The calendar has turned to April and with that, the Baltimore Orioles have notched their third victory of the young season.
As they did in the final game of their opening series against the Minnesota Twins, the O’s bats came alive to propel the team to an 8-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Sunday.
Baltimore’s former top prospects Dylan Beavers and Samuel Basallo lead the charge in the win.
Basallo struck his first home run of the season in the fifth inning, a 437-foot towering fly ball to center field to give the O’s a 5-2 lead. An inning later, Beavers joined in on the long ball action, sending a 401-foot homer to right-center amid batting 3-for-5.
Outfielder Leody Taveras also provided a spark in his first Orioles start. The veteran sent a two-out curveball into right field to drive in two runs and give Baltimore a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Taveras finished the day hitting 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two walks against his former squad.
From the bump, O’s ace Trevor Rogers was his usual self, for the most part.
Rogers made it through three scoreless innings before allowing four straight two-out singles in the top of the fourth, which netted the Rangers two runs and made the score 4-2.
A small hiccup in another quality start for the 28-year-old.
Rogers allowed just the two runs on six hits, notching three punch outs across six innings in his second start of the season. He picked up his second win of the new campaign.
Wednesday afternoon’s win was a necessary outcome following the debacle that was the first two games of the series.
Baltimore opened the three-game stint in frustrating fashion, as Monday’s game saw starter Chris Bassitt allow four runs in under five innings.
Someone ought to host a boot camp for pitchers that specifically shows them how to throw out live runners. No more airmailing the ball or spiking it into the dirt.
But, alas, Bassitt was not the only guilty party of game one. The bats struggled to get things going, as they often have in the early going.
The O’s managed just seven hits in the opener, and failed to stack them. Shortstop Gunnar Henderson was solely responsible for his team’s RBIs in the game, one on his first home run of the season and the other on a single that drove in Colton Cowser.
To make matters worse, Baltimore dropped the second game of the series—this time thanks in large part to a breakdown from the bullpen.
Right-hander Zach Eflin was dealing in his start, tossing seven strikeouts while allowing just one run through three full innings.
Ask yourself, though. How long do good things really last in Camden Yards?
The answer is not long as Eflin was pulled with elbow discomfort in the fourth inning. He will go on the 15-day injured list and miss an extended period of time, per O’s manager Craig Albernaz.
Zach Eflin Headed for IL Stint; O’s Call Up Albert Suarez
From there, the bullpen let loose. A little too loose, you could say.
The Orioles’ pen would give up seven more runs, including three from Yaramil Hiraldo, as the team lost 8-5.
There were some bright spots at the plate, however.
Taylor Ward, our Player of the Series, notched the first four-hit game of his career while driving in two runs.
Camden Yards also saw the first home run of Pete Alonso’s Oriole career and the second-straight two-RBI game from Henderson, but it simply was not enough to overcome the onslaught of runs from Texas.
Key Takeaways
Top of the Order Looking Good
The top three hitters in the lineup remained a constant through the team’s first six games.
And they raked against Texas.
Alonso blasted his first Baltimore home run, Ward logged nine total bases, and Henderson went 4-for-13 while also leaving the yard for the first time this season.
Took a series, but this is the top three fans are expecting to see on a nightly basis.
Bats Will Adapt, Eventually
The Orioles have now scored eight runs in the last game of a series twice to start the year.
It is early, but it seems like the Birds’ bats get more acclimated as the series progresses.
Beavers and Ward both notched career highs in single-game hits, and the O’s two best players went yard for the first time this season, among other hitting accomplishments.
They will home in, but it appears you have to give them time.
Once they get a few three-game stints under their belts, who knows what they will be capable of?
The ‘Pen is Somehow Worse than Expected
Leading up to Opening Day, Baltimore’s biggest question mark was the bullpen.
Through two series, anyone can understand why.
Against Texas, the bullpen threw a combined 13 innings, allowing nine runs.
The addition of Albert Suarez, who threw three innings and recorded his first save in nine years on Sunday, was a strong immediate solution. But, going forward, Baltimore’s relievers need to get on track if they plan on playing competitive baseball.