SAN DIEGO -- The visiting Orioles continue their interleague schedule against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday and that brings a smile to Baltimore manager Buck Showalters face.And not just because the AL East-leading Orioles are seeking their seventh straight victory.Its easier to keep everyone happy in National League games, Showalter said. Everybody is more on their toes and thinking about the game because you use more players. And its the same with the bullpen.The Orioles have forgone a designated hitter in the NL ballpark and thats something Showalter isnt thrilled about.Its easier for a National League team to play against an American League team (at its home) because every team has someone it can DH, Showalter said. But for an American League team it isnt as big as an advantage playing without a DH.Showalter knows what its like to go without right-handed starter Yovani Gallardo (2-1, 6.04 ERA), his starter Wednesday. He missed some eight weeks with a sore shoulder and is making his third start since escaping the disabled list June 18. He has a win and a no-decision to show for his work.Gallardo squares off against lefty Christian Friedrich (4-2, 3.60).The first game back (Gallardo) was pretty good, Showalter said. The second one he had a tough first inning but he bounced back.Since returning, Gallardo has worked 10 1/3 innings, charged with five runs and 13 hits. Hes walked six with eight strikeouts.Gallardo knows his way around the National League, starting 211 games when with the Milwaukee Brewers.Showalter said thats a slight advantage, but it doesnt mean squat if he doesnt get out of the first or second inning.But Showalter isnt expecting that.Hes going to pitch five-to-seven innings and give us a chance, Showalter said. He feels good, thats the most important thing. We need him.What Showalter doesnt appreciate is the jumbled road trip his squad is on. After finishing todays two-game set with the Padres, the Orioles returned to American League action when facing the Seattle Mariners for four games.Then its back to National League play and a three-set against the Los Angeles Dodgers.Its hard to prepare for because you have your pitchers running the bases and other things, Showalter said. That is what you worry about. I just wish we do it all at one time and we can get it over with. But nobody asked me.In Friedrich, the Padres offer one of their more surprising pitchers.Hes a guy we couldnt be more pleased with, Padres manager Andy Green said. He is developing into a very depending starter for us.Friedrich earned a win in his last start Thursday against Reds, working five innings and allowing four runs on six hits and four walks. He struck out two.He threw the ball well in Cincinnati, Green said.And maybe the southpaw continues doing just that in his ninth start of the season and fifth at Petco Park.The Orioles dont like to hit left-handers as well as they do right-handers, Green said. And we are going to see if Christian can take advantage of that. Hydro Flask Ombre 40 Oz Sale . Jason Zucker and Matt Cooke also scored for Minnesota, which has won five of six. Kuemper made five saves in the first, nine in the second, and nine in the third. The rookies best save came with 2:17 left in the third period when he denied former Wild forward Matt Cullen from just outside of the crease on the right side. Hydro Flask 32 Oz Sale . -- Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings was selected Monday to his second straight Pro Bowl, while guard Kyle Long made it after a solid rookie season. http://www.hydroflaskaustraliasale.com/ . Reigning world champion Eve Muirhead of Scotland opened with a 12-2 rout of Winnipegs Jennifer Jones in a battle of teams bound for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Hydro Flask 32 Oz Straw Lid Sale .2 billion agreement with Rogers Communications for the leagues broadcast and multimedia rights. Hydro Flask Sale . -- Jaye Marie Green shot a 4-under 68 on Thursday to increase her lead to five strokes after the second round of the LPGA Tours qualifying tournament. Expect at least one one-loss team to make the College Football Playoff.Its the trend, not the anomaly, as six of the past eight CFP semifinalists lost during the regular season. According to ESPNs Football Power Index, there is only a 3 percent chance that there will be four or more undefeated Power 5 teams remaining when the selection committee reveals its final ranking on Dec. 4.The 12-member committee already has some tough choices to make when it meets next week in Dallas, and where they rank the one-loss teams will start to reveal just how valid those teams chances are. How much of a shot does Louisville really have? Is there a Power 5 conference out there with two legitimate playoff teams?Heres a rundown of what the top five one-loss contenders are facing, ranked by their current spots in the Associated Press Top 25 poll:No. 5 LouisvilleBiggest roadblock: Nov. 17 at HoustonBest wins:?Florida State, 63-20; NC State, 54-13Path to the playoff: The most direct route for Louisville would be for Clemson to lose Saturday to Florida State, then lose in the ACC championship game. Under that scenario, the selection committee would at least debate whether Louisville is more worthy to be included among the top four -- despite the Tigers win in the head-to-head matchup. Louisville would also have a better shot than a two-loss ACC champ from the leagues weaker division. Of course, Louisville also would have to win out to be deemed unequivocally one of the four best teams in the country.Statistically speaking: ESPNs FPI pegs Louisvilles win probability for each remaining game at 80 percent or more, and favors the Cards on a neutral field against every team in the country except Alabama and Michigan. Louisville leads the nation in offensive efficiency, and Lamar Jackson leads the FBS in Total QBR.Reason for skepticism: Strength of schedule and committee protocol. Louisville has defeated only two teams with records above .500 (5-2 Florida State, 4-3 NC State) and only one ranked opponent (FSU). In addition to strength of schedule, the committee is also directed to use conference championships won and head-to-head results as tiebreakers when evaluating comparable teams. Louisville doesnt stack up, which means it has to find other ways to impress the committee.Can the ACC get two teams in? Yes. The best-case scenario here would be for Clemson to go undefeated, and to have at least another Power 5 conference champion stumble -- most likely Washington, Baylor or West Virginia. Then Louisville would be compared against other one-loss teams instead of trying to unseat an undefeated league champ.No. 6 Ohio StateBiggest roadblock: Nov. 26 vs. MichiganBest wins: at Oklahoma, 45-24; at Wisconsin, 30-23 OTPath to the playoff: The Buckeyes have to win out, including their regular-season finale against Michigan, to win the East and then win the Big Ten championship game.Statistically speaking: According to ESPNs Football Power Index, the Buckeyes have a 70 percent chance to enter their matchup with Michigan without another loss. Then they have a 44 percent chance to beat the Wolverines, and with a win, would be at least a 75 percent favorite against any team from the West in a Big Ten championship game.Reason for skepticism: The Buckeyes lost to what was an unranked Penn State team that Michigan drubbed 49-10, albeit in Ann Arbor. Its a different scenario than what Louisville is facing, as the Cards lone loss was a close one on the road to Clemson, one of the nations top teams. Another cause for concern is how the offense struggled up front against the Nittany Lions, who sacked J.T. Barrett six times.Can the Big Ten get two teams in? Possibly, but it doesnt appear to be in as good of a position as the ACC now that Ohio State lost. If Michigan loses a nail-biter in Columbus, though, each could be considered a top-four team.No. 9 Texas A&MBiggest roadblock: Nov. 24 vs. LSUBest wins: Sept. 17 at Auburn, 29-16; Sept. 24 vs. Arkansas, 45-24; Oct. 8 vs. Tennessee, 45-38 (2OT)Path to the playoff: In order to win the West and play in the SEC chhampionship game, the Aggies now have to win out and they need Alabama to lose twice in their final four games, which isnt impossible but appears improbable.ddddddddddddNick Sabans crew has at least a 64 percent chance to win each of its remaining games, according to the FPI, but it still has to travel to LSU on Nov. 5 and end the season with a rapidly improving Auburn team in the Iron Bowl. In order to get to the playoff, Texas A&M needs to finish the season in flawless fashion and hope the committee holds the entire SEC in high regard.Statistically speaking: The Aggies are No. 3 in ESPNs strength of record metric, which means an average Top 25 team would have an 11 percent chance of achieving the same 6-1 record. They trail only Alabama and Clemson in that category.Reason for skepticism: It was close for a while against Alabama, but it wasnt competitive in the end. After being outscored 20-7 in the second half, Texas A&M showed the gap that still exists between Alabama and everyone else in the West.Can the SEC get two teams in? Yes, but it wont be easy. If the Aggies run the table in convincing fashion, with their lone loss on the road to the defending national champs, they would at least enter the committees debate. They would probably need another conference champion to stumble along the way, though.No. 14 FloridaBiggest roadblock: Nov. 19 at LSUBest win:?Still waiting ...Path to the playoff: Perfection. The Gators have to win out, including an upset of Alabama in the SEC championship game. The good news for Florida is Tennessee has lost twice, so the Gators will win the East if they win out in spite of the head-to-head loss to the Vols. If Florida can miraculously win the SEC, theres no question it would be in the top four.Statistically speaking: The odds of Florida winning the SEC are just 6 percent, according to ESPNs FPI. Because of the postponed LSU game, the Gators now end the season with back-to-back road trips to LSU and Florida State. They also still have a tough road game at Arkansas on Nov. 5. One more league loss, and Tennessee -- with a much easier remaining schedule -- wins the East.Reason for skepticism: The aforementioned schedule. You see the best win category? Its at Vandy. You see what lies ahead? Nuff said. The Gators lost the game that mattered the most to this point, and they havent beaten any ranked opponents, and Kentucky is the only FBS team theyve played with a record over .500.Can the SEC get two teams in? Yes, in a different scenario. What if the Gators win out and upset Bama in the SEC title game? Theres a chance for the East and the West to get into the top four.?No. 17 UtahBiggest roadblock: Saturday vs. WashingtonBest wins to date: Oct. 22 at UCLA, 52-45; Sept. 23 vs. USC, 31-27Path to the playoff: On a wing and a prayer. The first challenge is to win the South, which could come down to the regular-season finale -- a road trip to surging Colorado. If Utah survives both Washington and Colorado, it would then likely have to beat Washington a second time in the Pac-12 title game. (Washington would still win the North with a loss at Utah, as long as it wins out.) If Utah pulled that off, it would be impressive enough that it would definitely be considered by the committee for the top four.Statistically speaking: ESPNs FPI favors both Washington and Colorado against Utah, but the Utes have won close games because of their opportunistic defense (which leads the nation with 22 takeaways) and the return of running back Joe Williams. In two games since he returned to the team, Williams has rushed for 511 yards, and he had four touchdowns against UCLA on Saturday.Reason for skepticism: Strength of schedule. In addition to a win against a 3-4 FCS team, Utah has just one win against a Power 5 opponent with a record above .500 -- 4-3 USC. They have yet to beat a ranked opponent, let alone play one.Can the Pac-12 get two teams in? Nope. It might not even get one. ' ' '