The Orioles had lots to like about this afternoon’s 6-5 walk-off win over the Tigers at Ed Smith Stadium, but an injury to young catcher Samuel Basallo put a slight damper on the day.

Luckily for the Orioles, it apparently wasn’t major.

Basallo made a lunging tag of Matt Vierling to get the out at the plate in the third inning and immediately grabbed his side and grimaced. The club announced that Basallo had “right side abdominal discomfort.”

Basallo left the game and was replaced by Ethan Anderson.

Starter Dean Kremer told the media in Sarasota that he talked to Basallo and “seems fine.”

“Seems OK,” Kremer added, “but I’m not the medical professional here.”

Manager Craig Albernaz told the media that Basallo could have stayed in the game but came out for precautionary reasons. Albernaz didn’t think that Basallo would undergo testing.  

“That was me being the voice of reason,” Albernaz said.

Basallo came back into the stadium later and was smiling and walking around the bullpen area.

The game was tied 5-5 in the ninth when 21-year-old Aron Estrada led off with a 111.5 mph double to left field, Silas Ardoin singled and 20-year-old Jordan Sanchez, who came over from minor league camp, lined a 105.6 mph single up the middle. The Tigers remain winless.

Tyler O’Neill hit a line drive home run to left field at 109 mph in the first inning. He was clocked at 109 or higher only twice last season.

O’Neill lined a single into right field in the third with Jeremiah Jackson at third base. Jackson raced back to tag up and was out at the plate, costing O’Neill an RBI.

How often do you see that happen?

My broadcast partner on MASN, play-by-play man Kevin Brown, said, “At least once this season.”

O’Neill wasn’t done. He singled again leading off the fifth at 102.9 mph, making him 7-for-9 this spring. He’s reached base in nine of 11 plate appearances.

Pete Alonso singled for the second time and pinch-runner Jhonkensy Noel scored on Anderson’s double play grounder.

Alonso singled at 107.5 mph in the first and Basallo grounded into a double play at 109.1. Tigers starter Keider Montero was getting tattooed.

Kremer didn’t finish the third inning, removed with two outs and having allowed two runs and five hits with one walk and one strikeout. He threw 47 pitches, 29 for strikes, and didn’t reenter in the fourth.

The Orioles manufactured a run in the second inning while Adam Jones was being interviewed on MASN. Taylor Ward had a leadoff double and Jones noted the productive out from Heston Kjerstad on a ground  ball to the right side.

Ward scored on Coby Mayo’s fly ball to center field.

That’s good baseball. The leadoff double has to score, as Jones pointed out.

Mayo had a good day at third base early on, ranging into foul territory and making the throw to record an out in the second and making a leaping catch of a line drive to end the third. And he picked up another RBI in the fourth on a single into center field and lined a 111.5 mph double off the left field fence in the sixth.

Mayo charged a bouncer in the top of the sixth and the ball kicked off his glove for an error, but he snared Corey Julks line drive to end the inning.

Jackson stayed hot with a double in the second and RBI single in the fourth at 104.5 mph that gave the Orioles a 4-2 lead.

Ward had two hits today.

Cameron Foster, trying to fill one of the last bullpen spots, retired the side in order in the fifth on three fly balls. He won a 12-pitch battle with Hao-Yu Lee. The 10th pitch was clocked at 97.9 mph.

Keep an eye on this guy.

Trey Gibson retired the first two batters in the sixth, including a strikeout with his “death ball,” but the next four batters reached and he exited after 27 pitches. Eduardo Valencia hit a two-run homer on a fly ball to left that deflected off Kjerstad’s glove on an attempted leaping catch. The glove flew off Kjerstad’s hand.

Kjerstad had a left-on-left single today at 101 mph.

Gibson returned in the seventh and Carson Rucker homered with two outs to tie the game. It was a line drive measured at 343 feet, a spring training shot. Gibson retired the side in order in the eighth and recorded another strikeout. He allowed three runs in 2 2/3 innings and threw 46 pitches, 28 for strikes.