The Baltimore Orioles taxes Keegan Akin with starting the first game of the second half last night against Kansas City. It didn’t go well. For the sixth time in eight starts, Akin didn’t make it to the fifth inning. Akin’s line; 3.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 2 K.
And the assault started immediately. Perez’s RBI-single in the last of the first fave Kansas City a 1-0 lead. In the second Lopez would smack a two-RBI single, and Merrifield an RBI-double. Perez would add another RBI-single, breaking the game wide open at 5-0 in the second.
Kansas City would add another four runs before the game ended. Trey Mancini would get the Birds on the board in the top of the fourth with an RBI-groundout. Pedro Severino’s solo homer in the eighth ran the final to 9-2.
Akin tried to remain upbeat after the game, and we do have to remember that he’s a rookie. He admitted that struggles are in essence to be expected:
You’re going to have your ups and downs. You get your chance to go out there every five days as a starter, so you’ve just got to forget about them, take some positive things. Obviously, I’m not happy about it, but confidence-wise I think I’m doing well. You’ve just got to learn from it. It’s a learning process, it’s my first full season up here, so it’s just day in and day out got to learn and get better and execute when it comes time for the game.
Quote Courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports
The series continues this evening at Kauffman Stadium. The Orioles have yet to announce a starter, and Kansas City will throw Brady Singer. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.
Birdland Crush 