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.
The Guards had a chance to respond with runners on second and third and just one out in the bottom of the first. But Charlie 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, not known for his power, 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 facing 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. 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.
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.
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 eight, 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, as well as Schneemann.
Carlos Santana entered the game to pinch-hit and worked a full count, but Domínguez got him swinging.
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 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. Hedges was pinch-hit for - for another righty in David Fry. Fry suffered the same fate as Rocchio.
The Orioles salvaged the final game of the series, and now return home to face the Colorado Rockies.