The Baltimore Orioles defeated the Kansas City Royals (38-47) 5-3 Friday night. The game was played in a brisk 2 hours 18 minutes thanks to the starting effort of RHP Brandon Young.
Young gave the O’s a quality start in which he allowed 3 runs on 8 hits with a walk and 5 strikeouts in 7.0 innings. He did come out for the eighth and was lifted after pitching to one batter. Isaac Collins greeted Young by hitting a homerun to center field to end his night. Young also surrendered a homerun to Jac Caglianone in the fourth inning. Kansas City added a second run in the same inning on a RBI double by Josh Rojas that allowed Michael Massey to score from first base.
Young set the pace of the game by throwing 85 pitches (59 K’s) to the 27 batters he faced and by retiring the side in the third, fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
Four singles in the second inning produced the Orioles’ first two runs. Blaze Alexander (2 for 4, 2 R, RBI) gave the O’s the lead in the bottom of the fourth with a 436 ft. homerun to left center field, his fourth of the season.
The game was tied at three going into the home half of the eighth. Pete Alonso (1 for 3, R) hit a lead-off single, setting the stage for Samuel Basallo (1 for 4), on a 1-2 count, to hit an 81.7 mph slider 373 ft. down the right field line for a two-run homerun. Basallo was able to just clear the foul pole and tossed his bat towards the Orioles’ dugout in celebration.
Rico Garcia (4-1), who relieved Young in the eighth, was credited with the win and for the second day in a row, Andrew Kittredge recorded the save, his third of the season.
With the exception of Colton Cowser, the other eight batters in the starting lineup recorded a hit in the game.
2026 Record: 44-51
Next Game: Sat. 7/11 @ 7:05 pm vs. Kansas City Royals
