Nate McLouth homered for the Orioles in a playoff game. I'll keep running this into the ground because it's earnest, sincere amazement.

In January, the Orioles were supposed to finish sixth in the A.L. East, and they had a chance to be the first team to lose 100 games in both the American and National Leagues.

McLouth was an afterthought, a spring-training invite that'd make you chuckle until it made you scared that he'd actually make the roster of your favorite team.

In October, they're trying to take down the Yankees. This just doesn't get old.

McLouth took the first two pitches from Phil Hughes, digging himself an 0-2 hole. But on a 1-2 count, McLouth drilled a fastball deep into right-center, giving the Orioles a 1-0 lead.

Hughes has thrown 81 pitches through five innings, with just 48 for strikes. He walked the leadoff hitters in the second, third, and fourth innings.