The Baltimore Orioles fell big in game one of yesterday’s doubleheader. But they made up for it in the nightcap. While their margin of victory wasn’t as large as Boston’s in the day game, it was still plenty, although starter Jimmy Yacabonis wasn’t able to go deep into the game. Yacabonis’ line: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R (1 earned), 4 BB, 2 K.
The Orioles got an early RBI-triple out of Trey Mancini, and a sac fly-RBI out of Renato Nunez to take a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Boston would tack one back on in the bottom of the frame on a Villar error, but the good news was that the O’s had an early lead. However that only lasted until the fourth when Boston’s Lin smacked an RBI-triple to tie the game at two.
But it was the Captain, Adam Jones, who gave them the lead back. Playing perhaps for the final time in Orioles’ road gray, his fifth inning RBI-double gave the Birds a 3-2 lead. That is until Boston’s Swihart’s RBI-single tied it back up at three. It looked like it would be that type of game for the Orioles, who actually stood a chance in this game as opposed to in the first one. As it turned out, it wasn’t destined to be “that type of game.”
Mancini’s seventh inning two-RBI single gave the O’s the lead for good. Nunez would later add an RBI-single of his own, and the Birds held a semi-safe 6-3 lead. However for good measure, they’d tack four runs on in the ninth. Again, just for good measure. That brought the game into that “blowout” type of territory, similar to Boston’s win earlier in the day.
Buck Showalter spoke to the resiliency of the team after the game, in coming back after being blown away in the first game (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):
It’s tough. It was an ugly game. I just wish we had scored nine more runs and beat them 19-3. It’s a crazy game. It’s a great club over there and come out and score a couple runs.
Adam had a big day. For a guy who doesn’t like DHing, he was pretty good tonight. I was kidding him, ‘You’re showcasing all the different things you can do – left field, right field, DH, run.’ It was a good win. That’s satisfying to see, especially, the young players respond like that.
Cedric (Mullins), here’s an example of a guy that’s struggled with the bat but really impacted, I thought, both games defensively, especially this one.
So for what it’s worth, the O’s won their final road game of the year. An incredibly small feat in a forgettable season for sure. But it does provide a cleaner finish to 81 games in gray than it otherwise would have been. So there’s that.
The O’s now head for home to close out the season against the Houston Astros. David Hess gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Houston’s Gerritt Cole. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.
Birdland Crush 