The big news for the Baltimore Orioles yesterday wasn’t the 9-2 loss – although that’s a problem in and of itself. Dan Straily got the start in the game, and lasted only four innings. Straily’s line: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K.
More on that in a moment, however. Seven pitches into the game a pitch ran inside on Trey Mancini, clipping his finger. The home plate umpire didn’t call a HBP, and Mancini ended up getting on board with a bloop single.
When he arrived he got to first base, Mancini called for the trainer. He was in visible pain, and eventually came out of the game. This could have symbolized a big problem for the O’s, as Mancini’s been one of their lone bright spots. Consistently, at least. A DL trip for Mancini would really represent a big problem for the Birds.
Luckily however, X-Rays came back negative after the game. Mancini was diagnosed with a contusion, and is listed as day-to-day. I wouldn’t expect to see Mancini in today’s lineup, but the Orioles really dodged a bullet.
With Minnesota already leading 1-0, Rio Ruiz‘s RBI-single in the fourth inning tied the game at one. One inning later the O’s took the lead on Handed Alberto‘s RBI-single. Was this game to be different against Minnesota?
The answer is no, as the homer parade continued off of Oriole pitchers. Cron smacked a two-run homer in the sixth to give Minnesota the lead back at 3-2. One inning later Kepler added a three-run shot. Ultimately when the smoke cleared, Minnesota had themselves a 9-3 victory over the O’s. This due to multiple home runs. In a game that almost cost the O’s their best player.
The concern with Mancini is how this injury affects his play. Soon enough he’ll be back in the lineup, but does he play at the same level? You’ll recall last season he was playing at a similar clip in the first week of the season, before crashing feet-first into the left field wall trying to catch a foul pop. He was never really the same, that is until spring training this season. Hopefully he’s able to remain at the same level of play for the remainder of the season.
The series concludes this afternoon at Target Field. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Kyle Gibson. Game time is set for just after 2 PM.
Birdland Crush 