Tough loss on Saturday sets up rubber match game today for the Orioles

If the Orioles want to win their third straight series to begin the new season, they'll have to win this afternoon in Pittsburgh after a very tough loss there on Saturday.

The clubs have split the first two games and the Orioles lost 5-4 in 11 innings on Saturday. The Orioles were not doing much with Pirates' lefty Bailey Falter, who threw six scoreless on one hit but was pulled after throwing 78 pitches. The O's immediately got it going against the Pirates bullpen and when Jordan Westburg hustled home safely on a grounder to first base, the O's had tied it 3-3 in the ninth.

They went ahead 4-3 in the tenth on Adley Rutschman's sac fly. But Mike Baumann struggled to throw strikes as Pittsburgh tied it and the game went to the 11th. Oneil Cruz singled in the winning run to even up the series for the Bucs.

A tough, tough loss for the Orioles who got five innings with no earned runs allowed from their bullpen. 

But while the bullpen faltered late, the Baltimore offense produced just four hits in 37 at-bats and the hitters went 0-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

They need to regroup to try and leave Pittsburgh with a series win today.

Tides tales: Through the first four games of their series at Charlotte this week, the O’s Triple-A Norfolk Tides farm club allowed 35 runs. Yet they won all four of those games scoring 56 runs on 15 doubles, a triple and 20 home runs.

Norfolk’s offense has been remarkable, amazing and prolific.

They beat the Knights 10-6 on Tuesday, 26-11 on Wednesday, 9-8 on Thursday and 11-10 in 10 innings on Friday.

Tuesday’s game was record-setting as Norfolk posted franchise records for runs, hits and homers in a game with eight. In this series in order, they have hit six, eight, four and two homers.

They then added three more last night as they put hitting and pitching together in a 13-1 win to improve to 7-1 on the year. 

Norfolk is 5-0 in the series at Charlotte, scoring 69 runs with 23 homers and 75 hits.

Heston Kjerstad went 1-for-4 with a double last night. This series he has gone 12-for-24 with three doubles, six homers and 21 RBIs. Yes, this in five games.

With three more home runs in Saturday night’s victory, the Tides have now notched eight straight multi-homer games to start the season. This continues their franchise record set Friday night when the Tides launched three homers. Norfolk maintains their lead atop all of professional baseball with 30 homers, averaging 3.7 per game

Lefty John Means pitched much better in his second rehab game, allowing one run and hit over three innings on 50 pitches. His fastball averaged 90.4 mph and topped at 92.4 mph per Statcast, but he got five whiffs on 11 swings off his fastball.

In relief, right-hander Albert Suárez pitched six scoreless allowing just two hits on 78 pitches. His fastball topped at 96.7 mph and he got 14 swings and misses. 

Connor Norby went 3-for-6 with a homer and four RBIs. Peyton Burdick and Ryan McKenna also homered for the Tides, who can sweep a six-game series today.

Note from Bowie: The Orioles passed along the note Friday night that Double-A Bowie outfielder Jud Fabian left the Baysox game early that night as a precaution after rolling his left ankle.

But Fabian was back in the lineup last night, going 1-for-5 with a solo homer in the second inning as Bowie routed Reading 19-1.

So fortunately it was only a minor setback for Fabian, the No. 67 overall pick in the 2022 draft, who ranked tied for second last season in homers among all O's minor leaguers. Coby Mayo hit 29 and Fabian hit 24.

Plus, according to Baysox manager Roberto Mercado, Fabian had a strong spring training in Florida.

“His spring sticks out,” Mercado said this week. “It seemed like every game he was leading off with a home run on the back fields. He had a great spring and seems really in tune with what he is doing.”

Last season between High-A Aberdeen and Bowie over 120 games, Fabian hit .223 with a .789 OPS and added 74 RBIs to his 24 homers.

“He’s the full package. He brings it every day. Intensity is there. An elite defender that can play multiple spots in the outfield. At the plate he can hammer the baseball and hit it hard,” said Mercado.

I wrote yesterday morning about righty Kyle Brnovich and his Tommy John surgery comeback. Last night he allowed just one run over 4 2/3 innings. Collins Burns hit a three-run homer in the third inning and drove in a career-high seven runs. It was the first seven-RBI game by a Baysox player since Billy Cook on Aug. 3, 2023. Infielder Frederick Bencosme went 3-for-3, drove in two runs and reached base in all five plate appearances. The Orioles No. 27 prospect is 4-for-7 in his first two games at Double-A.

High-A Aberdeen fell behind 6-0 last night at Jersey Shore and lost 7-6. The IronBirds are 0-2 with a pair of one-run losses.

Low-A Delmarva lost 11-4 at Fredericksburg. Anderson De Los Santos had three RBIs for the Shorebirds.