Shane Baz had a rough start to last night’s game against Toronto. To begin with, the game had a 45-minute rain delay before it got going. That seemed to get to Baz at first. But end of the day, he gave the Orioles a quality start. Baz’s line: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 2 K.
Small things have had a way of snowballing on this Orioles team this year. And we saw it again in the first at-bat of the game. Baz walked Bateman on a pitch timer violation. We know that nothing good ever happens after a walk. But you never want to issue a free walk because of your own temporal negligence,
After Baz walked a second hitter, Lukes’ RBI-single gave Toronto a 1-0 lead. That leadoff walk on a pitch timer violation bit the Orioles. Before the inning ended Springer would add an RBI-single, and Keys a sac fly-RBI. It appeared not to be the Orioles’ night.
Again, seemingly small things have snowballed on this team all year. Could Toronto have put up three had Baz gotten Bateman out? Absolutely. But the fact is that set a certain tone, and it came as a result of a lack of attention to detail.
But Baz stabilized himself – and quick. Those were the only three runs that he surrendered in the game. At one point he retired twelve straight hitters. Needless to say, something shifted.
The Orioles luckily weren’t about to let a pitch timer violation on the first at-bat beat them on this night. Gunnar Henderson smacked a solo home run in the fourth to get the Birds on the board. Two innings later he did it again – a solo homer, that is. Henderson, who of course has had a down year, made a huge impact in last night’s game.
However he was still overshadowed. Which is sad and unfair, but it wasn’t his night. Overall, it was the Orioles’ night. But if there was one individual who stood out, ironically it wasn’t Henderson.
With the Orioles still trailing 3-2 in the last of the eighth, Christian Franklin drew a pinch-hit leadoff walk. With two outs later in the inning, Pete Alonso stepped to the plate. And he sent a shot deep into the Baltimore night. His two-run home run gave the Orioles a 4-3 lead. Which turned into a 4-3 win.
It was Alonso’s 40th home run of the season. $: also hit it on his son Teddy’s first birthday. When the Orioles signed Alonso I remarked that they added 30 homers and 100 RBI to their lineup…try 40 homers. And with five games to go in the season, Alonso sits at 108 RBI.
Obviously assuming that the O’s don’t go to the postseason, it remains a footnote in a sense. But it should give fans hope going into the future. To say that Alonso’s a gamer is an understatement. Needless to say, he’s been worth every penny.
The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Chris Bassitt gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Max Scherzer. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.
Birdland Crush 