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Baltimore Orioles: They say that things happen in threes!

By Randy Buchman

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Jun 24, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Jimmy Paredes (38) hits a single during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Yes, there is a saying that things happen in threes – usually associated with bad things. But for the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night, a variety of “threes” worked toward a 4-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians to move to a game from first place in the jammed A.L. East.

It was a series of three that spelled doom for the Tribe’s relief pitcher Marc Rzepczynski. Coming into a tied game at (what else but?) 3-3, he threw three pitches total. And the Orioles got three hits: a double by Jimmy Paredes, a game-winning RBI single by Chris Davis, and an additional single by Chris Parmelee to chase Rzepczynski.

The Indians’ reliever (who by the way needs to buy some vowels to help people pronounce his name) is a lefty specialist. On average, it takes two appearances for him to log an inning’s worth of work. Over his past 15 appearances (totaling only 6.2 innings), he had given up only two base hits.

Rzepczynski was brought into the game most especially to face Chris Davis. But first, Paredes switched to the right side and drove his third (that number again!) hit into the right-field power alley. And for the third time (that number again!) on the evening, the Orioles came back on the Indians from either tying the game or taking a lead.

Cleveland scored their three runs (that number again!) on three (that number again!) home runs. The third of these was off O’s reliever Darren O’Day (who bought a vowel in the past) in the top of the eighth inning that tied the score 3-3 (that number again!). O’Day did, however, register three (that number again!) strikeouts in the inning.

Besides the clutch hit of Chris Davis, the ultimate clutch hitter on the Orioles – J.J. Hardy – accounted for the first O’s run with a homer, his third (that number again!) of the season. He also later brought the Birds even with the Indians on a sacrifice fly RBI.

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The Orioles are now 39-34 on the season. This is actually one game better than they were after 73 games a year ago. At that point in 2014 they were 2.5 games out of first place.

Baltimore has now won 16 of their past 21 games; but so have the Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays won big over Texas, while the Yankees eeked-out a victory over the Astros. The Red Sox did beat the Rays, so we now have four teams within a game of each other: The Rays lead, with the Yankees one-half back, and the O’s and Jays a game behind.  Everyone said the A.L. East was going to be close, and that looks to be true in reality.

Hopefully the Orioles are on their way to a three-game sweep (that number again!).

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