John Means had somewhat of a rough first inning for the Baltimore Orioles against Seattle last night. Now he quickly righted himself, but if you only watched the first few minutes of the game, you would have been shocked at the final result, and with the fact that Means pitched to a quality start. Means’ line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 4 K.
Garver’s RBI-single in the first gave Seattle a 1-0 lead. In fact, the first pitch of the game went for a double. However that start was in no way any sort of harbinger for the rest of the game, as Means limited the damage.
But that was the main highlight of the game for Seattle. Means buckled down. And Oriole bats buckled in…
…this starting immediately. Gunnar Henderson tied the game at one with a leadoff homer. Later in the inning the O’s had runners at first and second with nobody out, and Ryan Mountcastle hit into a fielder’s choice. Seattle’s Moore committed a throwing error, allowing Ryan O’Hearn to score and putting the Birds in the lead.
Colton Cowser’s almost immediate two-run double burst the game wide open. Down the right field line, it was one of those tight liners that smacked up chalk when it hit. Jordan Westburg would add a sac fly-RBI before the inning ended, and the O’s led 5-1.
And that was just the first inning. Despite an early blip, John Means had the lead. Moore would add a solo homer in the fifth, but other than that he shut Seattle down. That’s what good teams and ace-like pitchers do.
But Oriole bats weren’t leaving the result to chance, despite such a great first inning. Gunnar Henderson’s RBI-triple in the seventh extended the lead to 6-2. Adley Rutschman and Austin Hays (fresh off the IL) added RBI-doubles. Hays would later score on a wild pitch later in the inning.
End of the day, the O’s went home with a 9-2 win. This is kind of a big series because Seattle’s a good team. Who wins the season series between the two could decide postseason positioning. This puts the Orioles off to a good start.
The series continues this afternoon at Camden Yards. The O’s are yet to announce a starter, but whomever he is will be opposed by Seattle’s Luis Castillo. Game time is set for just after 4 PM (weather permitting).
Birdland Crush 