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CLEVELAND – On Monday, the Orioles got out to a 3-0 lead before the Guardians even came to the plate. Ramón Laureano, a catalyst for the O’s all season, kickstarted the offense and drove in two of those runs.
Cleveland responded, though, pushing three runs of their own across in the bottom of the first. The Guardians went on to win that game 10-5, thanks in large part to a four-run seventh.
This afternoon, the Orioles got out to a 3-0 lead before the Guardians even came to the plate. Ramón Laureano, a catalyst for the O’s all season, kickstarted the offense and drove in two of those runs.
This time, the Orioles came out on top 4-3.
They did so behind an excellent start from Charlie Morton and a sharp bullpen, one that didn't feature the recently injured Félix Bautista.
"It’s an important day," interim manager Tony Mansolino said after the game. "You don’t want to get swept in a four-game series."
The Guards had a chance to respond with runners on second and third and just one out in the bottom of the first. But Morton danced out of trouble without surrendering a run, and the O’s kept their advantage.
In the third, though, the Guardians found some offense.
Steven Kwan got things going with a solo shot to right. His seventh of the year got Cleveland on the board, but they weren’t done.
Angel Martínez and José Ramírez followed with singles, and after a Kyle Manzardo walk, the Guardians had ducks on the pond with just one away. But Nolan Jones came up just shy of extra bases and settled for a sac fly, and Daniel Schneemann flew out to right to end the threat.
At the end of three, the Orioles still held a 3-2 advantage.
Kwan didn’t let that last very long.
In the bottom of the fifth, the former All-Star launched his second home run of the game. Kwan, a former college teammate of Adley Rutschman, isn’t known for his power. In fact, this was the first multi-homer game of his career. But he had Morton’s number, and tied the game at three.
For Morton, though, it was a nice bounceback performance after allowing seven earned runs against the Rays last time out. It was a quality start, his fourth since June 1.
The Orioles offense, after a great first inning, went quiet. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s a very similar story to Monday’s game, when they faced Tanner Bibee. Baltimore dropped that game, and was in search of a different outcome this afternoon.
This time around, an Alex Jackson double knocked lefty starter Logan Allen out of the game in the top of the seventh. And after a Jordan Westburg walk, a Gunnar Henderson single scored Jackson and put runners on second and third with two away, Henderson taking second when right fielder Jones threw to third in a failed attempt to get Westburg. Jackson’s run was the go-ahead one, and gave Baltimore 4-3 lead.
The runners were left on second and third, but the O’s carried an advantage into the bottom of the seventh.
"We were able to come out of that first inning and put up a three-spot," Mansolino said. "I wish we would have thrown up more in the subsequent innings. Weren’t able to throw them up. Big at-bat by Gunnar, it’s a big at-bat.”
Morton once again took the hill in the seventh, recording the first two outs of the frame before exiting following a Kwan walk. It was a really good afternoon for the veteran, who filled up the strike zone to the tune of a nearly 70 percent strike rate, even while walking four.
All in all, he tossed 6 ⅔ innings and surrendered three earned runs on five hits, seven strikeouts and four walks. Corbin Martin recorded the final out of the seventh, and Morton was in line for the win.
"I went to Charlie after the sixth," Mansolino said. "I asked him what he wanted. He was at 93, 94 pitches right in there. It was a hot day. He had kind of grinded there for a little bit, a couple of innings. Had he not wanted to come out in the seventh, we would have gone to the ‘pen. Martin was what we were leaning towards. It was a non-issue with Charlie. Charlie wanted out there in the seventh, so we gave it to him.”
The veteran appreciated that managerial approach.
"That interaction with the manager where they truly, they care," Morton said. "They care how you feel. They care about how it's going to make you feel if he pulls you or if they let you go back out there. So, I'm really appreciative for that and for those conversations that we've had this year, because there's been a couple times where he really honored and respected what I was thinking and feeling.”
As fate would have it, Baltimore's bullpen, missing Félix Bautista, would be tested immediately in high-pressure spots at the end of the game. Baseball tends to be funny that way.
Seranthony Domínguez entered the game in the eighth, with the Orioles leading by one, and was tasked with facing Ramírez. Domínguez got the future Hall of Famer to ground out, but surrendered singles to the red-hot Manzardo and teammate Schneemann.
Carlos Santana entered the game to pinch-hit and worked a full count, but Domínguez got him swinging.
"Ser is the best guy down in the bullpen," Mansolino noted. "I think we can all agree on that. He’s been really good for a while minus a couple of outings surrounding the All-Star break. You’re going through the 3-4-5 in the eighth inning. That’s the best part of the order. We’re going to throw our best guy right there."
With 8-9-1 due up for Cleveland in the 9th, Gregory Soto got the ball. He was set to face the switch-hitting Rocchio, right-handed-hitting Austin Hedges (a likely pinch-hit spot), and the left-handed-hitting Kwan. As Kwan was the biggest threat, it made sense to go with a lefty in Soto.
Rocchio struck out for the first out of the inning. David Fry pinch-hit for Hedges and suffered the same fate as Rocchio. Kwan's groundout ended it.
The significance of getting the nod from Mansolino wasn't lost on Soto.
"Especially after my outing here the other night," Soto said via interpreter Brandon Quinones. "It gives me a lot of confidence to hear that and know that, especially after what happened to Bautista. So, I felt good going out there today and getting the job done."
As the impending trade deadline inches closer, it becomes harder to ignore the elephant in the room. Starts from Zach Eflin and Morton over the last few days have given the O's a chance to win, but the reality of the situation sets in once the dust settles.
"Charlie brought a lot of stability to us over this time," Mansolino said. "I don’t know how much longer we’re going to get that stability out of him. Hopefully he stays. If he doesn’t, then somebody else will have to step up and continue the stability that he’s brought us.”
It's a difficult time for Morton, too. His struggles at the beginning of the season were well documented, and they coincided with the struggles of his team. Now, a week away from the deadline, the Orioles will more than likely be sellers. Morton acknowledges his place in that.
"I look back, and knowing what I’m capable of doing, and knowing that I failed for a decent stretch in the beginning of the season, and I know I let a lot of people down, and I know that it was difficult and it caused, I’m sure in large part, a lot of the difficulty that has happened with the team," Morton said.
"We had a manager fired. We had stretches that were really difficult in terms of losing, personally, as a group. And through that, I think you do create a deeper bond with the guys in the room, if you let yourself. Because the failures and the difficulties, when you actually start to have those conversations and you start to look people in the face and look them in the eye and you figure out who you are as a group, you start to realize, ‘Wow, this is a really good group, and we’re capable of so much more.' Because we are a good team. We are a good group of guys. We are capable of a lot more. And to know that this is where we are right now in this moment in time, it’s tough."
The Orioles salvaged the final game of the series, and now return home to face the Colorado Rockies.
