BALTIMORE – The new rule for extra innings delivers exciting finishes for the Orioles.
Trailing through a run in the bottom of the 10th, the Orioles scored two in the bottom of the inning to win it, breaking their losing streak of six games with a 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox Saturday night at Camden Yards. It was their third win in four extra-innings games.
Rio Ruiz was the runner up second to start the bottom of the 10th. Cedric Mullins dropped an excellent bunt to the first base side and Red Sox first baseman Mitch Moreland, a left-hander, tried to throw Ruiz on third. The throw was late, and the Orioles had two baserunners and no outs.
Boston reliever Matt Barnes threw a wild pitch on a breaking ball to score Ruiz with the equalizer. Hanser Alberto, after swinging at a height that was neck height, fought back in the count and delivered an infield single. Anthony Santander, who hit a game-bound two-run home run at the bottom of the eighth, was deliberately run to load the bases.
After Anthony Velázquez was called out for strikes, Boston manager Ron Roenicke called up midfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. to play second base as the fifth attacker.
Severino put a ball to the center to score Mullins with the winning run. The Orioles slipped on social distance in their celebration, though they mostly shrugged with Severino, including one from Santander who knocked him down.
“I’ve seen that position before, the five guys in the infield, and the only thing on my mind was, just hit the ball on the barrel and see where it’s going,” Severino said in a video conference.
The win puts the Orioles at 13-14.
“We hunt them down a bit, knowing we have an offday on Monday,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “I felt like our boys needed to celebrate tonight.”
Hyde referred to his ball rotation. He used Tanner Scott, Mychal Givens and Cole Sulser for 3 2/3 hitless innings up to 10th.
Miguel Castro, who recorded the last two outs with the bases in the top 10th, got the win.
Red Sox left-back Alex Verdugo, who made the final out of ninth, was placed second to start the 10thth. Sulser, who grabbed a perfect ninth, knocked out Rafael Devers. He then ran JD Martinez, Xander Bogaerts and, finally, Moreland, who brought Verdugo home with the go-ahead.
Hyde said he stayed with Sulser because of his effectiveness against left-handers.
“I’d rather have Sulser on Moreland than Castro on Moreland just from a split point of view,” Hyde said. “Just because Sulser is so good at left-handed, not knowing that he would run two boys forward. He lost command there. ”
Pat Valaika gave the Orioles an early 1-0 lead when he hit his third home goal in the last three games in the second against Martin Pérez
The Orioles had a chance to add in the fourth when Renato Núñez doubled with one out, Severino struck out, and Valaika singled to the left. Incredibly, third base coach Jose Flores sent Núñez, who was easily thrown home to finish the inning.
Orioles starter Alex Cobb scored three goals in four scoreless innings. In the fifth, Bradley hit his first home run to tie it at 1. José Peraza and Verdugo hit back-to-back doubles, and Boston led, 2-1.
Cobb, recovering healthy and productive after last season’s hip and knee surgery, left two runs on six hits in five innings. He could be a coveted piece for clubs looking for a start when the August 31 deadline arrives.
“The first three or four innings I felt good,” Cobb said. ‘The whole game I was against myself. The off-high pitches don’t bite too well and my fastball didn’t really have much life to it. It’s one of those games where you’re just trying to sneak out. ”
It was the second time Cobb was the starter in a game that the Orioles won in extra innings.
“Extremely exciting when you come out of a losing streak of six games,” Cobb said. “Every type of profit will be exciting now. It was one of those days where you had to make a profit. ”
Orioles reliever Shawn Armstrong knocked Moreland out with one in the sixth. Christian Vazquez finished Moreland to third, and he scored on Kevin Pillar’s infield single to give Boston a 3-1 lead.
Hyde gave Ramón Urias his first start at second base. He played well in the field and had his first big league hit on a leadoff single in the third.
With one in the seventh, Severino and Valaika finished. Ryan Mountcastle’s dribble to Pérez moved the rounds up, and they stayed there when Bryan Holaday jumped to the right.
Pérez gave up a run on five hits in seven innings.
Alberto ran with two outs against Red Sox left hinger Josh Taylor, and Santander homerated to the left, his 10thth of the season. It tied the score at 3 and extended its main league game goal to 17 games. Santander shot up an inside fastball from Taylor and ran it 426 feet.
Mountcastle’s first major hit did not travel that far. It was a slow roll to third base with two outs in the ninth. He almost had his first hit on a drive to the right, leading from the fifth inning, but Pillar jumped in front of the right field wall to catch it.
After the Mountcastle single ran Chance Sisco, and Ruiz knocked out, sending the game to extra innings.
Yusniel Diaz impresses: Outfielder Yusniel Diaz, who is on the alternate side at Bowie, is another player who has run for vice president / general manager Mike Elias.
“He looks really good, both offensively and defensively,” Elias said in a pregame video conference call on Saturday. ‘He has a great work ethic. His attitude and energy have been really good every day. Just like Mountcastle did, he saw a lot of really tough pitching, but the performances have been there.
‘He’s really close. He would also be a man who would now be at Triple-A for the first time. He would have been there last year if he had not punished his leg. It’s a shame he doesn’t get that experience. He’s not on our 40 man roster yet, so that’s something to consider if you look like a man like him. I stay excited about him. ‘
Elias on trading date: Elias makes no predictions about the trading date August 31st.
“We’re not going to sell to just sell and get more prospects,” Elias said. “But we will not stick to every person in the team simply because we are currently close to a .500 team.
“We will look at everything from case to case.”
Harvey’s views: It is possible that Hunter Harvey, who is yet to pick this season, could be activated on the road trip to Tampa Bay and Buffalo starting Tuesday. Harvey has a straight forearm stem.
“He threw really well [Friday], ”Said Elias. Harvey throws up live batting practice.
“The next stop for me will be doing some sim games, not too much of a difference between those two things. We have a full-game environment with Bowie, and he will do the following. If he’s feeling great, we hope he’s maybe on the team before the month is over. ‘
Versatility is the key: Hyde appreciates versatility, and having Severino and Sisco take first balls ground on days they don’t catch. The Orioles do not have a first baseman left-handed Chris Davis on the injured list.
“That doesn’t have to have a first baseman hitting left,” Hyde said. ‘Just to add to their versatility and create more opportunities to get them in the lineup, not only for us but also for their personal careers.
‘It’s important to go somewhere else. You see guys like JT Realmuto, Buster Posey. Those guys will shoot to the first base because it keeps their bat in the lineup, and I think Chance and Sevy are along those lines. We try to give them some experience in case we have to … I’m always nice from a club point of view to let a man play more than one position. “
