This story was excerpted from Jake Rill¡¯s Orioles Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

MINNEAPOLIS -- There are differences between managing games in the regular season and the postseason. Just ask Orioles bench coach Fredi Gonz¨¢lez, who has 10 years of big league managerial experience and was the skipper for five playoff contests over his six seasons in Atlanta from 2011-16.

For one, the leash on starting pitchers is required to be much shorter, because a game can¡¯t get out of hand early when the stakes are much higher.

¡°Decisions are going to be a lot quicker. You can¡¯t sit there and go, ¡®Oh, let¡¯s see if he can get out of this jam,¡¯ in the fifth, or the fourth,¡± Gonz¨¢lez said. ¡°I think you go to the bullpen a lot quicker.¡±

Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde and his staff will need to toe that line next week while playing a best-of-three American League Wild Card Series. The O¡¯s will face either the Tigers or Royals in a set that will be played at Camden Yards.

The Orioles can line up their top three starters to take the mound in order -- Corbin Burnes in Game 1, Zach Eflin in Game 2 and Dean Kremer in a potential Game 3. So ideally, each of them will pitch deep and not require much out of Baltimore¡¯s bullpen, which has been inconsistent.

In the second half, the O¡¯s have a 4.97 bullpen ERA (118 earned runs in 213 2/3 innings), which ranks third worst in MLB during that time.

The back half of the Orioles¡¯ relief corps may be difficult to trust in the postseason. Hurlers such as left-hander Cionel P¨¦rez (10.13 ERA in 10 September appearances) and righties Matt Bowman (five runs allowed in 1 1/3 innings over his past two outings) and Bryan Baker (7.71 ERA in two games this month) have hit rough patches.

If the O¡¯s hope to have success, they¡¯ll likely need to lean even more on their high-leverage arms -- righties Seranthony Dom¨ªnguez and Yennier Cano and lefties Danny Coulombe and Keegan Akin. Coulombe should provide a huge boost, as he¡¯s tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings in three outings after missing more than three months following left elbow surgery.

After Craig Kimbrel was removed from the closer¡¯s role -- then subsequently designated for assignment and released -- Dom¨ªnguez became Baltimore¡¯s primary ninth-inning option. The 29-year-old, who was acquired from the Phillies on July 26, is 10-for-11 in save opportunities with a 4.09 ERA in 24 appearances since joining the Orioles.

Not only does Dom¨ªnguez have postseason experience, but he¡¯s been dominant in October. Over the past two years, he recorded a 1.13 ERA in 15 postseason appearances for Philadelphia. He tossed 5 1/3 scoreless frames during the Phils¡¯ run to the National League Championship Series in 2023.

¡°It¡¯s the same game. Only a couple things change, like more fans, more energy,¡± Dom¨ªnguez said. ¡°It¡¯s like really, really more important.¡±

Cano has been one of Baltimore¡¯s best relievers the past two seasons. However, the 30-year-old setup man¡¯s ERA has risen from 2.67 to 3.20 since Sept. 10, as the 2023 All-Star has recorded a 9.00 ERA over his past seven appearances.

¡°We¡¯ve got to get his confidence back. He¡¯s a huge weapon for us,¡± Hyde said. ¡°He¡¯s had a couple rough ones, and we need to get him going, going into the playoffs.¡±

The Orioles are confident they can get what they need out of the back end of their ¡®pen in October, and Dom¨ªnguez feels a deep postseason run could be imminent.

¡°Good group, they want to win. I¡¯m here to win, too,¡± Dom¨ªnguez said. ¡°I know we¡¯re going to compete.¡±