WASHINGTON – Australia’s Voth, Javy Guerra and Tanner Rainey’s pitchers closed out the Washington Orioles on just two innings with just seven innings.
Battle through three rounds, her sleepy offense was awakened against Sean Doolittle. Pat Valaika and Pedro Severino, half of the Orioles ‘decorated, bench of four men, hit consecutive pinch-hit home runs to start the eighth, trimming the Nationals’ lead to 3-2.
Manager Davey Martinez removed Doolittle for Daniel Hudson after knocking out Chris Davis. Austin Hays ran, Hanser Alberto finished to the left, and Anthony Santander hit an opposite field home to the left, his third. Not far from home, the Orioles’ ballpoint pen appeared, and Miguel Castro led the cheers.
The Orioles had a 3-0 deficit in a 5-3 lead.
Santander credits Hays for his walk on 11 counts, and Alberto’s single.
“That set the tone for my at-bat,” he said via a translator.
“A grinder at-bat,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “That’s what you like to see.”
Hyde knew he was in trouble after pulling back an opponent.
“I screamed to ‘get up’ and ‘stay honest,'” Hyde said. “I screamed to myself to try to stretch the ball.”
The Orioles’ 5-3 victory gave them an unusual series win. On Sunday, Asher Wojciechowski, working on three days rest, will go for the whip against Stephen Strasburg, making his debut in 2020.
Shaio Armstrong, the Orioles’ fourth pitcher, threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the win. Cole Sulser grabbed the eighth, walking Starlin Castro and Juan Soto with one out before retiring Howie Kendrick on a grounder back to the box and beating Eric Thames.
Castro grabbed a hitless ninth for the rescue.
‘I had not thrown [Sulser] in five days, so he pitched independently in this game, ”said Hyde. ‘He showed a little calm. I do not have to do that. I would have considered sending him back for the ninth if it was a quick inning. ”
The comeback victory followed their 11-0 drubbing of Washington on Friday night when they had 19 hits. The Orioles chased their record at 7-7.
According to STATS, it was the third time in Orioles history that they hit back-to-back pinch-hit home runs. The last time was on August 12, 1985 when Wayne Gross and Larry Sheets did it. They did it too August 26th 1966 when Vic Roznovsky and Boog Powell went back-to-back against the Red Sox.
Because the Orioles had a doubleheader on Wednesday, they needed another starter, and Hyde chose Thomas Eshelman, who allowed two runs on five hits in four innings.
Soto hit his first home of the season to lead the second, a drive that just hit the wall of the left field. Sacrificial fly by Kurt Suzuki scored the second run later in the inning.
Tanner Scott’s throwing error in the sixth assist led to the third run on Thames’ double to center.
Eshelman saw the comeback away from the field.
“I was fired,” Eshelman said. “I was ecstatic in the clubhouse.”
Harvey update: Hunter Harvey has yet to pick this season due to a straight forearm strain. Harvey rehearses with Bowie.
“I would say he’s still more than three weeks away,” Hyde said. ‘He is still in his throwing progression. It’s going very, very well. We are very encouraged about his progress. I would hope we finally get him at some point this month. ‘
Less depth of field: Over the past three days, the Orioles have left the option of DJ Stewart and Cedric Mullins to Bowie’s alternative side, leaving no pure outfielders on the bench.
Saturday’s reserves were Severino and another catcher, Bryan Holaday, players Valaika and Andrew Velázquez.
“The wild card for us is Velazquez, who can play multiple positions, all three places in the outfield,” Hyde said. ‘I feel comfortable with him playing both middle spots on the field, so he really helps us from a versatile standpoint, able to play field defense, able to play shortstop for us, able to run.
‘It’s nice to have someone so diverse that I can insert him where needed. That’s really the reason. Cedric definitely did a great job for us. I used him late for the defense with the lead, but I also feel comfortable with Velazquez. ”
Three catchers: It was a bit of a surprise when the Orioles added a third catch to their 30-man roster, but Holaday impressed Hyde with his leadership, and he survived the cut at 28 on Thursday.
Holaday started the season with the three men of taxis in Orioles along with Eshelman and nutsman Dilson Herrera.
The taxi squad, which was increased to five for road games when rosters were cut to 28, should include a catcher who can warm up pitchers in the bullpen. The others cannot dress for the game.
“I was actually one of the lucky ones in the taxi team,” Holaday said. ‘Before that road trip to Boston, I was sitting in the bullpen, picking up some guys. Should I watch a big league game. ”
After the Orioles returned home from their postponed games in Miami, Holaday returned to the Bowie for a few days until his contract was purchased.
“I went there, I did not know what to expect,” Holaday said. ‘I did not know much about what happened. The Orioles do a great job with that. The structure of the whole thing, how they have divided guys, you can get a ton of work done in the amount of time you get.
“It’s definitely good for the young boys, but it helped me a ton. I could get a ton of bats there. “
