Neither starter Cole Irvin nor the rest of the Baltimore Orioles wanted to lose at home on national television. Under the bright lights of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, Irvin struggled for a fourth consecutive start. Irvin’s line: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 2 K.
Orioles fans should take a breath. Because despite this loss, the O’s took three-of-four from Texas this weekend. I’ve always said that if you win a series but drop the finale, you get a faux feeling that you actually lost the series. Especially with the lone loss coming on national television. But again, this series was a resounding success for the O’s.
Texas took the lead early with a two-run homer by Hill in the second inning. However you got a taste of what was to come from the get go. Irving didn’t throw his first strike by a hitter until there were two outs in the inning (save for foul balls). His entire outing he left two-seam fastballs over the plate, and Texas hitters got them.
The Birds would get one back in the last of the second on an RBI-single by Ryan O’Hearn. But come the fourth Texas struck back quickly. Lowe, Knizner, and Smith tapped RBI-singles and extended Texas’ lead to 5-1. Heston Kjerstad would knock an RBI-double in the bottom of the inning, and the Birds cut the lead to 5-2.
However Texas continued its assault on the fifth. Langford would smack an RBI-double, as did Lowe. Or did he?! The run counted, one way or the other. However the Birds challenged the safe call at second base. And after a lengthy review, Lowe was ruled out.
And it’s a good thing Brandon Hyde challenged the call. Because Hill came up and smacked his second solo home run of the ballgame, giving Texas an 8-2 lead. That would have been a two-run homer if not for the challenge and the umpires overturning the call. It made little difference, but it did show the Orioles weren’t throwing in the towel.
Unfortunately there was more. Langford smacked a three-run homer in the eighth, completing the cycle. That came after a batter reached on an E5, and another was HBP. Yoir opponents get far on what you leave behind.
Again, keep in mind that this team just finished a stretch of 43 games in 45 days. And/or 30 games in 31 days – however you want to look at it. And in terms of the standings, the loss column, etc, they’re in a better place than they were at the beginning of that 30-game stretch.
And ultimately, you aren’t going to win every game. The best news for the O’s now? While they’re off to the west coast, they do get an off day tomorrow. They’ll also get one next Monday following three in Oakland, before the Chicago Cubs come in. So much-needed rest is on the horizon.
Birdland Crush 