The Orioles enter the MLB playoffs as the most exciting story to watch
USA TODAY Sports’ Steve Gardner explains what made the Orioles so great in 2023 and what we should expect from them in the playoffs.
Sports seriously
The 2023 Major League Baseball playoffs return to action on Saturday with all four division series underway.
In the American League, the Baltimore Orioles host the Texas Rangers and the Minnesota Twins visit the Houston Astros in the first games of a best-of-five series. The NLDS features divisional matchups between the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies, and the Los Angeles Dodgers hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The LDS winners advance to the best-of-seven league championship series.
Keep it here on Saturday for live coverage, highlights and scores from the quadruple header:
The British pop singer talks about loneliness and heartbreak, a song that includes the lyric: “Do you love you better than I can?” — as surprised as everyone else, as the song improbably turned into the postseason anthem for the Philadelphia Phillies.
But these days Callum Scott looks like any guy from South Philly.
“Ring the bell,” he says with a laugh.
If Bryce Harper and the Phillies win the World Series, reserve a spot at the end of the parade route on Broad Street for Scott. Scott insists he’s coming to Philadelphia and is wearing the jersey the team sent him last season as a thank you for his role in making “Dancing on My Own” a staple of the postseason soundtrack at Citizens Bank Park.
“They won the World Series, and I’m there, man,” Scott said. “I think at this point, you’ll have to stop me.” – Associated Press
BALTIMORE — With a light drizzle covering Camden Yards all morning, today’s MLB playoff opener will be postponed a little more than an hour past its scheduled start time.
MLB announced that the Orioles and Rangers are now scheduled to tip off at 2:15 PM ET.
The tarp had been on the field all morning, but a few minutes before the original start time of 1:03 p.m., the rain stopped and the grounds crew got to work removing the dirt.
The forecast for the rest of the afternoon calls for sunny skies and low temperatures in the 60s. -Steve Gardner
BALTIMORE — As the eight remaining baseball playoff entrants take the field for the Division Series round that begins Saturday, their best-laid plans are as bright and organized as the chalk lines marking the fields.
Over the next five weeks, they will be transformed into finger paintings that a young child can create.
With a five-game Division Series, a division championship and a best-of-seven World Series, even the most motivated and deep staff in a typical year don’t look like the groups that started this journey.
And this year, even the greatest participating clubs will often rely on baseball’s new best friend – the “TBA” – to get through the month. — Gaby Lakis
After four sweeps in the wild-card round, the Major League Baseball playoffs resume on Saturday with the start of the best-of-five divisional series.
The LDS winners advance to the best-of-seven League Championship Series, and the 2023 World Series is scheduled to begin Oct. 27 at the home stadium of the team with the better record.
Here’s who USA TODAY Sports baseball writers and editors think will win the World Series:
- Bob Nightingale:Atlanta
- Gaby Lakis: Velez
- Steve Gardner: Atlanta
- Jesse Yomtov: Orioles
- Scott Buick:Atlanta
- Steve Borelli: Dodgers
Read the full MLB playoff predictions from USA TODAY Sports here
BALTIMORE – Max Scherzer is still recovering from a shoulder injury that has sidelined him since mid-September, and will not be on the Texas Rangers’ roster for the American League Division Series against the Baltimore Orioles.
Both teams have finalized their 26-man rosters ahead of the best-of-five series that begins today at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Scherzer “performed well” in yesterday’s bullpen, facing live hitters for the first time since suffering a major rotator strain several weeks ago.
“But we still don’t feel like we have enough information where we can put him on the list right now,” Boushie said. He added: “He was not available in the first two matches, so we decided not to include him for this reason.” However, Bochy said the three-time Cy Young Award winner could be available if the Rangers advance to the next round.
Scherzer, 39, was acquired from the New York Mets at the Aug. 1 deadline. He posted a 4-2 record with a 3.20 ERA in eight games with the Rangers before his injury.
-Steve Gardner
With Major League Baseball’s postseason bracket challenge reduced from 12 players to eight, the formality of the four-game wild-card series has certainly created a new set of challenges for the top division winners and apparent overachievers waiting in the American League Division and National Series.
The clearer path to the pennant and the World Series that follows seems even more muddled.
However, USA TODAY Sports will aim to rank the remaining qualifiers, based on the best path to the World Series as the four-division series kicks off on Saturday:
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- Minnesota Twins
- Baltimore Orioles
- Philadelphia Phillies
- Atlanta Braves
- Texas Rangers
- Houston Astros
- Arizona Diamondbacks
“Beer enthusiast. Subtly charming alcohol junkie. Wannabe internet buff. Typical pop culture lover.”
More Stories
Mavericks vs.
NBA Playoffs: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads Thunder past Mavs to tie series at 2-2
Sources – Lions sign QB Jared Goff to a 4-year, $212 million deal