The Baltimore Orioles have had their share of games this year where they’ve had no room for error. In the sense that the opponent has gotten fat on Oriole mistakes. With Gabriel Ynoa getting the start out of the bullpen this afternoon on Memorial Day against Detroit, this was a game where the O’s couldn’t afford many mistakes. Ynoa’s line: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 K.
With a runner on base in the last of the first, Renato Nunez sent a deep fly ball towards left. The ball appeared to be hooking foul; it faded, but somehow straightened out just a bit in the end. It ended up taking a header into the foul pole, making it a two-run homer, and giving the Orioles a 2-0 lead.
Detroit would get on the board in the second on an RBI-single by Greiner, who took second on the throw. However Nunez came back up in the third, once again with runners on base. Nunez grounder to short, but a run ended up scoring on an errant throw by the Detroit infield. That gave the Orioles a 3-1 lead. That would be extended to 4-1 later in the inning on Pedro Severino‘s sac fly-RBI.
Detroit would put an additional run on the board, as would the Orioles. But the Birds also put up an insurance run in the last of the seventh on a solo homer by Jonathan Villar. And it was probably a good thing thing that they did, as the Orioles’ pen put the tying run in scoring position in the ninth. But they were able to close it out, defeating Detroit 5-3.
Two of those runs were unearned for the Orioles. So for once it was the O’s taking advantage of another team’s mistakes. And as was the case in reverse on Sunday, the O’s committed two errors and lost by one. So these errors do add up. But again for once, it was the Orioles taking advantage of the mistakes made by an opponent.
Ynoa pitches a dominant four innings, as did Dan Straily out of the bullpen. Straily of course was demoted to the bullpen last week, and for at least one game it worked. Straily said after the game that he felt no pressure coming into the game, and he was able to bridge the gap between Ynoa and the back end of the ‘pen.
The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Matthew Boyd. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.
Today we the people of the United States join together and remember our war dead. There’s no amount of gratitude that could ever repay our fallen soldiers for putting their lives down for our freedom so that we can do things such as watch baseball. However we keep them always in our hearts and minds. May they Rest In Peace knowing that a grateful nation and people remember them today and always.
Birdland Crush 