By virtue of winning the night cap, the Baltimore Orioles swept today’s doubleheader with Toronto. Brandon Young got the start in a game that was vastly different from the first game. But that’s about par for the course in baseball across two different games. These just happened to be on the same day. Young’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 K.
Young loaded the bases in the first inning but pitched out of it. He then surrendered a run in the second on Lukes’ RBI-groundout. Straw would squeeze in a run in the third on a sacrifice bunt, and the O’s trailed 2-0.
But the Orioles weren’t going quietly despite winning the first game. Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI-triple in the fourth got them on the board and cut the Toronto lead to 2-1. Ramon Urias would plate him with an RBI-groundout, and the score was tied at two.
Of course the interesting side story in this game was that the Orioles traded reliever Seranthony Dominguez to Toronto between games. Go figure, Dominguez did get into the game in the seventh. He didn’t surrender any runs against his now former team, but it figured he’d get into the game.
On a side note, Toronto prospect Juaron Watts-Brown was sent back to the Orioles and assigned to double-A Chesapeake…who was at home, and playing Toronto’s double-A team. It’s unclear if there’s ever been a trade where a big league player switched clubhouses and the minor league compensation did the same on the flip side, but needless to say it was an interesting dynamic.
With the game still tied in the last of the eight, Gunnar Henderson smacked a double. Adley Rutschman followed, of course only in his third game since returning from the IL. And Rutschman smacked a key RBI-double, scoring the go-ahead run,
The Orioles called on Corbin Martin to close out the game – Martin, who was recently picked up by the O’s. Martin put two runners on, and was struggling with his command. But end of the day he recorded three outs and qualified for his first career big league save. And the O’s have taken three of the first four against Toronto, with one to play tomorrow.
The irony of course is that it probably would have been Seranthony Dominguez in the closer’s role. But he was in the opposing bullpen. It wasn’t an easy ninth, but it worked out for the O’s.
The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Jose Berrios. Game time is set for just after 12:30 PM.
Birdland Crush 