Baltimore Orioles Impress in Exhibition Game vs Stacked Phillies

If there’s one thing the 2020 Baltimore Orioles don’t have, it’s a bunch of All-Star veterans.

But, when the young and feisty Baltimore Orioles faced off against a team stacked with All Stars, they didn’t let their underdog status get in the way.

In the first exhibition game versus the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, the young O’s showed off some clutch hitting, outstanding pitching, and cool glove work. Even though the game didn’t count for anything, it showed the fans a glimpse of what really is on the horizon.

Even the most ardent Orioles fan has to admit that bringing this group of practically Triple-A-grade players into the home of Bryce Harper, Andrew McCutchen, Sir Didi Gregorius, and the rest of the Phillies squad didn’t garner much hope for a win. But, the young players brought their A-game and took advantage of pitching errors and hit a few out of the park.

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The Orioles pitching held the Phillies starters to only six hits and none of them scored a run. The only run came via Mikie Mahtook (who wasn’t worthy of the Tigers rebuild) who hit a two-out double off and then was knocked in with a McCutchen single. That was the only run the Orioles gave up.

The notable hitting came from three home runs from men who want to be on the Opening Day roster. In the top of the second, Pedro Severino started it off with a home run off on a 3-1 count off of Zach Wheeler. The second home run of the day came from Cedric Mullins off of the first pitch of Reggie McClain in the eighth inning. Then Pat Valaika sealed the deal with the fourth run of the game in the ninth inning on a 1-2 count off of Austin Davis.

The only non-home run scoring came from a manufactured run in the fourth, which also offered a strange bit of exhibition madness. The inning began with Chris Davis earning a walk, the Pedro Severino lining out center field, which keep Davis on 1st.

The most exciting moment of the game was not reflected in the box score. Despite not needing a 10th inning, the two teams added one. And, the inning began with a bang as pinch-hitting Ryan Mountcastle took the first pitch from Trevor Kelley over the left field fence. He clearly showed Brandon Hyde that he wants in on July 24.

The Orioles take on the Nats Monday night at 6:05 at Camden Yards. You can watch the action on MASN, ESPN, or MLB TV.