Charlie Morton got the start for the Baltimore Orioles at Atlanta’s Truist Park this evening on the 4th of July. Morton of course played for Atlanta, and knows Truist Park well. It showed tonight, needless to say. Morton’s line: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 7 K.
Morton got ahead in counts by spinning his breaking pitches, and mixing them in with his fastballs. And he kept Atlanta hitters guessing and off-kilter. Perhaps it doesn’t hurt that he’s pitched in this park many times and he knows it.
Atlanta starter Strider matched Morton for most of the game. Ironically both starters were “plagued” (lightly) by the same affliction: the long ball. Every run in the game scored a da result of the ball going over the fence.
It started with Jordan Westburg, who returned to the lineup for the first time in a week. This after jamming his fingers sliding into second base last Friday. And Westburg made the most of his opportunity to get back into the lineup, giving the Orioles a 1-0 lead with a solo home run in the third.
Two innings later Cedric Mullins’ two-run home run extended the lead to 3-0. And it’s a good thing that he did, as Atlanta put two runs on the board. Baldwin smacked a two-run home run in the last of the sixth, cutting the lead to 3-2.
However the Oriole bullpen was solid after taking over. Baldwin was literally the last Atlanta hitter to reach base in the game. Andrew Kitteredge, Bryan Baker, and Felix Bautista (in the ninth) were all outstanding. Perhaps one of the most unsung moments was Baker retiring the side 1-2-3 in the eighth. That meant that if Bautista could do the same in the ninth (which he did), the Orioles wouldn’t see the top of the order in the ninth.
The series continues tomorrow at Truist Park. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and Atlanta is yet to announce a starter. But whomever he ends up being, game time is set for just after 4 PM.
Birdland Crush 