Shane Baz took the mound tonight at Camden Yards for the Baltimore Orioles against Houston in what shaped up to be a huge game. Houston was dominated this past weekend by New York, and the Orioles dropped two-of-three to a previously hapless Boston team which dismissed its manager while in Baltimore. Luckily for the Birds, Baz delivered. Baz’s line: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K.
The biggest factor for Baz? He attacked the strike zone. This as opposed to us seeing over the past year-and-a-half or so where pitchers tried to live on the corners and off and under the plate most games. And early on at that. Baz attacked the zone and attacked Houston hitters from the beginning, which set the tone.
That combined with a solid approach at the plate set the gears of this game in motion for the Orioles. Gunnar Henderson led off the last of the first with a double. He would later score after being moved to third on an RBI-single by Adley Rutschman. After Rutschman himself was sacrificed to third he would score on Samuel Basallo’s RBI-double.
The Orioles exercised a bit of small ball there. Which kind you isn’t always perfect because in short you’re playing for one run. But they did it twice, and in fact yielded two – one run each time. But it got them an early lead. Which again set the tone.
That lead would hold up until the top of the fifth when Houston would get on the board with a solo homer by Matthews. However Oriole bats were also poised to come to life again that inning. Pete Alonso smacked a two-run home run in the bottom of the inning, giving the Birds a 4-1 lead.
Adley Rutschman would also have a great day at the plate, tacking on an RBI-single in the seventh. Houston would threaten once more, putting two runs on the board in the eighth. But the Birds got out of the inning without further incident, and took game one of three, 5-3.
After a lackluster effort this past weekend and an off day yesterday, this was a huge win for the O’s. This was one they needed. With an outstanding effort by Shane Baz, it brings them back to a game within .500.
The series continues tomorrow evening at Camden Yards. Chris Bassitt gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Houston’s Peter Lambert. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.
Birdland Crush 