One could argue that Kyle Bradish actually served a good purpose tonight for the Baltimore Orioles. In a morose sort of manner, that is. This in the sense that he ate innings and perhaps saved a bullpen reliever or two. Bradish’s line: 5.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R (3 earned), 2 BB, 5 K.
The game started in a 20 minute weather delay. Bradish faced the minimum through two, however allowed two base hits to start the third and put runners on the corners with nobody out. The Orioles seemed content to give up the run, and sure enough Caballero rolled over a ground ball in the infield.
However it was to the worst possible spot with the infield at double-play depth, that being the hole between first and second. Jackson Holliday tried to nail the runner at second, and in trying to record the out and throw the ball back to first for a double-play, Gunnar Henderson dropped the ball. The run from third scored, and the Orioles got no outs.
Given the angle, the correct play would have been to surrender the run and get the out at second. Gunnar Henderson tried too hard to get it all, and got nothing. And that’s perhaps a motif for the season. If you try too hard to do it all, you get nothing.
Think back to last night; the Orioles focus so much on exit velocity, with the naive belief that’s going to lead to runs. Pete Alonso hit the ball so hard and at such a launch angle, that supposedly they couldn’t see if it went over the foul pole. SUPPOSEDLY. New York scored the winning runs without the ball leaving the infield.
Rice and Ramos would follow with RBI-singles and doubles respectively. New York led 3-0, with only one of those runs being earned. New York took what was being given them.
The O’s would get on the board in the last of the fifth with a solo home run by Dylan Beavers. But come the sixth, New York got that run back and then some. Garcia and Jones each smacked solo homers, and Chisholm would add an RBI-triple in the eighth.
You can’t give away outs and award the opponent with extra chances in baseball. That Henderson error set the tone for the game. And that’s perhaps a point that has overshadowed the entire season. Attention to detail and the yearn to figuratively do it all has hurt this team a lot this year. Perfection is often the enemy of good.
The O’s now welcome Tampa to town for the first of a three-game set at Camden Yards. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Freddy Peralta. Game time is set for 7:15 PM.
Birdland Crush 