Baltimore Orioles: One Swing Turns Everything Around

Apr 27, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Baltimore Orioles center fielder Joey Rickard (23) is congratulated by third base coach Bobby Dickerson (11) as he rounds third base following a three run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

The Baltimore Orioles scored all three of their runs on a single swing Wednesday night by Joey Rickard to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1.

A solitary home run hardly qualifies as a team-wide slump buster, but with lights-out pitching by Chris Tillman, it did feel that way. Nolan Reimold finally got out of exile and played a game for the first time in a week, getting a critical walk. And Jonathan Schoop broke a dry spell by getting a single, turning over the lineup, and putting two men on base for Rickard’s no-doubter blast.

Chris Tillman threw one of the better starts of his career, getting 20 outs before yielding to O’Day. He really has had good velocity this season, demonstrating that he is indeed healthy. But the key to Tillman is if his secondary pitches are commanded. When he has control of his breaking stuff, Tillman is going to have a very good ballgame. That is exactly what happened in this final game of the road trip.

Actually there is reason for some hope that better days offensively could be just ahead. A number of the Orioles hit the ball hard on Wednesday evening, though right at someone. And the team is returning home to friendly ground, albeit to face the red hot Chicago White Sox in the first of 10 games at OPACY.

There is no doubt that, due to the composition of this team, there are going to be stretches where good pitching shuts down the O’s offense. But these occasions are not likely to be extended, and if the Orioles can get the sort of starting pitching that has been seen lately, good things are going to happen.