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Baltimore Orioles get win over Astros and Britton sets a record

By Kristen Bentley

BALTIMORE, MD - JULY 23: Zach Britton #53 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with Caleb Joseph #36 after a 9-7 victory against the Houston Astros at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 23, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - JULY 23: Zach Britton #53 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with Caleb Joseph #36 after a 9-7 victory against the Houston Astros at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 23, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) /
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Sunday was a good day to be a Baltimore Orioles fan.

The Baltimore Orioles proved that they can get a win against the Houston Astros.

And, Zach Britton is still in Birdland and he has a new AL record and streak.

It’s no secret that the Houston Astros are the AL team to beat this season. Prior to today’s game, the Astros had 10 more wins than any other team in the league.

In 2017, the Astros won all of the games, except today’s game. This win is even sweeter when looking back at the 2016 season. The Astros won all but one game against the Birds last season, too. The only Birds’ win against Houston was a 13-5 routing on August 18 at home.

Clearly, the Birds need to figure out how to beat the Astros more frequently in 2018. In the last two years, the Astros have outscored the O’s 86 runs to 59.

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Game story: consistent offense

This win was a combination of consistent offense and solid bullpen work. The Orioles had 14 hits and 9 runs scored. Mark Trumbo had a day, going 2 for 5 with a home run and a double. Jonathan Schoop also had a notable day going 3 for 5. Both Schoop and Trumbo scored two runs.

This line defines how consistent the team was on offense: Seven Birds added to their RBI totals with Trey Mancini adding two to his. Schoop is currently leading the team with 70 RBIs for the season.

The converted saves streak

The win was certainly a feather in the caps of the Orioles, but the big news of the day belonged to Zach Britton. He had his 55th save opportunity and converted it. This puts him in second place overall when it comes to save opportunities. The lead belongs to Eric Gagne, who has a streak of 84 converted saves. His streak started on Aug. 26, 2002 and ended on July 5, 2004 and the statistics in the streak were eye-popping. Gagne had an ERA of 0.82 giving up only three home runs and inheriting 23 base-runners who never scored.

Britton’s last blown save was on September 20, 2016 in a loss against the Tampa Bay Rays. He saved every game in 2016 and so far, he has done the same in 2017. In the bottom of the ninth, he inherited a one-run lead. Brandon Guyer was the first batter he faced; Guyer hit a home run, tying the game. Evan Longoria hit a one-out triple, then Britton intentionally walked Logan Forsyth. With two outs, Kevin Kiermaier hit a single. Longoria scored and Britton blew the save. It certainly wasn’t his best day.

Britton has clearly been a determined closer. In 2015, he finished with an ERA of 1.92. In 2016 he finished with an ERA of 0.54 with 47 saves and only one home run given up. In 2017, he currently has an ERA of 2.65 and has yet to give up a home run.

Next: Orioles' home run history as number 10,000 looms

If the Orioles can continue to get more wins, the team can get Britton to beat Gagne’s overall MLB record. May consider it to be an unbeatable record. But if anyone can do it, Britton can.

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