Baltimore Orioles tame Tampa in game one of twoi
Ty Blach got the start this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles at Tropicana Field. And in doing so, he put the Orioles in a position to win, which as I’ve said many times is all you can ask of a starting pitcher. Especially in the first game of a doubleheader. Blach’s line: 5.0 IP, 2 H. 2 R, 4 BB, 2 K.
As I said, this was game one of two today. The teams were scheduled for a night game this evening, and a day game tomorrow. But uncertainty over the path of Hurricane Dorian caused Tampa and MLB to alter the schedule. So we end up with a straight doubleheader today.
Tampa took a 2-0 lead in the fourth on d’Arnaud’s two-run homer. Blach had been mowing hitters down, but hung a pitch that was ultimately jumped upon. However he would regain his form, and pitch through five.
Rio Ruiz smacked a solo homer in the fifth to bring the O’s to within 2-1. One inning later Anthony Santander‘s two-run homer gave them the lead at 3-2. And as good as Blach was in this game, the Orioles’ pen played a huge role as well. Sean Armstrong pitched two quality scoreless innings to hold the Birds over into the later innings.
Tampa-area native Mychal Givens did the same in the eighth, pitching out of a small jam. Small things like that can make a huge difference in games. The O’s also got an insurance run from Mark Trumbo in the last of the eighth to pad the lead, which turned into a 3-2 win.
The series concludes in just a few moments at Tropicana Field. Neither team has announced a starter at this time. Game time is set for about 25 minutes from now.
