Nate McLouth shone as the key cog in the Orioles' offense on Friday as they topped the Rangers 5-1 to secure the American League Wild Card, going 1-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI. McLouth started the game off by reaching on an error, then promptly swiped second base and scored on an RBI single from J.J. Hardy. He then lined a two-out, run-scoring single to left in the seventh inning that increased the O's advantage to 3-1. McLouth wasn't finished yet though, as he added a sacrifice fly to tack on a valuable insurance run in the ninth to put the O's on top 5-1. Plucked off the scrap heap from the Pirates earlier in the season, he has been a tremendous find for the Orioles this season and one of the many reasons for their unexpected success.