Kyle Bradish had his struggles last night in Colorado, but he also put the Baltimore Orioles in a spot to win. He labored through five tough innings, minimizing the damage as best he could. Bradish’s line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K.
Bradish was tripped up by the same thing which has haunted the Orioles all season. He recorded two quick outs in the last of the second, and then allowed Colorado to rally. Amador’s solo home run gave Colorado a 1-0 lead. That homer also came on a two-strike count, again which has haunted Oriole pitching all season.
On another two-strike count in the next at-bat, Veen would triple. The play was reviewed as a possible home run, but upheld as a triple, But Vern would score on an RBI-single by McCarthy – also on a two-strike count.
Again, two out or two strike rallies have plagued the Birds all season. It’s almost uncanny how opponents seem to be at their best with their backs against the wall in a count or in the inning. Odds are it’s coincidental. But it’s also a trend.
One inning later the O’s put runners at the corners with one down. Gunnar Henderson tapped a tight grounder down the first base line, beginning a double-play. However the runner from third scored before the 1-6-1 double-play could be completed.
That cut the Colorado lead to 2-1. You hate to end the inning, however in a playoff chase either the score 2-0, you take that. The Birds would tie it in the seventh on Jackson Holliday’s solo home run.
However the seventh was also where the game got away. Runfield’s rwo-run homer in the bottom of the inning sent Colorado off to a 4-2 win, evening the series. It came off of Luis De Leon, who was called up to the majors earlier in the day. It was his big league debut.
Obviously the Orioles promoted him for a reason. But you do have to question using a young guy in his major league debut in high leverage – both in a game as well as in the season. Second-guessing is easy, however it just seems that a moment like that is best suited for someone with experience.
The series concludes today at Coors Field. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Colorado’s Tomoyuki Sugano. Game time is set for 3:10 PM.
Birdland Crush 