Baltimore Sun coverage: Orioles in the 2014 playoffs

Joy R. Absalon, USA Today Sports

The Orioles haven't played the Detroit Tigers, their American League Division Series opponent, since a series in May at Camden Yards that included a couple heated exchanges. Bud Norris hit Detroit's Torii Hunter on May 12, causing the benches to clear. Two days later, Justin Verlander threw behind Nelson Cruz and both teams were warned.

Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun

The Orioles kicked off the season with a 2-1 win over the Boston Red Sox at Camden Yards. Nelson Cruz hit a go-ahead home run in the seventh, and four relief pitchers combined to pitch four scoreless innings. But then the club lost four straight games and struggled for much of the first two months, entering June with a 27-27 record.

Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun

As spring training started in February, the Orioles made two big free-agent signings -- right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez and outfielder Nelson Cruz, pictured. The move to add Cruz paid off as he was named Most Valuable Oriole in the final homestand. But Jimenez struggled to a 6-9 record with a 4.85 ERA and lost his spot in the rotation in August.

Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun

Leading off the bottom of the 12th inning, Machado hit his first career walk-off home run to left-center field off the Los Angeles Angels' Cory Rasmus on July 29. It was the Orioles' eighth walk-off win of the season, and they finished the year with 10. It also was one of the Orioles' 14 wins in extra innings, the most in the major leagues this year.

Mitchell Layton, Getty Images

On June 23, the Orioles trailed the Chicago White Sox, 4-3, with one out and two runners on base in the bottom of the ninth inning. Buck Showalter sent Chris Davis up to the plate as a pinch hitter for Delmon Young, who was 3-for-4 in the game. Facing Ronald Belisario, Davis hit a three-run, walk-off home run to right field.

Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun

Matt Wieters was batting .354 with five home runs and 18 RBIs after the Orioles' 3-0 win over the Minnesota Twins on May 2. But less than a week later, he visited Dr. James Andrews after experiencing elbow soreness. Wieters initially hoped to rehabilitate the injury, but he didn't play after May 11 and underwent Tommy John surgery June 17.

Rob Carr, Getty Images

After trailing the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East by a season-high 6 1/2 games on June 6, the Orioles chipped away before moving into first place July 4. The Orioles increased their lead to as many as 14 1/2 games before finishing 12 games ahead of the New York Yankees.

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In Derek Jeter's final game at Yankee Stadium, Nick Markakis and Alejandro De Aza hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning. After Adam Jones and Steve Pearce each hit a home run to tie the game in the ninth, Jeter's walk-off single ended the historic night.

David Butler II, USA Today Sports

When Chris Davis was suspended for 25 games Sept. 12 after testing positive for amphetamine use, the Orioles led the American League East by 10 games over the Toronto Blue Jays. They went 10-7 without Davis to end the regular season, winning the division by 12 games over the New York Yankees.

Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun

After only seven at-bats, Steve Pearce was designated for assignment by the Orioles on April 22. A week later -- after he rejected a waiver claim from the Toronto Blue Jays -- Pearce rejoined the organization when Chris Davis went on the disabled list with a strained oblique. And he finished the season with a career-high 21 home runs.

Rob Carr, Getty Images

In his season debut April 4, right-hander Miguel Gonzalez gave up seven runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings against the Detroit Tigers. He only allowed more than three earned runs in two of his final 26 starts, but he pitched his best game Sept. 3 against the Cincinnati Reds in his first career shutout.

Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun

With Manny Machado coming back from offseason surgery on his left knee, the Orioles hoped to bounce back from a 12-12 record in April. The club won eight of its first 10 games after Machado's return from the disabled list May 1. But he batted just .220 with two home runs and five RBIs in 27 games in May as the Orioles went 15-15 in the month.

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Machado took exception to a tag by the Oakland Athletics' Josh Donaldson on June 6, and the two players had to be separated as the benches cleared. Two days later, though, Machado's feud with Oakland went to another level. After Fernando Abad threw inside, Machado threw his bat toward third base. He received a five-game suspension.

Mitchell Layton, Getty Images

The Orioles entered a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays with an 11 1/2-game lead in the division and 13 games to play. The Orioles won the first game before pounding Toronto, 8-2, on Sept. 16 to clinch their first American League East title since 1997.

Charles LeClaire, USA Today Sports

After leading the major leagues with 53 home runs in 2013, Davis was batting .231 with only three homers and 15 RBIs when the Orioles started a two-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 20. He doubled his 2014 home run total in that game, going 4-for-5 with three home runs, five RBIs and four runs scored in the Orioles' 9-2 win.

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Tommy Hunter entered the season as the Orioles' pick to replace Jim Johnson as the club's closer. But he allowed at least one base runner in 13 of his first 17 appearances, including three blown saves. Hunter was replaced in the ninth-inning role by Zach Britton on May 15, and the left-hander saved 37 of his 41 save opportunities this season.

Joy R. Absalon, USA Today Sports

The Orioles' 11-3 win over the New York Yankees on Aug. 11 was overshadowed by the image of Manny Machado falling to the ground and grabbing his right knee after swinging in the fourth inning. Later that month, Machado underwent his second knee surgery in less than a year and missed the rest of the season.

Joy R. Absalon, USA Today Sports

The Orioles acquired left-handed relief pitcher Andrew Miller at the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline. He had a 1.35 ERA in 23 appearances for the club down the stretch. Then, at the Aug. 31 waiver trade deadline, the Orioles added outfielder Alejandro De Aza and infielder Kelly Johnson.

Scott Iskowitz, Getty Images

Nelson Cruz, who led the major leagues with 40 home runs, had three multihomer games this season. His best game was Sept. 7 against the Tampa Bay Rays when he went 4-for-5 with two home runs and drove in all of the Orioles' runs in a 7-5 win in 11 innings.

Joy R. Absalon, USA Today Sports

With a full count, Nick Markakis hit his first career leadoff home run to put the Orioles ahead of the Seattle Mariners, 1-0, on Aug. 3 at Camden Yards. And that's how the game ended as Chris Tillman, Andrew Miller and Zach Britton combined for the shutout.

Joy R. Absalon, USA Today Sports

The Orioles haven't played the Detroit Tigers, their American League Division Series opponent, since a series in May at Camden Yards that included a couple heated exchanges. Bud Norris hit Detroit's Torii Hunter on May 12, causing the benches to clear. Two days later, Justin Verlander threw behind Nelson Cruz and both teams were warned.