Baltimore Orioles’ manager Buck Showalter has at times (over the years) used the term someone’s eventually going to pay when describing struggling teams. Mind you, this could mean the Orioles or any other team that’s struggling. Basically he’s saying that the team’s too good for them to eventually not break out.
Last night, it was Texas who “paid” for the Orioles’ struggles of late.The Birds seemed intent on making mincemeat out of Texas, and the final score of 12-1 reflects that. The O’s got a second consecutive quality start, this time out of Dylan Bundy. And ironically, Bundy gave up a solo homer to Texas’ Choo on the second pitch of the game. But that was Texas’ lone high point last night. Bundy’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K.
While trailing ever so briefly, the O’s got right at it in the last of the first. All that jazz before about the O’s not holding their opponents accountable? They sure did last night – again, because Texas paid the piper for the Orioles’ struggles. Schoop’s two-RBI double gave the Orioles the lead. And they never looked back.
Following Schoop with the Birds leading 2-1, Chris Davis got out of his funk and smacked a two-run homer to give the O’s a 4-1 lead. Later in the inning Mancini got into the act with a two-run shot of his own, running it to 6-1. One had the feel that the competitive portion of the game was over at that point, although the Birds were just getting warmed up.
Come the fourth inning, the Orioles loaded the bases with Davis coming back up. And he got into one again, hitting a grand slam that gave the O’s a 10-1 lead. Machado would add an RBI-single in the sixth, and Smith a solo homer in the eighth.
This is not to say that all of the ills facing the O’s right now have been cured. You still have to take one game at a time, and you still have to continue this moving forward. This game was big mainly for the power that the Orioles flexed, however it’s also noteworthy because it was the second consecutive game that they got solid starting pitching. You’re only as good as your next day’s starter.
Many people however will point to this game as another problem given that it plays into the narrative that the Orioles rely too much on the home run ball. Maybe they do, although a few of those runs were scored off of non-homers. But ultimately you win games however you can, and as I said and as Buck’s said…eventually someone was going to pay.
The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Kevin Gausman gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Martin Perez. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.
Birdland Crush 