Baltimore Orioles: Too much plate

Solo homers did hurt the Baltimore Orioles’ Albert Suarez today, they say solo home runs shouldn’t hurt you. However when you give up multiple solo shots…is there really a difference between that and a three-run homer? To be clear, Suarez didn’t pitch poorly per se. He just gave up a few solo shots. Suarez’s line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 6 K,

I’ve said versions of this for some time. However Detroit pitchers seemed to live on the fringes of the plate – and they got the called strikes. Albert Suarez, like many other Oriole pitchers, was throwing strikes. And they were being hit.

After retiring the first five hitters, Suarez gave up a solo homer to Torkelson in the second. He then surrendered back-to-back doubles, the second of which was an RBI-double by Sweeney. One inning later Carpenter smacked a solo home run, and the O’s trailed 3-0.

The best news of the day for the Birds was that they saw the return of both Ramon Urias and Jordan Westburg this afternoon. They were called up off their rehab stints just before the game, and made an immediate impact…

…Urias singled with one out in the fifth. He was followed by Cedric Mullins, who slugged the Birds right back into the game with a two-run homer. That was followed by a Gunnar Henderson single. This bringing the other returned player, Jordan Westburg, to the plate.

Ramon Urias made his immediate impact by getting on base to start a rally. Westburg made his by scoring Gunnar Henderson on an RBI-triple which tied the game in the last of the fifth. If you question how much the O’s had missed some of these injured players, the fifth inning today should make it clear.

Incidentally the O’s almost took the lead in that inning. Colton Cowser was robbed of a homer by Detroit’s Meadows. The ball was over the wall, and Meadows brought it back. Outstanding play. However that play ended up being bigger than it looked even at the time, as Suarez surrendered a third solo homer in the top of the sixth, this to Carpenter. His second of the game.

And with the Orioles not being able to score again, that catch by Meadows cost the Orioles the game. Just to show he wasn’t kidding, Ramon Urias made a play for an extra bases in the ninth, and Meadows ran it down. It’s also worth mentioning that Colton Cowser was thrown out at third base in the fourth – the second out of the inning. This following an Adley Rutschman single – with Cowser on first…

…should Cowser have stayed at second base? In my opinion, yes. It wasn’t a risk worth taking. And it cost the Birds an out and a runner in scoring position.

But again, this came as a result of the O’s throwing too many strikes. And too good of strikes. Combine that with a team like Detroit who was intent on being aggressive at the plate, and you see the result.