Baltimore Orioles: Epic Win in Epic Bullpen Contest

Jul 6, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Baltimore Orioles center fielder Adam Jones (10), left fielder Hyun Soo Kim (25) and right fielder Mark Trumbo (45) head in from the outfield after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in14th innings at Dodger Stadium. Orioles won 6-4 in the 14th inning. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

The Baltimore Orioles finished a difficult West Coast road trip by winning an epic bullpen battle over the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 in 14 innings.

There is a reason why the Dodgers are the best come-from-behind team in the National League, while the Orioles are the same in the AL. It has to do with bullpen strength, an impressive asset for both squads. This is increasingly becoming the recognized methodology for building a contending team in Major League Baseball.

On Wednesday, the collision of the two bullpens was the baseball equivalent of the immoveable force running into the irresistible object.

Both starters – Kevin Gausman and Bud Norris – were out of the game after pitching five innings each. The bullpens would battle for nine more innings, throwing shut-out frames until finally the O’s broke through with a pair of runs in the top of the 14^th inning. By the time it was over, the Orioles would use six relievers, whereas the Dodgers would go through eight – the final one needing of necessity to come to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 14^th. Epic.

As with any long, extra-innings game, there are some amazing numbers. Chase Utley proved himself as a leadoff hitter, going 6-for-7 (How many times has a guy ever done that in a losing effort?). Between the two teams there were 36 strikeouts, 18 for each side. The Dodgers had more opportunities, with 16 hits and seven walks; but they were 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position. The O’s 2-for-11 looks very offensive by comparison!

A total of 123 batters came to the plate. The combined number of pitches thrown for both sides equaled 526 (249 for the Orioles and 277 for LA). This accounts for the game lasting 5:26. The Orioles can be thankful for the day off on Thursday, flying home to Baltimore.

Practically every player for the Orioles had very high and very low moments in the game. Mark Trumbo hit homers 25 and 26 on the year. Jonathan Schoop was 0-for-6 before getting the game-winning double, knocking in two runs. Dylan Bundy registered all seven of his outs by strikeout, but he also gave up three hits and two walks. Chris Davis had four strikeouts but also stroked a critical single in the 14^th. He is on pace at this moment to strike out 222 times.