When the Baltimore Orioles pocked up Asher Wojchiekowski this season on waivers, I figured that it was just one of those moves that teams make for depth. But to his credit Wojchiekowski proved to be a competitor. And a tough one at that. At the very least, he cemented his status as a potential starter going into spring training next year last night at Fenway Park. Wojchiekowski’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K.
GM Mike Elias has to feel good about picking up Wojchiekowski during this season. That isn’t to say that he’s guaranteed a starting role next year. However I think he’s won the right to compete for a starting job.
Renato Nunez smacked a three-run homer in the top of the third. It was a deep line drive-type shot, which barely made it over the green monster in left field. But it made it over, giving the O’s a 3-0 lead.
Nunez is a guy who may well fall into the same category as Wojchiekowski (although Nunez has been here all year). He’s exceeded expectations, and has earned the shot to compete for a starting job next year. And this is true of a lot of people.
Nunez would also smack an RBI-single in the ninth inning, and the Birds took the series opener, 4-0. Speaking of spring training, back in spring training 2019 I made note of the fact that the Birds seemed to tack on insurance runs in games here and there. That struck me at the time…
…mainly because it was something with which the 2018 Orioles struggled. Obviously there’s no stat out there which measures how often a team tacked on a late run with a lead, but it’s something that this year’s team would do from time to time – again, dating back to spring training. And at the time I remember writing that it wasn’t something that would be necessary every game (last night’s game, for example). However it was a good thing to do her me and there.
The series continues this afternoon at Fenway Park. John Means gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Jhouly’s Chacin. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.
Birdland Crush 