Patchwork O's mantra? Be prepared!

— -- When Baltimore manager Buck Showalter bunkers down in his office with bench coach John Russell before a game, the main objective is to find every matchup, lineup combination or snippet of information that might give the Orioles an edge. But the depth of Showalter's inquisitiveness makes his players wonder if game preparation is the only item on his agenda.

Is he in there splitting atoms? Writing sonnets in iambic pentameter? Trying desperately to resolve the issue of I-695 Beltway traffic for future generations of Baltimoreans?

"Anytime a play comes up, he's way ahead of it," said outfielder Nelson Cruz. "I don't think he sleeps."

Given the range of setbacks the Orioles encountered in 2014, it's a wonder Showalter ever made it home at all.

Six months ago, Baltimore was far from the popular choice to win the AL East, but the Orioles surprised the skeptics by going 96-66 to finish 12 games ahead of second-place New York and capture their first division title since 1997. That was the second-biggest margin for a division winner, trailing only Washington's 17-game steamrolling of Atlanta in the NL East.

Showalter sure spent a lot of time improvising along the way. Although much of the Orioles-related skepticism this season resolved around a starting rotation without a bona fide ace, the manager's biggest challenge was cutting and pasting together a lineup that was missing three previously pivotal components.

In 2013, Chris Davis, Manny Machado and Matt Wieters accounted for 34 percent of Baltimore's runs scored, 42 percent of the team's home runs and 40 percent of the club's RBIs. Davis and Machado finished third and ninth, respectively, in the AL Most Valuable Player balloting.

This year, those three players appeared in the same batting order a grand total of zero times.

Machado missed the entire month of April and went down with season-ending knee surgery in August. Wieters had Tommy John surgery on May 10. And when Wieters and Machado were together for a brief stretch in early May, Davis was on the disabled list with an oblique injury. Davis had a challenging year at the plate before receiving a 25-game suspension in September for amphetamine use, and he won't be a factor in October unless the Orioles can advance deep into the postseason.

All told, Davis, Machado and Wieters made 971 fewer plate appearances than in 2013. They accounted for only 16 percent of Baltimore's 705 runs scored, 20 percent of the team's home runs and 18 percent of the club's RBIs this year.

The Orioles survived the carnage, but not with enough of a flourish to stifle the big question entering the postseason: Namely, can they make it through two rounds of AL playoffs and reach their first World Series since 1983 with three significant pieces out of the equation? It isn't easy facing a Detroit rotation led by Max Scherzer, David Price and Justin Verlander with a full complement of players -- never mind a lineup that's 33 percent impaired.

But Baltimore's manager is undeterred. As a guy who never played a day in the majors, Showalter has a soft spot for players who are perpetually written off or overlooked but who might thrive if only given a chance.

"I know conventionally [our lineup] doesn't look sexy or whatever you want to call it, but it's not a topic of conversation in our locker room. It really isn't," Showalter said. "Chris made a mistake and that's an opportunity for another guy. Manny is down for the year, and that's an opportunity for another guy. You never want to overlook an orchid while you're searching for a rose. We're so quick to put this brand on players: 'He's this, he's that.' Well, maybe he's not."

While most teams would lament the instability, the Orioles thrived while relying on a next-man-up philosophy. Dan Duquette, the team's executive vice president of baseball operations, has made Baltimore a haven for six-year minor league free agents, and Showalter likes to refer to the Orioles' "75-man roster" when Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk are factored into the equation.

Delmon Young, a former No. 1 draft pick who never attained the stardom predicted for him, hit .302 as a part-time designated hitter with the Orioles this season. Caleb Joseph and Nick Hundley started a combined 122 games in Wieters' absence. And with Machado and Davis out of commission, Ryan Flaherty, Jonathan Schoop, Kelly Johnson and Jimmy Paredes made up a patchwork quilt of third-base options for Showalter down the stretch.

No one took advantage of the welcome mat in Baltimore more than Steve Pearce, a former Pirates prospect who enjoyed his best career season at age 31. Pearce, who has signed with the Orioles three times and been released by the club twice since 2012, batted .293 with 21 home runs, a .930 OPS and a 4.9 wins above replacement.

"I see a guy who's not only gotten better, but a whole lot better," said an NL scout. "He was always a strong kid, but he's gotten himself in terrific shape. I think he's calmed himself down. He's not as violent at the plate and he's staying closed real well. I don't think anybody had Steve Pearce down for hitting almost .300 with 20 home runs, but that's what makes a team like the Orioles achieve."

Regardless of the names on the lineup card, the Orioles are extremely reliant on the long ball. They scored a major league-high 47.8 percent of their runs this season via the home run, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The Houston Astros were the only other team above 40 percent.

Small ball is not Showalter's thing. The Orioles ranked 26th in the majors in walks (with 401) and were last in the game with 44 stolen bases, so they don't fit the profile of a team that can "manufacture" runs in the postseason.

"What is manufacturing runs?" Showalter said. "It's hitting the ball where the grass don't grow. It's like Oscar Gamble said when Billy Martin told him to take a pitch so the runner could get in scoring position. Oscar told him, 'Billy, when I'm in the batter's box, I am in scoring position.'"

The Orioles have been dealing with disruptions to their lineup for so long, the team's hitters seem to have developed a comfort level with the dynamic. They never experienced life with Davis, Machado and Wieters together in the mix this season, so they don't know what they're missing.

As one scout observed, "It's not like any of those guys had a real impact on that team this year. Even when they were there, they weren't that good."

Several talent evaluators surveyed by ESPN.com are upbeat about Baltimore's chances because of the team's strengths. The bullpen is deep and versatile with  Darren O'Day, Brad Brach and Tommy Hunter from the right side, Andrew Miller and Brian Matusz from the left, and Zach Britton at the back end, and Showalter is a master at generating advantageous matchups in the late innings. The rotation doesn't get a lot of respect or acclaim outside the Baltimore clubhouse, but Orioles starters ranked fifth in the league with a 3.61 ERA. Baltimore also led the AL with 49 defensive runs saved.

"I'm a believer in them, I really am," said an NL scout. "I watched them play good teams and I watched them play good teams well. They had a plan, and they have established roles, and people seem to be comfortable in those roles."

The Orioles are resolute from one to 25 on the roster; and come game time, when the lineup card is posted, they have faith that all those hours the manager spends preparing will leave nothing to chance. In Buck they trust.