One might have thought that John Means might have been just what the doctor ordered for the Baltimore Orioles against Detroit. But even Means couldn’t put a stop to the Birds’ losing ways against Detroit. Means’ line: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 3 K.
The Orioles actually held the lead in this game early on. Cedric Mullins in effect stole home plate in the first inning during a rundown. It was an incentive way to get a run across, and it was very much against the run of play from the first twins games. And I suspect that was the intention.
But that didn’t do much to rally the team in a sense. Detroit tied the game in the fourth on an RBI-double by Candelario. Later in the inning Nunez smacked a two-run homer, giving Detroit a 3-1 lead. Further into the inning, Reyes’ two-run homer ran jt to 5-1.
The good news is that even in a losing effort, the Orioles tried to fight back. DJ Stewart homered twice, in the fourth and the sixth. Both were solo’s. But Stewart’s had a decent series against Detroit, and he appears to be heating up. Unfortunately those homers were sandwhiched by Detroit’s Grossman smacking one of his own (a solo shot). The O’s would add one in the seventh, but fell 6-4.
Means said after the game that he tried to dial his fastball back a bit yesterday after firing it hard in his last outing:
You know, I really tried to slow down a little bit today. Just try to kick it back into first gear. I felt my last outing, I was pretty jumpy and a little too aggressive. I thought today I would slow it down. I thought it was pretty good for the first few innings and that one inning, I was missing my spots. Physically, I feel good. My mechanics, I’m going kind of going back and forth on certain things and trying to get back in that rhythm I went on before. Trying some different things out. I’m not going to quit.
Quote courtesy of Steve Melewski, MASNsports
Sometimes pitchers do things like that. And sometimes it works. Detroit hitters could have been waiting for blazing fastballs in the game. Instead they were waiting for whatever Means threw. Sometimes that sort of strategy can work; yesterday it didn’t.
The O’s now head to Fenway Park in Boston for a three-game series. Spenser Watkins gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Nick Pivetta. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.
Birdland Crush 