Kyle Gibson didn’t exactly appear like himself this evening for the Baltimore Orioles. He gave up several fluke runs in the second inning, putting the Birds behind Miami. However make no mistake that he was able to buckle down and pitch into the middle innings, perhaps saving a bullpen reliever. And those things make a difference in a long season. Gibson’s line: 5.1 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 1 BB.
Gibson retired the side in the first on six pitches. However he started running into trouble in the second. Three consecutive singles gave Miami a 1-0 lead. The worst part? Two of them were infield singles. And all three were softly hit balls.
Wendle’s RBI-single would extend the lead to 2-0. Before the inning ended the O’s trailed 4-0. There was a very teachable moment in that midst, however. With two on and one out Jordan Westburg fielded a grounder and tried to throw the rubber out at home plate. The throw was up the first base line, and it went as an infield RBI-single.
That’s a play where you want to take the out they’re giving you. That being at first base. Forget the run; take the out. Rookie mistake, but again a teachable moment for Westburg.
But first impressions can be deceiving – the first impression being the first two innings. This wasn’t going to be Miami’s day. Cedric Mullins’ RBI-single in the last of the second got the O’s on the board, cutting Miami’s lead to 4-1. On a side note, Mullins was later lifted from the game in favor of Colton Cowser with right quad tenderness. Something to watch; obviously the hope is that Mullins doesn’t make a return trip to the IL.
Later in the inning Jorge Mateo’s two-RBI triple cut the lead to 4-3. (Originally Mateo was called out at third, but the Orioles challenged and the call was reversed.) Miami would actually extend their lead in the fourth on a sac fly-RBI. But again, this just wasn’t their day.
Anthony Santander’s RBI-single in the last of the fifth cut the lead to 5-4. That foreshadowed what would happen later – so make a mental note! Two innings later the Birds would tie the game on a mammoth home run by Gunnar Henderson, which landed on the flag court. Which got Gibson off the hook for the loss, for the record.
With two runners on in the last of the eight, Anthony Santander came to the plate. And he smacked an RBI-single, giving the Birds their first lead of the game. Felix Bautista would close things out in the ninth, and the Orioles had their 33rd comeback win of the season.
I mentioned Gibson being off the hook for the loss. His teammates found a way to pick him up tonight when he didn’t have his best stuff. That’s what the concept of “team” is all about. When you have a bad day, your teammates have your back. And next time out maybe it’s Gibson lifting up a teammate who committed an unfortunate error or something along those lines. Again, that’s what being a team is all about.
The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and Miami is yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.
Birdland Crush 