Brandon Young labored through five innings tonight for the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards against Washington tonight. He made one bad pitch, and suffered a few unfortunate bounces and rolls. Such is life as a starter at times. Young’s line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 8 K.
Young surrendered a ground rule double to Lile in the second. Leody Taveras appeared to have it in his grasp, but it sailed on him and bounced into the stands. Vivas folllwed with a softly-hit RBI-single to left field giving Washington a short-lived 1-0 lead. in the bottom of the frame Chadwick Tromp’s run-scoring single tied the game at one.
The tie only lasted a couple of innings, however. Garcia smacked a deep home run onto Eutaw Street in the fifth. That was the one bad pitch that Brandon Young threw. But solo home runs shouldn’t hurt you. Unless you allow them to.
Blaze Alexander committed an error to lead off the sixth, allowing a runner to get to second. Millas’ run-scoring single would extend Washington’s lead to 3-1. However Garcia came up again in what ended up being the end of the inning. I say that because Garcia sent a shot off the wall in right. Tyler O’Neill relayed the ball in, while the Washington third base coach inexplicably waved the runner from first around. And the Orioles had the final out of the inning at home.
That was a huge play. This as we found out later. This is why I say not to take risks in games. Over-aggression at times can cost you runs. And wins.
However the O’s made no attempt to hold Washington accountable for that – until the eighth inning. Washington starter Griffin, who was as outstanding as outstanding can be, was lifted due to his high pitch count. That’s all the Birds needed.
With two outs in the last of the eighth, Pete Alonso’s RBI-double cut the lead to 3-2. Craig Albernaz pinch hit Samuel Basallo for Coby Mayo. First pitch swinging, Basallo stroked an RBI-single tight down the first base line. That tied the game at three.
Unfortunately for the O’s however, Washington is a team who can take advantage of the ghost runner in extra innings better than most. Because they’re capable of spraying the ball all over the place if need be. They get on base. Lile’s run-scoring single in the top of the tenth gave them a 4-3 lead.
The O’s would load the bases with two out in the last of the tenth, but Samuel Basallo grounded out to end the game. This is the sort of game that has bounced and skips which decided it. It’s easy to point at the Orioles’ errors as incriminating- and they are. But the game ends in nine if the Washington runner isn’t thrown out at home. Tough loss, but it’s a game of margins.
The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Washington’s Zack Littell. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.
Birdland Crush 