2014 Baltimore Orioles season

Entering the offseason, the Orioles had 11 arbitration eligible players, three contract options, and several outgoing free agents. They looked to make additions to their starting rotation, to add a "big bat", as well as to improve their bullpen, which was strong in 2012, but "average" in 2013. Outgoing free agents • LHP Tsuyoshi Wada signed a minor league contract with invitation to spring training with Chicago Cubs on December 19, 2013 • 3B/1B Wilson Betemit – signed a minor league contract with invitation to spring training with Tampa Bay Rays on February 6, 2014 • IF Alexi Casilla – re-signed with Baltimore Orioles to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training on January 10, 2014 • RHP Zach Clark – re-signed with Orioles to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training on January 7, 2014 • OF Chris Dickerson – signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with Pittsburgh Pirates on January 6, 2014 • RHP Scott Feldman – signed a 3-year, contract with Houston Astros on December 6, 2013 • RHP Jason Hammel – signed a 1-year, contract with Chicago Cubs on January 31, 2014 • 1B Dan Johnson – signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with Toronto Blue Jays on November 15, 2013 • IF Alex Liddi – signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with Chicago White Sox on November 18, 2013 • OF Nate McLouth – signed a 2-year, contract with a third-year club option with Washington Nationals on December 12, 2013 • OF Michael Morse – signed a 1-year, contract with San Francisco Giants on December 17, 2013 • IF Yamaico Navarro – signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with New York Yankees on November 19, 2013 • OF Jason Pridie – signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with Colorado Rockies on December 18, 2013 • RHP Jon Rauch – signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with Kansas City Royals on January 23, 2014 • 2B Brian Roberts – signed a 1-year, contract with New York Yankees on January 14, 2014 (Roberts was the longest tenured member of the Baltimore Orioles prior to his departure) • RHP Francisco Rodríguez – signed a 1-year, contract with Milwaukee Brewers on February 7, 2014 • C Chris Snyder – signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with Washington Nationals on December 20, 2013 • C Taylor Teagarden – signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with New York Mets on January 6, 2014 Incoming free agents • RHP Ryan Webb – signed a 2-year, $4.5 million free agent contract on December 10, 2013 • OF Quintin Berry – signed a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training on January 3, 2014 (Contract selected on September 2, 2014 (Contract selected on March 30, 2014 (Contract selected on March 30, 2014 • 2B Jemile Weeks – acquired from the Oakland Athletics along with C David Freitas in a trade for RHP Jim Johnson on December 3, 2013 ==Regular season==

March/April On March 31, the Orioles won their 2014 regular season opener against the Boston Red Sox, but then proceeded to lose their next four games. After a full week and a 4–2 loss to the New York Yankees, the Orioles were in last place in the American League East and 3 games below .500. Orioles All-Star 3rd baseman Manny Machado, still recovering from off-season surgery, did not play in any games for the Orioles during the month of April; but Orioles catcher Matt Wieters got off to an uncharacteristically fast start hitting .338 with 4 home runs and 15 RBIs. The Orioles finished the month with 11 wins and 12 losses. May Tommy Hunter started the season as the Orioles closer and was successful in 11 of his 12 save opportunities, but he blew 2 consecutive saves on May 10 and 13 and then was placed on the 15-day disabled list. On May 11, the Orioles placed catcher Matt Wieters on the disabled list. Wieters was hitting over .300 and would ultimately be lost to the team for the entire season. The Orioles finished May with 15 wins and 15 losses but moved up to 3rd place in the American League East. The one bright spot in an otherwise mediocre April–May was the torrid hitting of new Oriole Nelson Cruz; by May 31 Cruz led all of MLB with a staggering 20 home runs and 51 runs batted in. June On June 6, the Orioles lost to the Oakland Athletics, 4–3 in 11 innings, dropping them 6 1/2 games out of first place. It would be the farthest out of first that the Orioles would be all season. Utility player Steve Pearce, who had appeared in only 3 games for the Orioles in April, batted .361 in June with 5 home runs and 13 RBI's. The Birds finished the month with 16 wins and 12 losses, trailing the first-place Blue Jays by one game. and the Orioles led the American League East by 1.5 games. Orioles 3rd baseman Machado injured his right knee on an awkward swing against the New York Yankees on August 11. After going on the disabled list and trying to rest his knee, he decided to have his knee surgically repaired thus ending his season. Oriole shortstop J. J. Hardy batted .322 for the month with 5 homeruns and 18 RBI's. First baseman Chris Davis filled in for Machado at third and hit 7 homeruns with 17 rbi's for the month. The Orioles ended the month of August with four consecutive wins; increasing their lead in the American League East to 9 full games over the second place Yankees. September The Orioles started the month with a 6–4 loss to the Minnesota Twins but still maintained an 8 1/2 game lead over the second place Yankees. On September 7, the Orioles beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7–5; Nelson Cruz went 4-for-5 with two home runs and 7 RBIs. On September 12, Orioles' first baseman Chris Davis was suspended for 25 games for testing positive for amphetamine. Davis claimed he tested positive due to the use of adderall—for which he previous had a "therapeutic use exemption" but did not have for the 2014 season. On Tuesday, September 16, the Orioles clinched the American League East championship by beating the second place Toronto Blue Jays 8–2. The Orioles had not won an American League East title since 1997 and Tuesday marked the first time since 1969 that the Orioles won a division title in front of their fans at home. Steve Pearce, who had replaced Chris Davis at first base, blasted a three-run homerun off Toronto right-hander Drew Hutchison to give the Orioles a 3–1 lead in the first inning. Oriole right-hander Ubaldo Jiménez, who hadn't been in the starting rotation for a month, picked up the win. The Orioles 401 walks were also the fewest walks as the modern Orioles and their 44 stolen bases were their fewest since 1961. In-season transactions • RHP Preston Guilmet – acquired from Cleveland Indians in trade for 2B Torsten Boss on 4/7/2014 • LF Steve Pearce – released on 4/27/2014 • LF Steve Pearce – signed to a 1-year, $850K free agent contract on 4/29/2014 • C Nick Hundley – acquired from San Diego Padres in trade for LHP Troy Patton on 5/24/2014 • OF Nolan Reimold – claimed off waivers by Toronto Blue Jays on 7/6/2014 • 3B Jimmy Paredes – acquired from Kansas City Royals for cash on 7/24/2014 • LHP Andrew Miller – acquired from Boston Red Sox in trade for LHP Eduardo Rodríguez on 7/31/2014 • OF Alejandro De Aza – acquired from Chicago White Sox in trade for RHP Mark Blackmar and RHP Miguel Chalas on 8/31/2014 • 3B Kelly Johnson and 3B Michael Almanzar – acquired from Boston Red Sox in trade for 2B Jemile Weeks and 2B Ivan De Jesus Jr. on 8/31/2014 Injuries etc. • March 31 – May 1: 3B Manny Machado on 15-day disabled list retroactive to 3/21 (offseason left knee surgery) • March 31 – May 1: LHP Troy Patton on restricted list (25-game suspension for amphetamine use imposed 12/20/2013) • April 7 – OF Nolan Reimold on 60-day disabled list (July 2013 back surgery) • April 26 – May 11: 1B Chris Davis on 15-day disabled list (oblique strain) • May 11 – August 13: C Matt Wieters on 15-day disabled list (right elbow strain) • May 22 – June 8: RHP Tommy Hunter on 15-day disabled list (left groin strain) • May 25 – May 27: 1B Chris Davis on paternity list • May 31 – June 17: RHP Miguel González on 15-day disabled list (oblique strain) • June 2 – June 9: RHP Johan Santana on 15-day disabled list (April 2013 shoulder surgery) • June 9 – RHP Johan Santana transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list • June 17 – C Matt Wieters underwent Tommy John surgery (out for season) • June 22 – July 21 RHP Bud Norris on 15-day disabled list (right groin strain) • June 30 – July 5: 3B Manny Machado on restricted list (5-game suspension for bat throwing) • July 8 – August 9: RHP Ubaldo Jiménez on 15-day disabled list (right ankle sprain) • August 12 – September 2: 3B Manny Machado on 15-day disabled list (right knee sprain) • August 13: C Matt Wieters transferred from 15-day to 60-day disabled list • August 27: 3B Manny Machado underwent right knee surgery (out for season) • September 2: 3B Manny Machado transferred from 15-day to 60-day disabled list • September 12 – 1B Chris Davis on restricted list (25-game suspension for amphetamine use) ==Season standings==

American League East Record vs. opponents ==Game log==

Batting Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases; BB = Walks; AVG = Batting average; SLG = Slugging average Source:Pitching Note: W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; H = Hits allowed; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; SO = Strikeouts Source:[https://baseball-reference.com/teams/BAL/2014-pitching.shtml ==Post-season==

Division Series The Orioles swept the Detroit Tigers in the Division Series. ALDS notes • The 12 runs scored by the Orioles in Game 1 were the most runs the Orioles have ever scored in a post-season game. • The Orioles sweep of the Tigers was their first post-season sweep since 1971 when they beat the Oakland Athletics 3–0. • By winning successive games against 2011, 2012 and 2013 Cy Young Award winners Justin Verlander, David Price and Max Scherzer, the Orioles became only the fourth team to win a postseason series over three Cy Young winners, the only one ever to do so in consecutive games, and the only one not against the 1990s Braves trio of Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and John Smoltz. In fact, with the final regular-season win over Toronto's R. A. Dickey, the Orioles won 4 consecutive games started by Cy Young winners, an unprecedented feat. Championship Series The Orioles were swept by the Kansas City Royals 4 games to 0 in the AL pennant series. Postseason game log ;ALDS Game Log ;2014 ALDS composite box score ;ALCS Game Log ;2014 ALCS composite box score ==Accolades==

The following players represented the Orioles in the 2014 Major League Baseball All-Star Game • Nelson Cruz (3rd appearance) • Adam Jones (4th appearance) • Matt Wieters (3rd appearance) DH Nelson Cruz won the MLB and American League home run championships with 40 Center fielder Adam Jones and right fielder Nick Markakis both won the Rawlings Gold Glove Award. Manager Buck Showalter was named the American League Manager of the Year, his third award. General Manager Dan Duquette was named The Sporting News' Major League Baseball Executive of the Year ==Roster==