The Baltimore Orioles have had a season many didn’t see coming. From young players Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson and Félix Bautista to veterans Kyle Gibson, Anthony Santander and Austin Hays, the Orioles have become one of the most exciting teams in baseball.
On the other side, the mighty Tampa Bay Rays are running right through their schedule and claiming the best record in baseball. On top of that, they have lost only seven games at home all season.
A battle of two of the best teams in baseball turned into a draw as the teams would split the series in Tampa Bay. The Orioles would move to 3-2 on the season against the Rays, as they are no longer being bullied by their AL East foes.
The Rays remain five games up on the Orioles in the division, but the O’s have shown Tampa Bay that they have a fight on their hands, and their division lead should not be comfortable.
Let’s see how the games played out.
GAME 1: O’s 8, TB 6
To open the series, the Orioles would need another strong performance from second-year starter Kyle Bradish. The young righty has had 10 of his 12 starts allowing three runs or less.
Bradish (3-3) would deliver as needed, completing five innings of work while giving up two earned runs. He would allow four hits and surrender two walks, but Bradish also struck out eight batters in his start.
The Orioles jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead against Tyler Glasnow. Home runs by Aaron Hicks, Anthony Santander and Ryan O’Hearn helped the Orioles race out to their lead. The Orioles would drop six hits and collect two walks, forcing Glasnow out after 4.1 innings and six earned runs.
Unfortunately for the Birds, their bullpen made this game closer than it should have been. Bryan Baker and Mike Baumann would pitch a combined 0.2 innings, allowing three hits, two walks and four earned runs.
Baltimore would turn to its fearsome three of Danny Coulombe (H, 14), Yennier Canó (H, 17) and Félix Bautista (SV, 20) to silence the Rays and lock down the 8-6 victory.
Austin Hays led the offense with three hits, raising his average to .327, the second best in baseball and tops in the AL. Aaron Hicks collected two more hits, including a three-run home run, and improved his slash line to .321/.424/.571 since joining the Birds.
GAME 2: O’s 2, TB 8
This game got away quickly from the Orioles. With their most consistent starter in Tyler Wells, the Orioles had hoped to secure a series sweep in a game that started at mid-noon.
Unfortunately, the reliable Wells would commit two errors and allow two home runs, which led to an early 4-0 lead for the Rays.
Wells’ (6-3) final line didn’t look bad, but his errors proved costly, and the long ball was his downfall. He pitched five innings, giving up four runs (two earned). He allowed four hits and three walks, an unusually high number for Wells, while striking out six.
The bullpen didn’t fare much better in this game either. Logan Gillaspie, Keegan Akin and Cole Irvin would combine for three innings of work, allowing three earned runs on six hits and two walks.
For the series, the bullpen pitched a total of seven innings, giving up seven earned runs (9.00 ERA) on 11 total hits with five walks (2.571 WHIP). Though they struck out eight and picked up a save and three holds, the bullpen struggled once again.
On offense, the Orioles would muster only four hits for the game. Two hits came off the bat of Gunnar Henderson, including a home run. Ramón Urías picked up a hit, a solo home run, and Ryan O’Hearn collected the other hit.
The Orioles struck out 11 times in the game and walked none. Unfortunately, the Orioles would drop the game 7-2, and the series would end in a split.
BATTERY ❌-FACTOR
This series, the Orioles’ offense was labeled as the BATTERY ❌-FACTOR. With Glasnow and Bradley pitching for the Rays, the Birds needed to jump out of the gate quickly.
In game one, it prevailed, as the Birds would score six times in the first three innings and force Glasnow out after 4.1 innings of work.
Unfortunately, the Orioles’ offense disappeared in game two. Though they hit two long balls, they were solo shots, and the offense only mustered four hits.
The Orioles will enjoy a day off Thursday as they head back to the cozy confines of Camden Yards. They will welcome the Seattle Mariners to town for a three-game set starting Friday night.
Will the Birds protect the Nest and hold the Mariners at bay? Tune Friday as the series begins at 7:05 p.m. EST.
What do you think of this series split? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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