If the Orioles are on the lookout for excellent news out of Sunday’s finale to their season-opening sequence at Fenway Park, it’s that they solely must face Adam Duvall in 10 extra video games as a substitute of 16.
The Boston Red Sox middle fielder continued to pound Baltimore pitching in Sunday’s series-ending 9-5 victory because the Orioles dropped a set they have been an out from claiming. Duvall, who signed with Boston this offseason, is properly on his solution to becoming a member of an inventory of Baltimore terrorizers across the American League East, one which as of late has included Gleyber Torres, Randal Grichuk and Randy Arozarena, after going 8-for-14 with three doubles and two house runs within the sequence. That efficiency included a walk-off house run Saturday after Orioles left fielder Ryan McKenna dropped what would have been a game-ending flyball with two outs within the ninth.
Major League Baseball’s scheduling adjustments, which embrace every staff dealing with the opposite 29, imply six fewer video games towards every divisional opponent, however this opening sequence confirmed that each AL East matchup will likely be a problem for the Orioles. Each of the 5 groups think about themselves playoff contenders, although Baltimore and Boston are considered as a tier beneath New York, Toronto and Tampa Bay, all postseason groups a 12 months in the past.
For the Orioles (1-2) to achieve that time this season, they’ll want their pitching to enhance. Baltimore allowed 9 or extra runs in every of its first three video games for the primary time since 2005. Last season, pitching was an sudden energy within the Orioles’ 83-79 marketing campaign.
The membership made strikes this offseason to enhance their pitching, although they entered the 12 months with no true cease starter. Baltimore signed starter Kyle Gibson and reliever Mychal Givens to one-year contracts and traded prime 15 prospect Darell Hernaiz to the Oakland Athletics for left-hander Cole Irvin and a minor league pitcher. Givens began the 12 months on the injured checklist with left knee irritation, whereas Gibson, whose $10 million deal is the most important assure the Orioles have given out since 2018, pitched into the center innings on opening day.
Irvin obtained the beginning in Sunday’s rubber match. A management artist who averaged almost 180 innings for Oakland the previous two seasons, Irvin’s first with Baltimore began with bother. An infield hit, a delicate single and a stroll loaded the bases with no outs, with Masataka Yoshida’s grounder plating the sport’s first run. Kiké Hernández homered off Irvin within the second, and with Irvin an out from a clear third, Duvall doubled then scored on a single by Alex Verdugo.
After Irvin labored a scoreless fourth, the Orioles tied the sport on house runs from Adam Frazier — one other of Baltimore’s offseason acquisitions — and Cedric Mullins. But Boston obtained these three runs proper again, opening the fifth with three hits off Irvin earlier than Duvall scored two with a single.
Baltimore obtained again inside a run after Mullins’ two-run single towards former Oriole Richard Bleier, persevering with Mullins’ early success towards left-handed pitchers, however the Orioles’ bullpen surrendered three extra runs, giving up 12 runs within the sequence.
This story will likely be up to date.
Orioles at Rangers
Monday, 8:05 p.m.
TV: MASN2
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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Source: www.bostonherald.com