Baltimore Orioles Daily: Hess hits stride in third major league start

(Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
(Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
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The Baltimore Orioles rode terrific pitching performances to a 2-0 win in their series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays.

One day after Dylan Bundy dominated the White Sox over nine two-hit innings, the Baltimore Orioles rode another strong start to victory in the first game of their weekend series with the Tampa Bay Rays. This time the hero was David Hess, a 24-year-old rookie who had a 6.75 ERA heading into the game.

Hess found himself in multiple jams over 6.2 innings, but with a potent combination of luck and deception, he was able to escape trouble every time. The Tennessean needs to cut down on his walks and improve his strikeout rate — he recorded three apiece — but it was still the best start of his career. At this rate, there’s no guarantee that Chris Tillman will have a permanent rotation spot once he recovers from a lower-back strain.

The offense, meanwhile, did just enough to win the pitchers’ duel — in fact, Danny Valencia’s RBI double in the first inning put the Birds out in front for the entire game. Jonathan Schoop added an insurance home run in the sixth, but both sides were quiet at the plate, allowing Baltimore to claim a 2-0 win.

The Birds will try to make it three wins in a row today at 4:10 p.m. ET. Until then, here’s what you might have missed yesterday.

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Will the Orioles make it three straight wins today? Let us know on social media, and keep it here at Birds Watcher for more updates on the Baltimore Orioles.