For the first time in team history, the Baltimore Orioles have swept the season series from the Texas Rangers.
A series that coincided with the trade deadline saw the Orioles move fan-favorites Trey Mancini and Jorge López, as Baltimore remains in the thick of the AL Wild Card race.
As it stands, the Orioles, winners of seven of their last 10, are currently 1.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot. Most would expect a team to bolster its chances for the postseason before the deadline, but O’s GM Mike Elias has other plans.
”Anything’s possible when your team is young and talented, and I knew that something like this, this team coming together the way it has this season, was possible. But it definitely wasn’t something that we were banking on happening. And now that we’re here, it makes it so much easier to plan going forward to supplement this group.”
– O’s GM Mike Elias on the current state of his big league club
An important series after losing a series to the Reds, the Orioles rose to the occasion and made this look easy. Strong pitching, stellar defense and each member of the team chipping in offensively made this Orioles team look like trouble for many in the second half.
Monday saw Spenser Watkins (4-1) pitch six dominant innings of one-run ball in game one that saw him strike out five in route to a victory.
Cedric Mullins led the way, going 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs, three runs scored and a walk.
Adley Rutschman continued his assault on offense with two more doubles in route to his second career three-hit game.
In game two, the reliable Jordan Lyles came out and tossed 6.1 innings of one-run ball, picking up his eighth victory, this one against his former team. He would strike out seven, as he toppled the century mark in pitches once again.
On offense, Jorge Mateo was the star of the game, as he had his first multi-homer game. His two home runs brought home five runs, as Mateo is now batting .302 over his last 15 games.
Rutschman collected two more doubles in another multi-hit effort that saw him raise his average to .255 on the year.
Game three was a little closer for the Birds, but the results were still the same.
Kyle Bradish had another strong pitching performance, as he would go five innings, allowing only one run and striking out five.
For the series, Oriole starters were 2-0, pitching 17.1 innings and allowing just three earned runs while striking out 17. They combined for a 1.56 ERA.
The star of game three was catcher Robinson Chirinos, who would collect three hits, including a home run and two RBIs in leading the team to a 6-3 victory.
The Baltimore Battery ❌-FACTOR heading into this series was the Oriole offense. Though they were 10-for-38 (.263) with RISP, they managed to score 21 runs across the three games.
The O’s also collected 15 extra base hits and stole four bases in this series, creating multiple opportunities to score and drive in runs.
The Orioles sit three games over .500 as they head into their off day, the last one until August 22. They return home to face the Pittsburgh Pirates beginning Friday and look to continue their recent run of success.
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