Pretty decent week overall Birdland. Grayson Rodriguez is back, Gunnar's hot and the team's playing better ball then not. Far from perfect, but World Series' aren't won in May. Let's take a look back at the last five games:
No Sweep for Toronto
This was a three game series where the middle game was scratched due to rain. So had Toronto managed to not blow it, I'd have heavily requested an asterisk next to the sweepless streak being broken.
Such was not the case.
Kyle Bradish didn't have his best stuff, but it wasn't unwatchable. 85 pitches through four innings, room to improve there. He allowed just two runs though, which is all Toronto would score.
Jordan Westburg led the bottom of the first off with a home run. The Orioles managed to not score despite nine hits after the fact, stranding runners on base at an agonizing pace. Then the final batter of the game rolled in, one Adley Rutschman to the rescue. While falling backwards, the phenom delivered a finishing blow to their blue counterparts, just barely eking a long ball onto the top of the scoreboard.
The umpires confirmed what we all could plainly see with a review, then sent off the good guys in style: 3-2 O's.
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| Photo: Fox Sports |
Mariners In Town for Three
What a series this was for Gunnar Henderson, starting off immediately with a lead off homer to match Mitch Garver's first inning RBI for the M's. It was the start of a five run inning for Baltimore, with the rest of the scoring consisting of productive outs by Ryan Mountcastle and Jordan Westburg sandwiching a two-run two-bagger by Colton Cowser.
John Means settled in from there, allowing just one more run over the next five innings, meticulously maneuvering the Mariners offense. Gunnar sparked another scoring run in the seventh by bringing in Jorge Mateo with a triple. Adley and Austin Hays chipped in RBI doubles, with the latter scoring on a wild pitch to put the score way out of reach. 9-2 Orioles, providing no sweep drama with this set.
Complete waste of a G-Rod gem in the middle of this set. The righty was a surprise reinstatement from the IL and immediately thrust onto the mound-- an exciting development on a Saturday afternoon. Rodriguez would go six strong, striking out seven while allowing just one hit and three walks, and most importantly, leaving with a 2-0 lead. A Hays sac fly and Ryan O'Hearn RBI single were responsible for the early scoring.
Then the bullpen decided to melt. Danny Coulombe gave up two in the seventh before Yennier Cano followed suit an inning later. It was 4-2 in the blink of an eye. Henderson did his best to provide a chance, cutting the lead in half with a solo home run, but it would ultimately be for naught. 4-3 Mariners.
Few things nicer then a Sunday date with Corbin Burnes, with this one being a particular beauty. Stop me if you've heard this before, but another Gunnar long ball started the scoring for Baltimore. Colton Cowser brought Westburg in on an infield single in the same inning, putting the good guys up two early.
Burnes was shaky in the second, allowing Seattle to score one and threaten more, but that'd be all he'd surrender to a thoroughly overpowered lineup. Eleven K's on the day for the ace, or just a regular day at the office. He'd exit after six with a 5-1 lead in place, with the additional three runs courtesy of a James McCann double, O'Hearn dong and Cedric Mullins single. That latter was not a misprint.
But it just wouldn't be an Orioles game without a little bullpen stress. For whatever reason, Jacob Webb was inserted in to relieve Corbin, promptly surrendering two runs on a hit and two walks. Cole Irvin saved the day, tossing two scoreless after Webb was pulled. Cedric added another RBI single in the eighth for insurance and that was a wrap. 6-3 win for the Birds, taking the series in the process.
First Game in St. Louis
Dean was due for a dud, and while it wasn't another ten run affair, he certainly didn't set us up to take game one on the road against the Red Birds. Michael Siani was a particular thorn in his side, going 2-2 off Kremer, including his first career homer. The O's were in a five run hole before they could make their way onto the scoreboard.
The only time they'd muster any offense came off the bat of Mr. Henderson. The kid continued his torrid week, launching a three run shot over the center field wall to give Birdland some hope that a comeback could be achieved.
It was not. Cionel Perez surrendered an extra run just for good measure, as the Cardinals took game one of the series. 6-3 Baltimore loss.
Concluding Thoughts
-Outside of the series finale versus Seattle, Cedric Mullins has looked dishearteningly cold at the plate. Hapless at times, with visible frustration starting to set in. His playing time will be worth monitoring in the coming weeks here, with a batting average currently below the Mendoza Line
-The offense in general needs to be more consistent. Home runs are great, but this team's got so many youthful guys who are well equipped to dominate small ball. Sometimes we get brilliant flashes of it, and other times the guys just don't string enough to generate runs. If that changes in the coming months, expect to see some really winning ways
-I've definitely savored every bit of Toronto sucking this season. Much like the Padres, they're a pure example of the sum of the parts somehow managing to be less than their individual values. Bountiful talent, overwhelming amounts of shortcoming. They'd make for a fascinating seller come July...shame they'd probably be very reluctant to talk turkey with us.
AL East Standings
1. New York Yankees (33-16)
2. Baltimore Orioles (29-16)
3. Tampa Bay Rays (25-24)
4. Boston Red Sox (24-24)
5. Toronto Blue Jays (21-25)
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@Choppinglines
*I own no rights to any images found in this blog
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