For most O’s fans, Friday night’s game looked out of reach after the fifth inning. Jason Hammel couldn’t escape the inning before being replaced after giving up six runs, the offense had mustered five hits, but only one—an infield single—with a runner in scoring position, twice leaving a man stranded after getting to second base with no outs, and the Birds seemed hapless. Then came the 6th inning.
Nick Markakis doubled to lead off the inning, and after Adam Jones failed to advance the runner, Chris Davis strolled to the plate. Having doubled once already, Davis lifted a towering fly ball to right center field. Looking resigned to another just-missed home run, Davis put his head down in disgust and trotted towards first. That’s when the fun started.
Twins right fielder Oswaldo Arcia took a bad route on the ball, leapt on the warning track, and had the ball glance off his glove for a run-scoring double. The O’s were on the board. After a Matt Wieters lineout, J.J. Hardy would double in Davis and Chris Dickerson would double in Hardy. By the time the inning was over, the Orioles had hit four doubles and cut the Twins’ lead in half, to 6-3.
T.J. MacFarland made quick work of the Twins in the bottom half of the inning, and the Birds were back in the batter’s box to begin the top of the seventh inning. Nate McLouth led off the inning with a double to right-center—the O’s sixth double of the game.
Budding star Manny Machado then stepped to the plate and laid down a perfect bunt. On an ill-advised errant throw by third basemen Trevor Plouffe, McLouth scored and Machado advanced to second to put another man in scoring position with nobody out. Nick Markakis would single him home and later score on Davis’ third double of the game. The game was tied at six and the O’s had gained all the momentum.
After the back-to-back three-run innings, both bullpens settled in and sent the game to extra innings. It was in the top of the tenth inning that the magic returned to the Orioles bats. Chris Dickerson led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on Alexi Casilla’s sacrifice bunt. McLouth followed with a bloop single to center, advancing Dickerson to third, who would then score on Machado’s third hit of the game.
A Nick Markakis sac fly and Adam Jones single accounted for the rest of the scoring, and Jim Johnson would come on for his 14th save and franchise record 35th consecutive save dating back to last year. Once again, the Birds were in the win column, improving to 22-14 after capturing victory over the Twins 9-6 and tying the season series at two games apiece. The win also assured a second straight day of a deadlock atop the American League East between the Yankees, Red Sox and Orioles.
Overview
This game was really a tale of two games. For the first five innings, the Orioles couldn’t get anything going, surrendering six runs while scattering five hits offensively and squandering numerous opportunities to drive in runs.
From the sixth inning on, it was a different story. The bullpen pitched five scoreless innings and the offense exploded, smacking six doubles amongst 13 hits while scoring nine runs. The final line read: Runs-9, Hits-18, Doubles-7. At the end of the day, just another win for a very good Baltimore Orioles baseball team.
Update:
Saturday left a bit to be desired as Steve Johnson, making a spot start, didn’t show the stuff that made him so reliable last year as he gave up six runs and the Birds dropped one to the Twins 8-5. Wei-Yin Chen takes to the hill Sunday to try and win the rubber game and give the Orioles another series win.
