Mark Trumbo hit a two-out trumbomb to left field to send a raucous opening day crowd home happy as the Orioles win 3-2 in 11 innings. Tyler Wilson gets the win in relief and Manny Machado gets several gold stars for some amazing defense!
Player of Game:
Mark Trumbo of course!
Starting Pitching:
– Kevin Gausman went 5.1 IP, 103 pitches, 2 ER, 5 H, 4BB, 4 K. He used a 96-98 MPH fastball, and 84-86 change and 86 MPH slider. His command was not great on any one pitch though his fastball was his best pitch of the day.
– Gausman faced his first real test of the season when he allowed runners on 1st and 2nd and no outs in the top of the 5th inning with the top of the order coming up. After striking out Devon Travis, he walked Josh Donaldson to load the bases. After getting behind 2-0 to Jose Bautista, Welington Castillo made a great call for an up and in fastball which Bautista popped up for the second out of the inning. Kendrys Morales though worked him to full count before drawing the bases loaded walk to make it 2-1. With Tyler Wilson warming and a pitch count near 90, Gausman got ahead of Troy Tulowitzki 0-2 before Tulowitzki worked it to 3-2. With runners moving and after 97 MPH fastball was fouled off, Gausman got him to ground out to Machado to end the threat and give himself a chance for the win. Despite barely getting through the 5th and nearing a 100 pitches, Buck sent Gausman back out. Gausman got Russel Martin before allowing a hit to Steve Pearce to end his day.
Highlighted hitting moments:
– In the 1st inning, Marco Estrada went with back to back changeups to get Mark Trumbo out on his front foot for a lazy flyball to left leaving runners on 2nd and 3rd.
– In 2nd, after a double by Welington Castillo on Blue Jays outfielders’ miscommunication, Kim moves him to third but Jonathan Schoop and JJ Hardy fail to drive him in.
– In the 3rd inning, with runners on 1st and second and one out, Davis laced a ball down the right field corner. Jones got a great jump from first and was on the heels of Seth Smith as the ball was being fielded. Bautista surprisingly threw to second and got Davis, but 3rd base coach Bobby Dickerson inexplicably held up Jones and the Orioles only scored one run. Mark Trumbo though picked Dickerson up with an RBI double that gave the Orioles a 2-0 lead.
– Trey Mancini delivered a pinch-hit single with two outs in the 10th on a 1-2 slider.
Highlighted pitching moments:
– Mychal Givens made his 2017 debut and got his first out on a long fly ball to the deepest part of the park that Jones hauled in before left-handed hitting Ezequiel Carrera doubled in Steve Pearce with a 2B down the right field line to blow the save and make it 2-2. Givens was money the second innings facing the heart of the lineup. After allowing a sawwed off shift induced single to 2nd base to Josh Donaldson, he struckout Bautista (95 heater down and in taken for strike 3) and Morales (97 heater up and away) before getting Tulowitzki to pop up to Schoop for the last out.
– Zach Britton pitched himself into a jam in the 9th with back to back singles with one out, but a hard sinker to Bautista induced a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Highlighted defensive plays
– Seth Smith doesn’t get a good jump and allows a bloop single on the first batter of the game.
– Manny Machado had two plays where he had plenty of time and threw on the run without setting his feet. One throw was high and the other was perfect.
– Jose Bautista made a game saving diving catch in the 9th when he dove to his left and caught a Joey Rickard liner. To make matters worse, Castillo was doubled off first as he thought the ball would drop in sending the game to extra innings.
– In the 10th with runners on 1st and 2nd, Kevin Pillar hit a Baltimore chop that might have gone up on the air 25 feet to Machado. Machado jumped in the air and in the same motioned fired a missile to the outstretched Davis to end the threat. A+ play on that one.
– in the 11th, Machado made one of the best plays you will see this year. On scorching liner he dove to his right, caught the ball, then his glove hand rolled under him. From his knees he throws a strike to nab the speedy Travis. A gem for sure.
