And as the rain continues to pour as I write this, the current dreariness outside seems to perfectly fit the dampened mood in Birdland after getting swept over a two-game mini-series versus none other than the Red Sox.
As a result, Boston has now leapfrogged the Orioles for second place in the division while the Blue Jays now hold a two-game advantage over the Birds at the top of the table. The white-hot Red Sox will now depart Baltimore on a six-game winning streak.
It’s not the end of the world, and there are still plenty of games left to be decided between now and the end of the season, but for the time being these two losses against the BoSox serve as a punch right in the kisser. Truth be told, it stings a little bit.
But we also know that this Orioles squad is a resilient bunch, so let’s not rule out a surge in form after falling to third place in the division for just the first time this season.
It seemed as if Tuesday’s contest was about to swing in the Orioles’ favor after a dominant Eduardo Rodriguez was forced off due to a hamstring injury in the fifth inning. Unfortunately, Mookie Betts answered the call in the top of the frame with a three-run shot to break the deadlock and give the Sox a 3-0 lead.
But then, that divine Orioles magic started to work its magic.
Matt Wieters cut the lead to one on a bases loaded, two-run single to left in the seventh, which chased Fernando Abad from the game. Brad Ziegler quickly struck out J.J. Hardy, leaving Wieters on first and Chris Davis on second with two out.
Hey, how many times do we say it? These goonies Orioles never say die!
After Hyun Soo Kim lashed a single to right field to load the bases, Ziegler cracked under the pressure with Adam Jones at the plate and walked in Chris Davis to level the score at 3-3. Ziegler, however, would get out of the jam by getting Jonathan Schoop to go down swinging.
The feel-good vibe didn’t last long, unfortunately. Moments after equalizing, the Orioles comeback bid went for naught after Betts cranked his second homer of the game off of Brad Brach in the eighth to reclaim the ‘Sox lead. Craig Kimbrel would record his 21st save of the season in the ninth to lock up Boston’s 5-3 victory in the series opener.
The feeling going into Wednesday’s clash was that it was an “almost” must-win game. Not necessarily just for standings purposes, but for pride as well.
And after Chris Davis sent Camden Yards into a frenzy with a monstrous blast onto Eutaw Street in the second inning to level the score at 1-1, the Orioles briefly had the momentum.
Note that I said briefly because almost directly after tying the game up, the wheels fell off. Jackie Bradley Jr. launched a go-ahead two-run homer in the third, followed by Sandy Leon crushing a two-run shot of his own in the fifth to make it 5-1 Boston. David Ortiz extended the lead to 6-1 with an RBI double, and Bradley Jr. capped off the Red Sox onslaught with a two-run double in the sixth to give the Sox a commanding 8-1 advantage heading into the seventh.
And then the rain came…and washed the game away after a 77-minute delay.
A lousy ending to a lousy game is also fitting….oh well, what’s done is done. Bring on Houston!
Let’s take a look at the highlights from the clash versus Boston. Briefly, that is.
– Due to Yovani Gallardo’s struggles on Tuesday and the in-form Dylan Bundy’s on Wednesday, the Orioles starters recorded a combined 7.71 ERA versus Boston over the two-game set.
– After an impressive multi-week run of form, the Orioles starting rotation has struggled during the most recent turn. Over the past five games, Orioles starters have registered a woeful 6.56 ERA after allowing 17 runs over 23.1 combined innings. At a time where each game counts more than the last one, let’s hope that this trend ends as soon as possible.
– The bullpen wasn’t at its best either versus the Red Sox, finishing the series with an awful 7.94 ERA over 5.2 innings of work.
– The Orioles relievers have been nothing short of spectacular for the majority of the campaign, but have seen a noticeable dip in form as of late. The bullpen owns a 5.08 ERA over the last 12 contests after allowing 19 runs over their last 33.2 innings of work. Godspeed, Darren O’Day…
– The Orioles offense pulled another disappearing act save for the seventh inning on Tuesday, and finished the 15-inning micro-series with a lowly .151 batting average while knocking just four runs.
– Despite a few sporadic outbursts, the Orioles offense has still yet to find their first half rhythm as we head towards September. Over the last 22 games, the O’s are hitting just .218 as a team while scoring 3.8 runs per game.
– There’s no doubting how well the Orioles play in front of Camden’s finest with a sparking 39-19 record at home this season. However, the O’s are just 2-5 in their last seven games at Camden Yards and 8-6 since the beginning of July.
– Also, while the Orioles still boast an impressive 26-20 mark versus the AL East to date, they have posted a dreadful 2-8 record over the last ten games against AL East rivals. Here’s to this ending, stat!
– Finally, a positive! After recording his ninth career Eutaw Street home run on Wednesday, Chris Davis now holds the title of “Eutaw Street King.” No player in OPACY’s 24-year history has hit more onto Eutaw. Congrats, Crush!
In the meantime, let’s block this series from our memory.
Sounds like a good plan!
Bring on Houston.
