BALTIMORE -- Nelson Cruz and the Baltimore Orioles had the good fortune of avoiding Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer during the regular season. Nike MLB Jerseys . Or maybe it was the other way around. In his 2014 debut against the hard-hitting Orioles, Scherzer found out quickly that a poor pitch can go a long way -- in the other direction. Cruz and J.J. Hardy homered, and Baltimore hammered out 12 hits in defeating Scherzer and the Detroit Tigers 12-3 Thursday in the opener of their AL Division Series. I just left too many pitches up, Scherzer said. This is a great-hitting ballclub. You give them a chance to extend their arms, they can really hit it. Jonathan Schoop and Alejandro De Aza each had two hits and two RBIs for the Orioles, who turned a close game into a rout with an eight-run eighth inning against Scherzer and three ineffective relievers. The 12 runs set a post-season record for Baltimore, making its second playoff appearance since 1997. Game 2 of the best-of-five series is Friday at Camden Yards. Justin Verlander, the second of three straight Cy Young winners the Orioles will face, is set to go against left-hander Wei-Yin Chen. Verlander must avoid the mistakes made by Scherzer, who allowed five runs and seven hits in 7 1-3 innings. The right-hander was 18-5 during the regular season, but in this one he was burned by the long ball and outpitched by the Orioles. Ive got to find a way to get the ball down, Scherzer said. I wasnt quite able to do that tonight, and I paid for it. Cruz led the majors with 40 homers during the regular season, a good portion of Baltimores big league-best 211 long balls. His first-inning drive off Scherzer put the Orioles up 2-0 before Detroits Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez connected off Chris Tillman in the second to tie it. But Baltimore had too much firepower for the Tigers. Hardy led off the seventh by driving a poorly thrown changeup from Scherzer over the centre-field wall for a 4-2 lead. The one that stings is that J.J. Hardy home run, Scherzer said. That home run really changed the game in my eyes, gave them that insurance run. Cruz added his third RBI with a single during a wild eighth inning keyed by a Detroit error that kept the boisterous, orange-clad crowd of 47,842 on its feet. Five different Orioles finished with two hits. Clearly, facing Scherzer was not too daunting a task. Its the same game, De Aza said. Yes, this is a good pitcher, but its the same game. You have to throw the ball to home plate for a strike to get us out. Tillman (1-0) allowed two runs in five innings before Andrew Miller got five outs -- three by strikeout. Darren ODay gave up an eighth-inning homer to Miguel Cabrera, but the drive followed a double play. Orioles manager Buck Showalter then called upon closer Zach Britton, who had 37 saves during the regular season. Britton got the last out in the eighth, and by the time the ninth inning rolled around, he wasnt needed anymore. Miller had a 1.35 ERA in 23 games with Baltimore, ODay finished at 1.70 and Britton closed at 1.65. Thats one big reason why the AL East-champion Orioles were 80-4 when leading after eight innings. Meanwhile, Detroits revamped bullpen looked shaky -- although it was shortstop Andrew Romines error that got the big eighth inning going. I cant remember the last time he made an error at shortstop, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. This was an unfortunate one, but it doesnt change my mind on him as a shortstop. Although he had a 5.56 ERA in the first inning during the regular season, Tillman began his initial foray into the playoffs in impressive fashion by striking out the side on 14 pitches. Cruz hit an opposite-field drive to right in the bottom half after Nick Markakis hit a leadoff single. It was his 15th career post-season home run, tied with Babe Ruth for 10th place on the career list. Its just I like to enjoy this moment, you know, Cruz said. I think as a player, you want to be in the situation. And, you know, its no reason. The rollicking, towel-waving fans had barely settled down when Victor Martinez led off the second with a towering shot over the right-field wall. Four pitches later, J.D. Martinez hit a tying homer in his first post-season at-bat. Nick Markakis answered with an RBI single in the Baltimore half. At that point, six of 10 batters reached safely against Scherzer. After yielding the back-to-back homers, Tillman retired the next 11 batters before Romine singled with two outs in the fifth. Another single and a walk loaded the bases for Torii Hunter, who hit into a fielders choice on Tillmans 105th and final pitch. Afterward, Showalter saluted the crowd for their enthusiasm. If you dont get that, youre too cold for his game, he said. I wish I would have had a towel. TRAINERS ROOM Tigers: CF Rajai Davis (pelvic strain) was cleared to play after passing a series of drills early in the day before rosters were finalized. Davis started and batted ninth. UP NEXT Tigers: Verlander (15-12, 4.54 ERA) makes his 16th post-season start following what Ausmus called a down season overall for the 2011 Cy Young Award winner. Orioles: Chen (16-6, 3.54) seeks his first win since Sept. 15 after losing his final two starts in the regular season. Jermaine Marrow Jersey . A veteran of 16 NHL seasons, Prospals career was highlighted by him ranking fourth in points scored, third in assists and sixth in games played among all Czech Republic born players in NHL history. Nike NBA Jerseys 2020 . Ricciardo made it only halfway around the Jerez track before his RB10 rolled to a stop and began spouting smoke from the back. After team mechanics tended to the car, Ricciardo went back out for a mere two trips around the circuit before calling it quits. https://www.cheapmlbjerseysjustwholesale.com/ . -- Wide receiver Sidney Rice should be fully recovered from a torn knee ligament by the time the Seattle Seahawks start defence of their Super Bowl title, general manager John Schneider said Wednesday.Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - Jake Peavy picked up his first career postseason win as the San Francisco Giants held on to beat the Washington Nationals 3-2 in their NL Division Series opener on Friday. Peavy (1-0) had a solid outing, scattering two hits in 5 2/3 scoreless innings. Buster Posey, Brandon Belt and Joe Panik each knocked in a run for the Giants, who have won nine straight playoff games. They were coming off Wednesdays 8-0 wild-card victory at Pittsburgh. Stephen Strasburg (0-1) gave up two runs in his postseason debut -- one earned -- on eight singles in five-plus innings for the NL East-champion Nationals. Game 2 of the best-of-five series is Saturday, with the Giants sending out another veteran in Tim Hudson. Washington right-hander Jordan Zimmermann will make his first start since no-hitting Miami in Sundays regular-season finale. Peavy, who didnt allow a hit through the first four innings, exited after his third walk of the game put runners on first and second in the sixth. Javier Lopez then walked Adam LaRoche to load the bases, but Hunter Strickland struck out Ian Desmond on a 100-mph fastball. Panik reached on a triple to begin the seventh. Center fielder Denard Span couldnt make the catch before crashing into the wall. Posey followed with a comebacker that deflected off reliever Craig Stammens glove and trickled into the outfield grass, scoring Panik to make it 3-0. Strickland gave up two home runs in the bottom of the frame. Bryce Harper led off by sending a 97-mph pitch into the third deck in right field. Asdrubal Cabrera launched a shot to right with one out. In his next at-bat, Harper hit into a fielders choice with two men on base against Sergio Romo in the eighth. MLB Jerseys 2020. Washington went down quietly in the ninth as Santiago Casilla earned the save. A challenge by the Giants resulted in a call being overturned and the games first run. Travis Ishikawa led off the third inning with a single. Peavy dropped down a sacrifice bunt to the right side that was fielded by the first baseman LaRoche. Instead of taking the out at first, LaRoche decided to throw to second, where Ishikawa was called out by umpire Tom Hallion. The play was reversed after a 61-second review. After both runners advanced on a passed ball by catcher Wilson Ramos, Ishikawa scored on Paniks one-out single to center. Strasburg then got Posey to ground into an inning-ending double play. The Giants extended their lead in the fourth. Hunter Pence hustled to beat out a double play, stole second and came around on a one-out single to right by Belt. With two aboard later in the inning, Washington third baseman Anthony Rendon made a fine diving stop to his left and fired to second for the final out. Strasburg stranded two runners in the fifth, but was removed after Belt and Brandon Crawford opened the sixth with consecutive singles. Jerry Blevins ended the threat with a strikeout and pair of flyouts. Game Notes Peavy had been 0-3 with a 9.27 ERA in five postseason starts prior to Fridays game ... San Francisco third baseman Pablo Sandoval extended his postseason hitting streak to 12 games ... Crawford collected three hits ... The Giants were 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 ... The Nationals had only six hits to the Giants 12. ' ' '