The Baltimore Orioles traveled to Tampa this evening to take on the New York Yankees. Zach Eflin got the start n the penultimate road game on spring training. I say penultimate because they’ll technically play a road game on Monday afternoon in Washington, D.C. Eflin’s line: 5.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K.
Simply put, this might have been the best pitched game of the spring for the O’s. Eflin was outstanding. And he shut down a formidable New York lineup. Heck, he allowed one base hit. And that was the sole base runner.
End of the day, nobody will remember this game. The stats aren’t recorded for review or anything along those lines. Heck many fans who attended will have forgotten about it by the time they get home! But I’ve always said that if you’re going to play these spring games, you’d may as well look good in them.
New York broke through on the scoreboard in the last of the eighth, with an RBI-single and two RBI-doubles. This of course well after Eflin and most of the starters had left the game. One starter who did close things out was Samuel Basallo, who smacked and RBI-single in the ninth to get the Orioles job the board. But that wasn’t enough, as the O’s fell 3-1 in Tampa.
Of concern, Dylan Beavers was in the original starting lineup, and was scratched just before game time. That’s definitely something to watch, and the last thing the O’s needed was someone getting hurt this late in camp. Depending on the extent of Beavers’ injury however, that could be an opening for a Heston Kjerstad type. But the hope is it isn’t serious.
The Orioles return home to Ed Smith Stadium tomorrow to welcome in Philadelphia in the final Florida game of the season. Levi Wells gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Philadelphia’s Ryan Cusick, Game time is set for just after 1 PM.
Birdland Crush 