Baltimore Orioles’ manager Brandon Hyde has to be beyond frustrated with how this season has played out. There’s not one thing or another that’s gone wrong – it’s everything. Chase McDermott got the start in the second game of today’s doubleheader, to no avail. McDermott’s line: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 5 K.
In fairness to McDermott, this was a game that the Orioles almost punted from the beginning. They were already short starters, and this was set up as a bullpen game due to it being part of a doubleheader. Only thing was…it was winnable. Even after Minnesota put up four in the first three innings.
Gunnar Henderson’s RBI-single in the last of the fourth got the Birds on the board, and cut the Minnesota lead to 4-1. But the O’s strung together a few additional two out base runners, and before you knew it the bases were loaded. And Cedric Mullins was striding to the plate.
And Mullins gave the O’s the lead with one fatal swing. His grand slam put the O’s ahead 5-4. In the moment it was a welcome sight. So was Heston Kjerstad’s subsequent solo home run, extending the lead to 6-4.
But Minnesota chipped away. Castro’s solo homer in the fifth cut the lead to 6-5. That being said, the solo shot was hit against Charlie Morton – as a reliever. That was the only run Morton gave up, and in fact he was in line to win the game. Morton, for all his faults thus far this year, gave the O’s some outstanding innings today. And that’s a fact.
Castro began the eighth with an excuse me bloop base hit. And that started a problem, as is usually the case. Minnesota’s one of these teams who uses any little loophole to get into a game. And with that base hit off of Yennier Cano, they got their loophole.
After a balk and a walk, Clemens came to the plate. And Clemens’ three-run home run gave Minnesota their lead back at 8-6. They closed the game out, and swept the doubleheader.
I’ve written about the Orioles tipping pitches before. I stand by that. But are they also too predictable?
It’s well known that Yennier Cano is the setup man. Was Minnesota sitting there waiting for him to come in the game? Personally I believe that consistency is a good thing. But it’s only consistency until people figure out how to sidestep it. It seems that Minnesota was waiting for Cano to come in the game. Had it gone to the ninth (with the Orioles leading), they would have been waiting for Felix Bautista.
Am I saying Brandon Hyde should shake it up? I don’t know what I’m saying. Cano’s the setup man for a reason. But they’ve figured him out over the past couple of weeks for sure. And that’s a problem.
The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Tomoyuki Sugano gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Chris Paddack. Game time is set for just after 12:30 PM.
Birdland Crush 