Good morning, Camden Chatters.
If you’re a fan of baseball — and if you’re not, how did you end up here? — I’m pleased to report that there will be at least another eight consecutive days of baseball without a break. Tonight, the Tigers and Mariners will face off in Seattle for the finale of their best-of-five series, with the winner moving on to Toronto for the ALCS. For the loser, it’s nothing but a trip home for the offseason.
Tomorrow, the Cubs and Brewers will follow suit with a winner-take-all
Game 5 of their own in Milwaukee, thanks to Chicago winning both games at Wrigley Field to erase a 2-0 series deficit. It’s only fitting that a matchup between two heated division rivals would need to go the full five games to be decided. That’s been an entertaining series, even for those of us who have no particular rooting interest in either of these teams.
Meanwhile, the other half of the upcoming NLCS is set, as the Dodgers finished off the Phillies in an 11-inning thriller in Game 4 last night. The Phils ended their season in perhaps the dumbest way possible, with pitcher Orion Kerkering going into panic mode on a routine comebacker and firing the ball (wildly) to the plate instead of just getting the easy out at first. Kerkering will have a long winter to stew over that poor decision, but I’m sure the famously chill and easygoing Phillies fans aren’t upset or anything.
The ALCS begins on Sunday and the NLCS on Monday. At this point, I’m rooting against the Dodgers (because they just won the World Series last year) and the Blue Jays (because they’re the Blue Jays). So I’ll be pulling for whoever wins tonight’s and tomorrow’s games to go on to win the LCS, too. In a perfect world, it would be the Mariners and the Brewers, the only two teams left in the playoffs who have never won a championship. That would be a neat World Series matchup.
What about you, Camden Chatters? Which remaining playoff teams would you like to see in the Fall Classic?
Links
Basallo on his first major league experience: “Many things to work on” – School of Roch
Samuel Basallo is a work in progress, as his .165/.229/.330 MLB batting line would indicate. Luckily he’s got eight more years in an Orioles uniform to try to turn things around.
What should the O’s be looking for in their next manager? – Steve Melewski
It would be nice for the Orioles’ next manager to be an instantly respected veteran with a history of postseason success. Unfortunately there aren’t many Bruce Bochys available, assuming Bochy himself isn’t planning to manage next year.
‘Adley’s the guy’: O’s have faith Rutschman will rebound in ’26 – MLB.com
It’s nice to be optimistic, but I feel like we saw these exact same articles about Adley before the 2025 season, and we saw how that turned out.
Orioles’ Suárez gets good news on forearm injury – BaltimoreBaseball.com
For once, an Orioles pitcher’s arm injury does not require Tommy John surgery. Who knew such a thing was even possible?
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! And happy 26th birthday to Luis Vázquez, who spent much of the 2025 season as the Orioles’ utility infielder, but is perhaps more noteworthy for making four pitching appearances without allowing a run. Make him the new closer! Former Orioles born on Oct. 10 include left-hander Nick Vespi (30) and the late righty Gordin Sundin (b. 1937, d. 2016), whose entire MLB career consisted of a single game as an 18-year-old in 1958, when he walked both batters he faced.
The Orioles have played seven postseason games on this date in history. They won the first four but have lost the last three. The losses were in 2012, 2014, and 2023. Look them up if you care to; I’d rather not talk about them.
In 1970, the O’s opened the World Series with a tense 4-3 win in Cincinnati. Boog Powell, Elrod Hendricks, and Brooks Robinson all hit homers, with Brooks also making a great defensive play at third to begin his spectacular series. Jim Palmer came one out shy of a complete game and Pete Richert retired the final batter to strand the tying run at third. The O’s benefitted from a blown call in the sixth by home plate ump Ken Burkhart, who called the Reds’ Bernie Carbo out at the plate even though the catcher Hendricks tagged him with an empty glove.
In 1973, the Birds pulled off an outstanding comeback to beat the Athletics in Game 4 of the ALCS, 5-4. Trailing 4-0 in the seventh, the O’s knotted the score on a Robinson RBI single and an Andy Etchebarren three-run homer, then took the lead in the eighth on Bobby Grich’s homer against Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers. The late heroics helped the Orioles send the series to a sudden-death fifth game, which they ultimately lost.
In 1979, the Orioles beat the Pirates in Game 1 of the World Series, 5-4. The O’s scored all five of their runs in the bottom of the first on a fielder’s choice, an error, a wild pitch, and Doug DeCinces two-run homer. Starter Mike Flanagan took it the rest of the way, working a complete game and giving up just two earned runs despite 11 hits.
And in 1996, the O’s beat the Yankees, 5-3, to even up the ALCS at one win apiece. Rafael Palmeiro broke a two-all tie in the seventh with a two-run homer to silence the Yankee Stadium crowd, while David Wells and four O’s relievers made the lead stand up. It turned out to be the Orioles’ only win of that series.
