Charlie Morton gave the Baltimore Orioles another outstanding start this afternoon against the NYM. Morton was meant to pitch last night, but the game was rained out and ended up being the first part of a doubleheader today. Morton’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 K.
Morton took the ball in the wake of reliever Bryan Baker having been dealt to Tampa before the game. The Birds got some draft stock back for Baker, which could prove to be invaluable. But it’s always tough when you lose a teammate in that manner.
Morton gave up an RBI-double in the fifth to New York’s Taylor. But that was the only blip in the radar for the most part. Oriole bats were unable to muster much either. That is until they did.
Gunnar Henderson got the first part of this game off. Sometimes you have to stagger stars in doubleheaders. Especially when it’s as hot as it is today. But that also gave the Orioles a huge bat to use in a pinch-hitting situation, and Tony Mansolino picked his spot masterfully.
Henderson came up in the eighth with a runner on and the O’s still trailing 1-0. And he promptly smacked a two-run home run to right field. Suddenly, the Orioles were not only on the board, but they had the lead.
Ramon Laureano would extend it to 3-1 later in the inning with a sac fly-RBI. Felix Bautista closed New York out in the ninth, and the Orioles took game one of the twin bill. After losing the way they did on Tuesday and losing a teammate to a trade this morning, that was a big win. And needless to say, Gunnar Henderson rose to the occasion when the Orioles needed him.
The series concludes early this evening at Camden Yards. Tomoyuki Sugano gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Brandon Waddell. Game time is set for just after 5 PM.
Birdland Crush 