Nelson Cruz powers Orioles over Tigers in 12-3 blowout win

An eight-run eighth inning in front of the 47,000-plus fans at Oriole Park at Camden Parks started the Baltimore Orioles’ postseason on a high-note as the club pounded the Detroit Tigers bullpen en route to a 12-3 blowout win in the opening contest of the American League Division Series Thursday night.

The inning saw eight runners cross the plate, thanks to six hits and two Detroit errors. What began as a 4-3 Orioles lead quickly spiraled out of control for the American League Central champs. With one out in the inning, outfielder Alejandro De Aza doubled before coming around to score on an error by Detroit shortstop Andrew Romine. Adam Jones, who reached on the error, promptly stole second base before scoring on an RBI single by Nelson Cruz.

With a 5-3 lead, Baltimore poured it on, despite the Tigers pulling Joba Chamberlain in favor of Joaquin Soria. Steve Pearce singled to center and Cruz motored around to third, drawing a throw from center fielder Rajai Davis, which got away from Nick Castellanos at third, allowing Pearce to move up 90 feet. After Soria intentionally walked shortstop J.J. Hardy, Ryan Flaherty singled, scoring Cruz and pushing the O’s lead to 7-3. An RBI ground out by Nick Hundley and a two-run double by Jonathan Schoop pushed that lead to 10-3, ending the night for Soria after recording just one out and allowing four earned runs.

More from MLB Playoffs

• 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
• FanDuel’s Exclusive $2,500 MLB Promo Won’t Be Around Much Longer! 
• Inside the MLB numbers: A winning record but no playoffs
• Clutch in the MLB postseason: Game-changing moments (2016-2022)
• 3 MLB longshots who can win the World Series

First-year Detroit manager Brad Ausmus then turned to left-hander Phil Coke for a pair of Baltimore left-handed hitters, but the southpaw failed to deliver, walking Nick Markakis before allowing a two-run double by De Aza that accounted for the seventh and eighth runs of the frame, giving Baltimore a 12-3 lead heading to the ninth.

Although the Tigers loaded the bases in the ninth against reliever Tommy Hunter, they failed to score – a trend that was especially present later on in the contest. Two of the three of Detroit runs came in the first two innings – the outlier being a solo blast off the bat of Miguel Cabrera in the top of the eighth.

Cruz started the scoring in the bottom of the first, taking Max Scherzer (0-1) deep to right field for a two-run blast. The Detroit ace was charged with five earned runs in 7 1/3 innings of work, striking out six and walking one. When he departed, turning things over to the relief corps – which has been considered a glaring weakness for the club – the Tigers trailed by just one.

His counterpart, right-hander Chris Tillman (1-0) struggled with pitch count, but gutted his way through five innings of work, allowing just two runs that came on back-to-back home runs in the second, courtesy of Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez, on four hits, striking out six. The Baltimore relief corps allowed just one run and four hits in four innings of work, striking out four and walking just two.

Five Orioles hitters tallied multiple hits on the night. Cruz drove in three runs and De Aza added a pair of doubles and two RBIs to lead the offense. The 12-run outburst set a Baltimore postseason record. The previous record was 10 runs, and was set in the 1996 ALDS against the Cleveland Indians.