Matt Wieters hits two home runs to send the Orioles to the postseason
The Orioles beat the Yankees to clinch one of the two AL wild-card spots
NEW YORK -- For the third time in the last five seasons, the Baltimore Orioles are going to the postseason. The O's clinched one of the two AL wild-card spots with their win over the Yankees on the final day of the regular season Sunday afternoon (BAL 5, NYY 2).
Right-hander Kevin Gausman got the win thanks to 7 1/3 innings of two-run ball, though the big hero was his battery-mate, catcher Matt Wieters. Wieters gave the O's a 3-0 lead with a two-run home run in the fourth inning. Here's the video:
That was a no-doubter. The Orioles turned Wieters loose in a 3-0 count and Yankees rookie righty Luis Cessa paid dearly for his get-me-over fastball.
Two innings later, after the Yankees scored a run to trim Baltimore's lead to 3-1 lead, Wieters hit another two-run home run, this one against lefty Tommy Layne. To the action footage:
Two homers and four runs batted in to carry your team to the postseason sure makes for a nice afternoon, I'd say. Also, Wieters did something that has not been done by an Orioles player in two decades:
Wieters first Orioles to homer from both sides of the plate in same game since Roberto Alomar did it in 1996
— Erik Boland (@eboland11) October 2, 2016
Wow, that's hard to believe, isn't it? The Orioles have hit an awful lot of home runs over the years, even when they weren't perennial contenders, yet Wieters is their first player to go deep from both sides of the plate in the same game since 1996. Wild.
With the win, the Orioles have clinched one of the two AL wild-card spots, though they're still waiting to find out who and where they'll play. Both the Blue Jays and Tigers remain alive in the wild-card race and will have a say in the final seeding.
Baltimore qualified for the postseason this year thanks largely to their power. Wieters' two homers Sunday give the O's an MLB-leading 253 home runs in 2016. No other team is even close to that total. The all-time record is 264 homers by the 1997 Mariners, and for a while it appeared the O's had a chance to catch them.
And, of course, whenever the Orioles had a lead in the late innings, closer Zach Britton made it stand up. He went an incredible 47 for 47 in save opportunities, and pitched to a 0.54 ERA in 67 innings. With anyone else closing, the O's probably miss the postseason.
The Orioles played in the first ever AL Wild Card Game back in 2012, when they beat the Rangers to advance to the ALDS. The O's won the AL East in 2014 and advanced to the ALCS before getting swept by the Royals.
The AL Wild Card Game will be played Tuesday, October 4.
















