Baltimore Orioles come back but fall in extras

Once again, the Baltimore Orioles failed to garner a quality start out of their starting pitcher. Wei-Yin Chen seemed to have nothing that was fooling Milwaukee last night, which is partially why the Brew Crew jumped out to a 5-0 lead. Chen’s line: 5 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 0 BB, 6 K. After Milwaukee put the first two runners on Carlos Gomez hit a mammoth three-run homer to give them a 3-0 lead.

And for the record, yes I feel that Gomez’s act of sprinting around the bases shows up the pitcher and thus the opponent. It’s easy enough to say that if you don’t want to be subject to that don’t give the homer. However if Gomez truly feels that way, he has to at least know that doing what he does is going to ruffle feathers. And having said that, why would he then proceed to do it? Former Oriole Mark Reynolds would add a solo homer in the last of the second, and Kris Davis one in the fourth.

The Baltimore Orioles started coming back in the top of the fifth when Nelson Cruz led off with a homer. The way you come all the way back is by chipping away little by little, and that’s exactly what the O’s did. Nick Markakis would add an RBI-double, and Adam Jones a sac fly-RBI in the sixth, and the O’s found themselves right back in the game at 5-3.

But the Birds did their big damage in the seventh inning. Nick Hundley reached base on a throwing error by Jean Segura, and the O’s had life. With two on, Steve Pearce came up as a

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pinch hitter for Preston Guilmet (who had previously come on in relief of Wei-Yin Chen). With the count at 3-1, Pearce sent a deep shot to left field, which gave the Orioles a 6-5 lead once it cleared the wall.

Milwaukee loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, and Mark Reynolds connected on a ball that appeared destined for the left field corner. However Manny Machado was perfectly positioned at the hot corner, and snared the screaming liner before it could do any damage. Brian Matusz would induce Irving Falu to ground out to end the threat. The O’s would go onto win this game 6-5. After taking the first two games, the Orioles have gauranteed themselves of a series victory.

The O’s have somehow pulled out two very improbable victories in the first two games in Milwaukee. It boils down to the fact that they feel they’re never out of games. Granted the big damage was in fact done by the home run ball, in the case of Steve Pearce’s home run the key was the guys who got on base ahead of Pearce.

Zach Britton came on for the save in the ninth, and with two outs had a runner on third. Lucroy’s “excuse me” checking swing bunt to third was just slow enough to score Herrera from third (with Lucroy safe at first). In the last of the tenth the O’s intentionally walked home run threat Mark Reynolds with the bases empty. I get the strategy there, however I wasn’t a big fan of putting the winning run on base at the time. Sure enough, Yovani Gallardo (who came up as a pinch hitter) promptly doubled Reynolds home, and after a great comeback the Orioles walked off in a loss. Bud Norris will get the ball in the rubber match between the two teams tonight, and he’ll be opposed by Gallardo (aforementioned).