You can’t get better starting pitching than the Baltimore Orioles got today and this weekend overall in Houston. Austin Voth got the start, pitching to a quality start in the series finale at Houston’s Minute Maid Park. Voth’s line: 6.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 K.
One might argue that the Orioles had a legitimate gripe or two in this game, starting with the home plate umpire. The strike zone seemed to revolve a bit over the course of the game. But the way that the fifth inning unfolded didn’t sit well with the Birds.
Jorge Mateo smacked a double to center, giving the O’s a runner in scoring position in a 0-0 tie. Mateo tried to extend the double into a triple, and was thrown out. Or was he?
The Orioles challenged the play. It was close, needless to say. Replays seemed to show that Mateo got his left arm into the bag before the tag came down. But according to the umpires, there wasn’t enough evidence to overturn the call on the field. Needless to say, the Orioles’ dugout wasn’t thrilled.
Gurriel smacked a two-RBI single in the seventh, giving Houston a 2-0 lead. Bregman’s added a solo homer in the eighth. The O’s did rally, on an RBI-single in the ninth. They also had the tying run at the plate, but couldn’t convert.
The O’s fell today, but left Houston having taken two-of-three from the best team in the American League. That’s an amazing feat, and end of the day, they left town in better shape than when they arrived. Needless to say, these Orioles are for real.
Birdland Crush 