Kyle Gibson only lasted into the fifth inning last night for the Baltimore Orioles. However that doesn’t mean Gibson pitched poorly per se. But the O’s are in a pennant race, so in effect they’re already playing postseason games. And you have to manage a postseason game differently. Gibson’s line: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 K.
Ryan O’Hearn stayed hot for the Birds, sending a two-run homer over the wall in the top of the first. However Houston quickly tied the game, with Tucker snacking a two-run homer in the bottom of the frame. Don’t look so surprised, folks. Houston’s the defending champion. They aren’t going down without a fight.
But if the 2023 Orioles have proven anything, it’s that they’re no slouch. Austin Hays came through big in the third, smacking a three-run home run and giving the Orioles a 5-2 lead. But again…Houston’s the defending champion. They aren’t going to go quietly, especially in their home yard. Bregman’s solo homer in the last of the third brought them to within 5-3.
Yet, nobody told the Orioles that they were supposed to stop scoring. Or that Houston wanted them to do so, at least. James McCann came through clutch in the sixth. With runners at the corners he put down a safety squeeze, forcing in a run. And he slid triumphantly into first base, making it an infield RBI-single.
Before the inning ended Gunnar Henderson added an RBI-single, extending the lead to 7-3. Diaz would bring Houston back to within two with a two-run homer in the last of the sixth, but the O’s weren’t relenting, deep in the heart of Texas. Austin Hays smacked his second homer of the game in the seventh, a solo shot. Heston Kjerstad followed suit with one of his own, and the O’s cruised to a 9-5 win.
The key play was McCann’s RBI-single in the sixth. The last thing you’re expecting there is for McCann to put down a squeeze bunt. In a game where Houston was already perpetually on their heels and playing from behind, that really cemented things in a sense. It also kept the Orioles out of a double-play, setting up the inning for additional damage.
The series concludes this afternoon at Minute Maid Park. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Houston’s Cristian Javier. Game time is set for just after 2 PM.
Birdland Crush 