If there’s one slightly concerning thing about last night’s game for the Baltimore Orioles, it’s that starter Dean Kremer seemed to lose it on the drop of a dime. Kremer had an overall good outing. But he walked three hitters in the sixth inning (leading to New York tying the game – temporarily), after having excellent control for most of his outing. Odds are it was nothing and can be chalked up to the ebb and flow of the game. But it happened. Kremer’s line: 5.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 4 K.
Before the game the Orioles took a moment to honor their former manager, current New York Mets’ skipper, Buck Showalter. It was Showalter’s first trip back to Camden Yards as a visitor. The O’s ran a video tribute on Diamondvision in Showalter’s honor, and deservedly so. The crowd gave Showalter a standing ovation, and with that familiar “aw shucks” sort of grin on his face, Showalter tipped his cap several times to the fans. Classy moment and very well-handled on the part of everyone. Make no mistake that Buck Showalter thinks glowingly of his time in Baltimore, and he’ll always have a special place in Birdland hearts.
The O’s took a 2-0 lead in the fourth when James McCann smacked a two-RBI single. However New York got those runs back and tied the game in the sixth when Kremer suddenly struggled. Lindor’s two-RBI single in the wake of the aforementioned walks knitted things up at 2-2.
But the Orioles quickly righted the ship. Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI-single in the bottom of the inning gave them a 3-2 lead. James McCann, who had a big night, added a two-RBI double, and Adley Rutschman a sac fly-RBI. And after six the O’s held a 6-2 lead.
But even though the New York Mets are having a tough season and they just sold off the farm in a sense, they’re still a Major League Baseball team. And Orioles fans know all too well who’s in charge in their dugout – Buck Showalter’s teams don’t give up. You have to put them away. And the Orioles did.
It was Jordan Westburg’s three-run homer in the last of the seventh that blew the game wide open. it was Westburg’s second big league home run, and again in my view it came in a big moment. James McCann added the icing on the cake (on both the game and his own personal effort) with an RBI-single later in the inning. New York pushed a nominal run across in the eighth, and the Birds closed out a 10-3 win.
James McCann of course was traded to the O’s from New York this past off season. And he tormented his old team last night. He became the first catcher to go 3-for-3 or better with a walk, stolen base, and a minimum of five RBI since 1920. More poignantly in the here and now however, he did his part for a big Orioles’ win in the here and now.
The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Kyle Gibson gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Tyler Megil. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.
Birdland Crush 