The Baltimore Orioles won their first game in the spring this afternoon against Philadelphia. Cade Povich gave the Birds a strong outing out of the gate, allowing only one base runner, by way of a fielding error. Povich’s line: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.
Povich was “crisp” all afternoon – throughout his two innings that is. And the Orioles gave him a lead before he even took the mound. Following a hit batsman, a walk, and a wild pitch, Coby Mayo’s two-run single gave them a 2-0 lead. Vimael Manchin would extend it to 3-0 with a second inning solo home run. And the O’s were off to the races.
Philadelphia would get in the board in the last of the third on Arroyo’s solo home run. However Machin would strike again in the fourth. His RBI-single out the O’s in the lead at 4-1. Emmanuel Rivera would extend it to 5-1 in the fifth with an RBI-single of his own. Jordyn Adams’ fielder’s choice-RBI in the seventh would tack on another.
Philadelphia tried to rally in the bottom of the inning however, as Ricones’ two-run homer cut the Orioles’ lead in half at 6-3. However the pen would keep things right there, until Adams could come back up in the ninth and add an RBI-single. The Birds went home today, 7-3 winners.
Again, wins and losses don’t matter for now. What sort of opportunity Cade Povich has to start the season in the majors with the Orioles is unclear. But he atoned for himself very well in his short outing today, which is the real story of today’s game for the Orioles. Granted they were missing Bryce Harper today, but Cade Povich was dominant over two innings against a stacked lineup.
The O’s return home to Sarasota tomorrow as Atlanta comes into Ed Smith Stadium. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Atlanta’s Reynaldo Lopez. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.
Birdland Crush 