch, but they're really not necessary. "We've got 27 outs to do...

Showalter on the "good, tough" decision picking a starter

Showalter on the "good, tough" decision picking a starter
TORONTO - Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he's turning in his wild card roster at 10 a.m. on Tuesday. He offered only a few hints during his press conference. Showalter considered Ubaldo Jimenez and Dylan Bundy for the starting assignment before handing it to Chris Tillman. Jimenez and Bundy will be in the bullpen, but Yovani Gallardo is excluded. Gallardo would be working on short rest, and Showalter said he doesn't consider a relief role to be a good fit. Showalter called the decision...

Hearing from Zach Britton at today's workout

Hearing from Zach Britton at today's workout
TORONTO -The Orioles just came off the field. Their workout is done. As Matt Wieters' second home run ball yesterday sailed into the left field seats at Yankee Stadium, squeezing inside the foul pole, closer Zach Britton was struck with two thoughts. Wieters homered from both sides of the plate for the first time in his major league career. It might have been his last regular season game as an Oriole. Opposite emotions for Britton slamming together after a pair of two-run shots. "It actually...

Tillman vs. Stroman in wild card game

Tillman vs. Stroman in wild card game
TORONTO - Chris Tillman has been named the starter for Tuesday night's wild card game at Rogers Centre. Tillman is 5-10 with a 5.44 ERA in 24 career starts against the Blue Jays and 2-6 with a 7.01 ERA in 13 starts at Rogers Centre. In his last two appearances here this season, he allowed four runs total and three earned over 11 1/3 innings. We'll find out later today whether Ubaldo Jimenez, the other starting candidate, is in the bullpen. Right-hander Marcus Stroman is starting for the Blue...

Leftovers for breakfast

Leftovers for breakfast
NEW YORK - Is anyone surprised that the Orioles are playing a wild card game in Toronto? It seemed like the logical spot to meet up again. The planets were aligned. Of course, you remain in a state of shock if you kept insisting that the Orioles were finished, that they should have been sellers, that they quit and didn't deserve your love. And certainly not your dollars. This team had a fork stuck in it so many times, I'm surprised the beer and champagne consumed yesterday didn't turn the...

Quotes and reactions following 5-2 win and wild card berth

Quotes and reactions following 5-2 win and wild card berth
NEW YORK - The Orioles formed the usual postgame handshake line on the field this afternoon after Zach Britton struck out Brett Gardner. High-fives, a few hugs and into the dugout. No dog pile on the mound, no raucous celebration. Champagne and beer were sprayed and poured over heads in the visiting clubhouse, but players stopped to watch the end of the game in Boston, showered and left. There's more work to do. And it's going to happen in Toronto. The Orioles qualified for the second wild...

Orioles go wild in the Bronx

Orioles go wild in the Bronx
NEW YORK - The Orioles are going to the playoffs for the third time in the last five seasons, their bounce-back skills again on full display as they vaulted into the wild card round. Matt Wieters homered from both sides of the plate for the first time in his career, both two-run shots, and Kevin Gausman pitched into the eighth inning in a 5-2 victory over the Yankees in the Bronx. Gausman held the Yankees to one run over 7 1/3 innings before turning over the game to Zach Britton, who let an...

More notes on Game 162 (O's lead 5-1)

More notes on Game 162 (O's lead 5-1)
NEW YORK - The mood in the Orioles' clubhouse this afternoon was the same as usual. No one seemed uptight. Some guys watched the NFL game. Reliever Tommy Hunter brought the usual banter and silliness. Business as usual for Game 162. "I think nervousness comes when you're not sure if you're ready," said manager Buck Showalter. "I think our guys are looking forward to the things they've earned the right to be part of this time of the year. I think they look at it as that. I know they...

A Bourn leadoff hitter

A Bourn leadoff hitter
NEW YORK - Orioles manager Buck Showalter didn't spend last night watching the other games that impacted his team's pursuit of a wild card berth, opting instead for college football. He had more interest in Clemson vs. Louisville than Toronto vs. Boston. Showalter said Dylan Bundy is available in the bullpen today. He has an idea who would start a wild card game, but won't reveal his choice, in part because he said it could change later. The obvious candidates are Chris Tillman and Ubaldo...

Orioles and Yankees lineups

Orioles and Yankees lineups
NEW YORK - The Orioles can't be eliminated from playoff contention today, no matter what happens. The Tigers' rescheduled game on Monday further complicates the situation. Let's simplify it: The Orioles win and they're in the playoffs. They win and the Blue Jays lose, they're the home team in the wild card game. The Jays win and they're the home team. Both teams lose and the Jays are the home team because they own the tiebreaker. The possibility still exists that we could have a three-way...

Can the Orioles clinch today?

Can the Orioles clinch today?
NEW YORK - The Orioles never should have beaten the Giants on Aug. 14 after falling behind by six runs approaching the seventh inning. They weren't supposed to get a pinch-hit two-run homer from Hyun Soo Kim in the ninth inning last week to rally past the Blue Jays. They've won games they were set up to lose. They lost a game yesterday that they should have won. It's easier to accept baseball's balancing act when the defeat doesn't happen in the penultimate game of the regular...

Wrapping up a 7-3 loss (updated)

Wrapping up a 7-3 loss (updated)
NEW YORK - Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he's waiting until the smoke clears to confirm that Kevin Gausman is starting on Sunday. This isn't smoke from a torched lead. It's just an expression. Gausman probably will get the start while the Orioles try to clinch a wild card and perhaps a home game. It's coming down to Game 162. Can you believe it? "Oh sure. Yeah, you can," Showalter said. "It's a real tribute to our guys to have an opportunity like we have tomorrow. That's how we...