Baltimore Orioles vs. Detroit Tigers: 3 Keys for Each Team to Win ALDS Game 2
On Thursday evening, the Baltimore Orioles pummeled the Detroit Tigers 12-3 to take a 1-0 lead in their American League Division Series. An eight-run eighth inning blew the game open for the hosts, who had held the lead since the second frame.
The Tigers won’t have long to lick their wounds with Game 2 beginning at noon ET on Friday. The second installment pits Wei-Yin Chen (16-6) versus Justin Verlander (15-12). Their battle on the mound could be crucial in determining the outcome of this game.
Detroit will be desperate to level the series before it swings to the Motor City. Another win for the O’s will bury the Tigers in an 0-2 hole and put their quest for a fourth consecutive ALCS appearance in serious jeopardy.
Let’s now take a look at the top three keys to success for both the Orioles and Tigers in this pivotal showdown.
All stats in this article are courtesy of espn.go.com.
Orioles Key 1—Chen Continues His Late-Season Dominance
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In 2014, Taiwanese starter Wei-Yen Chen has had his finest season as major league player. He set career highs in wins (16), ERA (3.54), and WHIP (1.23).
Chen also produced his best pitching at the business end of the season. His ERA (2.05), batting average against (.229) and WHIP (1.11) in September were better than any other previous month. Baltimore will be hoping that he carries this momentum into the postseason.
The O's lefty will be somewhat of a mystery to Tiger hitters, too. Detroit has not faced Chen since 2012 and several of their hitters, including Victor Martinez, J.D. Martinez and Andrew Romine have never had at-bats against him.
The decision to start Chen was only made on the eve of this game. Manager Buck Showalter clearly mulled over who should start Game 2. Despite Chen’s fine September, Bud Norris was just as good during the season’s final month (4-0, 2.08 ERA) and his home ERA (2.44) was nearly half of his road ERA (4.80) this season.
Norris will now have to pitch at Comerica Park in Game 3 or 4 (if required). If Chen produces the goods, then Showalter will be vindicated for his decision. If the fails, the manager will be under plenty of scrutiny, and he'll be under much more if Norris also gets bombed in Motown.
Tigers Key 1—Verlander Maintains His Dominance at Camden Yards
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If you asked Tiger’s starter Justin Verlander where he most enjoyed pitching, “Comerica Park” may be a fairly predictable reply. However, some of his best numbers over the years have come at Camden Yards.
The veteran is undefeated in eight career starts at Baltimore (7-0, 2.84 ERA)—a happy hunting ground indeed.
This record is no small feat considering that Camden Yards is as hitter-friendly as you get in the majors.
It is difficult to fathom why Verlander is so good there. Perhaps it is Maryland’s proximity to his home state of Virginia. Who knows?
Whatever the reason, he thrives on the Baltimore rubber and also has the wood on their two best hitters. Nelson Cruz and Adam Jones are a combined 11-for-58 (.190) against the 6’5” righty.
Despite not being the Detroit ace any more, Orioles hitters will not be welcoming the return of their nemesis in Game 2.
Orioles Key 2—Get to Detroit’s Bullpen
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The rationale is simple: Detroit’s bullpen ranked last in the AL in batting average against (.270) and 13th in ERA (4.29) in 2014. It also didn't take long for the bullpen monster to emerge again in the postseason. In Game 1, Detroit relievers surrendered six earned runs while retiring only two batters.
If the Orioles—or any team for that matter—can get past Detroit’s starters, they have the advantage over the Tigers this postseason.
Baltimore hitters knocking Verlander out of the game would be the ideal scenario. However, this is easier said than done.
Another method is to elevate his pitch count and tire him out. This would mean grinding out at-bats and laying off pitches outside the zone.
If the home side cannot get the better of Verlander, he could be perched on that bump for a long while. Regardless of his subpar season, Verlander is still a horse—eight straight seasons of 200+ innings is testament to that.
But if Baltimore can get to the pen with the game in control, it will be in a great position to succeed again.
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Tigers Key 2—Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez Carry the Tigers Offense.
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This may not seem like a bold proclamation at face value, but hear me out. The Tigers have just emerged from their best month of 2014—a 16-10 record in September was second-best in the AL. Any guesses as to whom had the AL’s best record? Yep, you got it—Baltimore.
Detroit’s burst to the finish line was due in a large part to the efforts of their two prodigious sluggers.
After hitting a season-low .252 with only one dinger in August, Cabrera awakened with a vengeance in September. The turning of the calendar seemed to flick a switch in the two-time MVP, as he hit .379 with eight homers and a slugging percentage of .709—his best mark of the year.
Martinez also finished off the regular season in style. In hot pursuit of a batting title—a tussle he ultimately lost to Jose Altuve—Detroit’s DH delivered his highest batting average (.378) and on-base percentage (.472) of any single month.
They both picked up where they left off in Game 1 of this series by each launching a solo home run in a losing effort.
After watching the Baltimore bats explode for 12 runs on Thursday, the heart of Detroit’s lineup will be hell-bent on returning the favor in Game 2.
Orioles Key 3—Hold the Tigers Offense Late in the Game
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With quality starting pitching on both sides there is a high possibility that Game 2 will be a tight contest. If this is the case, the bullpens could play a major role.
In contrast to their opponent, Baltimore’s bullpen was one of the AL’s most reliable this season. Orioles relievers were third in the league in ERA (3.10) and batting average against (.229).
The quartet of Zach Britton, Darren O’Day, Tommy Hunter and Andrew Miller were arguably the best in the game. They will need to bring their dynamite stuff into October to shut the door on the Tigers.
Detroit not only led the AL in hitting, it also had the highest batting average in the majors from the seventh inning onwards (.269).
This is a team that you truly haven’t beaten until 27 outs have been recorded. Baltimore knows this all too well. In one of his few blemishes this year, Hunter got tagged for two home runs in the ninth inning after his team held a 1-0 lead against Detroit in May
O’s fans will be hoping that history does not repeat itself.
Tigers Key 3—Stay Aggressive on the Basepaths
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The Tigers’ inability to manufacture runs has cost them dearly in previous postseasons. Detroit was once a team that relied on the long ball. Despite all three Game 1 runs coming from homers, this is no longer the case.
The issue was addressed last offseason when the team acquired some players with speed and a fresh approach with new manager Brad Ausmus. These changes have dramatically changed the complexion of Detroit’s offense.
Rajai Davis, Ian Kinsler and Andrew Romine have contributed to the team swiping 106 bases, which more than tripled the 2013 total (35). A successful suicide squeeze play by Romine in September is indicative of how audacious they have become.
Baltimore catcher Nick Hundley’s success (or lack of) at throwing out base stealers (16 percent) this season should embolden the Tigers to be even more daring.
The Tigers have proven that they no longer need to play a station-to-station style of offense to score runs. They can now hurt opponents in several different ways. Look for Detroit runners to be on the move in Game 2.
If you want to talk baseball and other sports, please find me on Twitter: @jdunc1979
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