For the second consecutive game, the Orioles jumped ahead with three-runs in the first inning. Unfortunately, for the second consecutive game, Baltimore failed to hold its early lead. The Birds gave three back in the first, but Brandon Young found his groove. The offense kept its foot on the gas, and Young delivered a quality start in a 7-4 Orioles win over Miami.
Leadoff hitter Gunnar Henderson went down swinging, but a wild Eury Pérez got the rally started. Pérez walked Taylor Ward on four pitches
and plunked Adley Rutschman to put two on for Pete Alonso. Alonso fell behind 0-2 before turning on a 99 MPH fastball. The slugger launched the ball 407 feet to left center, and the Orioles held a 3-0 advantage before Brandon Young took the mound.
Young needed only four pitches to record the first two outs, but the Fish used some two-out lightning to get right back into the game. Young came within one strike of a clean inning, but former Oriole Connor Norby worked a six-pitch walk.
Kyle Stowers followed with a base hit to right that put two on for center fielder Jakob Marsee. Young jumped ahead 0-2 before Marsee punched a two-run double to left field. Young got ahead 1-2 on Christopher Morel before losing the designated hitter for the second walk of the inning. Owen Caissie followed, fell behind 0-2, and proceeded to even the game at three with a base hit up the middle. Young finally ended the inning by getting Joe Mack to ground out on a 2-1 curveball.
Both Young and Pérez responded by posting zeros in the second and third innings, but Baltimore found a way to break through in the fourth. Leody Taveras legged out a two-out double, and Dylan Beavers followed with a ground-rule double that gave Baltimore a 4-3 lead.
It felt nice to have the Orioles be the team striking with two outs, and the trend continued in the fifth. Ward earned another free pass, and Adley Rutschman worked the count full before absolutely ripping a ball to right field. Ward, already on the move with the 3-2 count, scored with ease to make it 5-3.
Meanwhile, Young found his footing. The 27-year-old became more intentional with his pitches and gained better command of the strike zone as the game progressed. After allowing three hits and three walks in the first two innings, Young limited Miami to only one single over his final four frames. He notched a quality start with 6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, and 5 K.
Ward took his third walk of the game with one out in the seventh, and Rutschman followed with another hard-hit double. The insurance run came in handy when Grant Wolfram allowed a run in the bottom half of the inning. Baltimore extended the lead to three thanks to an opposite-field single by Samuel Basallo and a two-out triple by defensive replacement Blaze Alexander.
Anthony Nunez replaced Wolfram and struck out Norby to end the seventh. The rookie returned and tossed a clean eighth inning to setup Rico Garcia in a save situation. Garcia allowed a leadoff walk before generating a double play ball and striking out Javier Sanoja to end the game.
Young and the Orioles could have spiraled after the three-run first, but Baltimore carved out a true team win. Young demonstrated an ability to make adjustments, and the O’s offense scored in four of the final six innings. Nunez bounced back after allowing a pair of runs last night, and Garcia delivered a drama-free save after recording four outs on Tuesday.
Alonso got the party started with the Earl Weaver special, and Rutschman reached base four times. Henderson finished 0-for-5 with three strikeouts, but Beavers and Alexander both came through with big hits.
Young made a strong case, but maybe you’d like to go off the board. Let us know your pick for the Most Birdland Player of the Day in the comments below!
