My game recap of the Orioles game on Wednesday elicited the following response on the OH Message Board: “It must be sad (sic) to write these most evenings”. I hadn’t given much thought to that as I feel I have an obligation to the readers to recap the game, good or bad.
Today’s 8-3 loss by the Orioles to the Chicago White Sox proved that statement to be spot-on as I realized the highlight of the day was seeing the majority of the fans wearing their giveaway Birdland Hawaiian shirts.
The White Sox jumped on starter Thomas Eshelman (2.0 IP, 4 R, 4 H, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 HR allowed) and chased him from the game in the 3rd inning following a 105 mph line drive off the bat of Jake Burger that struck him in the right leg. Eshelman gallantly tried to make the play on Burger’s hit and faced four additional batters before being removed for Keegan Akin. Tagged with the loss, Eshelman is now 0-2 on the season.
Akin’s outing was so-so as he allowed 4 runs on 6 hits over 4.1 innings of relief. The lefty walked 1 and struck out 6.
Adam Plutko gave up 3 hits over the final 2.2 innings of the game while walking 1 and striking out 2.
Offensively, the Orioles were led by Domingo Leyba (2 for 3, 2 RBI, 1 BB) and Ramon Urias (2 for 4). Ryan Mountcastle (1 for 3, 1 BB) scored twice and Austin Hays “knocked in” the Birds third run with his pinch-hit bases loaded walk in the eighth inning.
Eight hits, nine runners left on base and going 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position is not a formula for winning baseball.
2021 Record: 28-60
Next Game: Sun. July 11 @ 1:05pm
