For the second consecutive game against New York, the Baltimore Orioles got a start which was good enough to win. This time out of Chris Bassitt. Not a perfect start, but one where the O’s were set up nicely. And for a plethora of reasons (some beyond their realm of control), they couldn’t pull it out. Bassitt’s line: 5.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 6 K.
The O’s did get an early lead. With runners at the corners and two out in the first, the Orioles attempted a double-steal. And Jackson Holliday slid safely into home plate, giving the O’s a 1-0 lead.
New York would tie the game in the second with an RBI-single by McMahon. They would then take the lead on a sac fly-RBI by Lombard. Rice’s solo home run an inning later would extend the lead to 3-1.
But the Orioles fought back. Pete Alonso’s solo homer in the last of the third got them to within 3-2. And there it remained until the last of the sixth when Dylan Beavers’ solo home run tied it back up at three. But nobody will remember that about this game.
According to the play-by-play readout of the game, Pete Alonso struck out to end the sixth inning (with the game tied at three). Basically if you’re watching from aerospace, that’s what you see. Baseball isn’t played in aerospace. Maybe a metaphor there.
Alonso smacked a shot to left that had home run distance and then some. It was hit so hard and so far, that it went over the foul pole and landed on the other side. Admittedly with the naked eye, it looked foulish. And in fact, the umpiring crew on the field ruled it foul. BUT…
…replays seemed to concretely show that the ball went over the foul pole. When I say concretely, I mean the New York broadcast indicated that they thought it was a home run. Everyone in the ballpark thought it was a home run. Except the umpiring crew…
…and the replay center in New York. The ruling came down saying that they felt it wasn’t clear enough to overturn the call on the field. Alonso would strike out to end the inning, and New York would take the lead an inning later after loading the bases with two outs. Lombard scratched in a run on a swinging bunt that went as an infield RBI-single. Chisholm would score on a wild pitch by Yennier Cano, sending the Birds to a 5-3 loss.
There’s probably some irony in the fact that in the moment that everyone will remember in this game, Pete Alonso hit the ball so hard that it couldn’t be deciphered if it went over the foul pole or not. And New York scored the two winning runs without hitting the ball out of the infield. Crazy if you think about it.
No one moment truly decides any game. But that’s about as deflating a moment as you’re going to see. To be blunt, nobody who saw that play over and over thought it was a foul ball. Nobody. Except the people who mattered. There’s no point of replay if you’re going to deny what you see in front of you. That was a home run. And it was taken away from Pete Alonso and the Orioles.
On a related note, Craig Albernaz seemed only mildly agitated at the call. He also was fairly careful in tiptoeing around his words after the game regarding that play. That’s a moment and a situation that almost mandates a manager to get ejected. Yes, it’s stagecraft. But players knowing that leadership is behind them can do wonders. Does “the algorithm” not allow for that?
The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Gerritt Cole. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.
Birdland Crush 