Diplomatic Immunity

Still riding a high from taking 2 out of 3 from both Houston & Cleveland, the Orioles bring their momentum home & do exactly what they’re supposed to do against the lowly A’s, winning their 5th Series in a row to keep pace in the AL Wild Card race.

Game 1 : Orioles 5, Athletics 2 – Gunnar Henderson has 2 hits in his home debut, Jorge Mateo comes up w/ a clutch 2-run single late & the O’s beat the A’s in the opener. Henderson doubles to lead off the 3rd & scores on a bloop double by Robinson Chirinos who scores on a single by Ryan Mountcastle off of against A’s starter J.P. Sears who allows 6 solid innings, allows 2 runs on 5 hits, strikes out 5 & walks 1 on the night. Opponents had been 2-26 against Sears w/ runners in scoring position up to that point. Henderson starts the game at 2B, after starting his first 2 games at 3B & SS, becoming the first Oriole to start at 3 different positions in his first 3 games.
Tony Kemp ties the game on a 2-run single to score Dermis Garcia & Vimael Machin off of O’s starter Dean Kremer in the 5th – it ends a streak of 25 scoreless innings by O’s pitching & is the only 2 runs allowed by Kremer who goes 6 innings, allows 5 hits, strikes out 6 & walks 1. Cedric Mullins is intentionally walked w/ 2 outs to load the bases in the 8th by reliever Domingo Acevedo who then walks pinch-hitter Adley Rutschman on 6 pitches to force home Anthony Santander w/ the go ahead run & Jorge Mateo singles to score Ryan Mountcastle & Mulllins, giving the O’s the lead for good. Bryan Baker goes an 1 2/3 in relief of Kremer & Dillon Tate goes 1 1/3 to earn the win. Baltimore has now won 5 of their last 7 & are 9 games over .500 for the first time since May 20, 2017. They entered the day just 1.5 games back in the AL Wild Card race. Oakland has lost 21 of their last 31 games since the 30th of July in what has been one of their most disappointing seasons in recent years.

Bal (70-61) Oak (49-84)

WP : Tate (3-3)
LP : Acevedo (3-3)

Game 2 : Orioles 8, Athletics 1 – The O’s homer 5 times, including a pair of 2-run homers by Ryan Mountcastle & 1 each by Adley Rutschman, Cedric Mullins & Anthony Santander as the O’s take down the A’s again to win the Series. Sean Murphy hits a sac fly to score Tony Kemp in the 1st against O’s starter Austin Voth who pitches 3 1/3, allows 1 run on 6 hits, strikes out 4 & walks none, he departs in the 4th w/ his pitch count accumulating & the O’s use 5 relievers to finish out the game. Ryan Mountcastle hits a pair of 2-run homers off of A’s starter Adam Oller, as he goes deep in the 1st & 3rd innings to give the O’s a 3-run cushion. It’s the 3rd multi-homer game of the season for Mountcastle & 6th multi-homer game of his career. Mullins & Santander hit a pair of solo shots in the 4th to increase the lead to 5 & Oller departs after the 5th, he allows 6 runs on 8 hits, strikes out 4 & walks 3 in his 4th stint w/ the A’s this season. He had allowed just 4 runs over his previous 3 starts. Adley Rutschman singles to score Jorge Mateo in the 6th against reliever Zach Logue & caps the scoring w/ a solo blast off of Austin Pruitt in the 8th. Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson & Kyle Stowers were all selected in the 2019 Draft & in the lineup for the first time together for the Orioles. It’s the only time in history that the top 3 selections from 1 Draft started the same game. Baltimore has now won 3 in a row & is now 10 games over .500 for the first time since May 12, 2017. They have won 6 of their last 8, including their last 5 Series in a row & still sit 1.5 games behind Toronto for the final spot in the AL Wild Card race. Oakland has lost 22 of their last 32 since July 30 & will look to avoid the sweep in the finale on Sunday.

Bal (71-61) Oak (49-85)

WP : Akin (3-1)
LP : Oller (2-7)

Game 3 : Athletics 5, Orioles 0 – Seth Brown homers twice, Rookie Adrian Martinez pitches 6 innings of 3-hit ball to stifle the Orioles bats all day long & the A’s shut out the O’s to in the finale to avoid the sweep. Sheldon Nuese singles to score Seth Brown in the 2nd against O’s starter Spenser Watkins & Shea Langaliers singles to score Vimael Machin & Steven Vogt in the 3rd as the A’s add some insurance against Watkins who loses his 5th start in a row. He gives up 4 runs on 9 hits, strikes out 0 & walks 1 including a solo shot by Brown in the 6th to add to the lead & he departs after an infield single by Tony Kemp in the 7th. Martinez tosses 6 shutout innings, he retires 10 in a row before Jorge Mateo walks w/ 2-outs in the 5th. He allows just 3 hits, strikes out 4 & walks 2 in his 4th stint w/ the A’s this season after being called up from Triple-A Las Vegas on August 28. Brown homers off of Nick Vespi in the 8th, his 2nd longball of the night & 3 Oakland relievers close it out as Joel Payamps, Domingo Acevedo & A.J. Puk each work an inning a piece. Oakland snaps a 4-game losing streak & is now 11-22 in their last 33 games since July 30, they improve to 35 games under .500.
Baltimore is shut out for the 8th time this season, has it’s 4-game winning streak snapped & now falls 2.5 games behind Toronto for the final AL Wild Card spot.

Oak (50-85) Bal (71-62)

WP : Martinez (4-3)
LP : Watkins (4-6)

Baltimore loses a tough one in the finale but they win their 5th Series in a row for the first time since July-August 2014 when they won 8 in a row. Now Toronto comes to town as the Birds begin a crucial 10-game homestand w/ the team they trail in the Playoff race & have a chance to overtake them. This team is in control of it’s own destiny.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#KeepingPace

The Orioles bring all their momentum from Houston into Cleveland & take 2 out of 3 from the Guardians, including back to back shutouts in the final 2 games as they remain right in the thick of the AL Wild Card race.

Guardians 5, Orioles 1 – Cal Quantrill & 3 relievers combine for a 3-hitter, Josh Naylor homers & Will Benson makes a couple of circus catches in CF as the Guardians beat the O’s in the opener. Ramon Urias singles off of Quantrill in the 2nd for the lone Orioles hit of the game & scores on a sac fly by Ryan Mountcastle as Quantrill goes 6 innings, strikes out 4 & walks 3 to win for a career-best 7th start in a row. Quantrill is 12-0 in 39 career games @ Progressive Field & has gone 31 home starts in a row without a loss, the second longest streak in MLB history behind Kenny Rogers’ 38 from 1997-2000. O’s starter Spenser Watkins retires the first 11 he faces before All-Star Jose Ramirez singles against the shift in the 4th & Naylor follows w/ a 2-run shot off Watkins in the 4th to put Cleveland ahead for good. Stephen Kwan doubles to score Owen Miller & Austin Hedges & Amed Rosario hits a sac fly to score Benson in a 3-run 5th to pad the lead against Watkins who goes 4 2/3 innings, allows 5 runs on 6 hits, strikes out 3 & walks none while losing his 4th start in a row. Trevor Stephan & James Karinchak each work an inning in relief before Emmanuel Clase works the 9th to close it out in a non-save situation for Cleveland as the Orioles total just 6 baserunners (1 hit, 4 walks & an error) on the night. All-Star Andres Gimenez has 2 hits for the Guardians, both singles as they collect 9 on the night, including 1 by every starter in the lineup except Rosario, who drives in a run on a sac fly. Cleveland is 14-7 since August 6 & has only lost 1 of it’s last 13 Series, they remain in 1st place in the AL Central while holding off Minnesota by 1.5 games at the moment. Baltimore loses for just the 3rd time in their last 8 games, is 16-10 in the month of August & has already assured themselves their 3rd straight winning month while remaining right in the hunt in the AL Wild Card race.

Cle (68-59) Bal (67-61)

WP : Quantrill (11-5)
LP : Watkins (4-5)

Game 2 : Orioles 4, Guardians 0 – Rookie Gunnar Henderson homers in his major-league debut, Ramon Urias drives in 3 runs & Jordan Lyles pitches into the 7th inning as the O’s rebound to beat the Guardians & even the Series. Urias walks w/ the bases loaded to score Rougned Odor in the 3rd against Guardians starter Triston McKenzie to give the O’s the lead & they would never look back. Just called up from Triple-A Norfolk earlier in the day, Henderson hits a solo blast off McKenzie in his 2nd career at bat in the 5th, a shot that travels 429 feet – he also loses his batting helmet in the process & the Orioles dugout explodes as soon as the ball is hit. Henderson also singles in the 9th off of reliever Bryan Shaw to go 2-4 in his debut in front of family & friends. McKenzie allows 2 runs on 5 hits, strikes out 7 & walks 2 in 5 innings of work & Ramon Urias hits a 2-run shot off reliever Eli Morgan in the 8th to pad the lead. The O’s bullpen has a light workload, thanks to Lyles who goes 6 2/3 shutout innings, allows 4 hits, strikes out 2 & walks 3 on the night. Cionel Perez takes over for Lyles w/ 2 outs in the 7th & works a scoreless 8th before Felix Bautista works a perfect 9th to close out the 5-hitter a night after the O’s are held to just 1-hit themselves. Baltimore is now 17-10 in the month of August, they have won 6 of their last 9 & continue to keep pace in the AL Wild Card race. Cleveland is now 14-8 since August 6 & can win their 14th Series in their last 15 tries in the finale on Wednesday night.

Bal (68-61) Cle (68-60)

WP : Lyles (10-9)
LP : McKenzie (9-11)

Game 3 : Orioles 3, Guardians 0 – Kyle Bradish tosses 7 shutout innings to increase his scoreless inning streak to 15 & the Orioles use 3 solo homers to shut out the Guardians in back to back nights & win the Series in Cleveland. Cedric Mullins homers on the 1st pitch of the game from Guardians starter Shane Bieber, his 4th lead off shot of the year & Anthony Santander connects on the 1st pitch he sees, 1 batter later as the O’s jump out to an early lead to give Bradish all the runs he would need. Ryan Mountcastle adds a solo shot off of Bieber in the 4th & Rookie Gunnar Henderson goes 1-4 in his 2nd career MLB game, also steals a base. He flashes a few amazing plays in the field as well, including a beautiful double play, as he continues to amaze so far in his short stint. Bieber goes 7 innings to match Bradish, allows 3 runs on 6 hits, strikes out 11 & walks 1, but all 3 runs come via the solo home run. Bradish holds Cleveland to harmless singles over 7 dominant, innings becoming the first pitcher in Orioles history to have consecutive outings of 7 or more scoreless innings & 2 or fewer hits. He’s the first MLB pitcher to do it since Max Scherzer last season. He strikes out 5 & walks 3, running into trouble for the only time when he walks 2 in the 3rd but he strikes out Amed Rosario & gets All-Star Jose Ramirez on a fly ball, winning his 2nd start in a row after going more than 3 months without a win, which included a stint on the disabled list w/ shoulder inflammation. Cionel Perez works the 8th & Felix Bautista closes it out for the save despite hitting Ramirez to lead off the inning. Baltimore finishes 18-10 in the month of August, their 3rd straight winning month & has now won 7 of their last 10. They are just 1.5 games back in the AL Wild Card race. Cleveland loses a Series for the first time in their it’s last 14 Series & their lead over idle Minnesota in the AL Central is down to just 1 game.

Bal (69-61) Cle (68-61)

WP : Bradish (3-5)
LP : Bieber (8-8)
S : Bautista (11)

Baltimore goes 4-2 on a tough road trip against Houston & Cleveland, both of which plan to play in the Playoffs, this was one of the toughest road trips of the season & the Orioles handled it w/ relative ease. They now come home for a huge 10-game road trip against Oakland, Toronto & Boston.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#PassingAllTheTests

The Orioles come into Houston & hold the Astros to 4 runs in 3 games, win 5 of their last 6 @ Minute Maid dating back to last season & win the Series & keep pace in the AL Wild Card race.

Game 1 : Orioles 2, Astros 0 – Kyle Bradish pitches a career-high 8 shutout innings, Ramon Urias homers & the Orioles take the opener of the Series, win for the 4th time in a row against the Astros in Houston. Bradish allows 2 singles, strikes out 6 & walks 2 to earn his 2nd career win & first since May 10 – against St. Louis, he walks Jordan Alvarez w/ 1 out in the 4th before allowing his first hit, a single to Kyle Tucker w/ 2 outs that extends his hitting streak to 17 games. Bradish duels w/ Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. who goes 5 shutout innings, allows 4 hits, strikes out 3 & walks 2 in just his 3rd start of the year after missing the first 4 months due to a forearm injury he sustained in the Playoffs last year. Kyle Stowers singles w/ 2 outs & Ramon Urias hits a 2-run shot on to the train tracks off of reliever Christian Javier in the 6th to break the scoreless tie & give the O’s the lead for good – both players have 2 hits & a run scored on the night. Javier allows 2 runs on 3 hits in 3 innings of work, he strikes out 4 & walks 1. Cionel Perez allows 2 singles but records 2 outs in the 9th before turning it over to Dillon Tate, who strikes out former Oriole, Trey Mancini on 3 pitches to end it & pick up his 3rd save. Mancini goes 0-3 w/ a walk in the first game against his former team since a trade last month after spending his entire career w/ the Orioles. Baltimore has won 2 in a row, 4 out their last 5 & 4 in a row @ Minute Maid dating back to last season. Houston is 9-5 in their last 14 games but they are shutout for the 8th time this season. They still have the best record in the American League but can’t seen to figure out the Orioles lately, losing 4 in a row against Baltimore dating back to last season.

Bal (66-59) Hou (81-46)

WP : Bradish (2-5)
LP : Javier (7-9)
S : Tate (3)

Game 2 : Orioles 3, Astros 1 – Anthony Santander & Austin Hays homer, Dean Kremer pitches into the 8th inning & the Orioles beat the Astros again behind a young starter going deep into the game & some timely hitting. Kremer goes 7 2/3 innings, allows 1 run on 4 hits, strikes out 3 & walks none, 1 night after Kyle Bradish goes 8 scoreless innings in the opener & the bats do the rest again just like the night before. Santander hits a 2-run shot off of Astros starter Jose Urquidy w/ 1 out in the 3rd, Austin Hays hits a solo shot w/ 2 outs in the inning & that would be all Kremer would need as he maneuvers his way through the tough Astros lineup w/ ease, retiring the first 9 hitters that he faces before Jose Altuve singles w/ 1 out in the 4th. Urquidy allows 3 runs on 4 hits, strikes out 5 & walks 3 in 5 innings of work but takes the loss to snap a 4-game winning streak, the longest of his career. The Astros don’t get another hit until Altuve doubles to lead off the 7th & scores on a single by Yordan Alvarez w/ 1 out, the first Astros run against Orioles pitching in their first 15+ innings. Trey Mancini singles w/ 2 outs to chase Kremer in the 8th but Felix Bautista comes on to strike out Kyle Tucker, ending the inning & ending Tucker’s career-long, 17-game hitting streak in the process, then returns to strike out 2 in a scoreless 9th for his 10th save. Baltimore is 16-8 in the month of August & have won 3 in a row, 5 of their last 6 & 5 in a row against Houston. Houston is 9-6 in their last 15 games & have scored just 1 run in the first 18 innings against the Orioles this season. They are 0-5 against them dating back to last season.

Bal (67-59) Hou (81-47)

WP : Kremer (6-4)
LP : Urquidy (12-5)
S : Bautista (10)

Game 3 : Astros 3, Orioles 1 – Justin Verlander departs in the 3rd inning due to right calf discomfort & the Astros bullpen takes over the rest of the way, get 3 late runs to win the finale avoid the sweep @ home. Verlander pitches 3 scoreless before leaving after discomfort when covering a run down on a double play that ends the 3rd, he allows 3 hits, strikes out 6 & walks none. Seth Martinez takes over in the 4th, Bryan Abreu works 2 scoreless innings & Ryne Stanek pitches a scoreless 7th to pick up the win. O’s starter Austin Voth goes 6 innings, allows 1 run on just 1 hit, strikes 4 & walks 3 – he has allowed 3 runs or fewer in every start this season & takes his 1st loss since June 29. Voth leaves after a lead off walk to Alex Bregman in the 7th & Kyle Tucker doubles them both into scoring position, Tucker has 2 hits, one day after seeing his 17-game hitting streak come to an end. 2 batters later, Yuli Gurriel then breaks the scoreless tie w/ a 2-run single off of reliever Bryan Baker to give the Astros their first lead in the Series. Hector Neris pitches the 8th for Houston who uses 5 relievers over 6 innings, allowing just 1 run on 6 hits, striking out 7 & walking 1. Alex Bregman hits a solo homer to pad the lead against Baker in the 8th & Rafael Montero comes on for the 9th but Anthony Santander doubles w/ 1 out & scores on an infield single by Austin Hays to get the O’s on the board for the first time. Kyle Stowers’ pinch-hit infield single gets the tying run on base for Baltimore but Montero gets Rougned Odor swinging to end the game. Houston is 10-6 in their last 16 & finally snaps a 5-game losing streak to the Orioles but is held to a total of  just 4 runs in the entire 3-game Series. Baltimore loses for the first time in their last 4 games & is now 16-9 in the month of August. They see their 5-game winning streak end against the Astros but have still won 5 of their last 7 are still right in the thick of the AL Wild Card race.

Hou (82-47) Bal (67-60)

WP : Stanek (2-1)
LP : Voth (4-2)
S : Montero (9)

Baltimore wins back-to-back Series’ against 2 potential Playoff teams & keeps themselves right in the mix in the AL Wild Card race. Next up, a 3-game Series in Cleveland w/ the Guardians before coming home to host Oakland for 3. 35 games left in the season & this team continues to show that it belongs.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#DefyingTheOdds

The Orioles take 2 out of 3 from the White Sox, including walk off win in the finale to win the season Series against Chicago & gain some ground in the AL Wild Card race in the process.

Game 1 : Orioles 5, White Sox 3 – The Orioles once again rally from an early defecit as Ryan Mountcastle homers off of Dylan Cease, Austin Voth pitches into the 6th inning & the O’s win the opener against Chicago. Eloy Jimenez hits a 2-run shot off of O’s starter Austin Voth in the 1st to put Chicago ahead but Mountcastle’s 3-run shot off of Cease in the bottom of the inning puts the Birds ahead for good & Voth takes it from there. He goes 5 2/3, allows 2 runs on 7 hits, walks 3, strikes out 3 & the bullpen once again takes over as Birds use 5 relievers to close it out, including a rare 5-out save from Felix Bautista. Cease retires 13 of the next 14 after the Mountcastle homer, he allows 4 runs in 5 1/3 innings, the 2nd straight start he has allowed at least 3 earned runs after going 14 starts in a row without allowing more than 1- Anthony Santander singles to score Cedric Mullins & knock Cease out of the game in the 6th, his 4th run allowed on the night. Luis Robert extends his hitting streak to 13 games w/ a 3-hit night & scores on a single Andrew Vaughn in the 7th off of reliever Cionel Perez but the lefty works out of it. Jorge Mateo singles to score Austin Hays in the bottom of the 7th adds a huge insurance run off of reliever Jimmy Lambert to pad the lead late & Felix Bautista hits Jimenez in the 8th but works out of it strikes out 3 of the last 5 hitters he faces to close it out.
Baltimore is 4-1 against the White Sox after going 0-7 in 2021 & they are still able to keep pace, remaining 2.5 games back in the AL Wild Card race. Chicago has lost 5 of their last 6 & is now 5 games back in the AL Wild Card & 4 games out of the Division. They leave 13 men on base in this one & had more than enough opportunities to win it. They are fading out of contention in the AL Wild Card race.

Bal (64-58) CWS (62-61)

WP : Voth (4-1)
LP : Cease (12-6)
S : Bautista (9)

Game 2 : White Sox 5, Orioles 3 – Lucas Giolito pitches into the 7th inning, Gavin Sheets drives in 3 runs & the White Sox steal a game from the O’s as they try to keep their fading Playoff hopes alive. Sheets singles w/ the bases loaded to score Luis Robert & Andrew Vaughn in the 1st off of O’s starter Spenser Watkins as the White Sox score twice in the 1st inning for the 2nd straight night. Ryan Mountcastle grounds to out short to score Adley Rutschman who had doubled to lead off the inning in the 4th to get the O’s on the board against Giolito, who allows 1 run on 4 hits, in 6 1/3 innings, he strikes out 3 & walks 2 – rebounding from allowing 7 runs in 3 innings against Houston. Kendall Graveman relieves him in the 7th & is helped out by a slick double play from 3B Yoan Moncada, who steps on 3rd & throws to 1st to retire Jorge Mateo & end the inning. Sheets reaches on an infield single off of Keegan Akin in the top of the inning to score Seby Zavala adding an insurance run, Elvis Andrus scores on a wild pitch by Louis Head in the 8th & A.J. Pollock adds another run on a single to score Romy Gonzalez as the White Sox add more. Austin Hays hits a 2-run shot off of closer Liam Hendriks in the 9th to cut it to 2 but Hendriks retires the next 2 in succession to close it out. Chicago strands 14 men on base after stranding 13 the night before, yet still manage to split the first 2 games. They are 2-4 against Baltimore this season & are now 4 games back in the AL Central. Baltimore doesn’t lose any ground despite the loss & remains 2.5 games back in the AL Wild Card race w/ a chance to win the Series in the rubber game.

CWS (63-61) Bal (64-59)

WP : Giolito (10-7)
LP : Watkins (4-4)

Game 3 : Orioles 4, White Sox 3 (11 innings) – Rookie Kyle Stowers ties the game on his first career HR in the 9th after a dropped foul ball by White Sox LF Adam Engel gives him new life & Anthony Santander walks it off w/ single in the 11th as the O’s pull off another come from behind win & win the Series over the White Sox. Andrew Vaughn homers on the first pitch of the game to against O’s starter Jordan Lyles to put Chicago ahead, but the O’s answer right back as Anthony Santander hits a 2-run shot off of White Sox starter Lance Lynn in the bottom of the inning. Chicago ties it in the 7th on a fielders choice by Josh Harrison against Lyles & takes the lead on an RBI single by Jose Abreu against reliever Dillon Tate in the 8th. Lyles goes 7 strong, allows 2 runs but only 1 earned on 9 hits, strikes out 2 & walks none. Lynn pitches 6 innings allows 2 runs on 3 hits, strikes out 8 & walks 1 on the night. Reynaldo Lopez & Jimmy Lambert each pitch a scoreless inning in relief until Hendriks takes over in the 9th & gives up the 2-out, 2-strike, game-tying HR to Stowers, sending Camden Yards into a frenzy. Hendriks had converted 19 saves in a row up to that point, 1 short of the Franchise record – 20 & Luis Robert sees his 14-game hitting streak come to an end after going 0-5 in the loss for Chicago. Felix Bautista pitches 2 clutch innings in relief, retiring all 6 hitters he faces in the 10th & 11th, setting the stage for the bats to walk it off in the bottom of the 11th as Adley Rutschman singles to lead off the 11th to send Cedric Mullins to 3rd & Santander singles over the head of Robert as the O’s walk it off against reliever Jake DIekman. Baltimore, who lost 110 games last season, remains 2.5 games out in the AL Wild Card race. They win the season Series against Chicago 5-2 a year after going 0-7 against them. Chicago remains 4 games behind Cleveland in the AL Central, they outhit the Orioles 34-18 but lose the Series.

Bal (65-59) CWS (63-62)

WP : Bautista (4-3)
LP : DIekman (5-3)

Baltimore continues to take down opponents in their way & have narrowed down their deficit to just 1.5 games in the AL Wild Card. Next up, a road trip to Houston & then Cleveland. This will be the biggest test & most important stretch of the season for this team.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#GrowingUpFast

The Orioles take 2 out of 3 from the Red Sox in one of the most important Series they have played in over 5 years including a win in the Little League Classic from Williamsport, PA to cap off an unforgettable Weekend.

Game 1 : Orioles 15, Red Sox 10 – Anthony Santander hits 1 of 5 Orioles homers on the night, drives in 4 runs & scores 3 times, the O’s pound out 18 hits & score a season high 15 runs as they win a Slugfest @ home in the opener. Kike Hernandez doubles to score Christian Arroyo & Rob Refsnyder to give Boston the early lead against O’s starter Jordan Lyles in the 2nd but Jorge Mateo drills a 2-out, 3-run shot off of Boston starter Kutter Crawford to put the O’s ahead in the bottom of the inning. Refsnyder singles to score Bogaerts in a 2-run Boston 3rd against Lyles who goes 4 innings, allows 4 runs on 9 hits, strikes out 5 & walks none on the evening. Santander hits a 2-run shot off in the bottom of the inning & Adley Rutschman drills a 2-run shot off of Crawford, a Santander single forces Crawford to depart in the 4th & Ryan Mountcastle drills a 2-run shot 1 batter later off of reliever Hirokazu Sawamura to seemingly blow the game open – Crawford goes 3 2/3 innings, he allows a career-high 9 runs on a career-high 11 hits, strikes out 2 & walks none. The the Red Sox would not go away though, as they score 4 times in the 5th to cut the lead to 2. Eric Hosmer singles to score Rafael Devers off of reliever Keegan Akin, scores on a bases loaded double by Tommy Pham off of Akin & scores on a single by Alex Verdugo to cut the lead to 1, Akin allows 5 runs on 4 hits, he strikes out 2 & walks 1. Ramon Urias hits a solo shot off of Ryan Brasier, Santander doubles to score Mullins & Rutschman, Mountcastle singles to score Santander & Austin Hays doubles to score Mountcastle in a 5-run bottom of the 5th inning against Brasier, who allows all 5 runs on 5 hits, strikes out none & walks 1. Reese McGuire singles to score Refsnyder against reliever Nick Vespi in the 6th & cut the lead to 5 but neither team would score again after that. Baltimore is outhit 19 to 18 w/ the teams combing for 37 hits & combining to use 12 pitchers (6 each) on the night. Baltimore is now 11-6 in the month of August & moves to within 1.5 games of Tampa Bay for the final Wild Card spot in the AL. Boston is now 6-8 in their last 14 games & are on the outside looking in when it comes to a Playoff spot in the AL.

Bal (62-57) Bos (59-61)

WP : Vespi (5-0)
LP : Crawford (3-5)

Game 2 : Red Sox 4, Orioles 3 – Kike Hernandez hits a 2-run homer, Michael Wacha pitches 5+ innings of shutout ball as the Red Sox rebound to beat the Orioles for the 2nd time in their last 3 games. Alex Verdugo singles to score Kevin Plawecki & break a scoreless tie in the 5th against O’s starter Kyle Bradish who goes 5 2/3 innings, allows 3 runs on 9 hits, strikes out 6 & walks 1 on the day. Hernandez hits a 2-run shot to increase the Red Sox lead the next inning & knock Bradish out of the game as Wacha continues to keep the O’s off the scoreboard. One day after scoring a season-high 15 runs, the Orioles are held scoreless into the 7th as Wacha goes 5 2/3 shutout innings to match Bradish, he allows just 4 hits, strikes out 4 & walks 1. Rookie Kyle Stowers grounds out to 2nd & Ramon Urias scores to finally get the O”s on the board against reliever John Schrieber & Jorge Mateo scores on a wild pitch from Schrieber to cut the lead to 1 in a 2-run Orioles 7th. Christian Arroyo doubles to score Jared Duran against Bryan Baker in the 9th, he goes 3-5 w/ an RBI & has 9 hits over his last 4 games. The Orioles get 1 back in the bottom of the 9th as Stowers drives in his 2nd run of the day on another fielders choice. His grounder to 1st scores Mateo for the 2nd time on the day but the Birds cannot muster anything else against Boston closer Garrett Whitlock who records a 2, inning, 6-out save to close it out. Boston is 7-8 in their last 15 games, they are down but not out as they are somehow still breathing in the AL Wild Card race. Baltimore is 11-7 in August & slips to 2.5 games behind Tampa Bay for the final Wild Card spot in the AL w/ a chance to win the Series in the finale from Williamsport, PA in the Little League Classic.

Bos (60-61) Bal (62-58)

WP : Wacha (8-1)
LP : Bradish (1-5)
S : Whitlock (5)

Game 3 : Orioles 5, Red Sox 3 (Williamsport, PA) – Jorge Mateo drills a clutch 2-out, 2-run, bases loaded double in the 8th to put the Orioles ahead for good as they beat the Red Sox in the Little League Classic & win the Series in the process as they continue to keep pace in the AL Wild Card race. Anthony Santander singles to score Cedric Mullins & Ramon Urias reaches on an infield single that scores Adley Rutschman as the Orioles grab the early lead against Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta who goes 5 2/3, he allows 2 runs on 6 hits, strikes out 9 & walks 1. Kike Hernandez singles to score Rafael Devers in the 2nd amongst a crowd of screaming Little Leaguers to get Boston on the board against O’s starter Dean Kremer who goes 5 1/3 innings, allows 1 run on 5 hits, strikes out 4 & walks 2. Franchy Cordero, just called up from Triple-A Worcester before the game, hits a solo shot in the 8th off of reliever Dillon Tate to tie the game as the Williamsport crowd soaked it all in. Boston reliever Matt Barnes departs w/ 1 out in the 8th after a walk to Ramon Urias & is replaced by John Schrieber, who hits Austin Hays & walks Rougned Odor to load the bases before Mateo clears them w/ the go-ahead 3-run double to put the Orioles ahead for good as the Little League crowd goes wild. Xander Bogaerts hits a solo shot off of Felix Bautista in the 9th to the awe of the Little League crowd but records the next 3 outs in succession to close it out. Baltimore is now 12-7 in the month of August, they have not lost a Series to Boston all season & now sits 2.5 games behind Tampa Bay for the 3rd & final spot in the AL Wild Card race, the win was their 1st ever in the short history (5 years) of the Little League Classic. Boston is 7-9 in their last 16 games & is 2-2 in their last 4 games against Baltimore, they are still alive but their Playoff hopes are fading fast.

Bal (63-58) Bos (60-62)

WP : Perez (7-1)
LP : Barnes (0-4)
S : Bautista (8)

Baltimore wins the Series against Boston & will now have Monday off before hosting the Chicago White Sox, who they took 3 out of 4 from in Chicago back in June. This will be another huge Series in terms of squaring off against Playoff teams as they will then travel to Houston for 3 in a reunion w/ Trey Mancini. Things are going to get pretty interesting down the stretch.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#ConfidenceBoost

The Orioles host the Cubs for a makeup from June 8 & suffer a tough loss after coming into to the game w/ some momentum from taking 2 out of 3 in Toronto & lose a golden opportunity to make up a game in the AL Wild Card race in the process,

Cubs 3, Orioles 2 – Willson Contreras homers twice, Adrian Sampson pitches shutout ball into the 6th inning & the Cubs beat the Orioles for the first time this season to knock Baltimore back in the Playoff chase. Contreras hits a solo shot to break a scoreless tie against O’s starter Spenser Watkins in the 6th as the Cubs take the lead early & hold off the O’s the rest of the way w/ some great pitching from Adrian Sampson. The young right hander earns his 1st win since last September 14 as he goes 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allows just 4 hits, strikes out 6 & walks 2 before departing in the 6th w/ 2 out & 2 on but Sean Newcomb strikes out Ryan McKenna swinging to end the inning.  Sampson makes an outstanding clutch play on a bunt by Jorge Mateo in the 5th when he fields the ball w/ his glove & flips it to the C Contreras to cut down Austin Hays & keep the Orioles off the scoreboard, The play was challenged but upheld. Watkins goes 5 2/3 as well to match Sampson, he allows 5 hits, strikes out 2 & walks none but is unable to get any support from his bats & gives way to the bullpen. Rafael Ortega hits a pinch-hit solo homer to add another run for Chicago & Contreras adds his 2nd homer of the day to tack on even more insurance for the Cubs as the pair goes back to back off of reliever Joey Krehbiel in the 8th. For Contreras, it’s the 10th multi-homer game of his career, which ranks 2nd among Cubs catchers all time behind Gabby Hartnett’s 14. The O’s finally break through in the bottom of the 8th to score twice as Ryan Mountcastle singles home Cedric Mullins off of Erich Uelmen & Anthony Santander hits a sac fly to score Adley Rutschman, cutting the lead to 1. Brandon Hughes pitches the 9th to close it out & record his 1st career save for the Cubs. Chicago has won 5 of their last 7 & wins for the first time in 5 games this season against the Orioles to avoid a season sweep. Baltimore is now 10-6 in the month of August, they came into this game 1.5 games back but may lose some ground in the AL Wild Card race after this loss.

Chi (50-67) Bal (61-57)

WP : Sampson (1-3)
LP : Watkins (4-3)
S : Hughes (1)

Baltimore slips up in this one but still remains right in the thick of the Wild race in the AL. They will now host the Red Sox & White Sox for 3 a piece in what will both be critical & crucial Series that may decide if they can stay in the Playoff chase.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#PeaksAndValleys

The Orioles continue to own the Blue Jays of late as they take 2 out of 3 in Toronto to win their 2nd straight Series against the Jays & remain right in the mix of the AL Wild Card race.

Game 1 : Orioles 7, Blue Jays 3 – Ryan Mountcastle homers after returning to the lineup, Ryan McKenna has his first 3-hit game & the Orioles beat the Blue Jays for the 4th straight time to take the opener of a huge 3-game Series. Mountcastle reaches base 3 times, he walks in the 1st, homers in the 3rd & walks again in the 4th, he drives in 2 & scores 2. His 2-run blast comes in the 3rd off of Jays starter Yusei Kikuchi who gives up a single to Anthony Santander in the 1st that scores McKenna, who had doubled to lead off the game. Yuli Gurriel Jr. singles w/ the bases loaded to score Danny Jansen & George Springer in the 3rd as the Jays cut the lead to 1 against O’s starter Kyle Bradish. The Birds score 3 more times in the 4th – Tyler Nevin grounds into a fielders choice to score Jorge Mateo, McKenna doubles to score Terrin Vavra & Adley Rutschman’s sac fly scores Brett Phillips as Kikuchi goes 3 1/3 innings, allows a season-high 6 runs but only 3 earned, on 6 hits, he strikes out 3 & walks 3, he loses for the 6th time in his last 11 starts. Mountcastle scores his 2nd run of the night on a double play by Vavra in the 5th against Jays reliever Trevor Richards who allows 1 run on 1 hit but walks 2 & strikes out 3 in 1 2/3 of relief. Bradish gives up a solo homer to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 4 but the bullpen shuts Toronto out the rest of the way as Bradish goes 4 2/3, allows 3 runs on 6 hits, strikes out 5 & walks 4. Bryan Baker, Dillon Tate, Cionel Perez & Felix Bautista combine for 4 1/3 scoreless in relief of Bradish, striking out 4 & walking 1 while allowing just 2 hits. 5 of Mountcastle’s 16 HR’s have come against Toronto this season. He has 12 HR’s & 25 RBI against Toronto since the start of 2021. Baltimore is now 9-4 in the month of August, they have reached 60 wins for the first time since 2017 & are 32-18 since falling to 28-37 after losing 2 out of 3 in Toronto in June. Toronto has lost 4 in a row against Baltimore & 8 of their last 11 overall, they are losing their grip on their current Wild Card spot as their lead over the O’s is cut to 1.5 games.

Bal (60-55) Tor (61-53)

WP : Baker (4-3)
LP : Kikuchi (4-7)

Game 2 : Orioles 4, Blue Jays 2 – Cedric Mullins & Adley Rutschman hit back-to-back homers, Ramon Urias drives in the tiebreaking run & the O’s rally for another come from behind win as they beat the Jays for the 5th time in a row & take their 2nd consecutive Series against their AL East rivals. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hits a 2-run shot off of O’s starter Dean Kremer in the 1st but Kremer doesn’t allow a hit the rest of the way as he is on his game all night. Kremer matches a career-high by going 7 innings & winning for the 2nd time in his last 3 starts – he allows 2 runs on 7 hits, strikes out 6 & walks 1. Mullins blasts off in the 5th & Rutschman follows right behind him as the pair go back-to-back to tie it against Toronto starter Alek Manoah – it’s the 10th time time this season that the O’s have gone back-to-back. Ramon Urias singles w/ 2 outs & CF Jackie Bradley Jr’s error allows Terrin Vavra to score from 2nd as the O’s take the lead for good & Monoah departs after walking the next man, Jorge Mateo in the 6th. Manoah, an All-Star, allows 4 runs on 4 hits in 5 2/3 innings, he strikes out 7 & walks 4, he came into this start against Baltimore going 5-0 but is unable to extend that streak. Ryan McKenna greets reliever Anthony Bass w/ an RBI single to score Urias who is able to score on a throwing error by RF Teoscar Hernandez as the O’s add an insurance run late. Dillon Tate works a perfect 8th & Felix Bautista closes it out for the save as the O’s win the Series. Baltimore is now 10-4 in the month of August, they have won 5 in a row over the Blue Jays & have cut Toronto’s lead to. 5 a game in the AL Wild Card. Toronto is 4-9 in the month of August, they have lost 9 of their last 12 & 5 in a row against Baltimore & are 2-6 against them this season.

Bal (61-55) Tor (61-54)

WP : Kremer (5-4)
LP : Manoah (12-6)
S : Bautista (7)

Game 3 : Blue Jays 6, Orioles 1 – Ross Stripling takes a perfect game into the 7th, George Springer breaks a scoreless tie w/ a pinch-hit RBI single & the Jays score all 6 of their runs in the 7th to avoid the sweep & beat the Orioles in the finale. Stripling retires the first 18 hitters he faces before Cedric Mullins leads off the 7th w/ a single but the O’s can’t score in the inning & the Blue Jays break loose in the bottom half. O’s starter Austin Voth duels w/ Stripling all day as he tosses a season-high 6 shutout innings, allows just 2 hits, strikes out 3 & walks 1 but leaves after 6. Joey Krehbiel allows a pair of 1-out singles in the 7th before Springer pinch-hits for Ramiel Tapia & singles to score Teoscar Hernandez off of reliever Cionel Perez to break the scoreless tie. Santiago Espinal doubles to score Springer & Bo Bichette, the newest O’s reliever Louis Head walks Yuli Gurriel Jr. w/ the bases loaded to score Danny Jansen & Alejandro Kirk doubles to score Matt Chapman & Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to cap the 6-run outburst for the Jays. Robinson Chirinos reaches on an infield single to score Terrin Vavra against reliever Zach Pop to get the O’s on the board in the 8th but that would be it. Toronto snaps a 5-game losing streak to Baltimore, wins for just the 5th time in the month of August & are 4-9 in their last 13 games. Baltimore is 10-5 in the month & August, 6-3 against Toronto this season but slides back to 1.5 games back in the AL Wild Card behind the Blue Jays.

Tor (62-54) Bal (61-56)

WP : Garcia (2-4)
LP : Krehbiel (4-4)

Baltimore loses the finale but is still in great shape as they head home to play the Cubs for a makeup game before hosting a pair of Sox from Boston & Chicago as the Red Sox & White Sox come to town in what will be 2 make or break Series for the O’s. This is the stretch run.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!
#CanadianBacon

The Orioles go down to Tampa after a rough loss to Boston @ Fenway looking to rebound but lose the last Series of the season to the Rays despite taking the opener as Tropicana Field continues to be a House of Horrors for them of late.

Game 1 : Orioles 10, Rays 3 – Jorge Mateo collects 5 hits, Adley Rutschman & Cedric Mullins both homer, Austin Voth takes a No-Hitter into the 6th & the Orioles win the opener in Tampa to take the 9-8 lead in the season Series. Rutschman hits a solo shot off the catwalk in the 1st, Mateo doubles to score Rougned Odor in the 2nd, RutsRamdy Achman adds a sac fly to score Jorge Mateo in the 5th & the O’s score 4 more times in the 6th against Rays starter Corey Kluber who gets shelled for 7 runs on 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings, he strikes out 4 & walks 1. Odor singles to score Anthony Santander, Ramon Urias hits a sac fly to score Austin Hays, Mateo singles to score Odor & knock Kluber out of the game. Mullins singles to score Mateo off of reliever Shawn Armstrong to cap the 4-run outburst in the 6th & Voth finally allows his first hit when Jose Siri reaches on an infield single, then comes around to score on a 2-run blast by Randy Arozorena in the bottom of the inning. Odor singles to score Santander in the 7th off of Armstrong & Mullins hits a solo shot of of reliever, Jimmy Yacabonis in the 8th.
– Mullins & Santander have 3 hits, Rougned Odor has 4 of the O’s 19 hits to match Mateo’s career-high 5. Voth goes 5 1/3, he allows 2 runs on 3 hits, strikes out 5 & walks 1, Taylor Walls doubles to score Yuniesky Bethancourt off of Joey Krehbiel in the 7th but the Rays can muster nothing else. Infielder Yu Chang comes on to pitch the 9th & allows a double to Austin Hays, a single to Rougned Odor & gives up a sac fly to Ramon Urias to score Hays & allows a single to Mateo before the inning ends. Newest Oriole, Louis Head pitches the 9th to close it out. Baltimore has won 8 of their last 10 & moves .5 a game over Tampa Bay for an AL Wild Card spot. Tampa Bay has lost 4 of their last 5 & is now 7-12 since the All-Star Break.

Bal (59-53) TB (58-53)

WP : Voth (3-1)
LP : Kluber (7-7)

Game 2 : Rays 8, Orioles 2 – All-Star Shane McClanahan wins for the first time in 3 starts, Yu Chang, Isaac Paredes & Taylor Walls drive in 2 runs a piece for the Rays as Tampa Bay rebounds from a loss in the opener to tie the season Series. Making his major-league debut for the Orioles, starter DL Hall walks Yu Chang to lead off the 1st & Randy Arozorena’s ground ball to 3rd brings him home as the Rays get to Hall early – Arozorena has 35 RBI in 36 career games against the Orioles. Rougned Odor singles to score Ramon Urias in the 2nd to tie it & Robinson Chirinos singles to score Jorge Mateo against McClanahan as the O’s take the lead but they would never score again. Tampa Bay scores 7 unanswered runs to pull away as Arozorena doubles to score Yandy Diaz & scores on a double by Isaac Paredes who scores on a single by Francisco Mejia in a 3-run 3rd against Hall, all w/ 2 outs. Jose Siri has 3 hits & scores 3 times including a single & 2 stolen bases & coming around to score on a sac fly by Yu Chang against Hall in the 4th. Hall goes 3 2/3, allows 5 runs on 5 hits, strikes out 6, (including striking out the side in the 2nd) & walks 3 in his debut but is sent back to Triple-A Norfolk after the game. Chang singles to score Siri off of Spenser Watkins in the 6th & Taylor Walls adds a 2-run shot in the 8th off of Watkins, who allows 3 runs on 6 hits in 3 innings of rare relief. McClanahan allows 2 runs on 7 hits, he strikes out 4 & walks 3 in 6 strong innings to earn the win for the Rays & Colin Poche, Pete Fairbanks & Jimmy Yacabonis each pitch an inning of relief to close the game out. Fairbanks & Chirinos have an exchange of words after Chirinos strikes out to end the 8th & the benches clear momentarily. Tampa Bay wins for just the 2nd time in their last 6 games & moves to 8-12 since the All-Star Break as they retake their lead over the O’s in the AL Wild Card race. Baltimore is 14-8 since the All-Star Break, they lose for just the 3rd time in their last 11 & will look to win the season Series in the finale as the Series is tied 9-9.

TB (59-53) Bal (59-54)

WP : McClanahan (11-5)
LP : Hall (0-1)

Game 3 : Rays 4, Orioles 1 – Drew Rasmussen takes a perfect game into the 9th inning, Randy Arozorena homers & the Rays beat the Orioles, winning the season Series & moving 1.5 games in front of them for the final Wild Card spot in the AL. Randy Arozorena hits a 3-run shot off of O’s starter Jordan Lyles in the 3rd, he now has 15 HR’s & 38 RBI in 37 games against Baltimore & it was his 2nd HR in 10 at-bats against Lyles. One of the newest Rays acquired in a trade from Arizona at the deadline, David Peralta singles to score Arozorena in the 5th as the Rays increase their lead against Lyles. Arozorena homers, walks, scores a run & drives in 3 on the day as Lyles departs after 4 1/3, he allows 4 runs on 5 hits, strikes out 9 & walks 2, he loses for the first time in his last 4 starts. Rasmussen retires the first 24 he faces in succession, he doesn’t allow his first baserunner until Jorge Mateo doubles to lead off the 9th & comes around to score on a wild pitch by Rasmussen, who was coming off of 3 no-hit innings @ Detroit in his last start as well. Rasmussen’s longest career start had been 7 innings on June 4 against the White Sox. Jason Adam comes on to record the final 2 outs in relief & pick up the save for Rasmussen, who goes a career-high 8 1/3, allows 1 run on 1 hit, strikes out 7 & walks none. Tampa Bay is 3-4 in their last 7 & 9-12 since the All-Star Break, they win the season Series 10-9 & increase their lead to 1.5 games in the AL Wild Card over the Orioles. Baltimore is 8-4 in their last 12 & 14-9 since the All-Star Break, one of the best records in the league, they fall to 1.5 games back of the Rays w/ 48 games left to play.

TB (60-53) Bal (59-55)

WP : Rasmussen (7-4)
LP : Lyles (9-9)
S : Adam (6)

Baltimore must recover quickly from this Series as they will head to Toronto for 3 in a crucial match up of AL East rivals & Wild Card contenders, then come home to play Chicago for a makeup game w/ the Cubs before 3 w/ the Red Sox & White Sox. This team has exceeded any expectations it had when this season started, they’ll just keep enjoying the ride.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#StillHangingTough

The Orioles go up to Boston to play a makeup game from earlier in the season & run into a Buzzsaw as they come in flying high & leave out feeling low after a head scratching loss to a slumping Red Sox team @ Fenway.

Red Sox 4, Orioles 3 – The latest addition to the Red Sox, Eric Hosmer hits a go-ahead double in the 6th inning to put Boston ahead for good, after the O’s had rallied to tie the game & the Red Sox hang on to beat the Orioles @ Fenway. Alex Verdugo doubles to score Xander Bogaerts in the 1st off of Orioles starter Dean Kremer & the Red Sox score 2 more times in the 3rd as Tommy Pham doubles to score Jared Duran & comes around to score on a sac fly by Bogaerts who has 2 hits, drives in a run & scores a run. Boston starter Josh Winckowski allows 3 runs on 6 hits, he strikes out 2 & walks 2 in 5 2/3 innings & goes 5 scoreless until the Orioles rally to tie it in the 6th, all w/ 2-outs. Terrin Vavra triples to score Adley Rutschman & Ryan Mountcastle, Austin Hays beats out an infield single to score Vavra after the play is reviewed & upheld to tie it & Winckowski departs. Kremer allows 4 runs on 6 hits in 4 2/3 innings, he strikes out 6 & walks 1, he leaves after a 2-out walk to J.D. Martinez in the 6th & the next batter, Hosmer doubles off of reliever Nick Vespi to put the Red Sox ahead for good – the run is charged to Kremer. Austin Davis records the final out in the 6th for Winkowski & Matt Barnes pitches a scoreless 7th, he has allowed just 2 hits over 3 1/3 innings since coming off the injured list w/ inflammation in his right shoulder. John Schreiber works the final 2 innings to close it out for the save despite allowing the tying run to reach base as the Red Sox get a huge win @ home. Baltimore is now 7-2 in the month of August & remain in the thick of the AL Wild Card race. Boston snaps a 4-game losing streak & wins for the just the 2nd time in their last 8 games, they sit in last place in the AL East but are surprisingly not out of contention for a Wild Card spot in the AL.

Bos (55-58) Bal (58-53)

WP : Davis (2-1)
LP : Kremer (4-4)
S : Schreiber (4)

Baltimore will now head down to Tampa for 3 as they play the Rays in what will be the biggest Series for the O’s in 6 years. This team sits in control of it’s own destiny.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#Quickie

The Orioles take 2 from the Blue Jays @ home as the finale is rained out but they close in on a Wild Card spot, running their record against Toronto to 4-2 on the season & proving they can compete w/ the rest of the AL East as the stretch run heats up.

Game 1 : Orioles 7, Blue Jays 4 – The Orioles homer 3 times, as Ramon Urias hits a 3-run shot in the 1st inning to set the tone, the pitching does the rest as the Birds take the opener to move within 3 games of the Blue Jays for the 1st Wild Card spot. Urias hits his solo shot off of Jays starter Yusei Kikuchi in the 1st to give the O’s the early lead but Cavan Biggio hits a solo shot in the 3rd off of O’s starter Jordan Lyles to get the Blue Jays on the board. Anthony Santander & Ryan Mountcastle go back-to-back off of Kikuchi in a 3-run O’s outburst in the bottom of the inning. Matt Chapman’s solo homer off of Lyles in the 6th cuts the O’s lead to 3 but Austin Hays hits the 3rd Orioles homer of the night, a solo blast off of reliever Trent Thornton in the bottom of the inning – Kikuchi goes 5 innings, he allows 5 runs on 6 hits, he strikes out 4 & walks 3. Raimel Tapia singles to score Bo Bichette & Danny Jansen adds a sac fly off of reliever Joey Krehbiel who comes on to relieve Lyles after the veteran tosses 5 2/3, allows 2 runs on 8 hits, strikes out 1 & walks 2. Adley Rutschman caps the scoring for the O’s as he singles to score Mountcastle in the 8th of of Trevor Richards. Mountcastle, Santander & Hays all collect 2 hits a piece & Mountcastle scores twice on the night & drives in 2. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singles in the 5th to extend his hitting streak to 19 games, the longest in the AL this year. Baltimore has now won 6 of their last 7 & is now 3-2 against the Blue Jays this season. They are 3-1 on their current 5-game homestand w/ 2 more to play. Toronto has now lost 5 of their last 10 & 2 of their last 3 against Baltimore, they now lead the Orioles by 2 games for the top Wild Card spot.

Bal (57-52) Tor (60-49)

WP : Lyles (9-8)
LP : Kikuchi (4-6)
S : Bautista (5)

Game 2 : Orioles 6, Blue Jays 5 – Rougned Odor hits a 2-run homer to put the O’s ahead for good after a 78 minute rain delay, Kyle Bradish pitches 5+ innings & the Orioles win the Series as they take Game 2 & win their 3rd in a row over the Blue Jays. The Orioles score twice in the 1st when Cedric Mullins scores on Ryan Mountcastle’s double play & Terrin Vavra singles to score Adley Rutschman off of Toronto All-Star Alek Manoah. After Bo Bichette homers in the 2nd to get the Jays on the board against Orioles starter Kyle Bradish, Vavra hits a sac fly to score Anthony Santander in the 3rd against Monoah who goes 5 innings, allows 3 runs on 8 hits, strikes out 5 & walks 1. The Jays take the lead in the 6th when they score 4 times as Alejandro Kirk singles & Vladimir Guerrero Jr. scores on a throwing error by Rougned Odor. Bradish pitches 5 1/3 innings, he allows 3 runs on 5 hits, strikes out 4 & walks 2 on the night. Bichette hits his 2nd homer of the night, a 3-run blast off of reliever Bryan Baker to give Toronto a 2-run lead in the 6th but then the rains came. After 78 minutes, the Orioles had time to regroup & fight back & Ryan Mountcastle’s double off of Adam Cimber scores Adley Rutschman to cut it to 1 before Odor’s 2-run shot off of Yimi Garcia in the 8th puts the O’s ahead to stay. Nick Vespi strikes out 2 in the 8th to earn the win in relief & Felix Bautista closes it out in the 9th. Guerrero Jr. singles in the 6th & scores in the 6th to extend his hitting streak to 20 games in a row & Bichette homers twice, scores twice & drives in 4, Kirk has 3 hits, drives in a run & scores twice for Toronto in the loss. Baltimore pulls within a .5 game of Tampa Bay for the AL’s final Wild Card spot & has now won 3 of their last 4 against the Blue Jays & 7 of their last 8 overall. Toronto has lost 6 of their last 11 & 3 of their last 4 against the Orioles as their lead in the AL Wild Card race is dwindling.

Bal (58-52) Tor (60-50)

WP : Vespi (4-0)
LP : Garcia (1-4)
S : Bautista (6)

Baltimore is right in the thick of the Playoff race in the AL now & every Series will have huge implications the rest of the way. Up next, a short trip to Boston to play a makeup game before heading down to Tampa for the last Series of the season against the Rays. The Playoff Chase is here.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#BirdFight