nick hundley

The weather might put a damper on the Kansas City Royals' running game in tonight's American League Championship Series opener, but the Orioles' best weapon for stifling their speed in Game 1 might be on the mound.

There are more similarities between the Orioles and their American League Championship Series opponent, the Kansas City Royals, than not -- they both have solid pitching, stellar bullpens and play exemplary defense -- but the way they score runs is completely different.

Suspended Chris Davis rejoins Orioles, but won't be on ALCS roster

If the circumstances were different, Matt Wieters might have been surrounded by reporters during Thursday's media availability at Camden Yards.

Former Mets pitcher Ron Darling will be part of a three-man broadcast booth anchored by play-by-play man Ernie Johnson and former Oriole great Cal Ripken Jr. during the American League Championship Series.

Who is the one player you think will make a major impact in the 2014 ALCS?

Despite ranking last in the major leagues in home runs and ninth in the AL in runs scored, the Kansas City Royals' 153 stolen bases in the regular season led the major leagues, and they had an 81 percent success rate. But Orioles catchers are primed to stop them in their tracks.

Hundreds of fans turned out to Oriole Park at Camden Yards Monday afternoon to welcome the Orioles back to Baltimore, a day after the team finished a sweep of the Tigers in Detroit to clinch a spot in the American League Championship Series.

The Orioles are one win away from advancing to the American League Championship Series as they prepare to face the Detroit Tigers in Game 3 of the AL Division Series on Sunday afternoon at Comerica Park.

Behind the scenes, the Orioles front office relies on a range of contributors, from old-school scouts who gauge talent by watching players compete to younger executives adept at the statistics-driven approach captured in "Moneyball," the best-selling book and motion picture.

The Orioles hit two homers and then battered the Detroit Tigers bullpen for an eight-run eighth inning -- turning a one-run game into an all-out rout in a 12-3 win in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.

Baltimore Sun reporter Dan Connolly breaks down the American League Division Series matchup between the Orioles and the Detroit Tigers.

Needing to replace three All Stars, the Orioles looked to Steve Pearce, Caleb Joseph, Nick Hundley and Ryan Flaherty

The starting lineup the Orioles fielded in Friday night's 4-2 loss to the Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre was missing 98 homers and 304 RBIs. Without Nelson Cruz, Adam Jones, Steve Pearce and J.J. Hardy, the Orioles were minus a significant amount of offensive punch.

The Orioles' 4-2 loss to Toronto Friday officially eliminated them from earning the American League¿s best record and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Orioles had three homers, including two by center fielder Adam Jones, to give them a majors-leading 202 this year.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Markakis was still sore after he was hit by a pitch in the back of his right shoulder in the seventh inning of Tuesday¿s game.

Orioles slugger Chris Davis has been suspended 25 games after testing positive for an amphetamine.

The Orioles didn't play their best baseball this weekend. But after a career day by Nelson Cruz in a 7-5 win in 11 innings over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday afternoon, they left Tropicana Field with a 9 1/2-game lead in the American League East.

The Orioles have played so well away from Camden Yards this season, but on Saturday they dropped their second straight game this weekend at Tropicana Field under strange circumstances.

With Thursday¿s 9-7 victory over the Cincinnati Reds before an announced 21,114 at Camden Yards, the Orioles posted their fourth sweep of three or more games this season.

The Orioles (79-57) had their four-game winning streak snapped and saw their lead in the American League East division drop to 8 1/2 games over the idle New York Yankees. The Twins (60-77) have won just two of their last nine games.

After another quality start Monday night, Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman again gave credit to catcher Nick Hundley for being "right on with every pitch."

The Orioles figured out a simple way Monday night to bust out of an offensive skid that cost them three games at Wrigley Field over the weekend. Get home -- and start homering.

The Orioles had won eight straight series before heading out on their nine-game road trip, but their 7-2 loss to the Cubs, a club with little to play for other than pride at this point in the season, ensured that they would lose two of the three series away from Camden Yards.

It was obvious that Cubs catcher John Baker made a clean tag Friday on Chris Davis. What wasn¿t clear was whether he was blocking home plate.

The Orioles will play against two familiar faces in their three-game series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field this weekend. Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta is scheduled to start Friday's series opener, and left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada is set to start Sunday.

Orioles bullpen catcher Jett Ruiz was a college teammate of former Boston College baseball player Pete Frates, a 29-year-old old stricken with ALS who has been credited for fueling momentum of the challenge, which picked up steam in Boston after Frates challenged family and friends on social media. Area athletes followed suit, later followed by numerous athletes and celebrities around the nation.

Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen will start for the Orioles on Wednesday. He is 1-0 with a 3.13 ERA in four career starts against the White Sox.

Chris Tillman held the Chicago White Sox to one run and three hits in eight innings Tuesday night in a 5-1 win as the Orioles increased their American League East lead to 8 1/2 games.

The Cleveland Indians send right-hander Danny Salazar to the mound Sunday as they attempt to sweep the American League East-leading Orioles in the three-game series.

With a 5-3 comeback victory paced by eighth-inning home runs from Jonathan Schoop and Adam Jones, the Orioles are now eight gamse ahead of the New York Yankees in the American League East.

Third baseman Manny Machado underwent a MRI and was diagnosed with a sprained ligament in his right knee.

Catcher Caleb Joseph has raised his batting average 39 points over his last 10 games. And he also has given the club an unexpected power surge recently with a home run in each of his last three games.

Right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez was back with his Orioles teammates Monday after pitching well in a rehab start at Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday night. And he's eager to get back on the mound in a major league game.

Here's what a handful of Orioles players said about the trade for left-hander Andrew Miller.

Duquette again reiterated his unwillingness to deal his top prospects, so a move for a top of the rotation starter seems unlikely.

The Orioles had to make a roster move in order to recall right-hander Bud Norris from Double-A Bowie to make tonight's start, and they optioned catcher Steve Clevenger back to Triple-A Norfolk before the game.

Orioles center fielder Adam Jones sparked the Orioles by driving in five runs, including a three-run homer off Jason Hammel just three batters into the game.

As they try to rebound from a 5-4 walk-off loss to the Oakland Athletics at O.co Coliseum, the Orioles will face right-hander Jason Hammel ¿ Baltimore's Opening Day starter in 2013 ¿ for the first time this season.

The Orioles open the second half of their season tonight in Oakland, their first stop in a three-city, 10-game West Coast road trip.

The Orioles have reached the All-Star break, and Caleb Joseph can't believe he's still on the team.

Playing before another split and soldout crowd at Camden Yards — this sellout, the seventh here this year, was announced at 46,667 — the Orioles were shut out for the seventh time this season and first since June 13 against Toronto.

The agent for catcher Steve Clevenger tweeted this morning that his client was headed back to Baltimore to join the Orioles.

Miguel Gonzalez had gone 31 starts between consecutive eight-inning outings until the Orioles¿ 3-2, walk-off win in 10 innings Friday night at Camden Yards.

Orioles catcher Matt Wieters still has his right arm in a metal immobilizer following season-ending Tommy John surgery last month. And while he returned to the team for the first time since the surgery on Thursday, Wieters said he expects to be around the team ¿ and have the immobilizer off ¿ when he rejoins the team for good following the Orioles¿ west-coast trip after the All-Star break.

Dan Connolly has been talking to several baseball people outside of the Orioles organization for the past week or so about the club's trade possibilities as the July 31 nonwaiver deadline approaches. And everyone basically says the same thing: Dan Duquette will do something.

When Ubaldo Jimenez walked off the mound in the fourth inning in the nightcap of the Orioles' split doubleheader Saturday night, a split of their twin bill against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park seemed unlikely.