The Baltimore Orioles play until the last out – ALWAYS. Granted, that final out came well after it should have. The Orioles and starter Corbin Burnes waited five – yes, count ‘em – FIVE hours through a rain delay before today’s game started. It was supposed to be a day game, and it ended up an early evening affair. Burnes’ line: 5.2 IP, 9 H, 2 R 0 BB, 3 K.
Salvador Perez seemed to make it his mission to torment the Orioles in this game. He smacked an RBI-single in the first, and another one in the third. This before the O’s could do anything. Garcia added a solo homer in the seventh.
Incidentally that first run, credit it to Bobby Witt. He extended a rundown where he was effectively dead on arrival between third and the plate, and allowed a runner to get to third base. It’s pesky things like that which can win you ballgames. And it made a difference today…
…that is, until the eighth inning. Gunnar Henderson got the Orioles on the board in the last of the eighth with a sac fly-RBI. Later in the inning Adley Rutschman would add an RBI-single, but he was thrown out at second base. Nevertheless, the O’s had cut the lead to 3-2.
Then they came to bat in the last of the ninth. With one out the O’s had runners at second and third, and Kansas City opted to intentionally walk Austin Hays to load the bases – Austin Hays, who’s started the season in a bit of a slump. Colton Cowser struck out for the second out, and it briefly appeared that Kansas City had gotten away with the IBB.
But that brought James McCann to the plate. And while he’s only the backup catcher, he delivered. He smacked a two-RBI single, giving the O’s the 4-3 win in walk off manner. Make no mistake, that was a big win.
The Orioles almost couldn’t afford to start the year at .500 against teams who on paper shouldn’t stack up against them. Finding a way to win this game is HUGE in terms of morale. And Lord knows what sort of difference it makes down the stretch. This after a five hour rain delay.
Birdland Crush 