Al East

Tampa Bay right-hander James Shields, who will start Tuesday night's pivotal game against the Orioles, is wrapping up a very successful 2012 season that - so far - has featured a 15-9 and a solid 3.62 ERA. That's almost proportionately consistent with his career numbers in 23 career starts against the Orioles. He's a very good pitcher, but the Orioles have proven this season that he is far from unbeatable. In his two previous 2012 starts against them, he has not been particularly impressive, giving up six runs (four earned)

California Angels management already has had its say about the state of the team, firing manager Buck Rodgers several weeks ago. Now the players are beginning to express their discontent. Clubhouse leader Chili Davis has let his productive bat do his talking for the first 2 1/2 months of play, but he took aim at the club's philosophy after a two-homer performance Thursday. "People can say what they want, but what we're doing right now is rebuilding and trying to save money," Davis said. "I know it will upset some people, but that's a fact.

California Angels manager Marcel Lachemann learned firsthand last week that talk does not always lead to action. He called his slumping team together for a 57-minute meeting after a Wednesday loss to the Oakland Athletics, hoping to hash things out in time to stay alive in the AL Worst race. The following night, Texas Rangers pitcher Kenny Rogers retired 27 out of 27 California batters to become the 12th pitcher in major-league history to pitch a perfect* game. Pardon the asterisk, but it did come against the Angels, who finally ended an eight-game losing streak on Saturday night.

It had to be the most exciting 20 minutes of baseball in the San Francisco Bay area in several years. Two sites. Two of baseball's biggest stars. Two heart-stopping comebacks.The Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants don't usually play at home at the same time, but they each opened a home series Friday night in dramatic fashion. Barry Bonds hit a sudden-death three-run homer to carry the Giants to a 7-6 victory over the San Diego Padres. Twenty minutes later and a few miles across the bay, Oakland first baseman Mark McGwire hit a game-ending grand slam off former Orioles closer Lee Smith to carry the A's to an 8-5 victory over the California Angels.

We're back. Hope everyone enjoyed their holiday and is getting ready for another one at week's end. While I was taking a few days off, the Associated Press released its final payrolls for each Major League Baseball team's 40-man roster. Nothing too surprising here: The New York Yankees blow everyone out of the water with a $216 million payroll. The Boston Red Sox are second with $174.1 million followed by the Philadelphia Phillies ($165.3M), Los Angeles Angels ($143M) and New York Mets ($142M)

By taking two out of three games on the road against the New York Yankees to improve to 16-9 this season, the Orioles are off to one of their best starts in team history. So, how does this team compare to the squads of yesteryear? Well, for starters, of the 11 times before this season in which the Orioles won at least 16 of their first 25 games, only once have they not finished with a winning record -- in 2005. Through 25 games, the Orioles have 16 wins for the sixth time since the franchise moved to Baltimore in 1954.

The Orioles' early afternoon start time Thursday was supposed to get the team in the air and to the West Coast at a decent hour. But after their 14-inning win over the Rays -- a five-hour, 14-minute marathon that ended with a 3-2 victory -- the Orioles were looking at a later arrival time in the San Francisco Bay Area. Orioles manager Buck Showalter doesn't hesitate to pick apart the inadequacies of the schedule, and he was quick to point out this week that the Orioles are the only remaining AL East contender that has to go out west this regular season.

First, let's get the procedural out of the way. The Orioles lead the season series with the Yankees, 9-8 with one game to play Sunday. If the Orioles win, they'll take a one game lead in the American League East. But that's not the most important thing about Sunday's contest. If the Yankees and Orioles are tied at the end of the season for the division, there will be a one-game tiebreaker to determine the AL East champion. The winner of the season series - which will be the Orioles if they win Sunday - would host that game.

So it's way past midnight and I still haven't packed for my 7:30 a.m. flight to Tampa Bay. Heck, I can sleep in the offseason. The Orioles sealed their first postseason bid in 15 years tonight, capping a bizarre and surreal day, one that most long-suffering O's fans will remember for years. The image that will last in my mind is one of the Orioles players giving high fives on the field after their 6-3 win over Boston, then staying on the field to watch the final inning of the Angels-Rangers afternoon game.

BOSTON -- Their No. 2 starter has an ERA of 7.26 in his past six starts and is pitching with a groin injury. They have no fifth starter. Their middle relief is suspect.Their outstanding rookie right fielder remains on the disabled list, recovering from a strained knee ligament that has kept him out for nearly six weeks and counting.Their only left-handed bat off the bench is swung by a 29-year-old player called to the majors Friday for the first time, leaving behind his role as a fourth outfielder in Triple-A.