Trevor Rogers and Baltimore Orioles’ pitching struggled in a very poignant part of the game tonight against Washington. Starting with Rogers, Oriole pitchers couldn’t put Washington hitters away. This with two strikes. Rogers’ line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 2 K.
Washington is an extreme small-ball team. That means they don’t mind hitting with two strikes. And when they get on base, they’re looking to steal a base. Not a good combination when you can’t put guys away from the Orioles’ standpoint.
Following a double and a walk, Washington had two on and two out in the first. Wood’s RBI-single gave them a 1-0 lead. The Orioles were able to pick wood off first to end the inning, but not before a second run scored. Wood caught himself in a rundown, allowing the runner from third to score, and putting the O’s in a 2-0 hole.
Many of those runners got on base in two-strike counts. Again, you have to put hitters away when you get to that point. Especially on 0-2 or 1-2. And again specializing in small ball, Washington finds ways to score runs. What Wood did on first base was certainly unconventional, but it worked.
The Orioles would tie the game in piecemeal manner in the second and third. Ryan Mountcastle’s second inning RBI-single, and an inning later Anthony Santander’s solo homer did the trick. And if you’re counting, that’s 36 home runs by Santander this year, a team record for a switch-hitter (previously held by Ken Singleton). When you consider that Eddie Murray is on the list of Oriole switch-hitters as well, needless to say Santander’s in rare company.
However Washington came right back and put two runners in scoring position in the top of the fourth. Vargas and Garcia would clear the bases on two separate sac fly-RBI, giving Washington a 4-2 lead. Again, small ball. They put runs on the board however they can.
Vargas added an RBI-single in the sixth, followed by a two-RBI single by Young. The Orioles sat on waiting for the big knock the entire game. Which is tough to do when you don’t have anyone on base. Part of playing in the AL East is the big innings, but they never came for the Birds tonight.
But the runs did come for Washington, due in large part to their ability to hit with two strikes. Chaparro would add an RBI-double in the eighth, which is tough because this was his first big league game. And he devoured Oriole pitching. Ruiz added an RBI-single in the ninth as well, and the O’s trailed 9-2.
End of the day, again you have to put guys away. It’s the same problem as two-out rallies that have plagued the O’s for years. And the only way out of the problem is to pitch your way out of it. Just like on the flip side of the coin, the only solution is to hit your way out of it.
And the good news is that the Orioles had some solid at-bats in the ninth inning. It was certainly “too little too late,” but they can hopefully take that slight amount of momentum and bring it forward into tomorrow. And part of that momentum was the Orioles scoring a third run, with Cedric Mullins scoring from third on a fielder’s choice and an error. Again, you have to bring even the smallest amount of momentum forward.
The series concludes tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Washington’s DJ Herz. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.
Birdland Crush 