Thaddeus Ward got the start in Bradenton this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles in Bradenton against Pittsburgh. Maybe the O’s were giving him a look, or maybe they needed a stopgap starter. But he took the ball today, and with rough results. Ward’s line: 2.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 3 K.
The Birds did take the lead early, on the first at-bat of the ballgame. Dylan Carlson, who had a great game, smacked a solo homer, and the O’s led 1-0. However Pittsburgh immediately tied it in the last of the first on Cruz’s RBI-single.
Frazier would plate a run in the second, on an RBI-groundout. Ward would then surrender a third run on an errant throw on a pickoff attempt. Gonzales would add a run-scoring single, and the O’s trailed 4-1.
But a big fourth inning put them right back into the swing of things. Vinael Machin continued his great spring with an RBI-single, cutting the lead to 4-2. He would later score on a pass ball, and suddenly it was 4-3. Dylan Carlson would tack on a sac fly-RBI, tying the game back up at four.
Pittsburgh would immediately take the lead back however, as Cruz grounded into a force out with a runner on third. Gutierrez’s RBI-single in the sixth extended the lead to 6-4. Seranthony Dominguez would eventually lose a 12-pitch battle with Pittsburgh’s Suwinsky, extending the lead to 8-4. Pittsburgh would tack on three more runs in the seventh, and the Birds would add a run in the eighth on a HBP, but Oriole pitching would surrender a grand slam in the eighth, as they fell 15-5.
Seranthony Dominguez you’ll remember was acquired from Philadelphia at the deadline last year as part of the Austin Hays deal. He was inconsistent for the Orioles down the stretch. Notice, I said inconsistent. There’s a difference between that and bad.
However that sixth inning left him with a spring ERA north of 23. It’s tough to gauge how that translates into the regular season. Plenty of guys have rough springs followed by solid regular seasons. But Dominguez came to the Orioles with the hope that a change of air would be good for him. Again, he was inconsistent down the stretch in 2024. Now this spring…needless to say, there are questions.
The Orioles return home to Sarasota tomorrow to take on Philadelphia at Ed Smith Stadium. Opening Day starter Zach Eflin gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Philadelphia’s Jesus Luzardo. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.
Birdland Crush 