Tyler Wells had a couple of struggles out of the gate for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon in Kansas City. Just a couple. But the key was that he settled down, allowing his teammates to pick him up by putting some runs on the board. This whole Wells pitched to a quality start. Wells’ line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K.
Wells gave up an RBI-double to Perez in the last of the first, and an RBI-triple and RBI-single to Isbel and Rivera respectively in the last of the fourth. And it looked like Kansas City was off to taking game three of this four-game set also. Again, it looked that way. But the Birds had other ideas for how today was going to go.
Cedric Mullins would get the O’s on the board in the fifth with an RBI-single. But the key moment of the game was one inning later. The Orioles put two on with one out as Tyler Nevin strode to home plate. And on a week when his Dad (Phil) was named the interim manager of the Los Angeles Angels, (Tyler) Nevin decided to keep the family gravy train going…
… it to mention the Orioles’ gravy train. Nevin smacked a three-run homer to center, catapulting the Orioles into the lead at 4-3. Make no mistake that with the Birds having had their struggles in the first two games of this series, that was a big moment for more than one reason. Obviously it was huge for the game itself. But it also seemed to energize the O’s, which bodes well going into tomorrow and onward.
Austin Hays would give the Birds an insurance run in the seventh with an RBI-single. They got a second insurance run in the eighth when Adley Rutschman scored on a wild pitch. And it’s a good thing they got those insurance runs, as Kansas City would load the bases with nobody out in the last of the eighth. But reliever Dillon Tate got himself out of the mess only surrendering one run – a sac fly by Taylor.
The O’s would go on to close out Kansas City in the ninth, winning the game 6-4. It’s a big win because it snaps a mini-losing streak, and because it gives the team confidence. Before the game Ramon Urias was sent to the 10-day IL with an oblique strain. As a result, the Birds selected the contract of Richie Martin fro triple-A Norfolk.
The series in Kansas City concludes tomorrow afternoon at Kauffman Stadium. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Brad Keller. Game time is set for just after 2 PM.
Birdland Crush 