Tomoyuki Sugano slogged into the sixth inning for the Baltimore Orioles. However to no avail. You have to take advantage of opportunities given to you, and the Orioles tonight did not. However Sugano still left the game with the chance to be the winner. Sugano’s line: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 3 K.
Sugano gave up an RBI-single to Contreras in the first, and a two-run homer to Nootbar in the second. However Sugano stabilized himself after that. And the O’s did get him some run support.
The Birds would load the bases in the last of the fourth, thanks in part to an E3. Heston Kjerstad would reach on a fielder’s choice, scoring a run in the process. The O’s would put two runners on one inning later, bringing Ryan O’Hearn to the plate.
O’Hearn of course has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball of late. And he didn’t disappoint, smacking a three-run home run to give the O’s a 4-3 lead. And putting Sugano a shot to be the winner in the process .
However when it’s not meant to be, it’s not meant to be. Back-to-back triples for St. Louis in the seventh tied the game at four. St. Louis would take the lead an inning later with an RBI-triple by Gorman, and tack on two additional runs as the inning went on. And the O’s fell, 7-4..
The key here isn’t the pitching, despite the bullpen having its struggles. No, the key was the O’s going 1-for-13 with RISP. That one was the three-run homer by Ryan O’Hearn. As I’ve said before, it’s good that they’re getting runners into scoring position. They just have to work on bringing them in.
The series concludes tomorrow evening at Camden Yards (weather permitting). Cade Povich gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by St. Louis’ Miles Mikolas. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.
Birdland Crush 