Nobody does nostalgia like the Baltimore Orioles. We’ve seen it time and again, including tonight with Cal Ripken Jr, and the anniversary of 2131. After which Trevor Rogers took the mound for the Birds. Rogers’ line: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K.
The problem is, the Orioles were facing Los Angeles’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto. No easy task. This despite the pomp and circumstance of the pregame ceremony. Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead on an RBI-groundout by Ohtani in the third inning.
With two runners on in the fifth, Betts smacked a harsh liner to Gunnar Henderson at short, and Henderson climbed the ladder to get it. Unfortunately, it dropped out of the glove on the way down. It was ruled an RBI-single. Two innings later Betts would follow with an RBI-triple, and the O’s trailed 3-0.
Yamamoto was also throwing a no-hitter. And as the game wore on, it seemed he was getting stronger. Oriole hitters couldn’t do anything against him. Balls that were put in play were outs.
In a way it felt like Los Angeles was saying you can have your nostalgia, we’re here now and that’s more important. They made it to 26 outs in the game. Two outs in the ninth…
…and Jackson Holliday smacked a solo homer to right field. That broke the shutout, and more importantly it broke up the no-hitter. But the game wasn’t over.
A double, a HBP, and a walk later, the Orioles were looking at possibly WINNING the game. Colton Cowser then walked in a run, cutting the lead to 3-2. That brought Emmanuel Rivera to the plate after LA changed pitchers…and you know the rest.
Rivera’s two-RBI single won it 4-3. So in a flash, the Orioles went from having the 30 year anniversary of 2131 having an unfortunate twist, to the latest installation of Orioles Magic. And it should go as no surprise that Cal Ripken Jr. played a role. In a flash, the game changed. That’s baseball. And that’s part of what makes baseball great.
The only downside to this game for the Birds was catcher Samuel Basallo left the game after getting nic’d by a foul ball. Tony Mansolino said after the game that X-Rays were negative. He also said that Dean Kremer’s MRI came back with nothing serious, but he’ll skip his next start.
The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Tomoyuki Sugano gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by LA’s Clayton Kershaw. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.
Birdland Crush 