47,842 Baltimore fans came to Camden Yards to watch their Orioles take on the Detroit Tigers with their reigning MVP and Cy Young Award winning players. Max Scherzer would start for the Tigers. Most likely Scherzer will win the Cy Young Award this year, 18-5/3.15 ERA/252K's, and Miguel Cabrera will be in the running for the MVP again with his .313/25/109 stats this season.
For 7 1/2 innings the fans watched a pretty good ballgame. The Tigers scored 3 runs on solo home runs by Victor Martinez and JD Martinez in the 2nd and Miguel Cabrera in the top of the 8th.
After a 2 run home run by Nelson Cruz gave the Orioles the lead in the bottom of the 1st, Detroit tied the game in the top of the 2nd on the home runs by Victor and JD. The O's scored a run in the bottom of the 2nd to take a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish. With 1 out, Ryan Flaherty walked and went to third when Jonathan Schoop singled one out later. Nick Markakis singled to drive in Flaherty.
The Tigers threatened in the top of the 5th. With 2 outs, back-to-back singles by Andrew Romine and Rajai Davis and a walk to Ian Kinsler loaded the bases but Torii Hunter hit into a 6-4 fielder's choice to end the inning.
The pitchers on both teams settled down until the bottom of the seventh when Scherzer threw a changeup high in the zone to JJ Hardy who jumped on the pitch and drove it 400' into left center for a home run and a 4-2 Baltimore lead.
"I've got to find a way to get the ball down," Scherzer said. "I wasn't quite able to do that tonight, and I paid for it."
Darren O'Day was pitching for the Birds in the top of the 8th. Ian Kinsler reached first on an infield single. Kinsler was doubled up when Torii Hunter lined out to short as Kinsler attempted to steal second. The Orioles caught a break here as Miguel Cabrera followed Hunter's double play with a solo home run to right center that pulled the Tigers to within a run at 4-3. The home run to Cabrera was the first home run to a right handed batter O'Day had allowed since May of 2013.
The dam burst for the Tigers in the bottom of the 8th when Baltimore sent 12 men to the plate and scored 8 runs. The O's took a commanding 12-3 lead. Every Oriole in the lineup scored but Nick Hundley. Baltimore got 6 hits, including 3 doubles in the inning. The Tigers used 4 pitchers in the inning and all of them surrendered earned runs.
The 12 runs scored by the Orioles were the most runs they have scored in the playoffs since scoring 11 runs in the 2nd game of the 1971 World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The odds of winning this ALDS Series now swings in favor of the Orioles as the team who wins the first game of a 5 game series has gone on to win that series 70% of the time.
These two teams will have a quick turn around as they begin the 2nd game of the ALDS at 12:07 today.
W.D. Barr's unique perspective on what's important in the world of Mexican Baseball!
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