Directly after a woeful performance in the Bronx, the Orioles faced the AL’s best team in the form of the mighty Indians with their high scoring offense and stout pitching staff.
And just days after losing their grip on first place, the Orioles quickly snapped back into form and regained their first place status by sweeping the talented Indians squad at Camden Yards.
It all started on Friday when Dylan Bundy pitched his best game of his promising career to date, allowing just a single unearned run on five hits over five innings while walking zero batters and striking out five.
A three-run blast from none other than Mark Trumbo gave Bundy a 3-0 lead to work with right off the bat in the first inning, and Manny Machado would follow up with a solo shot, his 20th of the season, in the third inning to put the O’s on cruise control for the rest of the way. Final score: 5-1 Orioles; with Bundy in the win column for the first time as a starter.
It can only go uphill from here, right?
You’re right indeed. Kevin Gausman would stifle the Tribe to the tune of just four hits over seven stellar shutout innings of baseball while walking three and fanning seven on Friday, and (again) Trumbo handed the Orioles a three-nil advantage going into the second inning (with an assist from Chris Davis, who beat out what would have been an inning-ending double play ball). Pedro Alvarez added an insurance run with a monster blast in the seventh, and Jonathan Schoop’s RBI single in the eighth would put the game to bed. Alas, Lonnie Chisenhall broke up the shutout bid with a two-run double off of Brad Brach in the ninth, but who really cares? We’re splitting hairs here. Orioles win for the third straight night by a score of 5-2.
Surely, it can’t get better than this, right?
Wrong. Facing a 2-0 deficit against Corey Kluber Sunday, the Orioles leveled the score after Machado’s RBI single and Alvarez’s RBI groundball in the fourth. Schoop’s solo home run in the fifth gave the Orioles a 3-2 advantage, but Mike Napoli would equalize with an RBI single in the eighth inning – hey, the Tribe seem to own Brach.
With the game tied at 3-3 going into the ninth, the Orioles would prevail with a heavy dose of Orioles Magic. Fresh off of the DL, Darren O’Day struck out the side in his first inning back with the club. Man…raise your hand if you missed this guy!
And then the Orioles would end the game and the series with an emphatic bang. With Alvarez on second, Nolan Reimold came on to pinch-hit for Julio Borbon…and the rest is history.
Reimold cranked a two-run shot off of Cody Allen to send the fans home in walk-off fashion for the fourth time this season (but first on a homer). Game over: 5-3 Orioles. Cue the party music.
Now, let’s take a look at the Orioles outstanding performance against the Tribe.
– A revival of the offense. Although it wasn’t the heavy hitting and high flying offensive attack that we’ve seen in the past from this Orioles squad, it was almost just as effective, and after hitting below the Mendoza Line at .196 and scoring just two runs a game as a team over the last week prior to the Indians coming to town, a definite bounce back in form. O’s sluggers finished the series batting .284 (27-for-95) while scoring 15 runs on six long balls.
– The starting trio of Dylan Bundy, Kevin Gausman and Vance Worley (7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K) combined to record unanimously the best starting pitching performance in a single series for the O’s this season. The three starters allowed just three runs (two earned) on 14 hits over 19 innings versus the Tribe, good for a spectacular 0.95 ERA, while punching out 15 batters. More of the same please!
– And of course, the Orioles received a rock-solid performance from their bullpen. Well, excluding the usually dominant Brad Brach. Still, the Orioles relievers allowed just two earned runs over eight innings versus Cleveland while recording nine strikeouts. Over the last 16 games, the O’s bullpen has recorded a fantastic 2.11 ERA by allowing just 13 earned runs over 55.1 innings while registering 47 K’s.
– After 50 games at Camden Yards, the Orioles still own the tag of MLB’s best home squad…or is Camden Yards just the toughest place to visit for opposing clubs? Either way, the Orioles boast a ridiculous 36-14 mark at home after posting a spectacular 10-1 record at OPACY over their last 11 games.
– After taking two out of three versus the Indians in Cleveland back in May and sweeping them this time around, the Orioles will end their season series against the Tribe with a glittering 5-1 record and own a 10-2 record versus Cleveland since the start of the 2015 season.
– After going 3-for-11 with two home runs and five RBI versus the Tribe, Mark Trumbo still reigns as MLB’s current home run king (30) while also ranking third in the AL in RBI (73).
– After recording two one-out saves versus the Indians, Zach Britton still stands at a perfect 32-for-32 in save situations on the year. Britton’s 32 saves are not only good for first in the AL, but Detroit’s Francisco Rodriguez comes in at second with 27 saves. He could go two weeks without a save and probably still hold the top spot. However, the Mets Jeurys Familia still owns the title of MLB’s top closer with 35 saves.
– Britton is also now tied for third with Tippy Martinez on the Orioles All-Time save list. Mr.Britton, we salute you!
That’s all for now, Orioles fans!
Let’s just savor the sweet taste of a sweep….
And let the good times roll!
0 Responses
Brach’s run was unearned yesterday so I think you misjudged his performance
He gave up 5 H in 1.2 IP in the series. Earned run or not, that’s a letdown by his own lofty standards.