Charros Infielder Alex Liddi Signs With Baltimore Orioles

THE MINOR LEAGUE DEAL WILL SEE HIM IN ORIOLES SPRING TRAINING CAMP

Liddi at bat for the Charros

Alex Liddi, infielder for the Charros de Jalisco, has been offered a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles. Liddi is reported to be headed to Sarasota, Florida and a spring training tryout with the Orioles.

The 1st Italian born and raised player to play in the big leagues, got his start with the Seattle Mariners who took him in the 2005 MLB International Draft. He played at various levels in the minor leagues for the Mariners and made his Major League debut in the Spring of 2011. Although he hit grand slam home runs in back to back games that spring he started the year in Triple A.

Called up to the big league club in the September roster expansion, Liddi got his 1st big league hit against the Kansas City Royals on September 9th and hit his 1st major league home run on the 20th against the Cleveland Indians.

Liddi's Official Mariners Photo

Since signing with the Mariners, he has been part of 5 different teams. The Orioles (twice), the Chicago White Sox, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Kansas City Royals. The 27 year old Liddi signed with the Orioles on January 12th of this year.

In parts of 3 seasons with the Mariners, Liddi has a .208 batting average with 6 home runs and 16 RBIs in 173 at bats.

Liddi played for the Charros de Jalisco in the 2015-2016 Liga Mexicana del Pacifico season, splitting his playing time between third base and first base. Liddi hit .312 with 7 home runs and 36 RBIs in 58 games for the Charros. He was picked by the Yaquis de Obregon to join their team in the quest for an LMP Championship.

Liddi Homers for the Charros

The Olmecas de Tabasco, of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol, had expressed an interest in Liddi for the Mexican summer league before the signing.

Nick Markakis to the Atlanta Braves

Nick Markakis, formerly of the AL East Champion Baltimore Orioles, has reportedly signed a 4 year 45 million dollar contract with the Atlanta Braves. The Orioles declined the 17.5 million dollar club option and instead paid Markakis a 2 million dollar buy out option.

the Orioles lost slugger Nelson Cruz to the Seattle Mariners earlier in the week.

Nelson Cruz Signs 4 Year Deal With Mariners

It is being reported that Nelson Cruz, he of Biogenisis connections that resulted in a 50 game suspension in 2013, has signed a 4 year deal with the Seattle Mariners worth 57 million dollars.

Cruz played for the Baltimore Orioles in 2014 and was the only player in the majors to hit 40 home runs. The three-time All-Star holds MLB records for most home runs (six) and most RBIs (13) in a single postseason series (2011 ALCS).

Read the ESPN article here.

Showalter and Williams Named Managers of the Year in MLB

Buck Showalter won his third Manager of the Year award for the job he did with the Baltimore Orioles in 2014. Showalter polled 25 first place ballots  from the Basaball Writers Association to beat out Mike Sciosia of the LA Angels and Ned Yost of the Kansas City Royals for the award.

Matt Williams was named the National League Manager of the Yar on 18 ballots after he led the Nationals to a 96 win season in 2014. Williams, a rookie manager for the Nationals beat out Clint Hurdle of the Pirates for the Award.

It's On To The World Series After KC Downs O's 2-1 In Game 4 Of ALCS

The Royals jumped on top of the Baltimore Orioles 2-0 in the bottom of the 1st and never looked back.

Alcides Escobar reached on an infield single to deep short off of O's starter, Miguel Gonzalez, to lead off the inning. Norichika Aoki was hit by a pitch. Lorenzo Cain sacrificed the runners to 2nd and 3rd. Eric Hosmer grounded into what looked like a fielder's choice but a throwing error by Orioles catcher, Caleb Joseph allowed Escobar and Aoki to score. The O's got out of the inning but the damage was done.

Baltimore got a run back on a solo home run by Ryan Flaherty in the top of the 3rd to make it a 2-1 ball game but the Royals pitching staff took over and shut down the O's the rest of the way.

Jason Vargas went 5 1/3 innings for the win, allowing 1 earned run on 2 hits with 3 walks and 6 strikeouts. Kelvin Herrera allowed 1 hit and no runs in 1 2/3 innings of work. Wade Davis held Baltimore scoreless in the 8th and Greg Holland picked up his 4th save shutting down the Orioles in the top of the 9th.

Lorenzo Cain became the first #3 hitter to lay down a sacrifice bunt in the first inning in a postseason game since Steve Garvey did it in the 1984 World Series.

Ned Yost takes over the top spot for consecutive wins by a manager in a postseason series with his 8th consecutive win.

Can the Orioles Come Back From an 0-2 Deficit?

On paper the Orioles should be the team with the 2 game advantage, They won the American League East by 12 Games. On paper, the Royals couldn't hit a home run off a "tee" this year. They finished last in the American League in home runs.

Billy Butler stole a base. On paper he couldn't steal a base with a 45' head start. Butler stole a base.

So...should you count the Orioles out? On paper, no team has come back from losing the first two games of a 7 game series at home and advanced to the World Series.

But we don't play the games on paper. The Orioles have great pitching, great hitting and good defense. The Royals do too.

Game 3 of the ALCS on Tuesday night should be a great game. The Royal's fans yearn for a winner. They are reliving 1985, the last time the Royals even made the playoffs.

Ryan Fagan, of Sporting News, has a very good story about this series. Be sure to read it here before popping the champaign for the Royals. But, don't count the Royals out either.

I could probably be less sure of the outcome of this ALCS but I doubt it!

Jarrod Dyson of the Royals Channels Joe Namath

Joe Namath famously predicted his heavily underdog NY Jets would beat the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III and his prognostication became reality when the Jets won 16-7.

Jarrod Dyson has predicted that his Kansas City Royals would not be returning to Baltimore for a game 6 in the ALCS.

When asked by Kansas City Star reporter Andy McCullough if Dyson expects the game to return to Baltimore for a 6th game, Dyson said, "No sir, I don't and I don't think the Orioles think that way either".

Don't believe this could happen in today's baseball world? Read the ESPN article here.

Royals Take Two in Baltimore, Lead ALCS 2-0

The Kansas City Royals won their ninth consecutive playoff game dating back to their World series win in 1985 when they took the final three games against the St. Louis Cardinals to win the World series.

Mike Moustakas continued hie home run tear by belting his fourth long ball of these playoffs in the 4th inning of the Royals 6-4 victory last night.

Moustakas had this to say about the Royals winning two games in Baltimore. "To come in here and win two games against a great team like that, it's huge for us".

Lorenzo Cain had four hits in the game to become just the second Royal to do that...the last...George Brett who did it twice.

Read the ESPN article here.

Royals Take Game 1 of ALCS with Extra Inning Win in Baltimore

The Kansas City Royals, in this postseason, have doubled the rate at which they hit home runs during the regular season. Almost  4% of their at bats have resulted in home runs.

Coming into this postseason no Royal hitter had ever hit a go ahead home run in extra innings. These Royals have done it three times. Alcides Escobar homered last night. He had only 3 HRs in 500+ at bats during the regular season.

Why all the talk about home runs. The Royals didn't hit many HRs during the season. They won the small ball way. They won with speed on the basepaths, good bunting, timely hitting and good pitching.

Alex Gordon of the Royals had this to say about the power surge, "We know we're capable of hitting home runs. We didn't do it during the regular season, but it doesn't really matter. This is the postseason and we're starting to swing the bats better now."

After 162 regular season games it's nice to know the Royals are finally warming up.

Kansas City threatened to walk away with game 1 early when they scored 4 runs in the top of the third. With one out, Alcides Escobar sent a Chris Tillman 0-2 pitch over the wall in left for a 1-0 lead. Norichika Aoki singled to left and Lorenzo Cain drew a four pitch walk. Billy Butler beat out an infield single to load the bases. Alex Gordon then worked the count full before doubling to right to clear the bases and drive in 3 of his 4 runs on the night. The Ryals led 4-0 after their half of the 3rd.

Baltimore got a run back in the bottom of the 3rd. Nick Markakis doubled off of James Shields. Adam Jones singled to drive in Markakis to narrow the lead to 4-1.

In the top of the 5th, Lorenzo Cain hit a lead off double to right. Cain moved to third on an Eric Hosmer ground out to second. Tommy Hunter relieved Orioles starter Chris Tillman and Billy Butler hit a sac fly to center to score Cain for the 5-1 lead.

Baltimore came roaring back off Shields in the bottom of the 5th. Nick Markakis singled to left and Alejandro De Aza singled to right. Adam Jones hit into a fielder's choice that got Markakis at third. Nelson Cruz doubled to score De Aza and the Orioles had runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out. Steve Pearce walked to load the bases. After JJ Hardy struck out, Ryan Flaherty singled to drive in Jones and Cruz and the lead was now 5-4.

Brandon Finnegan replaced Shields to start the bottom of the 6th. Lead off hitter Jonathan Schoop waited out an 8 pitch walk. Nick Markakis singled and the Orioles had runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. Alejandro De Aza reached on an infield single to score Schoop and that would be all for Finnegan. Kelvin Herrera replaced Finnegan and got Adams to hit into a fielder's choice and Nelson Cruz to ground into a 6-4-3 double play, but the Orioles had tied the game at 5.

The scored remained knotted at 5 until the top of the 10th. Darren O'Day in relief of Zach Britton gave up a lead off home run to Alex Gordon and walked Salvador Perez. Buck Showalter replaced O'Day with Brian Matusz. Mike Moustakas worked the count to 2-2 before parking a Matusz pitch into the bleachers in right center.. the Royals had an 8-5 lead through 9 1/2 innings.

Greg Holland came in for the Royals to close out the victory. He quickly got two outs then Ryan Flaherty singled. Jimmy Paredes, hitting for Nick Hundley, walked. Delmon Young, pinch hitting for Jonathan Schoop, singled to score Flaherty. The Royals lead was down to 8-6. Holland got Nick Markakis to ground out to second to preserve the Royals 4th extra inning victory in their last 5 games.

Wade davis picked up the win for Kansas City while Dan O'Day took the loss for the Orioles. Greg Holland recorded the save.

Royals and Orioles Got to the ALCS by Different Paths

Jerry Crasnick of ESPN Sports has an excellent article on the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles and how they got to this years ALCS.

The series, that starts Friday the 10th, pits idea against idea, strength against strangth and budget against budget.

While Baltimore relies heavily on power hitting and the long ball, the Royals, out of necessity, rely on small, defense and pitching.

Read Crasnick's story here.

Orioles Sweep Tigers With 2-1 Win in Game 3

The 2014 American League World Series team will be one we haven't seen in some time. Last night the Baltimore Orioles beat the Detroit Tigers 2-1 to win their ALDS series 3 games to none while later the Kansas City Royals completed a 3 game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels with an 8-3 win in their ALDS series.

Buck Showalter, manager of the O's, had this to say about his team. "This is fun to watch. Believe me, I'm happier than you can imagine," Showalter said. "But most of it comes from getting to see the players get what they've put into it."

The Orioles were in the 2012 ALDS when they lost to the Yankees 3 games to 2. Prior to that the O's hadn't been in the playoffs since losing to the Indians in 6 games in 1997. In 1983, the Orioles beat the Phillies to win the World Series in 5 games. The Kansas City Royals haven't been in the playoffs since beating the Cardinals in the 1985 World Series.

As in the first game of the series, the Orioles faced a former American League Cy Young Award winning pitcher David Price. Baltimore had already beaten Cy Young winners Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander in games 1 and 2.

Price was acquired from the Rays this season for a moment like this. He did not disapppoint. Through 5 innings he allowed 2 hits and the O's didn't get a runner to second base.

In the top of the 6th, Adam Jones singled to left with one out. Nelson Cruz then hit a 1-1 slider down and away for an opposite field 2 run home run. This wasn't a "mistake" thrown by Price. This was strength against strength and this time the batter won. The ball sailed over the 330' mark in right, probably the only spot in the park where it would have been a home run. The Orioles had the 2 runs they needed for the sweep.

Bud Norris, 15-8 as a starter for the Orioles, went 6 1/3 innings holding the powerful Tiger lineup in check. He allowed just 2 hits and issued 2 walks while holding Detroit scoreless.

The Tigers squandered an opportunity against Norris in the 3rd. Don Kelly singled to lead off the inning. After Ian Kinsler popped out to short left field, Kelly stole second. Torii Hunter sent a sharp ground ball to short. JJ Hardy caught Kelly too far off the bag at second and threw to Jonathan Schoop to get Kelly. Schoop dropped the throw and appeared to obstruct Kelly's attempt to get back to the bag. The Umpires agreed that Kelly was out. Miguel Cabrera then hit a ball to Hardy whose throw sailed over the head of Schoop for an error and the Tigers had runners at 2nd and 3rd with two outs. Victor Martinez then flied out to short left field and the inning was over.

The Tigers would not threaten again until the bottom of the ninth. Zach Britton, the O's closer, started the 9th in relief of Andrew Miller. Britton gave up a double to Victor Martinez to start the inning. JD Martinez then hit a run scoring double to left and it seemed the Tiger's bats were coming alive. Bryan Holaday, who entered the game as a replacement when Alex Avila took a hard foul ball to his facemask in the 6th, struck out swinging. Britton walked Nick Castellanos intentionally.

Tiger manager Brad Ausmus, sent pinch hitter Hernan Perez to the plate to face Britton. Perez had been to the plate 5 times all year and just 3 times in September. He had grounded out in Friday's loss facing Britton. Perez hit into a 5-4-3 double play to give the Orioles the sweep and give the Tiger fans something to stew about all winter.

When setting the ALDS lineups prior to the series, Ausmus was asked why the right-handed-hitting Perez is on the roster, over the left-handed-hitting Collins, Ausmus responded: "The presence of the two left-handers (Andrew Miller, Zach Britton) at the back of their bullpen."

The Baltimore Orioles will now face the Kansas City Royals in a 7 game series beginning in Baltimore on Friday the 10th of October.

Orioles Come From Behind to Take 2-0 Lead in ALDS

The Baltimore Orioles made the Tigers pay for poor relief pitching again as pinch hitter Delmon Young laced a one out bases loaded double off of Joba Chamberlain, in the bottom of the 8th,  that cleared the bases and gave the Orioles a 7-6 lead.

The Tigers missed an opportunity in the top of the 8th when Miguel Cabrera was thrown out at home trying to score from first on a Victor Martinez double.

Read theESPN story here

Read the Yahoo Sports story here

View ESPN Photos here

Orioles Pound Tigers 12-3, Take 1st Game of ALDS

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.

Tigers Confident Starting Pitching Can Overcome Orioles Bats

The one thing the Detroit Tigers do not lack is confidence. They won the AL Central Division and enter the ALDS against the Eastern Division Champion Baltimore Orioles tonight in Baltimore. The Tiger's starting rotation contains the last two season's Cy Young Award winners and David Price. Price was acquired from the Rays and looks to be an integral part of the Tiger's run to the World Series.

In the Yahoo Sports article, David Price said, ''Pitching. That's what wins ballgames. If we put up zeroes early, that kind of gives our offense a chance to kind of settle into the game. They know they don't have to put up a three- or four-spot because we're down.''

Read the Yahoo Sports story here

Orioles Showalter Always One Step Ahead of the Competition

An ESPN article was written about Buck Showalter's work habits. "When Baltimore manager Buck Showalter bunkers down in his office with bench coach John Russell before a game, the main objective is to find every matchup, lineup combination or snippet of information that might give the Orioles an edge. But the depth of Showalter's inquisitiveness makes his players wonder if game preparation is the only item on his agenda."

Read the ESPN story here