Trevor Rogers “sustained” this evening for the Baltimore Orioles. He surrendered three runs, but didn’t sell the farm, this in a proverbial sense. Meaning he didn’t light up the scoreboard with K’s, but he kept the O’s in the game. That’s all anyone can ask. Rogers’ line: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 5 K.
Martinez’s two-run homer in the first inning gave New York a 2-0 lead. However that was one of the only bad pitches Rogers made. He allowed an RBI-single to Taylor in the fourth, extending New York’s lead to 3-0.
However what hurt the Orioles the most in this game was the “progressive strike zone” held by home plate umpire John Tumpane. Opposing hitters routinely had balls called on the corners. Meanwhile Oriole hitters had balls in the dirt called strikes. There was no rhythm or reason. And it did affect Oriole hitters. They ended up swinging at pitches that were well out of the zone, as they figured they’d be called strikes. Balls they had no prayer of reaching.
At one point late in the game Orioles’ starter Corbin Burnes let Tumpane have it, and appeared on the verge of being run. That combined with the fact that the Oriole bench seemed to be making comments all night made for an interesting game. Jackson Holliday’s RBI-groundout in the fifth got the Birds on the board.
And they tied the game in the seventh in a bizarre sequence. With Ryan Mountcastle on third, New York’s Peterson was called for a balk. That plated Mountcastle, cutting the lead to 3-2.
The very next pitch was to Ramon Urias, and it was a solo home run which tied the game. Needless to say it was a strange sequence of events. And as much as the Orioles were angered by the strike zone, my impressions were that New York didn’t appreciate that call.
However they got the win. Alvarez smacked a solo walk off homer in the last of the ninth to win it, 4-3. It’s a tough way to lose, however it was also against a National League opponent. And that lessens the blow slightly.
The series continues tomorrow at Citi Field. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Jose Quintana. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.
Birdland Crush 