BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles set a franchise playoff record for runs scored in their 12-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers in Game 1 of their American League Division Series on Thursday night.
The offense came through with an eight-run eighth inning and banged out 12 hits. But manager Buck Showalter’s bullpen came through in a big way, even as the skipper slightly altered the way he used it.
Instead of using pitchers for an inning at a time, Showalter brought in left-hander Andrew Miller in the sixth after taking out right-hander Chris Tillman, the starter. Miller went 1 2/3 innings, followed by right-hander Darren O’Day (one inning), left-hander Zach Britton (one-third of an inning) and right-hander Tommy Hunter (one inning).
Britton was supposed to go the final 1 1/3 innings, but after the long bottom of the eighth where the Orioles scored eight times, Showalter brought in Hunter to finish it as the bullpen allowed just one run on four hits in four innings.
The skipper said he let the bullpen pitchers know things were going to be a bit different at times.
“We talked about (how) things change, it’s the postseason,” Showalter said. “We’ve talked to them since the season was over about how this was going to work … they know it’s all hands on deck.”
The use of Miller early was a mild surprise as he usually would go in the seventh or eighth. But Showalter thought everything lined up right to go with Miller, O’Day and Britton, in that order.
“It felt like that spot of their order was good for Andrew,” Showalter said. “And the next group of guys was good for Darren. I knew that I would pitch Zach in the eighth.”
The new changes brought the same result, and the Orioles walked away with a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.