The Baltimore Orioles should know never to sleep on Tampa. Over the last 20 years that’s been proven time and again. Who would have thought that Trevor Rogers would have existed early after getting a huge lead? Tampa willed that to happen – that among other things. Rogers’ line: 2.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 4 K.
Colton Cowser’s three-run homer in the second inning gave the O’s a 3-0 lead. Cedric Mullins added a solo shot later in the inning, and Gunnar Henderson added a run-scoring single. Ramon Laureano’s three-run homer capped off the inning, and the O’s led 8-0.
You kind of felt the game was over. Not so far as Tampa was concerned. They threatened in the second, causing Rogers to throw over thirty pitches. But he got out of it without surrendering a run. They fouled off pitch after pitch, drawing either walks or eventually putting the ball in play. Even down eight, they refused to give up at-bats.
Tampa had already dipped into its bullpen, which boded well for the Orioles moving into tonight’s game. However the Birds would lift Rogers in the third and he was charged with three runs. Whereas the Orioles scored their runs primarily with power, Tampa just happily chipped away. Piece by piece.
Little by little they chipped away tacking on run after run. Lowe’s three-run homer in the fifth tied the game at eight. Caminero’s RBI-single in the seventh gave Tampa a 9-8 lead. They would go on to tack on there’s more, and the Orioles fell 12-8. This after spotting themselves an 8-0 lead.
Sometimes games like this happen, but that’s a tough loss to swallow. The Orioles have had issues with the strike zone – over a span of years. This being they don’t easily adapt to it. Home plate umpire Shane Livenspargen had a “less than generous” strike zone. There were various pitches on the black that were called balls. This frustrated Oriole pitching.
While those frustrations were well-founded, the zone was consistent. However Tampa was able to adapt. The Orioles weren’t. Oriole pitching tried to live on the fringes of the plate, and kept throwing pitches that appeared to nick the strike zone, but were consistently called balls. As the game went on, Tampa decided to attack the strike zone. And it worked. The Orioles either struck out, or put the ball in play and recorded an out.
A game like this also may have featured someone tipping pitches. Mind you, I didn’t say stealing signs. When you see an eight-run barrage in one inning, it makes you wonder if Tampa wasn’t somehow tipping pitches. OR, if at some point the Orioles didn’t START tipping pitches.
But again I go back to the strike zone more than anything else. It was consistent both ways for the most part. The difference was that Tampa played to the umpire’s zone – and it worked. The Orioles kept trying to pound the fringes of the plate so as to steal strikes. And that didn’t work.
The series concludes this evening at Steinbrenner Field. Charlie Morton gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Drew Rasmussen. Game time is set for just after 7:30 PM.
Birdland Crush 