Baltimore @ Detroit preview
Comerica Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 24, 2011 ) Baltimore 6, Detroit 5
THE STORY: The Baltimore Orioles continue to amuse themselves by playing spoiler at the end of an otherwise lost season. The Orioles have won nine of their last 12 games - all against playoff hopefuls - and have taken two of three so far from the American League Central champion Detroit Tigers. While Detroit’s playoff spot is secure, its position is not. The Tigers are currently locked in a battle with the Texas Rangers for the No. 2 slot and homefield advantage in the division series. Detroit will be looking to keep pace with the Rangers and earn a split of its current four-game series when Brad Penny takes the mound against the Orioles at Comerica Park on Sunday afternoon.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Baltimore), FSD (Detroit)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles LH Brian Matusz (1-8, 10.68 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Brad Penny (10-11, 5.31 ERA).
Matusz has been one of the worst pitchers in the game when he has managed to make it to the mound in an injury-plagued 2011 campaign. The 24-year-old has allowed at least five earned runs in each of his last seven outings and has lost his previous eight decisions. The former No. 4 overall pick has not made it out of the second inning in either of his last two chances, surrendering a total of 11 runs and 11 hits in three innings against the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. Matusz has also yielded at least one home run in all but one of his 11 starts, totaling 16 in 44 2/3 innings.
Penny has likely worked his way off the postseason roster by allowing 41 hits and 23 earned runs in 25 innings over his last five starts. The burly righthander was lit up for seven runs and 10 hits in four innings at Kansas City last time out and has topped out at three strikeouts in his last four outings. Penny has never lost to the Orioles in four starts, posting a 2-0 record despite a 7.20 ERA.
ABOUT THE ORIOLES (67-91): Baltimore made sure the Red Sox would have to sweat out the American League wild card when it took three of four at Fenway Park earlier this week. Now the Orioles are trying to make gaining homefield advantage tough on the Tigers. They became the first team in over two months to not lose to Justin Verlander on Saturday, knocking the expected Cy Young Award winner around for five runs in the first three innings. The pitching staff let that lead slip away, but Baltimore did not fold, pushing the winning run across on a sacrifice in the ninth. The Orioles can upset the wild card race again when they close with a three-game series against the Red Sox starting Monday.
ABOUT THE TIGERS (91-67): As if the shock of Verlander not earning a win wasn’t enough, Detroit is now looking up at the Rangers (92-66) for the No. 2 spot in the American League playoffs. At least the Tigers managed to avoid having Verlander actually absorb a loss when they came back to tie it at 5-5 in the eighth on Jhonny Peralta’s single. Homefield advantage does not matter as much as getting the team to the playoffs healthy, and manager Jim Leyland has already said that he won’t juggle his rotation at all over the final series.
FINAL PITCH: Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera went 3-for-4 on Saturday, pushing his average to .339, just behind Boston’s Adrian Gonzalez (.340) for the major league lead.