Here we are at the last homestand of the season. For me, it's bittersweet. On the one hand, today's game begins a sort-of-sad countdown: three games left, two games left and before you know it, the last home game will be over. It's an end of sorts because every baseball season is a little different. The players change, the coaches change and the fan experience changes. Sure, these things are changing all the time, but transitions are bigger during the offseason. The end of the season will...

Ross Perot, Teddy Roosevelt, Ralph Nader - all spoilers. Now the Orioles have the opportunity to ruin another team's hard-fought season and crush the spirits of one of their hated rivals. I have stated in private company that I like this prospect. I have been known to say, "The tears of Red Sox fans sustain me" Or something along the same lines. I have been seen in public, reveling in the crowd shots of dejected Bostonians, clutching their pre-worn faux-vintage Red Sox hats in their...

What would you ask Jeremy Guthrie or Adam Jones if you had a chance to shoot the breeze with them? Maybe you want to know why Guthrie is so ga-ga over Justin Bieber. Or how Jones manages to blow a bubble as he slams into the outfield wall while making a catch. Perhaps you're interested in the pitcher's take on the O's offense or the center fielder's opinion on the Birds' pitching staff. Well, wonder no more. This afternoon, you can ask the pair of Orioles, well, just about...

The Orioles are doing it again. They are playing well late in the season. They went 34-23 in the last 57 games last year for a winning percentage of .596. After Thursday's win at Detroit, they are 19-13 in their last 32 games this year for a winning percentage of .594. They just started a bit later this season. In 2010, they began the 57-game run to end the year with Buck Showalter's first game on Aug. 3. Their current 32-game winning run began Aug. 22 with a four-game sweep at...

The Orioles have won 66 games this season and they've got six more to play. They also won 66 games last season. I'm trying to appreciate the "progress" that they've made in 2011. I'm also trying to forget that last year's team was 2-16 and went through three managers. The Orioles will avoid 100 losses. They could win more games than last season. They won't have the worst record in baseball. They no longer have the worst record in the American League after winning eight of their last...

The Orioles lost a 5-0 lead, but not the game on Thursday night at Detroit. After the Tigers rallied to tie the Orioles at 5-5 on Delmon Young's three-run homer in the fifth, the Orioles reclaimed the lead an inning later on a Nolan Reimold RBI infield single and went on to a 6-5 win. With the victory, the Orioles have now won eight of their last 10 and 11 of their last 16 games. They are 19-13 since August 22 and 66-90 on the year. Zach Britton tells Jim Hunter how his team bailed him out...

So much for that 5-0 lead. The Tigers scored once in the fourth inning and four times in the fifth to tie the game, 5-5. Delmon Young's three-run shot, off a 94 mph fastball from left-hander Zach Britton, erased the rest of the Orioles' lead. Well, it was fun while it lasted. Britton has won four of his last five decisions since coming off the disabled list. He had allowed two earned runs or fewer in four of his last six starts, and four earned runs or fewer in his last seven. In his...

Vladimir Guerrero drove in the Orioles' final two runs last night, and he's produced their first run tonight. Guerrero's sacrifice fly off Tigers starter Jacob Turner scored J.J. Hardy in the top of the first inning and gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead. Hardy and Nick Markakis singled with one out and Guerrero flied to center field to provide an early lead for rookie left-hander Zach Britton. Guerrero has driven in seven runs in his last six games - including two in the eighth inning last...

Checking in with some notes on both clubs as the Orioles and Tigers begin a four-game series tonight. * The Tigers clinched the AL Central title last Friday and it was their first division title since they won the AL East in 1987. Detroit is 25-7 since August 19. * Any team going to the playoffs probably has pretty good pitching and Detroit does. Over the last 18 games, Tigers' starters have pitched to an ERA of 3.04. Over the last 45 games, the Detroit bullpen has worked to an ERA of...

The Orioles finally posted their lineup. You can decide whether it was worth the wait. For the Orioles: Robert Andino 2B J.J. Hardy SS Nick Markakis RF Vladimir Guerrero DH Matt Wieters C Adam Jones CF Mark Reynolds 1B Chris Davis 3B Nolan Reimold LF Zach Britton LHP Second baseman Brian Roberts will be featured on "Outside the Lines" at 10 a.m. Sunday on ESPN2 as part of a segment on athletes and concussions. You can check out a clip