The Orioles (67-92) split the four-game series with the American League Central champion Tigers (92-67) and finished their final road trip 5-3.
Three more games, and the Orioles will put their 14th consecutive losing campaign behind them. That can't come soon enough for Matusz.
"I'll take everything that I've learned this year into my offseason," said Matusz, the club's first-round pick (fourth overall) in 2008. "A lot of motivation for me to get better and fine-tune some things. It hasn't been a fun year, that's for sure. Just able to learn from all the mistakes and never forget this feeling."
NOTES: Nolan Reimold hit his 13th homer of the season, a three-run, 434-foot missile to deep center, in the eighth. ... The Orioles' rotation for the final home series of the season will be: Tommy Hunter today, Zach Britton on Tuesday and Alfredo Simon on Wednesday. The Boston Red Sox will use Josh Beckett on Monday, former Oriole Erik Bedard on Tuesday and are undecided on Wednesday. It's possible, if the wild card has not been decided, that Boston lefty Jon Lester will pitch on short rest Wednesday. ... Matt Angle's homer on Saturday night was the third time this season an Oriole has hit his first home run. Pitcher Zach Britton and infielder Blake Davis also did it. Florimon became the eighth Oriole to get his first big league hit this season. ... Cabrera, Detroit's slugger, left the game in the eighth because of lightheadedness. ... Right-hander Jake Arrieta and his wife had their first child, a boy, Austin, on Sunday in Texas.
dan.connolly@baltsun.com
