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Baltimore Orioles walk off winners off of Henry Urrutia’s bat

ByDomenic A. Vadala|

Henry Urrutia has spent a short amount of time with the Baltimore Orioles. However needless to say tonight he came through in about as improbable a moment as one would have imagined, lifting the Baltimore Orioles to a 5-4 victory over the NY Mets. Urrutia was first brought into the organization because of his potential as a power-hitting outfielder. And we saw that potential tonight.

Call it a so-so start for Ubaldo Jimenez tonight. Jimenez’s line: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 6 K. Jimenez didn’t pitch a quality start (one inning short), however he kept the Orioles in the game. As I’ve said many times, that’s all that one can ask of a starting pitcher. However whereas last night Gausman gave up a solo homer to Granderson (the lead off hitter), Jimenez waited for Daniel Murphy (the number two hitter) to give up a solo homer which put the Birds down 1-0. New York would expand that lead to 2-0 on Flores’ RBI-single. 

But good teams battle back. And regardless of what people might think, the Orioles are a good team. That of course is despite a Davis strikeout and a GIDP, both with the bases loaded in the first inning. However the O’s overcame that. Monday’s hero, Steve Clevenger, brought the Birds to within 2-1 with an RBI-single in the last of the fourth.

However the NYM are a good team also. And Murphy added an additional RBI-single in the fifth to run their lead to 3-1. But this evening as going to be colored orange and black as opposed to orange and blue. Jonathan Schoop came up with a runner on in the last of the sixth, and didn’t disappoint. His two-run homer tied the game at three.

While that was a huge moment, it barely lasted an inning. Wilmer Flores homered in the seventh to give NY the lead right back. But as I’ve already told you, this was the Orioles’ night. That NY lead lasted even shorter than that of the O’s a moment prior, as Adam Jones tied the game at four with a solo shot of his own in the last of the seventh. 

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By this point of course it was a bullpen game. Both Brian Matusz and Zach Britton did a great job of holding NY right where they were. As the game went to the last of the ninth, the Orioles and the hometown crowd knew that they only needed one run. One measely run, and the game would be over. And that one measely run would come nearly immediately.

Courtesy of Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

With the count at 1-2, Urrutia got a fastball that was high in the zone, upon which he jumped. A few seconds later, he had his first big league home run, and more importantly the Orioles had their win. Notching one’s first homer at this level has to be a thrill under any circumstances. But does it get any better than that?

The O’s split this truncated series with NY, and now return to American League play as the Minnesota Twins come to town starting tomorrow night. Miguel Gonzalez will be on the mound for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Tyler Duffey. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Next: Baltimore Orioles add two more minor league pitchers

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