Baltimore Orioles fall to Houston in extras

The Baltimore Orioles fell 3-2 in extra innings to Houston, despite another home run from Manny Machado.

After Sunday’s game I said that one way to defeat the Baltimore Orioles is to throw a slow pitcher such as Anaheim’s Weaver. The O’s being a fastball-hitting team, find their timing off and they get way out in front of balls. But there’s another way also – when they get into a tet-a-tet with an anything you can do I can do better type of team, they tend not to do well.

The O’s are used to pounding people into submission. The past couple of seasons, Houston’s kind of been a thorn in their side given the fact that they’re the type of team that doesn’t mind putting together a couple of singles and maybe a walk to net one run. For whatever reason, that type of team (Kansas City at various points has been another example) has frustrated the Orioles.

Chris Tillman gave the Orioles all he could out of the gate last night, pitching to yet another quality start. Tillman’s line: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 K. You really have to hand it to Tillman so far this year, as he’s having an excellent bounceback season. Unfortunately for him, the O’s couldn’t muster much in the way of offense. 

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Pedro Alvarez opened the scoring in the game with a solo homer to lead off the fifth inning. However as I said, Houston’s one of these anything you can do I can do better type of teams. In a way you admire that I suppose. Howevever from the perspective of the Orioles it has to be frustrating to face someone who just refuses to be put out of their misery.

Not that the O’s were pouncing on Houston last night to begin with. However you get the point. In the last of that fifth inning Houston did that “anything” better, as Valbuena’s two-run homer gave them a 2-1 lead. However an inning later the O’s had tied the game on a solo homer by Manny Machado.

The game quickly became a battle of the bullpens, and normally you take the Orioles in those types of games. However Houston’s ‘pen proved to be just as formidable. Keep in mind that when you go to extra innings the home team becomes an instant favorite in the sense that they have the last at-bat. All it takes is one swing and the game’s over.

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With Bundy pitching in the last of the 13th, Houston’s Kemp led off with a triple. Then the wheels started turning in the Orioles’ dugout – the next two batters were intentionally walked to bring up Correa, who hit from the right side. Basically the Orioles matched up, knowing that the runs represented at first and second meant nothing. And it was Correa’s RBI-single off of Bundy that won it for Houston.

Keep in mind that the game had to end at some point, and someone had to win. I wholeheartedly agree with matching up there, because it’s good baseball savoir faire. However what the Orioles didn’t anticipate was that Houston hitters were just going to be ready to get on base regardless of who was pitching or from which side. Again, anything you can do I can do better.

So does that mean that perhaps the Orioles should think less or think less hard? I would say not. Baseball’s still a thinking man’s game – it always has been. By loading the bases you also had a force out at every bag, so they easily could have turned a double-play which included gunning down a run at home plate. That move made the best sense – it just backfired.

Next: Baltimore Orioles: Who replaces Brian Matusz?

The series continues tonight in Houston where the O’s will try to even it up. Tyler Wilson will get the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Collin McHugh. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.