[Baltimore Sun] Orioles clinch home-field advantage in AL wild-card series with 7-2 win over Twins
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MINNEAPOLIS — Playoff baseball is coming back to Baltimore.
Camden Yards went eight years without a playoff game. Now, it will host at least two for a second consecutive season.
After clinching a playoff berth Tuesday, the Orioles set their sights on the next goal: Securing the American League’s top wild-card spot and home-field advantage through the first round of the postseason. Friday night, they did just that — and they didn’t need anyone else’s help.
Cade Povich twirled a stellar start against the team that drafted him, Ryan O’Hearn and Colton Cowser blasted home runs and the Orioles defeated the Minnesota Twins, 7-2, to give Baltimore fans the chance to pack Camden Yards next week.
Claiming the AL’s No. 4 seed could’ve happened days ago, but the Detroit Tigers haven’t lost all week as the Orioles’ most likely first-round opponent continues its magical second-half surge. A Tigers loss Thursday or earlier in the evening Friday would’ve done the trick, but the Orioles made sure this question didn’t bleed further into the weekend.
Home-field advantage in the best-of-three AL wild-card series is critical since every game is hosted by the higher seed. It will mark the first time Oriole Park has hosted a playoff contest in back-to-back seasons since 1996-97 — the last time Baltimore made the postseason in consecutive years. Game 1 will be Tuesday at a time to be determined.
After play Friday, the Orioles are locked into the No. 4 seed, while the Tigers have a one-game lead over the Kansas City Royals for the No. 5 seed. The Orioles eliminated the Twins from playoff contention, while Minnesota’s loss clinched the Royals a playoff spot.
The Orioles’ win is their 89th this season after totaling 101 victories last year. The last time Baltimore won at least 89 games in consecutive seasons was 1982 and 1983, the latter year the franchise’s most recent World Series.
Povich didn’t look like his normal self to start Friday’s contest — in a good way. The gangly left-hander was lighting up the radar gun in a way he didn’t do in his previous 15 starts to begin his MLB career. He touched 96 mph for the first time in his career and fired nine fastballs harder than 94.5 mph — his previous high.
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Either Povich was motivated to prove he deserves a spot on the Orioles’ playoff roster, he wanted to show his old organization what it’s missing after trading him away or the gun at Target Field was hot. Regardless, the rookie southpaw was magnificent.
Povich pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings to end the Twins’ playoff hopes, allowing only two hits for a third consecutive start. He’s allowed two or fewer runs in four of his five September starts to make a case that he deserves a spot on Baltimore’s postseason roster.
One complicating factor there is that Povich would give manager Brandon Hyde a fifth left-hander in the bullpen versus only five righties. Also, given the postseason schedule, the Orioles could need Povich to start Game 1 of the AL Division Series next Saturday — perhaps opposite New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole — if the wild-card series goes three games (which will likely be started by Corbin Burnes, Zach Eflin and Dean Kremer).
Either way, Povich has pitched well enough to enter himself into consideration for the Orioles’ playoff pitching plans.
This article will be updated.
Orioles at Twins
Saturday, 7:15 p.m.
TV: FOX
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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