Jordan Westburg introduced in Sunday’s game-winning run with a ball into the stands. But as an alternative of coming off his bat, it went off his left hand.
A 101 mph fastball from Minnesota Twins right-hander Jhoan Duran nailed the Orioles’ rookie infielder with the bases loaded in Sunday’s eighth inning at Camden Yards, bringing in what proved to be the game-winning run in Baltimore’s 2-1 victory. The ball ricocheted off Westburg’s hand and over the protecting netting into the seats behind dwelling plate.
“Anything for a win,” Westburg with the hand wrapped after his sixth main league sport. “My whole goal going into the at-bat was to do anything to get that run across, anything to help the team get a win, and if I’ve got to take a hit-by-pitch, that’s fine.”
The pair of runs scored within the decisive inning was double what the Orioles (49-33) managed of their earlier 27 offensive frames. With the rally, Baltimore ended its four-game dropping streak and averted what would’ve been its first sweep since May 2022.
The Orioles haven’t been swept in 66 sequence since selling Adley Rutschman, a catcher then ranked as baseball’s prime prospect, to the majors. His arrival has been transformative, with Baltimore overcoming a sluggish begin with out him to complete because the American League’s prime workforce to overlook the postseason earlier than carrying that momentum into 2023. With per week to play earlier than the All-Star break, the Orioles possess the AL’s third-best report.
That efficiency has largely been due to video games equivalent to Sunday’s, their twenty ninth comeback victory.
“This is a team that’s definitely gonna grind things out,” mentioned outfielder Aaron Hicks, who delivered a game-tying single after coming off the bench as an harm substitute for Austin Hays. “Those are teams that are hard to beat, teams that are gonna fight for every run and continue to try to come back and show that they’re not going to give up.”
Although Rutschman slumped offensively in June, his solo dwelling run on the month’s remaining day accounted for the Orioles’ solely run within the sequence earlier than Sunday’s eighth-inning rally. He was unable to come back by in two alternatives Sunday with two outs and a number of runners on base, putting out with two on within the third and flying out with the bases loaded within the fifth. But with Baltimore trailing 1-0 and 5 outs from being swept, Rutschman sparked a comeback with an infield single off Duran, baseball’s hardest-throwing pitcher.
Anthony Santander adopted by successful a nine-pitch battle, ripping a single into heart and shifting Rutschman to 3rd to shut what supervisor Brandon Hyde referred to as Baltimore’s “at-bat of the year.”
“Duran’s stuff is absolutely next level, and for him to be able to waste pitches and take good swings throughout the at-bat and then get that hit in that spot with Adley running on the pitch, that was an incredible at-bat by him,” Hyde mentioned.
Hicks, who changed Hays in left discipline after the Orioles’ cleanup man left the sport with a bruised left hip suffered in a collision at first base, evened the sport with a single. Dropped from leadoff to fifth within the Orioles’ lineup amid his struggles after coming off the injured checklist, Cedric Mullins laced a ball to first base however was retired as each runners superior. After pinch-hitter Ryan O’Hearn walked, Westburg earned the game-winning RBI in painful style, although he remained within the sport at second base as nearer Félix Bautista completed off the victory by putting out the facet for his twenty second save.
Westburg mentioned he was assured the harm isn’t severe, including he’s by no means been hit by a pitch that onerous. Hyde mentioned the workforce will carry out imaging on their No. 4 prospect’s left hand.
“[Head athletic trainer Brian Ebel] did quite a few tests out there out on the field,” Hyde mentioned. “Could’ve been adrenaline, but who knows, but [Westburg] felt like he could stay in the game and felt OK. Take [101] off the hand, he’s a pretty tough kid.”
Willi Castro’s RBI double within the fifth accounted for the one run starter Cole Irvin gave up in 5 innings. He pitched out of hassle within the first inning with assist from a leaping catch into the wall from Mullins in heart.
Right-hander Brian Baker adopted with two shutout innings and left-hander Cionel Pérez supplied one other — his fifth straight scoreless look — to offer the offense an opportunity to come back again.
“All in all, it was a grinder of a start,” Irvin mentioned. “Felt good about the end result, keeping the team in it. Bake coming in, doing a great job for two innings and then Cionel doing the same thing, and man, what an at-bat by Westy, to wear one off the hand and put our team up, and Hicks coming through with big hit. I mean, this is a grinder of a win. I think we needed that.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com