Chris Bassitt had a curious outing tonight for the Baltimore Orioles in Boston. This in a curious game. In short, neither Bassitt nor subsequent relievers could keep the ball down. Bassitt’s line: 3.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 K.
The Orioles snapped a three-game winning streak with the loss tonight – something that was going to happen at some point. But especially when playing in a park like Fenway, you have to keep the ball down. Not only did Boston put the ball in play a lot tonight, the balls they put in play took just about every favorable bounce possible for the home team.
The Birds out two on in the first but couldn’t plate any runs. However in their half of the frame Boston didn’t offer that same charity. Abreu’s RBI-single would give them a 2-0 lead. Abreu would smack a two-run home run in the third.
During that third inning however manager Craig Albernaz came out to check on Chris Bassitt. He was later seen talking to trainers, and Bassitt was lifted after the inning ended. He didn’t necessarily look comfortable as his outing went on.
The Orioles cannot afford to sustain another pitching injury. Part of the “charm” of the roster this year was supposed to be the depth. If the entirety of that depth ends up on the IL, that’s a massive problem. We don’t know that Bassitt’s injured. However that didn’t look good.
Again however, everything Bassitt threw was up. The same was true of every Oriole pitcher. Gasper’s two-RBI triple in the third extended the lead to 5-0. The quirk on that play was that it was a lazy fly ball to center. Blaze Alexander appeared to lose the ball in the sky. This after the Boston outfield did the same thing in the previous half inning. The difference is that Boston held the Orioles accountable for that mistake. The same wasn’t true in reverse.
Two RBI-doubles and an RBI-single later in the inning would run the score to 8-0. End of the day this was a donnybrook sort of game for Boston bats. Sometimes you get games like that. And again it goes without saying that you aren’t going to win every game. And eventually winning streak ends. Luckily the O’s did manage to get on the board and avoid being shut out for the first time, this on Adley Rutschman’s RBI-triple in the seventh.
The first concern isn’t losing the game. It’s Chris Bassitt. Again, the Orioles can ill afford to lose another starter. (Or a position player for that matter.) The Orioles also fought back from the hole they had dug by attacking the strike zone. Neither Bassitt nor any other Orioles’ pitcher did that tonight…
…they lived above the zone and on the fringes of the plate. Here’s what’s worse; Boston hitters were making contact. Pitches that shouldn’t have been hit, were hit. And hit a long way. It’s one game. The recent tends with this team are still positive. But they need to avoid another cold snap. That may well begin and end with Bassitt’s injury status.
The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Fenway Park. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the O’s, and Boston is yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.
Birdland Crush 