It’s tough to decipher whether Charlie Morton or another members of the Baltimore Orioles was the most key in today’s win over Toronto in game one of a doubleheader. Morton pitched to a quality start, and did so in a game where the Birds needed some longevity given the doubleheader. Not to mention the heat. Morton’s line: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 2 K.
The O’s led almost from the beginning. Sac fly-RBI’s by Tyler O’Neill and Cedric Mullins in the first inning gave them a 2-0 lead. Toronto would cut that in half in the third, however Ramon Urias and Cedric Mullins would each net sac fly-RBI’s in the home half of the inning to give the O’s a 4-1 lead.
The only real threat Toronto posed in this game was in the fourth when Barger’s two-run home run cut the lead to one at 4-3. However they ran themselves out of that inning with runners at the corners and two outs. On a double-steal attempt, the final out of the inning was recorded by the Orioles tagging the runner out trying to steal home. Why you would try something that risky in that situation, I don’t know.
The O’s took that one-run lead into the sixth before it escalated. And fast. Gunnar Henderson’s RBI-single extended the lead to 5-3. Then the red hot Tyler O’Neill’s three-run home run gave them an 8-3 lead. But what the heck…Ramon Urias went back-to-back and smacked a solo shot, before Colton Cowser ended the onslaught with an RBI-single to give the Orioles a 10-3 lead.
But they weren’t finished. Gunnar Henderson’s three-run homer in the seventh gave the O’s a ten-run margin at 13-3. Ramon Urias smacked his second solo home run of the game later in the inning, and the O’s would tack on two nominal runs in the eighth. This following a Toronto solo home run.
When the dust settled, the Birds had a 16-4 win in the first game of the doubleheader. That’s a good spot in which to be going into the second game. Especially when you have a Tyler O’Neill, who has four home runs in the last four games.
The series continues tonight in the second game of the doubleheader at Camden Yards. Brandon Young gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Eric Lauer. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.
Birdland Crush 