Baltimore Orioles: Significant Win Over the Blue Jays
The Baltimore Orioles registered a high-level win of significance over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon by defeating them 6-2 in 12 innings.
Yes, a win is a win, whether it is a good team or bottom dweller. But beating the team that just beat you and took first place away from you the day before … well, that’s better than a victory over a rebuilding outfit. It is especially nice to do it in their ballpark, hanging around with their best starter, stretching their bullpen to 12 innings, frustrating their offence, and then breaking through at the end.
It probably could be said that the Orioles needed this game more than the Blue Jays. It was needed to avoid a sweep and to end a losing streak. The Birds needed to beat Toronto in their ballpark, setting up the remaining six games against these bad birds. The O’s are now 6-7 against the Jays this year, and the next time they will meet at the Rogers Centre will be seasonal games #157 to #159, just before a final three-game set at Yankee Stadium.
Sunday’s game was honestly one that the Orioles probably should have lost. They were pretty much shut down by Aaron Sanchez over the first six innings. A critical double in the seventh inning that followed a Chris Davis walk would set up runs scoring on a groundout and a sac fly. This would be all that was scored until the 12th inning, as there were not many chances. For the entire game, the Orioles were only 2-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Those two hits were the 12th inning game-winning single of Jonathan Schoop that drove home Pedro Alvarez after his walk and balk to second base, and then the three-run homer that followed later by Adam Jones.
Again, major props to the beleaguered and much maligned Orioles pitching staff. Chris Tillman kept the Orioles in the game by only yielding a two-run homer in his 5.2 innings, and then the bullpen combined for 6.1 scoreless innings of giving up only one hit and three walks. Mychal Givens gets the win to improve his record to 8-1 on the season. Only Tillman has more wins.
This is a good time for an off day. The Orioles will host the Rangers for three games before heading out immediately again for a 10-game trip against the White Sox, A’s, and Giants. Clearly this trip is going to be critical for the success of the 2016 Orioles.
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On another note, Brian Matusz started a game yesterday for the Cubs and gave up a two-run homer in each of the first three innings, including Nelson Cruz (#26) and Cano. Whereas we would not wish Matusz to perform poorly, if would be pretty painful to see him follow in the CYA steps of Arrieta. Actually, Arrieta has been much more human of late, going 1-3 over his past six games with a 5.45 ERA.