Cade Povich came within one out of being in line for the win for the Baltimore Orioles. He had a high pitch count due to a couple of early arduous innings, and manager Brandon Hyde opted to pull him before the fifth inning ended. Not that this game didn’t have a ways to go at that point, and with a lot of drama at that. Povich’s line: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 1 K.
The O’s took a 1-0 lead in the first on Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI-double. New York would tie it in that same inning with Torres’ sacrifice fly-RBI. And that sort of back-and-forth foreshadowed the end of the game.
The reason Povich could have been in line to be the winning pitcher was due to the Orioles putting three runs up in the fifth. Ramon Urias smacked a two-run homer, and Ryan O’Hearn added an RBI-double. Ryan Mountcastle added an RBI-double of his own in the seventh…amid some drama.
The runner on second was Gunnar Henderson, who got there by stealing the base. But he was on base as it was due to being plunked in the back. This of course after New York made a big deal out of Aaron Judge being hit last night. To his credit however, Henderson dropped his bat and walked to first base.
Later in the game Colton Cowser was hit, and for a split second it appeared things could escalate when Cowser threw his bat down, but the situation was diffused. It’s worth noting how both teams behaved in these situations…and which one wore it better. It speaks for itself.
Many people think the umpire should have issued warnings. I agree; New York should have been warned. And that’s precisely why I suspect warnings weren’t issued. When’s the last time you saw only one team get warned? The umpire felt he couldn’t warn one team and not the other, and he probably didn’t want to have to eject Brandon Hyde, who indubitably would have gone crazy at being warned. Now if it escalates into tomorrow, that might be another story.
New York tightened things up however in the last of the seventh, with a three-run homer by Stanton. The O’s would load the bases in the ninth, and end up getting nothing. Anthony Santander made a play for extra bases, but Verdugo made a lunging catch in center on the run. Stanton’s RBI-single in the last of the ninth would tie the score, sending the game to extra innings.
And that’s when the running game and being aggressive took over. The O’s took advantage of the ghost runner rule, with Cedric Mullins lining a run-scoring single to center. He would take second on the throw home, putting him in scoring position.
Mullins then proceeded to try to steal third, and with an errant throw that sailed into left field, he ended up scoring. Speed kills, and it certainly helped the Orioles in that first instance. And they led 7-5.
However New York made one final push. With runners at the corners and nobody out, Rice’s sacrifice fly would cut the lead to 7-6. The O’s needed two outs before New York could score a run. This with a runner on first. The runner, Oswaldo Cabrera, decided to be daring himself. He tried to steal his way into scoring position by swiping second base…
…however Adley Rutschman may have made the play of the year from behind the dish. He coldly threw Cabrera out at second base, giving the Orioles the second out and erasing all base runners. And it was over after they recorded the final out.
Make no mistske, it’s for moments such as that that the Orioles drafted Adley Rutschman. It’s impossible for a ball to be more on the money than that one was. New York pressed the issue big time tonight across the board; and Rutschman and the Orioles matched them point-for-point. Hit people in the back all you want. But when it really counts and the game’s on the line, don’t complain about giving away runs with free bases such as on a hit batsman.
When asked after the game, Brandon Hyde neglected to say if he thought Gunnar Henderson (or Colton Cowser) was hit intentionally. But end of the day in a tight division race, this all-important game went to the Orioles. If the Birds somehow win the division by the skin of their teeth, think back to this game, and to that throw by Adley Rutschman.
The series concludes tomorrow at Yankee Stadium. Cole Irvin gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Luis Gil. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.
Birdland Crush 