That’s more like it.
The Orioles put on an offensive display worthy of hype, with a mixture of small-ball efficiency and power-hitting prowess to salvage one game of three against the Texas Rangers. With another quality start from left-hander Trevor Rogers as the launching pad, the Orioles clicked in this 8-3 win as they have on few occasions during the first two series of the season.
“I think there’s guys right now that are still kind of trying to get their footing,” designated hitter Taylor Ward said. “It’s going to be really exciting this year if we just stay on the gas and guys are doing good stuff in the cage and taking good at-bats. I think it’s just going to be a fun year for us offensively, for sure.”
The early discrepancies between expectations and production were apparent throughout Baltimore’s first three losses. But sample size must be considered at this time of year, and it was small enough to leave room for interpretation.
Are the Orioles (3-3) an offensive juggernaut, as they were in Wednesday’s win? Maybe. Are they an underperforming group with too many swings and misses? Maybe.
That will become more apparent as the season progresses. But on Wednesday Baltimore’s hitters sure looked like the former. The display included a towering 437-foot blast from catcher Samuel Basallo and a tactical opposite-field single from Jeremiah Jackson with the bases loaded. Both resulted in one run. Both showed the promise of this batting order.
“They’ve been doing it all season long, even though it’s a small sample size,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “Another great approach, and it was good to see some result today.”
To be a complete team, the Orioles will hope for more performances like this one, with a diverse run-manufacturing catalog. They hit homers but also shortened up and went the other way. Orioles hitters drew six walks and struck out seven times — a balance that reinforces their plate discipline.
The task was easier, of course, because Rogers was on the mound. He allowed two runs in six innings. The scores against him in the fourth came on well-placed knocks, and Rogers nipped Texas’ rally there. In his first two starts, he has allowed two runs in 13 innings.
“I knew I could make a real impact on the bullpen, and I take it upon myself to try to go as deep in games the best I can,” Rogers said.
With the Orioles coming off three short starts in a row, Rogers’ six innings were welcome, and right-hander Albert Suárez covered the final three to give the rest of the bullpen a day off.
Coupled with Thursday’s day off, the pitching staff should be well rested for the upcoming three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.
“During the offseason, the Orioles showed me they wanted me back. And I also wanted to stay here,” said Suárez, who could have opted out of his minor league contract when he didn’t make the opening day roster. “I think I made the right decision.”
The Orioles’ offensive clinic began in the second inning, when Colton Cowser beat out an infield single, then ran from first to third on Leody Taveras’ single. Jackson lofted a sacrifice fly, and Ward continued his hot start by rifling an RBI double to right field.
Taveras, making his first start for the Orioles since joining the club as a free agent, made his former team pay with another hard-hit ball in the third. Taveras drove in a pair of runs with a double to right. And, in the fifth, Jackson’s opposite-field single and Ward’s sacrifice fly poured on runs against the bullpen after the Orioles had chased right-hander Nathan Eovaldi from his start.
That situational hitting was impressive, but the swings from Basallo and Dylan Beavers were even more eye-catching. After Basallo thwacked his ball to center field, Albernaz asked the 21-year-old how the swing felt.
“I’ve never experienced that, where you hit a line drive up the middle and it puts a hole in the batter’s eye,” Albernaz said.
“The last few days, I felt like I had some close misses at the plate,” Basallo said through team interpreter Brandon Quinones. “It felt really good to get that one.”
Even more than Beavers’ solo homer against former Orioles prospect Carter Baumler in the sixth, Albernaz enjoyed the left-on-left single he hit in the fifth.
With strong approaches and runs on the board, the Orioles showcased what their offense can do. Whether it can become a consistent feature of this season is another thing to ponder.