In video games in opposition to American League East rivals, the little issues matter extra. When these video games go to additional innings, they usually make the distinction.
Thursday’s divisional matchup between the Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays — the 2 greatest groups within the American League — naturally went into extras. Two Orioles, one veteran and one rookie, got here by with sacrifices within the tenth to offer Baltimore a 4-3 lead that nearer Félix Bautista held within the backside half.
Second baseman Adam Frazier, an eight-year veteran, laid down an ideal sacrifice bunt to advance computerized runner Aaron Hicks to 3rd, and rookie Colton Cowser, taking part in in his eleventh profession sport, drove him in with a sacrifice fly to left area. Bautista, who pitched a scoreless ninth to ship the sport to extras, hit the primary batter of the tenth however then struck Randy Arozarena and obtained Brandon Lowe to floor right into a game-ending double play.
“A lot of guys on this team that are really, really good and know how to get a job done,” stated starter Kyle Gibson, who pitched six innings of three-run ball. “That’s the way you compete for a division. That’s how you set your self able to make a postseason run is, you do the little issues rather well and constantly in opposition to a extremely good workforce.
“Obviously when we’re playing our best and we’re doing that, we have the chance to beat anybody.”
The win places Baltimore (59-37) in sole possession of first place within the AL East for the primary time after the All-Star break since Aug. 12, 2016 — the final season the Orioles made the postseason. The Orioles are one sport forward of Tampa Bay (60-40).
“You really never want to be the team chasing anybody, so hopefully we can keep playing well,” Gibson stated. “There’s a lot of season left. But when you’re playing good baseball against really good teams and you’re coming out on top, it just seems to feel a whole lot better.”
Manager Brandon Hyde stated he gave Frazier, who was pinch-hitting for Ramón Urías, the selection to bunt or swing away, trusting the 31-year-old would get Hicks to 3rd both means. The incontrovertible fact that Hyde even gave Frazier the choice to bunt is proof of the dominance of Baltimore’s nearer and the belief his skipper has in him.
Normally, the highway workforce in an extra-inning contest performs for multiple run, given the house workforce has the benefit of batting final. But when Bautista, maybe probably the most dominant reliever within the main leagues, is out there to pitch the tenth, Hyde performs for only one run. The 6-foot-8 fireballer was obtainable to pitch a second inning after closing Wednesday’s sport as a result of he threw simply 9 pitches within the ninth Thursday.
“How about Félix Bautista? I’m so lucky to have him,” Hyde stated with amusing. “He’s amazing, and he does it again.”
Frazier’s bunt introduced up Cowser, a prime prospect who entered Thursday 3-for-27 to start his MLB profession. He obtained down 0-2 in opposition to Rays right-hander Robert Stephenson, however Cowser lifted a excessive cutter deep sufficient to attain Hicks simply.
“That’s not an easy spot to get put in, especially just getting into the big leagues,” Hyde stated. “To be able to battle right there and get a fly ball deep enough, it says a lot about him. He’s a confident guy.”
The Orioles have gained 10 of their previous 12 because the Rays have dropped 12 of 15 video games this month. Baltimore main the division on July 20 is a stark distinction to prior seasons in the course of the rebuild. At this level final yr, the Orioles have been 18 video games again of first place within the AL East. In 2021, they have been 25 1/2 video games out of first; in 2019, they have been 34 video games again.
Now, the Rays, Toronto Blue Jays (5 1/2 video games again), Boston Red Sox (8 1/2) and New York Yankees (9 1/2) path the Orioles. With three extra video games in St. Petersburg this weekend, Baltimore has the chance to take a four-game lead within the AL East for the primary time after the All-Star break since September 2014 — the final season they gained the division.
“Even four wins here doesn’t seal anything,” Gibson stated. “We’ve got to play two more months of really good baseball if we want to win this division.”
Rays starter Tyler Glasnow opened the sport at Tropicana Field good by three innings — a typical sight over time, because the 6-foot-8 right-hander has traditionally dominated the Orioles. Across his first six begins in opposition to the rebuild-era Orioles, Glasnow was 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA and a 36.4% strikeout fee. Earlier this season, although, the Orioles tagged him for six runs in 4 1/3 innings en path to a victory, and their bats rediscovered that success in a fourth inning that was as bizarre because it was fruitful for Baltimore’s offense.
Leadoff hitter Gunnar Henderson started the body with a floor ball hit to left area. The ball tipped off third baseman Taylor Walls’ glove, permitting Henderson to advance to second. The 22-year-old rookie then took benefit of the Rays’ lollygagging — left fielder Arozarena’s nonchalant throw and Walls’ failure to cowl the bag — to take third for a triple.
“Total heads-up play,” Hyde stated of Henderson’s triple.
Tampa Bay then introduced the infield in regardless of having a 1-0 lead with no outs, and Adley Rutschman hit a Baltimore chop over second baseman Lowe’s head to attain Henderson. Anthony Santander then singled on a floor ball the place the shortstop would’ve been had the Rays not been shifting, and he and Rutschman later superior on a wild pitch.
Rutschman scored on a sacrifice fly from Ryan O’Hearn, and Santander raced dwelling from second on a floor ball single from Hicks. The ball reached catcher Francisco Mejía properly earlier than Santander reached dwelling, however the exhausting slide from the 6-2, 230-pound first baseman knocked the ball free. As Santander walked again to the bench, he waved his helmet to a big (and loud) contingent of Orioles followers behind the third base dugout.
Three of the Orioles’ hits within the inning have been to the alternative area; all 4 have been on the bottom and obtained by due to the Rays’ infield alignment.
The Orioles managed simply two extra hits off Glasnow, who pitched three extra scoreless innings to maintain the Rays within the sport. Baltimore entered the seventh with a 3-1 lead because of Gibson, who stored Tampa Bay’s bats at bay.
Through six innings, the 35-year-old allowed only one run with eight strikeouts — his third-highest complete this season and second consecutive begin placing out eight or extra. The Rays’ lone run with Gibson on the mound got here on an RBI single from Mejía within the second. Gibson retired 13 of the following 16 batters, together with placing out the facet within the fifth and inducing three groundouts within the sixth.
However, Gibson allowed singles to the primary two batters of the seventh and was changed by reliever Yennier Cano, who allowed Yandy Diaz, the primary batter he confronted, to rope a center-cut sinker 109.4 mph for a double to right-center area driving in two runs. Cano stranded Díaz at second and stored the rating tied because of an inning-ending double play on a 109 mph line drive by Luke Raley.
Gibson’s 19 swings and misses have been tied for his ninth most out of 282 profession begins. In six begins in opposition to AL East groups this yr, he has a 3.41 ERA and 1.19 WHIP — much better numbers than his season totals of 4.76 and 1.36, respectively.
After Cano struck out Arozarena to start the eighth, Hyde pulled the sinkerballer for right-hander Bryan Baker, who walked his first batter and allowed a single to the following. But he struck out Josh Lowe after which was saved by Urías, whose diving cease on a floor ball by pinch-hitter Harold Ramirez prevented the go-ahead run from scoring.
“I think tonight was a great team win,” Cowser stated. “[Urías] makes a fantastic play, Bautista goes two … Frazier with an enormous bunt. It was an enormous, nice workforce win.
The game-ending double play turned by Frazier and Henderson went to overview, halting the Orioles’ post-game celebration for a minute earlier than the video overview confirmed the decision. Bautista (5-1) has surrendered only one run in his previous 21 innings with 40 strikeouts versus three walks to drop his ERA to 0.96.
“It feels really good. This is something we’ve worked for all year long,” Bautista stated by workforce interpreter Brandon Quinones. “Since the start of the season, this is what we wanted: Trying to play good games and trying to dethrone Tampa for the first spot in the division.”
Around the horn
- Hyde stated he isn’t positive what function right-hander Shintaro Fujinami, whom the Orioles acquired from the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday night, will serve in Baltimore’s bullpen however the 29-year-old will seemingly be part of the workforce in a “couple days.” “I’m not going to jump the gun on what role I’m going to use him with until I see him or talk to him and let him pitch a little bit,” Hyde stated.
- Cedric Mullins, who was positioned on the injured record Wednesday with a proper adductor groin pressure, stated Thursday that the ache he skilled Saturday started in his quad earlier than transferring as much as his groin, the identical damage that precipitated him to overlook most of June. “It’s kind of a reinjury of the same exact spot,” the middle fielder stated. “Definitely want to take the time to treat it properly and make sure everything’s going to be fine.” Mullins stated there’s “no way of knowing” how lengthy he’ll be on the shelf. He stated he’s capable of do “everything but running,” which included taking batting follow on the sphere Thursday. The Orioles are 42-22 when Mullins begins and 17-15 when he doesn’t.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com