There received’t be any second-guessing the pitch choice. Only the placement. Félix Bautista, who has been a stout nearer for the Orioles this season, was one strike away from sealing a fourth victory for Baltimore. With Kyle Tucker on the plate, Bautista hurled his splitter — a pitch that ranks among the many finest in baseball.
But Bautista, throwing his season-high thirty third pitch, left that splitter too excessive within the strike zone, and Tucker lashed it into proper discipline to finish Bautista’s night with a gut-punch in an eventual 11-10 loss.
With the way in which Orioles beginning pitchers had carried out the previous three video games, the bullpen was nicely rested. Bautista was the one reliever to document an out throughout Baltimore’s three-game profitable streak, which included full video games from Jordan Lyles and Dean Kremer and eight 2/3 innings from Kyle Bradish. Yet when Bautista and the remainder of the bullpen appeared, they buckled in large moments, rendering one of many prime offensive showings of the season moot and pushing the Orioles (79-72) 4 video games behind the Seattle Mariners for the ultimate American League wild-card spot.
Anthony Santander blasted two dwelling runs. Cedric Mullins hit one. Rougned Odor opened the ninth inning with a solo shot, giving the Orioles a lifeline. But all these firework-inducing moments glided by the wayside to a bullpen that gave up 9 runs behind a four-inning begin from right-hander Mike Baumann.
Baumann began rather than Tyler Wells, who is probably going performed for the season after touchdown on the 15-day injured checklist with proper shoulder irritation. His 4 innings have been strong, although he allowed a two-run homer to José Altuve on a 3-0 rely. But after primarily that includes out of the bullpen this season, that was Baumann’s leash, as he handed the reins over to a reduction corps that has been seldom used of late.
They faltered instantly, and once more late.
The Orioles notched 5 runs in an inning for the second straight sport in opposition to the Astros, benefiting from an error from shortstop Jeremy Peña to load the bases. Odor’s second hit in opposition to Houston this collection led to the identical consequence: a two-run single. Mullins’ two-run homer and Santander’s first solo shot have been sufficient to stage the sport at six.
Then Ryan Mountcastle poked an RBI by means of the proper aspect for a momentary lead, knocking Framber Valdez out of the sport and breaking the Astros left-hander’s streak of 25 high quality begins. Baltimore did not capitalize within the seventh with bases loaded and no outs, solely including stress on a bullpen that has relaxed of late.
The bullpen hadn’t been requested to document multiple out over the earlier three video games, however with its first main duty since Lyles’ full sport in opposition to the Detroit Tigers, it faltered immediately. Right-hander Joey Krehbiel entered rather than Baumann for the fifth inning, then loaded the bases with one out. With one swing, Peña unloaded them, driving in two runners with a double into the left-center hole.
And in his first motion in 4 days, left-hander Cionel Pérez instantly gave up a single to Yordan Álvarez. Pérez has been occasionally used of late, with Baltimore needing a high-leverage, late-inning arm simply twice since Sept. 14.
Even Bautista, the lone reliever to look within the earlier three video games, wavered. He inherited a runner from right-hander Dillon Tate within the eighth, getting ready for a five-out save. But Yuli Gurriel lofted a double down the left discipline line to tie the sport, resulting in Santander’s dramatic two-run shot that the game-winner.
But Bautista then loaded the bases within the ninth inning, allowed a run to attain on a groundout, then gave up a game-tying double to Kyle Tucker for his second blown save this season. And right-hander Jake Reed, in reduction of Bautista, allowed the inherited runners to attain to doom Baltimore to a loss.
‘Thanks, Brooks’ Day
Forty-five years in the past, Brooks Robinson rode across the warning monitor of Memorial Stadium in an open-top Cadillac, waving to Orioles followers celebrating his illustrious profession — a profession that included 16 Gold Glove Awards, two World Series titles and a spot within the Hall of Fame.
On Saturday, there was Robinson once more. This time, the 85-year-old sat reasonably than stood as he rode in a convertible Ford round Camden Yards. But the emotions, from him and expressed by these trying on, remained the identical. Robinson stopped to speak with Astros supervisor Dusty Baker and third baseman Alex Bregman, then left the automobile to affix the Orioles across the pitcher’s mound.
They offered Robinson with a signed base, then Robinson threw the ceremonial first pitch to Gunnar Henderson. The ball didn’t have the zip Robinson as soon as displayed when firing throughout the diamond, however it reached the 21-year-old on just a few hops to the delight of these watching.
Robinson’s identify transcends Baltimore and has weight all through MLB, however he’s a distinctly Baltimore character. When Brandon Hyde was employed, Robinson was within the supervisor’s workplace to greet him. Then he sat within the first row of the introductory press convention together with Hyde’s household, proving instantly that irrespective of what number of years eliminated Robinson is from enjoying, he’ll all the time be an Oriole.
“He was so nice to me and my family,” Hyde mentioned. “This legend, how open he was, how friendly and welcoming, I’ll always remember that.”
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ASTROS@ORIOLES
Sunday, 1:05 p.m.
TV: MASN
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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Source: www.bostonherald.com