Charlie Morton looked strong this afternoon in Sarasota for the Baltimore Orioles. With Grayson Rodriguez looking to be starting the season on the IL, Morton’s going to need to have a strong start to the season. He took a step towards that today. Morton’s line: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K.
Save for the one walk, Morton was crisp. And that’s what you look for out of a starter at any stage of the game. But especially in spring training given the aforementioned injury problems. And he got a little bit of run support, as the O’s took a 1-0 lead in the third on Adley Rutschman’s RBI-single.
Backing up an inning however, the O’s ran themselves out of a big inning in the second. Thanks to a Tampa error, the Birds had the bases loaded with nobody out. Emmanuel Rivera popped up a flair to right which was caught. Colton Cowser tried to tag from third and score, but was thrown out at home plate – resulting in a double-play.
If that’s the product of it being an exhibition game (and I suspect it was), that’s one thing. However I would hope Cowser wouldn’t try to score on a pop that shallow in the regular season. Those are situations of which you need to take advantage, as opposed to risking the waste of an out. That changed the compass of the inning.
The Orioles brought in Seranthony Dominguez in the seventh, and promptly coughed up the lead. Following a lead off triple, Seymour’s RBI-single tied the game at one. Following back-to-back RBI-doubles, Tampa led 3-1. And in the wake of that, Morgan smacked a two-run pinch-hit home run, and the O’s trailed, 5-1.
That’s not exactly the outing one would have wanted from a guy for whom the Orioles traded last year. And was inconsistent at times as an Oriole in the second half. But that’s why they play these games in a sense. However it also reiterates what I said above…
…you can’t waste outs. The Orioles did in the second inning. Tampa took advantage of the opportunities they got in the latter stages of the game. And they took it a step further as Misner led off the ninth with a solo homer.
The Orioles did get two back. Following a walk in the last of the ninth, Jeremiah Jackson’s two-run homer cut the lead to 6-3. End of the day, it’s a loss. In a spring game. But as I said, the Birds did get a strong showing by Charlie Morton. And that’s meaningful.
The Orioles will stay in Sarasota to welcome in Minnesota to Ed Smith Stadium tomorrow. Tomoyuki Sugano gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Simeon Richardson. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.
Birdland Crush 