Before opening a sequence with the worst staff within the American League, Orioles supervisor Brandon Hyde was confronted with a sequence of questions on his lineup. It featured neither Cedric Mullins nor Adley Rutschman, usually the highest two hitters in his beginning 9, partly for relaxation forward of an vital stretch within the late-season schedule and partly as a result of the Oakland Athletics have been beginning a left-hander.
“We have a lot of options right now,” Hyde stated earlier than the sport. “Never had this many guys on the bench that I want to play. That’s what good teams have. They have depth, and it’s nice to have depth. It’s nice to have really good players on your bench, being able to put them in in maybe the biggest spot of the game.”
That’s precisely what he was in a position to do Friday evening. As the Orioles threatened within the eighth inning of a tie recreation, Hyde known as on each Mullins and Rutschman as pinch-hitters. The A’s deliberately walked Mullins to load the bases, then Rutschman labored the rely full to attract his personal free move. That delivered a lead that Jorge Mateo prolonged with a two-run single, offering the distinction in Baltimore’s 5-2 victory to maintain tempo within the AL wild-card race.
All three of the groups the Orioles are chasing — the Tampa Bay Rays, the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays — additionally gained Friday. The Rays’ defeat of the New York Yankees introduced the Orioles (70-61) inside 8 1/2 video games of the AL East lead with 31 video games to play; Baltimore has gained 9 video games over the division chief previously month.
“I think we have a lot of confidence right now,” Rutschman stated. “I think we have a lot of confidence in each other, in the coaches, the whole staff, just knowing that we’ve got each other’s backs and so I think we can take a lot of solace in that. And it’s cool to have that kind of environment.”
Anthony Santander opened the decisive inning with a stroll earlier than Ryan Mountcastle hit a smooth grounder to the precise aspect, the place Oakland second baseman Jonah Bride indecisively appeared to get Santander at second earlier than throwing to first too late to get Mountcastle. Ramón Urías dropped a sacrifice bunt to place two in scoring place, prompting Hyde to name on Mullins instead of newcomer Jesús Aguilar.
After the intentional stroll, Austin Hays returned to the dugout for Rutschman, who confirmed his typical plate self-discipline to herald the go-ahead run earlier than Mateo offered two insurance coverage runs.
“We’re playing for our lives right now, and we’re playing to try to catch people,” Hyde stated. “We’re enjoying vital video games in September. That’s by no means occurred since I’ve been right here, in order that’s a number of enjoyable is to play the video games that matter and never simply making an attempt to play spoiler however play for your self.
“Check your ego at the door. We’re trying to go win the game somehow, anyhow and anyway.”
Henderson at dwelling
Top prospect Gunnar Henderson arrived at Camden Yards on Friday excited to listen to followers yell out “O!” throughout the nationwide anthem. He gave them a lot extra causes to get loud throughout his first dwelling recreation.
Henderson went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and have become the primary participant in staff historical past to start out every of his first three video games at a special place: third base, shortstop and second. He was the fourth participant within the majors to attain the feat this season, in keeping with the Elias Sports Bureau.
The solely pure left-handed hitter within the Orioles’ lineup towards Oakland lefty JP Sears, Henderson acquired a prolonged standing ovation earlier than his first dwelling at-bat within the third, with most of the 13,558 introduced in attendance remaining on their toes as he swung and missed on the first pitch. A second whiff put him down 0-2, however after a pair of takes on pitches out of the zone, Henderson doubled down the precise area line.
Starting behind the plate with Rutschman out of the lineup for the primary time since Aug. 17, Robinson Chirinos adopted Henderson’s double by blooping one in every of his one into left. He quickly scored the inning’s second run on a single from Mountcastle.
Henderson doubled off one other left-hander, Kirby Snead, within the seventh, because the 21-year-old grew to become the third youngest Oriole to double twice in a recreation behind Brooks Robinson and Manny Machado. He additionally made the flip at second base after a feed from Mateo on a game-ending double play behind Dillon Tate, with a powerful throw to first netting the ultimate out.
“It was ‘wow,’” Mateo stated by means of staff interpreter Brandon Quinones.
Dean offers
Right-hander Dean Kremer continued a robust stretch from the Orioles’ rotation with six innings of two-run ball.
It marked the eighth time previously 9 video games Baltimore’s starter accomplished the sixth, matching the full from the staff’s earlier 42 video games. Only as soon as previously 11 video games has a member of the Orioles’ rotation allowed greater than two runs, a stretch by which the group has a 1.93 ERA.
“My stuff was the best it’s been all year, without even hesitation,” Kremer stated.
After back-to-back shutouts to win a sequence towards the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians, Kremer prolonged the workers’s scoreless streak to 25 innings with 4 shutout frames to open his outing.
In the fifth, Oakland put runners on second and third towards him with no outs and had the bases loaded with two outs. Kremer was a pitch away from getting out of it when A’s leadoff hitter Tony Kemp hit a smooth single into middle to tie the sport.
Kremer retired the ultimate 4 batters he confronted, exiting after 94 pitches. Bryan Baker retired all 5 males he confronted earlier than ceding to Tate, who recorded 4 outs across the Orioles’ huge eighth to complete off the victory.
“We’ve got a special group of guys here,” Kremer stated. “Things can take off at any moment, especially late in games when the bullpen comes in and shuts it down and then we’ve gotta face the other bullpen. We’ve done a tremendous job putting up runs late.”
Around the horn
- After throwing 31 pitches for High-A Aberdeen in his first recreation in three months Thursday, high pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez will proceed his rehab from a Grade 2 proper lat muscle pressure early subsequent week with Double-A Bowie, the Orioles stated. The five-day flip Rodriguez stated he’s on would have him begin Tuesday at Prince George’s Stadium.
- Tyler Wells matched Rodriguez by throwing 31 pitches in a rehab begin for Aberdeen on Friday, with the right-hander going 2 1/3 innings with three strikeouts as he works his means again from a left indirect pressure.
- The Orioles’ second starter for Monday’s doubleheader towards the Toronto Blue Jays may come from both their lively roster or from Triple-A Norfolk, Hyde stated.
ATHLETICS@ORIOLES
Saturday, 7:05 p.m.
TV: MASN
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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Source: www.bostonherald.com