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Orioles Bats Come Alive Late Again, Beat Houston For 5th Straight Win The Orioles have a way to sniff out the weakest link in a bullpen, the most vulnerable arm at any given moment, and they did it again late Friday night.
After s May 9, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles mascot stands on the dugout during the seventh inning against the Houston Astros at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Baltimore Orioles defeated the Houston Astros 4-3.
Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect The Orioles have a way to sniff out the weakest link in a bullpen, the most vulnerable arm at any given moment, and they did it again late Friday night.After slumbering through seven innings and getting absolutely mowed down by starter Peter Lambert and reliever Steve Okert and trailing, 2-1, Adley Rutschman doubled to lead off the inning and Taylor Ward homered off slumping Bryan King and Baltimore found a way to extend its season-long win streak to five games, with a 3-2 win at Diakin Park."I'm just trying to get a good pitch to hit, of course," Ward told the MASN broadcast after the game.
"Trying to get something in the middle, and he kind of hung a slider there.
" Manager Craig Albernaz told the media after the game: "It was tough to get things going and that was a big swing by Ward." The Astros wasted repeated opportunities to make this game more lopsided including facing newly recently acquired reliever Cam Sanders in the 7th.
Sanders, making a sterling debut with the Orioles got out a bases-loaded jam with one out to stay within a run.
Baltimore needs to seize every opportunity is has after a horrible first half, and faces one of the most daunting schedules in MLB in the second half.The Orioles were 18-26 away from home coming in, and this felt like a vital reversal of fortune for them in the 8th.
The Orioles have also been among MLBs worst in one-run games all season, but won a squeaker with the bullpen doing sterling work after starter Dean Kremer could only go four innings in constantly deep counts.They are going to have to start swinging the bats on the road; they got away with their usual misguided approach Friday but its a tough way to operate."Cam was great," Albernaz said.
"Throwing strikes, the slider had some really good shape and bite to it and the fastball was real.
" And they may have to do it for the rest of the season without third baseman Blaze Alexander, out indefinitely with a broken hand, as Albernazthrough the All-Star break and they also lost their best remaining glove on the left side of the infield, and his energy and intensity were sorely lacking Friday.) and they are 23rd on the road in that regard and just 23rd in OBP with a .685 OPS and the worst road strikeout rate in baseball.
All of that showed right back up as the All-Star break ended.Oh, and they dont hit starting pitchers no matter where they play and, stop me if you heard this before, Lambert had the best start of his career, giving up just three hits and one run and striking out 10 through six innings.
Luckily for the Orioles, the Astros couldnt take advantage of opportunities to go up big.Walking Jeremy Pena in front of Yordan Alvarez the best hitter in the American League was a heck of a way to open the game and Alvarez smashed a ball nearly out of the park for an immediate Astros lead.
The Astros constantly spat on pitches and splayed balls around and worked counts.Kremer did get some swing and miss, with critical strikeouts of ex-Oriole Christian Walker in the first and third to help quell further damage but everything was a struggle.
Pena singled the second time through and Alvarez singled and another run scored on a sac fly.
Kremer needed 71 pitches to get through three innings and he was lucky that three early walks didnt cause more damage.Lambert also started slowly, walking three straight batters to plate a run.
And Gunnar Henderson couldnt produce again with men on and two outs to end the game.
JASON LA CANFORA Jason La Canfora has covered the NFL and MLB for decades and currently covers the Ravens and Orioles for On SI.