My personal opinion is that Baltimore Orioles’ starter Zach Eflin was almost cheated out of a win tonight against Toronto. Interim manager Tony Mansolino lifted Eflin to match up before he could get through five innings. The scoreboard says that was the right move, but I digress. Eflin’s line: 4.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 3 K.
The O’s got out to an early 3-0 lead in the second. Cedric Mullins smacked a two-run home run. That was followed by a solo home run by Coby Mayo, back-to-back. And that set the tone for the game.
However Toronto would briefly even the score with two homers of their own in the third. But the O’s weren’t having any of Toronto’s antics in this game. Fresh off the IL, Adley Rutschman’s two-RBI double gave the Orioles the lead back at 5-3 in the last of the third. Ramon Laureano would add an RBI-single, but Toronto would add one back on a fielder’s choice-RBI in the fourth.
However the O’s would break the game openly quickly. Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI-double was followed in the fifth by Ramon Laureano’s two-run home run. Coby Mayo would score a tenth run on a fielder’s choice-RBI, in which Toronto had the runner out at home plate but took the out at first instead.
Colton Cowser would tack on a solo home run in the seventh and the Orioles went home 11-4 winners in game one against Toronto. Was it the return of Rutschman that made a difference? Needless to say, it didn’t hurt. But it was probably an indirect result of Rutschman’s return, and more a feature of the lineup being closer to complete.
Home plate umpire Brian Walsh did not have a good game. Gunnar Henderson was rung up on a called strike three that wasn’t close to being a strike, and numerous pitches appeared to be right down Broadway and were called balls. For the Orioles at least tonight, it worked out.
The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards (in game one of a doubleheader). As things being written, neither team has named a starter. Game time is set for just after 12:30 PM.
Birdland Crush 