It’s almost uncanny how the line between winning and losing seems to be set on mistakes the Baltimore Orioles make in games. An error here, a botched rundown there, and opponents get fat. Keegan Akin found that out last night. Akin’s line: 5.2 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 3 BB, 7 K.
The Birds took an early lead when Freddy Galvis and Ryan Mountcastle smacked RBI-singles. You get guys on base, good things can happen. But even there; it was great that the O’s took an early lead. REALLY great. But that first inning also ended on a ground ball double-play with runners at the corners. In other words, the Birds left money on the table.
The teams would trade runs in a sense, with Cleveland’s Ramirez smacking a solo homer in the last of the first. Ryan Mountcastle’s third inning RBI-single extended the Orioles’ lead to 3-1. But that lead seemed temporary at best.
Rosario’s third inning RBI-single cut the lead to 3-2. However on that play, a throwing error by DJ Stewart allowed two runners into scoring position. All in all, Cleveland would put five runs on the board in the last of the third, assisted by the aforementioned error and a botched rundown.
Ryan Mountcastle would do everything in his power however to bring the O’s back. He had three hits on the night, including a two-run homer in the fifth which cut the Cleveland lead to 6-5. But Hernandez’s two-RBI triple in the sixth ran the score to 8-5. The O’s would add two more late, and ended up falling, 8-7.
Obviously this wasn’t a blowout loss by any means. The Orioles were in it until the end. However it does show how the O’s have no room for error. Opponents aren’t in the business of letting them off the hook. Oriole mistakes are coming back to haunt them tenfold in games. The message? Tighten it up.
The O’s will try to salvage one game in this series and on the road trip in the series finale this afternoon at Progressive Field. Jorge Lopez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Cleveland’s Eli Morgan. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.
Birdland Crush 