The Baltimore Orioles opened up a nine-game road trip in Phoenix last night with Kyle Gibson on the mound. The Orioles opened the night with a magic number of 27 to clinch the division. Because Tampa lost, it went down to 27, however the O’s came out flat in game one in Phoenix. Gibson’s line: 5.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 4 K.
Ryan O’Hearn smacked an RBI-single in the top of the first to give the O’s a 1-0 lead. However in the last of the first we saw a fluky type of play which sometimes happens to the Orioles. And has for years upon years it seems.
Arizona’s Marte hit a bouncer down the third base line. Ramon Urias charge the ball, but it took a funny hop and evaded his glove. Luckily Gunnar Henderson backed up the play (which was ruled a base hit), preventing Marte from getting a double. However it didn’t matter; Gurriel smacked a two-run homer in the next at-bat.
Unfortunately that fluky sort of play set the tone. All things being the same, had that play been made it would have been a tie game. However the game wasn’t without a major highlight from the Orioles. With one out and runners at the corners in the last of the fourth, Ahmed sent a lazy pop fly into shallow left. Gunnar Henderson ran out from shortstop and made a basket catch.
The runner at third had apparently already decided to tag up and try to score. Aggressive for sure given the depth of the fly ball, but it also took a perfect throw to nail the runner at home plate. However Henderson made a perfect throw, and combined with Adley Rutschman’s perfect tag, the O’s got out of the inning with a 6-2 double-play.
Arizona would extend their lead to 4-1 on Walker’s two-run homer. Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI-double in the eighth would bring the O’s to within two at 4-2, however they couldn’t get any closer. And the Birds dropped game one in the desert.
The series continues this evening at Chase Field. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Arizona’s Slade Cecconi. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.
Birdland Crush 