The Baltimore Orioles came into today needing a strong start out of Cole Irvin, following two long outings for the Oriole bullpen. And they got it. Irvin turned in perhaps his best start with the orange and black this afternoon at Kauffman Stadium, his part in defeating Kansas City. Irvin’s line: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K.
Irvin pitched to contact, something we’ve seen a lot out of the Orioles thus far in 2024. Which is only possible if your pitchers are overpowering hitters. And Oriole pitchers are doing just that. But it’s not being done in turn to Oriole hitters. Which again, is a good trend.
The O’s got back-to-back solo homers in the third inning. Colton Cowser went yard, followed by Jordan Westburg. Now again, both of those were solo homers. But they count as runs, and it means the opponent needs to score two (and then three) in order to beat you. They add up.
The Birds struck again in the sixth. Ryan Mountcastle’s RBI-double plated Anthony Santander, and extended the lead to 3-0. The O’s would then proceed to load the bases, and Jordan Westburg drew a walk. And the O’s led , 4-0.
And when you have a lead and get good pitching (starting pitching and relief), you’re good to go. The Orioles shut down Kansas City bats the rest of the way, and coasted to a 5-0 victory. Yes, 5-0; they got a pinch hit infield RBI-single from Ramon Urias in the ninth. And they left Kansas City with a game and a series victory.
One thing of note; Jackson Holliday’s struggles since coming to the big leagues have been well-documented. This at the plate; we did see him make an outstanding play in the field today at second base. However I noticed that he’s getting victimized on the corners of the plate. Anything borderline is being called a ball.
Now it’s fair to question what he’s done to deserve getting borderline pitches. However opposing pitchers are also taking notice, and in short they’re nibbling on the corners. They know that if it’s close, Holliday may well look at it, and they’ll get the call. Just an observation.
The O’s now head to Los Angeles to open a three-game set at Angel Stadium. Al Suarez gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by LA’s Reid Detmers. Game time is set for just after 9:30 PM.
Birdland Crush 