Orioles Take Down the Tigers on Jordan Lyles’ Back

The Orioles won their first game of the season against the Tigers, thanks to a complete game from Jordan Lyles.

The Baltimore Orioles, seemingly falling further out of contention with every passing day, needed a win, and Jordan Lyles came to the rescue.  He pitched a complete game to give the Orioles an 8-1 victory against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night.

This was also the series finale against the Tigers, and it’s the first win the Orioles have gotten against Detroit this season. Baltimore lost to Detroit 3-2 on Tuesday, and 11-0 on Monday. Back in May, the Orioles got swept in Detroit, losing by scores of 4-2, 3-0, and 5-1 respectively.

With a loss by the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday, combined with the Orioles win, the Orioles now sit four games back of the final AL Wild Card spot entering play on Thursday. Lyles was the big performer, throwing a complete game in Maddux fashion. For those who don’t know, throwing a Maddux is a pitcher who throws a complete game, and does so in less than 100 pitches.

By throwing a Maddux on Wednesday, Lyles became the first Orioles pitcher to throw a Maddux since 2010, when Brad Bergesen did it (remember him?). He’s the first pitcher to throw a complete game in any fashion since the no-hitter thrown by John Means. The last time Lyles himself threw a complete game was in 2012, as a member of the rebuilding Houston Astros. Battery mate Robinson Chirinos spoke about Lyles getting the job done:

"“It’s really special. You pick a guy in the whole rotation we have to throw a complete game, maybe Jordan is the guy. He’s been throwing a lot of innings for us the whole year.”“It’s really cool to be behind the plate for that outing.”"

That guy known as Adley Rutschman got the scoring started in this one, with Ramón Urías scoring on a fielder’s choice, on top of a Harold Castro fielding error in the third inning. Gunnar Henderson plated Cedric Mullins with an RBI single later in the third, and Rutschman scored on a sac fly from Ryan Mountcastle.

The Orioles resumed the scoring in the sixth inning, when Kyle Stowers hit his second career home run to put the Orioles ahead 5-0. Kerry Carpenter was the reason Lyles didn’t get a shutout, hitting a seventh inning solo home run. In the eighth inning, Stowers, Chirinos, and Rutschman each hit RBI singles to make it an 8-1 ballgame.

Up next, the Orioles begin a challenging four-game home series this weekend, welcoming the Houston Astros to town. Kyle Bradish starts game one, followed by Dean Kremer on Friday, Tyler Wells on Saturday, and Austin Voth starting the series finale on Sunday.