The Baltimore Orioles spent the last month of the season battling the New York Yankees for the AL East division lead, tying for the number one spot 10 times. The team came close to getting the lead, but will have to settle for a wild-card spot after falling to the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 on Wednesday night.
The team has nothing to feel shame about, considering they haven't made the playoffs since 1997, but like everyone else, they wanted to win the division.
"We knew it was a long shot, but we ran into some really good pitching," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said to the Associated Press. "I've got to tip my hat to them, and what is really kind of amazing is that you look over there with what they've been able to do this year, win 90 games, and that tells you what a fine line there is in all those extra-inning games and one-run losses, and we could be in the same position they are."
The Orioles started the night only one game behind the Yankees for the division lead. If they could win and the Yankees lost, there would have been a 163rd game to decide the AL East.
But the Rays stood in the way of that, beating the Orioles to give the Yankees the AL East crown. The loss was irrelevant for the division race anyway, the Yankees took care of business, dominating the Boston Red Sox 14-2 to finish the season in first place.
The Orioles will now play the Texas Rangers in Arlington on Friday night in a one-game playoff to move to the next round against the number one seeded New York Yankees.
"We're going to take it one game at a time. Obviously, if you lose, you're done," said Orioles slugger Chris Davis. "We're going to try to do everything we can to beat Texas and get back home."
Rays third baseman Evan Longoria beat Baltimore single handedly on Wednesday, hitting three solo home runs. In fact, the Rays scored all four runs on solo shots, including Ryan Roberts' home run in the sixth inning.
"It was cool," Longoria said. "That's about as fun a night as you can have in a ballgame."
Longoria has finished the past two seasons with stellar performances. In 2011, Longoria had two home runs against the Yankees to propel the Rays into the playoffs, while this year he had three in helping send the Orioles to the wild card. It was his second career three home run game.
"I just think it highlights how well we play in games 162," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "It was a very dramatic game, the way it all unfolded. I just like the idea that we played the last game of the season with that kind of effort and intensity."
Pitcher Jeremy Hellickson was stellar for the Rays, allowing only one hit in five innings of work. Four Tampa relievers combined to throw 3.2 innings, allowing one run and striking out four on just two hits. Fernando Rodney closed out the game for his 48th save of the season. Rodney finished the year with a ridiculously low 0.60 ERA.
Baltimore starter Chris Tillman gave up two of Longoria's home runs and only pitched five innings.
"Sometimes you've got to give credit where credit is due. He put some good swings on some pitches, but I should have been better," Tillman said. "I knew what I needed to do. I just didn't get it done."
According to ESPN.com, Longoria is 6 for 12 with three homers against Tillman in his career.
Tampa played excellent the last two weeks of the season, only losing two games, but it was too little too late to make the playoffs.
"The big tip of the cap goes to Joe Maddon and the Rays. They played 162," Baltimore's Adam Jones said. "Their players went out every game to the last one and gave it all they've got."
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