Baltimore Orioles’ starter John Means was hoping to at least make it out of the first inning. However in fairness to him, he dealt with an elongated at-bat on the first hitter, and Frazier smacked a very soft RBI-single to get a runner home later in the inning. While Means left with only two outs (after reaching his pitch count), nothing was squared up against him and nothing was hit hard. Means’ line: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K.
You might notice that the pitching line has Means pitching 1.2 innings. Keep in mind folks, this is spring training; everything goes. Means was lifted with two outs in the first inning, but was able to come back and pitch in the second and retired the side after giving up only one hit. Again, everything goes. Including someone coming back into the lineup if need be.
The Birds would even the score in the last of the first on a sac fly-RBI by Trey Mancini. However New York would strike again in the third. Voit’s RBI-single would give them the lead back at 2-1. Later in the inning Ford’s two-RBI double would give them a 4-1 lead. All of this off of reliever Paul Fry.
The O’s would net another run in the fourth, on an RBI-single by Cedric Mullins. Pitching would take over from there on both sides, and come the end of the seventh inning..the game was over. As was the case yesterday, both teams opted to end the game after seven innings as is their right in the spring. So when all was said and done, the Birds remained winless on the spring with a 4-2 loss to New York.
The takeaways from this game is that the Birds were able to get some traffic on the base paths against a very good team (and one who brought many of their regulars with them at that). Now that may have only netted them two runs, however that’ll come. If you get ducks on the pond, eventually you’ll find a way to get them home.
Chris Davis was to have started at first base this afternoon, however according to manager Brandon Hyde he sustained a lower back strain on Sunday against Pittsburgh:
He felt it tug on him a little bit on the fly ball to right.
Quote Courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports
Davis is listed as day-to-day. He of course was on the injured list twice last season.
Tomorrow the Orioles head to the northern part of Sarasota County to take on the Atlanta Braves at CoolToday Park. Former and now current Oriole Wade LeBlanc gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Atlanta’s Drew Smyly. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.
Birdland Crush 