Technically the record shows that Kyle Bradish didn’t throw a no-hitter today for the Baltimore Orioles. You have to throw a complete game for that to be the case. And the O’s didn’t even get credited for a shared no-hitter, as they did give up a hit after Bradish departed. But needless to say, Bradish threw the best outing of his career today. And it wasn’t even close. Bradish’s line: 7.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 11 K.
Ironically, I thought that Chicago starter Crochet was throwing amazing stuff – almost no-hitter sort of stuff. He was outstanding as well. But very quietly, Bradish didn’t give up a hit. All of this after a nearly two hour rain delay to start the game on the South Side of Chicago.
Despite Crochet’s efforts, it was the Orioles who got on the board first. His two-run homer in the top of the sixth gave the Birds a 2-0 lead. However following the seventh inning, Bradish had 103 pitches. And with him having the lead and despite his amazing effort, manager Brandon Hyde knew it was time to pull him (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):
No choice there, unfortunately. Just with, it’s 103 pitches. He hasn’t got that far, and coming off an elbow strain early on and the whole thing. That’s difficult because you want to see him stay out there and he’s thrown the ball so great. He was absolutely fantastic and it’s great to get a sweep here.
That’s a tough decision, and for his part it seemed to be one Bradish understood. However managers are always going to put the players first, and look after their well-being in a spot like that. As Hyde said, Bradish also began the season on the IL. And there’s a ways to go this season.
The good news is that Oriole bats have the pitching and insurance run. Colton Cowser’s solo homer in the eighth extended the lead to 3-0. The lone hit the Orioles’ pitching staff surrendered today was an eighth inning home run off the bat of Chicago’s Mendrick. The first and only hit – in the eighth inning.
The O’s would tack on an additional insurance run on a sac fly-RBI in the ninth. But as Brandon Hyde said in the quote above, the O’s got the win and the sweep. As deflating as that St. Louis series was, the O’s actually managed to have a winning road trip
All in all, losing the sweepless streak may have been a blessing in disguise. It died an almost quiet death, in a series against an NL team that was plagued by weather situations. You’d rather it come that way than against a division rival. And now that distraction is over, and they can just play ball. And on top of that, the O’s return home one game up in the win column from where they were when they left.
The Orioles return home for the Memorial Day game tomorrow as they open up a three-game series with Boston at Camden Yards. Cole Irvin comes out of the bullpen and will get the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Cooper Criswell. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.
Birdland Crush 