Thursday’s game with the Kansas City Royals started as a pitcher’s duel between John Means and Carlos Hernandez. That duel lasted for six innings with the Royals clinging to a 1-0 lead. While Means came out for the seventh inning, Hernandez did not. Means got through the seventh but then gave up a double to Hunter Dozier to start the eighth inning and was removed at that point. He finished with a line of 7.0 innings pitched, 2 runs allowed on 5 hits, 2 walks and 5 strikeouts; Nicky Lopez tagged him for a first inning homerun as well.
Tanner Scott relieved Means and after getting an out from Whit Merrifield allowed multiple hits to end the eighth inning with the Royals now leading 4-0. Scott’s line: 1.0 IP, 2 Runs Allowed, 3 Hits, 1 K, a wild pitch thrown and an inherited runner allowed to score.
Wednesday’s “feel good winner”, Manny Barreda, got the call in the ninth and allowed 2 runs (on a Dozier two-run homer) on 2 hits while striking out 1.
Sandwiched between the Royals 1st inning homer and the 9th inning homer was an anemic Orioles offense that was limited to 3 hits. Orioles batters left 6 men on base, went 1 for 3 with runners in scoring position, walked 4 times and struck out 4 times as well. It was an offense that failed to meet the quality of Means pitching thus tagging him with his 7th loss of the year.
Pedro Severino, Jorge Mateo and Jahmai Jones all singled off Hernandez. The Orioles were only able to induce a DJ Stewart (0 for 3, 1 BB) walk in the ninth as they were held hitless for 3 innings by the Kansas City bullpen.
It may not get much better as the Toronto Blue Jays, riding an eight game winning streak and 0.5 games out of the second AL Wild Card spot, come to OPACY for a three-game series starting Friday night.
2021 Record: 45-94
Next Game: Fri. Sept. 10 @ 7:05pm
