The Baltimore Orioles had little business winning last night’s game in Texas. between Texas taking momentum at key moments and just about everything going wrong, somehow they seemed ticketed for a loss. This despite Trevor Rogers giving them a solid outing. Rogers’ line: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 K.
Catcher Chadwick Tromp pulled up lame while lining out to end the second inning. He was obviously injured, but tried to stay in the game – to his credit. Eventually he was lifted, and diagnosed with a lower back strain. He’s expected to be out on the IL today.
That’s yet another catcher going on the shelf. It’s somewhat unbelievable. It also provided an even bigger challenge in the moment, as Gary Sanchez was the DH last night. Meaning he had to come into catch, and the O’s had to surrender their DH for the rest of the game.
Ironically, it was Sanchez who gave the Orioles the lead. He came up with the bases loaded and nobody out in the third, and he cleared the bases with a double. This putting the O’s ahead 3-0.
That set a tone for the game. At each stage of this crazy game, the Birds may have been in a tough spot at times. But they never felt out of it. For what it’s worth, Rogers never took the bat off his shoulders in his two at-bats, which seemed pre-conceived. I suspect the Orioles didn’t want him hurt on the base paths or swinging through a pitch.
Rogers surrendered a two-run homer to Semien in the sixth before being lifted. Helman would draw a two-out walk in the seventh and promptly steal second base, taking third on an errant Gary Sanchez throw. Only…he didn’t stop at third. He went for home, and made it. This tied the game at three.
The Orioles are at times too by the book. Conventional wisdom says you stop at third on that play. But perhaps Helman caught the Orioles so off guard by not having stopped, he forced them to make a perfect throw – which they couldn’t do. The element of surprise can do that.
Gary Sanchez is also struggling to hold runners on, and Texas took advantage last night, it was no mystery that they were running on everything. Eventually the Orioles stopped throwing and all but gave runners second base.
With a runner at second in the eighth, Bryan Baker surrendered an infield single up the middle to Garcia. Jackson Holliday knocked it down, holding the runner at third. Baker proceeded to strike the next two hitters out, ending the inning. Massive play there by Holliday, and an equally impressive piece of pitching by Baker.
Texas changed catchers as the game went to extra’s, forcing their DH out as well. And with the ghost runner at second base, Gunnar Henderson’s two-run homer gave the Orioles a 5-3 lead. And it was a shot, folks. So was Colton Cowser’s subsequent solo shot to extend it to 6-3.
BUT…Garcia came up with two on (including a ghost runner) in the tenth. Every pitch Garcia saw in this game was a four-seam fastball. I’m sure there’s a computer program somewhere telling them that’s a good idea. But eventually Garcia caught on, and smacked an emphatic two-run home run to tie the game.
I have no doubt that a steady diet of four-seamers is the book on Garcia. So it’s smart to pitch him that way. But…every pitch? That seems very misguided, and it should come as no surprise that he eventually caught on.
But we played on. Colton Cowser came up with two out in the eleventh and the ghost runner on second. And it was his two-run homer which eventually put the Orioles over the top. On a side note, remember Texas also having to surrender their DH? Ironically it bit them more than it did the Orioles, who played without a DH most of the game. Pitcher Jack Leiter had to pinch hit in the last of the 11th, striking out with a ghost runner at second. End of the day, the O’s pulled through for an 8-6 win.
That’s about as improbable a victory as you’re going to see. Texas was pesky and they didn’t go away. But neither did the Orioles. Despite having every reason to do so.
With Zach Eflin having gone on the IL yesterday already, it’s obvious that another IL move is coming today. Chadwick Tromp will obviously be replaced by a catcher. Might that be Samuel Basallo? Time will tell.
The series continues this evening at Globe Life Field. Brandon Young gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Jacob deGrom. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.
Birdland Crush 