It’s no secret the Orioles’ magical run has largely been fueled by their children.
But the massive query hanging over Camden Yards because the calendar turned to October inquired whether or not these children — solely six rostered Orioles entered this sequence with playoff expertise — may replicate regular-season efficiency underneath the scintillating lights of merciless and unforgiving postseason baseball.
On Sunday, with the Orioles falling, 11-8, to the Texas Rangers and taking place 2-0 within the American League Division Series, the highlight targeted on beginning pitcher Grayson Rodriguez and infielder Gunnar Henderson. Both had been integral to the success this 12 months of a corporation rising from a grueling rebuild.
Two stats specifically assist clarify the duo’s postseason divergence Sunday.
For Rodriguez, it was the regression from the common season. He surrendered extra earned runs (5) in 1 2/3 innings than he had in any of his earlier 13 begins since being recalled from the minor leagues July 16.
Triple-A Norfolk is the place Rodriguez rediscovered his command with a fastball within the mid-to-high 90s from the top of May into early July. By ERA, solely two American League pitchers had been extra constant than Rodriguez within the second half of the season, as he went 5-2 with a 2.58 ERA to develop into a more-than-fair decide because the Orioles’ Game 2 starter within the divisional spherical.
Rodriguez opened his first postseason begin by permitting a single and a stroll. He adopted with back-to-back strikeouts, one other stroll and a flyout to flee the bases-loaded jam, which he known as an early confidence enhance.
Rodriguez then spiraled within the Rangers’ five-run second inning, surrendering six hits and 4 walks earlier than left-hander Danny Coulombe changed him and 6 different relievers adopted.
A pointy liner to left-center subject from Leody Taveras went for a double and evened the rating at 2 within the second. Marcus Semien hit a dribbler to Rodriguez and the throw to first needed to be corralled by an outstretched Ryan Mountcastle. The subsequent batter, Mitch Garver, equally tapped one down the primary bottom line. This time, Rodriguez hesitated to throw house or to first base. A mushy toss over the top of Garver to first was too late, permitting the go-ahead run to attain and leaving runners on first and second with one out. He gave up run-scoring singles to Adolis García and Jonah Heim earlier than being taken out.
“Really just kind of struggled to get into a groove,” Rodriguez stated. “Obviously spraying fastballs and not being able to have that in the zone consistently wasn’t working for me.”
The right-hander’s plan leaned closely on working his fastball towards a strong Rangers lineup. With that, he stated the purpose was to maintain balls in play on the bottom. But an incapability to complete off hitters in two-strike counts dug the Orioles into an early gap they couldn’t climb out of.
“The four walks hurt,” supervisor Brandon Hyde stated. “He was getting forward of fairly a number of hitters there, particularly in that massive inning, simply had a tricky time placing guys away. Some 1-2 counts and 0-2 hits. Just powerful time ending guys. The guys he didn’t, he was working behind within the depend and the opposite occasions with 4 walks.
“But just a young starter that just didn’t have his best stuff from the get-go.”
Henderson’s day wasn’t almost as tumultuous.
The presumptive AL Rookie of the Year did his half to spark a comeback bid, working a full depend within the fifth inning and blasting Jordan Montgomery’s sixth pitch of the at-bat over the best subject wall.
With his house run, Henderson turned the third Orioles rookie to homer within the postseason, becoming a member of Manny Machado and Ryan Flaherty within the 2012 AL Championship Series.
“Any time you can put a run up on the board, it’s big,” Henderson stated of chopping the deficit to 10-5. “It gets the offense going a little bit. Being able to do that gives us another breath to keep going and keep clawing back.”
The rookie infielder crossed house plate 3 times whereas recording two hits, an RBI and a stroll. He appeared extra comfortable making his second postseason begin after going 1-for-4 in Saturday’s loss.
“I felt like once I got through the first couple pitches in the first game yesterday, I just kinda settled down,” Henderson stated. “I feel like I’m treating it like any other game now. I feel like I got my feet up under me. The crowd is a little bit louder, they’re a little more energetic but I feel like you just gotta try your best to treat it the same way as a normal game.”
For Henderson, it’s about rolling over that momentum to Texas on Tuesday and a possible Game 4 on Wednesday. And of his fellow rookie Rodriguez, he stated, “Hopefully we’ll be able to get him another start.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com