John Danks

CHICAGO - In the two biggest games of his life - in the two biggest games of the Chicago White Sox's season - John Danks has come up big. Make that huge. Starting the American League Central tiebreaker Tuesday night against the Minnesota Twins, the second-year left-hander threw eight shutout innings. In the AL Division Series stay-alive game yesterday, he gave up three runs in 6 2/3 innings. Both times the White Sox survived, and the 5-3 victory yesterday over the Tampa Bay Rays forced a Game 4 in the best-of-five series.

The Orioles were looking for something, anything to break a five-game losing streak and end a terrible homestand with a positive last night. What they received in an 11-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox was an offensive explosion, an adequate pitching performance and several fine defensive plays. They also got a key assist from a plate of bad scallops. Melvin Mora, Aubrey Huff and Kevin Millar each homered, and rookie Radhames Liz (5-3) pitched just well enough to win. But the hero was leadoff hitter Brian Roberts, who tied a season high with three RBIs despite not knowing he would be playing until three-plus hours before the first pitch.

Mark Buehrle rolls on. He's headed toward both the last turn in what has been one of his best seasons and a chance to go on the free-agent market this winter. But Buehrle is only one of five elite left-handers who could control his fate in the next 16 months. CC Sabathia, C.J. Wilson, Cole Hamels and John Danks, Buehrle's teammate with the White Sox, also are on track for free agency after 2011 or '12. The buzz created by Cliff Lee's free agency last winter, when the Yankees romanced him and he was pressured to stay with the Rangers before jumping to the Phillies for $120 million over five years, could foreshadow crazy scenarios the next two offseasons.

ALL GAMES ON 105.7 FM Wed White Sox, 7:05 p.m., MAS N HD Starters: White Sox's John Danks (1-0, 0.75) vs. Jeremy Guthrie (left, 2-0, 4.32) Thu White Sox, 7:05 p.m., MASN HD Starters: White Sox's Bartolo Colon (1-0, 3.86) vs. Adam Eaton (0-2, 11.25) Fri Rangers, 7:05 p.m., MASN2 Starters: Rangers' Kevin Millwood (1-1, 1.17) vs. Koji Uehara (2-1, 5.29) Sat Rangers, 7:05 p.m., MASN HD Starters: Rangers' Vicente Padilla (1-1, 9.64) vs. Mark Hendrickson (1-2, 3.86) Sun Rangers, 1:35 p.m., MASN2 Starters: Rangers' Brandon McCarthy (2-0, 4.76)

SLUMP ENDS: Orioles shortstop Juan Castro, who was in an 0-for-11 skid and just 2-for-20 during the homestand, hit a double during a two-run rally in the second inning and drove in two runs with a bloop single in the fifth. Both hits came with two outs. MARKAKIS GUNS DOWN: ANOTHER: Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis threw out the White Sox's Jim Thome, who was trying to stretch a drive off the right-field scoreboard into a double in the third. It was Markakis' 15th assist. Going into the game, he led all major league outfielders in assists.

Do the Orioles have a chance to land Gavin Floyd or Carlos Quentin from the Chicago White Sox? Absolutely. Or maybe not at all. It really depends on whom you ask. The sides have definitely talked -- and there is no question the Orioles would love to bring Floyd, a Mount St. Joseph alum, back to Baltimore. They also would be a decent fit for outfielder Carlos Quentin, whom the White Sox would consider moving to make room for Dayan Viciedo. But there are some conflicting signals coming out of Chicago.

It's tricky making predictions about what's going to happen at the winter meetings. It's tricky because teams are continually meeting with teams and agents and you really don't know what's going on behind closed doors. Even if we think we do. So I'm out on a limb here. I understand that. But from what was gleaned on the first day - after talking to Orioles officials and anyone else who would speak to me - the sense is that the club is not on the big-time free agents.

Moves Baseball BLUE JAYS: Assigned P Zach Jackson and P David Purcey to their minor league camp. Optioned P Dustin McGowan to Triple-A Syracuse. BRAVES: Optioned OF Onil Joseph to Double-A Mississippi. Reassigned P Daniel Curtis, P Gonzalo Lopez, C Miguel Bernard, C Brian McCann, C Carlos Mendez and OF Jeff Francoeur to their minor league camp. MARINERS: Assigned SS Adam Jones, SS Matt Tuiasosopo, P Ricky Guttormson, P Rett Johnson and P Jared Thomas to their minor league camp. METS: Optioned OF Wayne Lydon to their minor league camp.

TODAY At Mariners, 10:10 p.m., MASN2 Starters: Orioles' Jeremy Guthrie (0-1, 4.38) vs. Mariners' Felix Hernandez (2-0, 1.47) TOMORROW At Mariners, 10:10 p.m., MASN2 Starters: Orioles' Daniel Cabrera (1-0, 5.16) vs. Mariners' Carlos Silva (3-0, 2.79) THURSDAY At Mariners, 10:10 p.m., MASN2 Starters: Orioles' Adam Loewen (0-1, 6.32) vs. Mariners' Jarrod Washburn (1-2, 3.50) FRIDAY At White Sox, 8:11 p.m., MASN2 Starters: Orioles' Brian Burres (2-1, 3.63) vs. White Sox's Mark Buehrle (1-2, 5.96)