You can’t say enough of the job Albert Suarez has done for the Baltimore Orioles. This over the course of the season, and of late. He’s picked the team up when it’s needed him most. Including today, with the Birds desperately needing a win. Suarez’s line: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K.
This was a pitcher’s duel from the beginning with Boston starter Crawford. Who was almost equally as outstanding this afternoon. If anything, he gave up less early on than Suarez did. But Suarez pitched out of every mini-jam he got into.
Suarez had two keys this afternoon; one was fastball command. His fastballs were coming in fast and furious. And they were going by Boston hitters all afternoon, sending them back to the dugout.
The other key was what I’ll call “the thirds.” The Orioles have struggled for years with two strikes and two outs. How many times have we talked about pitchers getting to the brink of retiring a hitters the side, or both, only to give up a base hit or home run? How many rallies have started on that brink?
Not today. Suarez got his man every time. It’s easy to say that‘s what you’re supposed to do – and it is. But when you’ve consistently struggled with it like the Orioles have, you notice things like that. It shuts down rallies before they can get going.
Adley Rutschman broke a scoreless tie in the last of the fifth with a solo homer. Rutschman of course gwllhas been out of the lineup a couple games due to a back strain (despite making a pinch-hit appearance last night). It wad a great way for him to welcome himself back to the starting lineup.
However with how this series has gone, one run might not have cut it. This is a Boston team which peskily doesn’t quit. So one inning later with Crawford tiring quickly, the Birds put runners on first and second with nobody out. Ryan O’Hearn would have grounded into a double-play, however the throw back to first was wide. That allowed Ramon Urias to score from third, giving the O’s a 2-0 lead.
You’ve seen other teams get fat off of Oriole mistakes here and there. Finally the reverse became true. And none other than Gunnar Henderson gave the Birds even more insurance, with a two-run homer later in the inning.
And it’s a good thing Henderson smacked that homer. True to form, Boston rallied. They loaded the bases in the eighth, and Rafaela’s RBI-single cut the lead to 4-1. Refsnyder also smacked a solo homer off the left field foul pole in the ninth, before Devers struck out to end the game.
That’s a big win for the Birds. Not just to split this series, but it also guarantees that they’ve won the season series with Boston. This with an entire series between the two still to go at Fenway next month. So it’s almost two wins in a sense.
The O’s head to Citi Field tomorrow night to open up three with the New York Mets. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s David Peterson. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.
Birdland Crush 