The Baltimore Orioles sent Tyler Wells to the mound this afternoon looking to avenge last night’s loss to Cleveland. Wells was a little “hit or miss,” and didn’t stick around long enough to qualify for the win. But he put the team in a good spot in a sense. Wells’ line: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 K.
Wells found himself in an early hole when Ramirez smacked a solo homer in the first inning. But it was a small hole, and it was short-lived. Trey Mancini followed suit in the last of the first with a solo shot of his own, tying the game at one.
But the tie was short-lived also, because Giminez’s solo homer in the second gave Cleveland the lead back at 2-1. But guess what?! Go figure, but Cleveland couldn’t hold the lead! Austin Hays came up in the last of the third with two runners on, and smacked a three-run homer. The Birds led 4-2.
One inning later Rougned Odor joined the party, with a solo shot of his own. In total, the Orioles hit three home runs today. And those three home runs accounted for all of their runs.
But Cleveland would threaten twice more in the game. They loaded the bases in the fifth and scored two runs on two RBI-ground outs. They also loaded the bases in the eighth against Jorge Lopez. Lopez came in with two on and two out to attempt a multi-inning save. And he hit a batsman with his first pitch.
The pressure was on Lopez moving forward. But he was able to get Naylor to fly out, ending the threat. He also sent Cleveland down 1-2-3 in the ninth, earning his seventh save of the season. For the record, Dylan Tate was pretty good out of the bullpen as well, earning a hold.
Lopez proved his worth to the organization today. A multi-inning save isn’t easy. Even if you end the previous inning, some guys will then struggle in the ninth. Lopez didn’t today, and got the win for the team.
The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. The Orioles will announce their starter tomorrow morning, and Cleveland will throw Zach Plesac. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.
Birdland Crush 