Dean Kremer pitched to a quality start for the Baltimore Orioles tonight. And when your starter goes all out and you still can’t get the win, that’s a huge problem. Kremer did everything he could to put the O’s in a spot to win. They just couldn’t reach out and take it. Kremer’s line, 7.0 IP 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 6 K.
The Orioles led this game from the beginning, and for most of the way. They started the game with a single and a double, and then scored on Gunnar Henderson’s sac fly-RBI. Ryan O’Hearn’s subsequent RBI-single extended the Orioles’ lead to 2-0.
But Oriole bats quieted down after that. For the entire game, they were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. This over nine hits. The Orioles got them on, but couldn’t get them in.
Kremer did allow a run in the seventh on an RBI-groundout by Lowe. I can’t stress enough that Kremer was great tonight. Your the only thing that matters is the final score and screw everything else crowd will discount that. But Kremer did the job of every starting pitcher; he put his team in a spot to win the game.
Tampa of course is chock full of speed. Kim got aboard in the eighth and stole second base. He would tie the game at two on Simpson’s RBI-single. A couple of walks and stolen bases later, the bases were loaded. And Tampa for sure had a lot of speed on the base paths.
The Orioles played the infield in with the bases loaded and one out. Aranda grounded the ball to Ryan O’Hearn at first. He immediately threw home, knowing that he might not have the time to turn two in the infield. However the throw was errant to home plate, netting Tampa two runs.
The speed Tampa had on the base paths may have provided an additional sense of urgency for O’Hearn. Maybe he rushed the throw. But the point remains that the speed on the base paths had an effect. And it cost the Orioles the game…
…in a sense. They did tack on a run in the ninth on Cedric Mullins’ pinch-hit bloop RBI-single. He would later steal second base, and Jackson Holliday came within a hair of a go-ahead home run. But the park held it, and the O’s fell 4-3.
The Birds had opportunities. Between that and Kremer’s strong outing, this was a game they should have won. But they never seized the moment and added on before it was too late. Tampa on the flip side did just that. If you don’t take opportunities that life presents, someone else will take it from you. Regardless of who you are.
The series concludes tomorrow at Steinbrenner Field. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Ryan Pepiot. Game time is set for just after 12 PM.
Birdland Crush 