Saunders or Johnson to pitch @ Texas?

[ThruTheEyesOfRuby]

Couldn't gleen anything definitive from Roch Kubato's latest blog (as of 12:30ish a.m.), but Saunder's numbers against Texas aren't inspiring. I'm hoping Johnson's left knee is better. He said it felt great after throwing off a bullpen mound. I think I'd like him in the game.

School of Roch: The game is bigger in Texas

TAMPA - The Orioles really wanted a home game. Flying to Dallas wasn't their first or second choice.

They'll have to win a wild card game before they can get back to Camden Yards. If it's any consolation, the Rangers aren't thrilled about it either.

Jim Thome actually appeared in the last playoff game at Camden Yards as a member of the 1997 Cleveland Indians. He knows all about the electric atmosphere.

"Fun," he said. "Baltimore is a great baseball town and I've experienced it from the other side. When you haven't been there in a while, i think the city is thirsting for a championship. And it's fun to be on their side right now. Hey, let them have it. We'll be there."

It would help if the Orioles stopped giving up home runs in bunches to one player. Four to Josh Hamilton, three to Adrian Beltre, three to Evan Longoria.

The Orioles are 2-5 against the Rangers this season, including 1-2 in Arlington, and have been outscored, 56-24. The Rays pitching put their offense in a huge funk, and now they get Yu Darvish for the first time.

Darvish is 16-9 with a 3.90 ERA and 221 strikeouts in 191 1/3 innings. I had a Rookie of the Year vote in the American League, and while I'm not allowed to reveal my three picks until the winner is announced, let's just say Darvish earned serious consideration on my ballot.

Darvish posted a 5.74 ERA in July and a 5.29 ERA in August, but he went 3-0 with a 2.21 ERA in five September starts.

Now the Orioles will find out what he can do in October. And so will the Rangers, since he's a rookie in the U.S.

"It's obvious from what they were willing to commit to him, they really liked the return," said manager Buck Showalter. "We'll have our work cut out for us."

Left-hander Joe Saunders could start Friday on normal rest, but he's 3-7 with a 6.48 ERA in 11 career starts against the Rangers, and 0-6 with a 9.38 ERA in Texas, with 41 hits allowed, 16 walks and 13 home runs in 31 2/3 innings. I'm certain that Showalter can recite the stats. There's no doubt that he's reviewed them, which is why he also mentioned rookie Steve Johnson as an option.

Johnson faced the Rangers once in relief, allowing a run in one inning.

Either way, the leash has to be relatively short in a must-win game. There will be enough relief options, no matter how the wild card roster is constructed.

Keep in mind that they could drop starters who wouldn't be available, such as Chris Tillman, Miguel Gonzalez and Wei-Yin Chen, then add them if the club advances to the Division Series. That's one of the perks of a one-game wild card "series."

I've got a 7 a.m. flight to Dallas and will report back later. The Oriole will hold a workout in the afternoon, after the Rangers are finished. There's lot more to come, so stay tuned.

I'll close by passing along a tweet from A's reliever Pat Neshek, who was in spring training with the Orioles, pitched at Triple-A Norfolk this summer and is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. I'm sure the A's will take the field with heavy hearts for their Division Series game:

"Please pray for my family. Tonight my wife & I lost our first & only son 23 hours after he was born with no explanation."

 

[ThruTheEyesOfRuby]

Posted at MLB.com at 11:44, 10/3...

Pain in knee gone, Johnson good to go | orioles.com: News

ST. PETERSBURG -- Steve Johnson, who had some pain in his left knee after landing awkwardly taking a comebacker by Boston's Dustin Pedroia on Saturday, threw approximately 15 pitches off a mound on Wednesday afternoon at Tropicana Field. He no longer feels any discomfort, and is good to go.

An MRI performed on Monday revealed no structural damage.

The Orioles debated on scratching Chris Tillman from Wednesday's start and going with lefty Zach Britton had Johnson not checked out, and sent two potential lineups to the Rays.

"Just out of professional courtesy to [Rays manager] Joe [Maddon] with Steve and everything today. I said there's an outside, outside chance," manager Buck Showalter said. "It's been Tilly all along."

Johnson said that he can go whenever the team needs him, and he is an option -- along with Joe Saunders -- to start Friday's Wild Card game against the Rangers.

"I have a [Jason] Hammel brace," Johnson joked. "I can feel it, but it's only going to help me out there, just to make sure I don't have too many lateral movements with my knee. It kind of keeps it in place. I didn't feel it one time out there. I feel good."

Pitching coach Rick Adair also rolled a ball off the mound to test Johnson's movement. Adair pronounced him good to go.

 

[Hambombs]

I'm confused so Joe Saunders is not pitching for you guys?

 

[romeo212000]

Jeffro called it.

 

[ThruTheEyesOfRuby]

Roch's notes on Saunders being selected as the starter over Johnson, and Adam Jones on facing Yu Darvish.

School of Roch: A few words from Steve Johnson, Saunders and Jones

Unless Joe Saunders steps on a nail on his way to Rangers Ballpark on Friday, Steve Johnson will be sitting in the Orioles' bullpen at first pitch.

Johnson said he's ready to help out in a relief role. No pain in his left knee and no hard feelings over being passed over for Saunders.

"Disappointed wouldn't be the right word," he said. "It was great to at least be considered. It means a lot to me. But Joe's getting them out and he's going to do a great job. I'm there if they need me for anything, the bullpen or whatever. I've kind of been that guy all year, so maybe it was a better fit for me to be the long guy since I've been there before.

"I'm fine with it. Joe's going to do a great job. We're all behind him. And obviously, anything Buck (Showalter) decides, we're all behind him, so it's all good."

Johnson is wearing a brace on his left knee for better support. He threw a light bullpen session on Wednesday to test it and fielded his position without any restrictions.

"The knee's good," Johnson said. "I've had no issues with it. I'm ready to go."

Saunders said being named the starter is "a huge opportunity."

"It's been a blessing since I got traded over here and it's been an amazing experience coming over to a great organization and a great team that they have in place," he said. "Just going to embrace it, not change anything and go out there and hopefully get a W."

Saunders didn't know about his assignment until a few minutes before Showalter walked into the interview room at 3 p.m.

"It was just one of those decisions where I do have some playoff experience and I'm just going to go out there and do my thing," he said.

Asked about his past experiences in Arlington, Saunders ignored the cumulative numbers and said, "It's been a see-saw kind of deal. I've had some good games here and I've had some bad games here. Everybody has good games and bad games in certain ballparks. Just go out there and do whatever you can to help the team win, and that's what they asked me to do. That's my job."

Saunders, who grew up in Virginia, has a chance to give the Orioles their first playoff win since 1997.

"It would be really nice to get a win for the club and get a playoff game back home," he said. "I think that's what this organization is asking me to do and this is what the fans want us to do. If we can do that, I think the Oriole nation will be pretty happy with us.

"Obviously, the Rangers have a pretty potent lineup. I've faced them in the past a few years ago, and you've just got to go out there and make pitches. Our defense speaks for itself and our offense speaks for itself, too. If I can keep us in the ballgame and give us a chance to win, I think we'll be just fine."

Is Saunders a different pitcher since he last faced the Rangers?

"I don't think so. I don't think I've really changed anything," he replied. "I think you live and you learn every game. You try to get better every time out there. I think I'm the same guy."

Saunders said he's noticed a "never give up, never say die" attitude with the Orioles. It should come handy on Friday.

"I think that's what makes this club great," Saunders said. "Our extra-innings record speaks for itself. We're not afraid to throw everything we have out there, and this team is special in that fact. It's a great clubhouse and a great bunch of dudes and I'm just happy to be a part of it."

Adam Jones is viewing Friday night's game as No. 163, though it's not part of the regular season.

"Tomorrow's do or die, pretty much," he said. "Win or go home."

Actually, the Orioles will head to Baltimore no matter what happens. If they beat the Rangers on Friday, they host the first two games of the Division Series against the Yankees beginning on Sunday.

Did Jones imagine after leaving Camden Yards on Sunday that the Orioles would be playing a wild card game against the Rangers?

"Honestly, I don't think most people thought Oakland was going to come back and beat them," he said. "They were up by five or six with a week to go, and Oakland did a tremendous job coming back against them. They handled their business and changed scenarios. That's part of it. It's just part of how it's supposed to go, I guess."

The Orioles haven't faced Yu Darvish, and all the video in the world won't duplicate standing in the batters box against him.

"What you've heard and what you've seen, if it's like that, you guys can go out and hit him, too," Jones said. "You can see he throws 94, 95, he throws cutters, sliders, curveballs. He can spot up on you. He's a big guy. I saw him at the All-Star Game this year. Big guy. And I don't think any hitter has seen how the ball comes out of his hand. I think that's the first thing is the first time going through the lineup and seeing how the ball's coming out of his hand, how's his movement, and relaying information to everybody so we can try to build a scouting report on him as the game is going on."

 

[ThruTheEyesOfRuby]

ARLINGTON, Texas: Orioles' Saunders hasn't been at his best against Rangers - Baseball Wires - MiamiHerald.com

...Saunders will face the Rangers for the first time since July 23, 2010, in the American League wild-card "knockout" game on Friday night at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. To say the Rangers previously had Saunders' number is an understatement.

"I can imagine," Saunders said when asked if he knew his career numbers both against the Rangers and at this park.

To be helpful, here is a refresher course on Joe Saunders vs. the Rangers:

Saunders made 11 starts against the Rangers while with the Los Angeles Angels. He went 3-7 with a 6.48 ERA.

The Rangers' current position players have hit .352 with nine homers and a .680 slugging percentage for 122 at-bats against Saunders. Ian Kinsler, who ended the regular season in a 2-for-24 slump, is 10-for-24 with four homers lifetime against Saunders.

"You can make numbers look any way you want to," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "If you're looking for pitchers with good numbers against the Rangers, they're hard to find."

This ball yard has brought out the worst in Saunders. He is 0-6 with a 9.38 ERA for six career starts in this park. That is the second-highest career ERA among all pitchers with at least 30 innings in the park.

....

The Rangers' park historically has favored left-handed starters, but not this season. Opposing left-handed starters went 7-11 with a 5.35 ERA.

Saunders is the type of left-hander who often bedevils the Rangers. He has an ordinary sinking fastball but can throw strikes with the changeup and the curveball. A left-hander who can command the curveball has a significant chance of getting Josh Hamilton to chase pitches out of the strike zone.

"It's a huge opportunity," Saunders said. "It's been a blessing since I got traded over here, an amazing experience. I have to embrace this and not change anything."