GAME 1: TIGERS-ORIOLES LIVE UPDATES

UPDATE: 9:13 p.m.
12-3 Orioles. Stick a fork in 'em.

UPDATE: 8:51 p.m.
Soria, bullpen collapse. Tigers look like toast. 

---

UPDATE: 8:44 p.m.
Nelson Cruz singles, Adam Jones scores from second. 6-3 Baltimore. One out. RHP Joakim Soria relieves Chamberlain. First baseman Steve Pearce due up.

---

UPDATE: 8:41 p.m.
Tigers shortstop Andrew Romine boots grounder, Orioles left fielder Alejandro De Aza comes around from second to score. 5-3 Baltimore. One out.

---

UPDATE: 8:36 p.m. Scherzer's finished. #JobaTime. 

---

UPDATE: Thu. 8:29 p.m.
Victor Martinez grounds out, Tigers trail 4-3, bottom of the eighth. Is Scherzer done? Sanchez time? Soria time?

Lima time?  
 

---

UPDATE: Thu. 8:25 p.m.
Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera hits a solo homer off reliever Darren O'Day. Birds lead, 4-3, two outs in the top of the eighth. In comes Orioles closer Zach Britton. Tigers switch-hitting DH Victor Martinez up to bat, batting right-handed.

---

UPDATE: Thu. 8:17 p.m.
Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy homers off Max Scherzer, Birds lead, 4-2, in the top of the eighth. Scherzer has six strikeouts, but has surrendered two home runs. Looks like a battle of the bullpens from here on out.

---

UPDATE: Thu. 7:11 p.m.
In the top of the fifth in Baltimore, the Tigers-Orioles slugfest has settled into something of a pitchers duel. In the last two innings, starters Max Scherzer and Chris Tillman have managed to keep the ball in the ballpark. 

Baltimore's Nelson Cruz, a former Texas Ranger who was the Tigers' nemesis in the 2011 American League Championship Series, has struck again, with a two-run homer in the first. The Tigers, behind back-to-back home runs from Victor Martinez and JD Martinez in the second, trail 3-2.

UPDATE: Thu. 7:06 p.m.
Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen will get the start for the Orioles Friday against Justin Verlander in Baltimore.

---

UPDATE: Thu. 11:30 a.m.
Hobbled center fielder Rajai Davis has made the Tigers' playoff roster.

---

The Tigers and Orioles square off in Baltimore this afternoon in Game 1 of their best-of-five American League Divisional Series. Tigers right-hander Max Scherzer (18-5, 3.15) gets the start against Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman (13-6, 3.34).

Come back to metrotimes.com today and throughout the playoffs for lineups, insights, analysis, and live blogging from MT's Dave Mesrey.

Game 1: Thursday, October 2, 5:30 p.m. Detroit at Baltimore (Scherzer vs. Tillman)
Game 2: Friday, October 3, noon, Detroit at Baltimore (Justin Verlander vs. TBA) 
Game 3: Sunday, October 5, 3:30 p.m., Baltimore at Detroit (TBA vs. David Price)
Game 4* Monday, Oct 6 TBA Baltimore at Detroit (TBA vs. Rick Porcello)
Game 5* Wednesday, Oct 8, TBA Detroit at Baltimore (Starting pitchers TBA) 

* if necessary

Follow @DaveMesrey