Baltimore @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 22, 2011 ) Baltimore 6, Detroit 5

THE STORY: The Baltimore Orioles are determined to end the season with as many winning teams in their wake as possible. After winning series over each of the three teams fighting for the American League wild card, the Orioles went to work against the AL Central champion Detroit Tigers with a 6-5 victory Thursday. While the Tigers won’t lose a playoff spot with a bad series against Baltimore, they could squander home field advantage in the first round. Detroit will be looking to keep pace with the Texas Rangers for the No. 2 slot when it sends Rick Porcello to the mound against the visiting Orioles on Friday night.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Baltimore), FS Detroit

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Alfredo Simon (4-9, 4.96 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Rick Porcello (14-9, 4.79).

Simon is 0-3 over his last five starts with a 6.75 ERA. The 30-year-old Dominican is getting his first real chance to start in the majors and seems to be hitting a wall at the end of the season. Simon got knocked around for four runs on 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings against the Tigers on Aug. 12 and owns a 9.45 ERA in 6 2/3 innings against them in his career. Tigers manager Jim Leyland has already said he will not start Justin Verlander on three day’s rest in the playoffs, leaving the No. 4 starter spot as Porcello’s to lose. The 22-year-old righthander has put up quality starts in four of his last five turns but is coming off a loss at Oakland in which he surrendered three runs in seven innings. Porcello gave up five runs in five innings to lose to Baltimore on April 4 and is 1-2 with a 4.76 ERA in three career starts.

ABOUT THE ORIOLES (66-90): Baltimore has won eight of its last 10 games - all against the Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox and Detroit. The Orioles will get back to their wild card destruction plan against the Red Sox again Monday but in the meantime are showing off their resurgent offense. Adam Jones and J.J. Hardy homered and Nolan Reimold drove in a pair of runs on Thursday as Baltimore secured a 6-5 win in the series opener. The starting pitching has been poor but the bullpen is solid and the offense has averaged six runs over the last 10 games. Hardy’s solo shot Thursday was his 29th, adding to his career high.

ABOUT THE TIGERS (90-66): Detroit is not all that much better at home (45-30) than on the road (45-36). But the Tigers would still like to ensure that a potential Game 5 in the division series would take place at Comerica Park, preferably with ace Verlander on the mound. Leyland is giving his regulars a few extra innings off down the stretch but is still playing to win with that Game 5 in mind. The Rangers (90-66) also lost Thursday and have to finish the season on the road at Los Angeles while Detroit gets to stay home for Cleveland.

FINAL PITCH: Leyland has already made his decision as to who will start Game 2 of the postseason after ace Justin Verlander. Leyland, who piggybacked Max Scherzer and Doug Fister in Wednesday’s game against the Royals, will give the ball to Fister in Game 2, no matter who Detroit ends up facing. Fister has gone 7-1 with a 2.02 ERA since joining the Tigers at the trade deadline.