The Baltimore Orioles defeated the Cleveland Guardians 9-5 on Wednesday night at Camden Yards, providing rare offensive support for starter Shane Baz. The victory comes as a relief for Baz, who entered the game having received the least run support of any qualifying starting pitcher in Major League Baseball this season.
Cleveland struck first when Chase DeLauter homered on the second pitch of the game, giving the Guardians an early 2-0 lead. However, the Orioles responded decisively in the third inning with an explosive eight-run outburst. The inning featured eight hits, two walks, a hit batter, and a fielding error from Guardians pitcher Foster Griffin. Notable contributions came from Dylan Beavers with a double, Pete Alonso and Jackson Holliday with singles, and Rece Hinds with a sacrifice fly. The barrage proved insurmountable for Cleveland’s starting pitcher.
Baz delivered a solid performance through five innings before fading in the sixth. The Guardians scored three runs in that inning, including a two-run homer by Nathaniel Lowe and an RBI double by Patrick Bailey. Baltimore’s bullpen responded effectively, with Josh Walker, Yennier Cano, and Rico Garcia combining to limit further damage. Garcia earned his seventh save of the season with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief and three strikeouts.
The Orioles will travel to Toronto on Friday with Chris Bassitt scheduled to start against his former team. The victory keeps Baltimore’s playoff hopes alive in a competitive wild card race.
Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
About the Author
