It was important for the Baltimore Orioles and starter Kyle Gibson to win tonight. After a dramatic high profile series win over the weekend, it’s important to “safely” come back to earth. And Gibson set the O’s up in a good spot. Gibson’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K.
The Orioles picked up right where they left off last night in the first inning. They put two runners in scoring position, and Ryan Mountcastle’s two-run scoring double gave the Birds a 2-0 lead. Incidentally, that second run moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Get guys on base and often times things happen.
Two innings later Gunnar Henderson’s solo homer extended the lead to 3-0. Later in the inning Mountcastle would plate another run on a sac fly-RBI. That’s three runs driven in on the night for Ryan Mountcastle.
Toronto would get on the board in the fifth in on Kiermaier’s RBI-groundout. Merrifield would smack a solo homer in the eighth off of Yennier Cano, who unfortunately appears to be struggling a bit. He was later lifted from the ballgame.
And the Orioles went to Felix Bautista to garner a five out save. Bautista got the Orioles off the field, and following the O’s not putting anything across in the ninth, we went to the last of the inning.
While Bautista had a couple of struggles in the ninth, he got the Orioles through. However he had help. Merrifield lined a ball towards left center with two on and one out. The ball looked destined for the gap, and make no mistake that it might well have gone all the way to the wall. Which might have tied the game…
…but none of that was possible. Out of left field (literally), Austin Hays came out of nowhere, laid out, and caught the ball. And he almost doubled the runner up at first base after doing so.
Brandon Hyde’s said it before; every game it seems someone else is the hero. Someone else saves the game. Tonight it was Austin Hays and Felix Bautista. Incidentally, Bautista threw more pitches than he has all season. What that means for tomorrow and onward remains to be seen. But that was a gritty effort on the part of Bautista and Austin Hays.
With the win, the O’s have now gone 74 straight series’ without being swept. And whatever flaws exist in this team, it shows in the standings. Because the Baltimore Orioles are alone in first place.
The series continues tomorrow night at Rogers Center. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s HyunJin Ryu. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.
Birdland Crush 