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Baltimore Orioles: A home run donnybrook after a tough loss in Detroit

By Domenic A. Vadala

Apr 12, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; The Baltimore Orioles mascot waves the American flag during the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Blue Jays won 10-7. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 12, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; The Baltimore Orioles mascot waves the American flag during the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Blue Jays won 10-7. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Baltimore Orioles got home runs from seemingly anyone who wanted to hit one as they defeated Detroit 11-3 to even the three-game set.

The Baltimore Orioles lost a tough game on Friday at the beginning of a very important three-game series in Detroit. But boy did they dig themsevles out of that hole last night. The Orioles got another quality start out of Ubaldo Jimenez, and homers from seemingly anyone that wanted to hit one. Jimenez’s line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

The Birds jumped right on their motor city counterparts in the wake of an 11-minute rain delay before the game. Adam Jones set the tone for the game with a home run on the first pitch to give the O’s a 1-0 lead. Chris Davis added a two-run shot later in the inning, and the O’s led 3-0.

At some point, it entered your mind that the Orioles wouldn’t score much more than this and that Detroit would simply chip away at the lead. That thought was especially prevelant when J.D. Martinez cut the lead to 3-1 on an RBI-single in the last of the first. However Jimenez battled through the inning and got out of it by minimizing the damange.

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    • Luckily for them however, the Orioles weren’t really in the mood to let Detroit have much hope in this game. Matt Wieters smacked a two-run homer in the second which furthered the pall sent over the packed crowd in the motor city. The Orioles managed to load the bases up later in the inning, and reliever Blaine Hardy uncorked one of the wildest pitches you’ll ever see – allowing J.J. Hardy (of all people) to score from third. Hardy’s pitch was basically a fastball that was straight, but juuuuust a little outside!

    Adam Jones would add an RBI-single in the third, and Mark Trumbo an RBI-double in the fourth. This before Detroit’s Aybar grounded into a fielder’s choice-RBI in the last of the fourth to give them their second run. Again however, that was an example of Jimenez minimizing the damage after getting a couple of runners on base.

    Matt Wieters smacked his second homer of the game, this one of the three-run variety, in the last of the sixth. That ran the score to 11-2, and sent most of the Comerica Park crowd for the exits. Detroit had scheduled a fireworks night, but many people didn’t stay around for that. Detroit would add one additional run in the eighth, but this was the Orioles’ night in the motor city.

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    The Birds have now reclaimed sole possession of the second wild card spot in the American League with the win – for now. The series is now split, making this afternoon’s rubber match very important. The Orioles chased Detroit starter Jordan Zimmerman very early in this game, however given the fact that rosters are 40 players now they don’t get the luxury of having tired out Detroit’s bullpen. There are more where that came from in a sense.

    The series will conclude this afternoon, with Chris Tillman making his return from the DL in order to make the start. He’ll be opposed by none other than Justin Verlander, in what should be a great pitching match-up. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

    Next: Baltimore Orioles fall on a late Detroit home run at Comerica Park

    I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. As you follow baseball and perhaps football today, take a moment and remember the victims of those senseless attacks on that September day a decade-and-a-half ago. May we never forget the countless innocents who perished that day, nor the bravery that we saw – both then and in the subsequent years by our armed services. May the victims rest in peace, and may God continue to bless America.

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