After previously leaning toward starting Miguel Gonzalez for Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, manager Buck Showalter instead elected to go with right-hander Bud Norris as the Orioles will go for the sweep on Sunday afternoon.
The decision was made following Baltimore’s 7-6 win Friday to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series. Showalter told reporters in Detroit that the change allows the Orioles to use Norris out of the bullpen in a potential Game 5 and gives Gonzalez a chance to have a good workday on Saturday after being on standby in the bullpen for the first two games of the series.
With Kevin Gausman pitching 3 1/3 effective innings and Brad Brach and Zach Britton the only other relievers to work in Game 2, the bullpen should be in excellent shape to back up Norris in the event of a shaky outing. Ubaldo Jimenez would still be ready as a long man and all other relief options besides Gausman should be fresh.
“We didn’t need Bud as much in the bullpen [Sunday],” Showalter told reporters in Detroit. “It’s one of the reasons we kind of held off on a lot of it. We wanted to wait this time of year, some of the things that happened in the game, what that means will happen in further games comes into play.”
Norris hasn’t pitched since Sept. 24 and will be making his postseason debut, which might lead you to believe the Orioles wanted him to get his feet wet with the benefit of a two-game cushion in the Division Series. Gonzalez pitched seven strong innings and allowed only one earned run in his only postseason start against the Yankees in Game 3 of the 2012 ALDS.
The 29-year-old Norris went 15-8 with a 3.65 ERA in 28 starts this season. In two starts against Detroit in 2014, Norris was 0-2 with a 6.39 ERA, but it was his second start against the Tigers on May 12 that sparked controversy when he plunked Torii Hunter in the ribs after giving up a late home run to Ian Kinsler, a move that prompted the right-hander’s ejection before both benches and bullpens emptied.
Gonzalez allowed eight earned runs in 5 1/3 innings against Detroit this season, which included a start on April 4 that was the worst of his season. He also made a relief appearance against the Tigers in relief of a Gausman start in mid-May.
