BALTIMORE, Maryland April 16, 2014 - The Winter that Would Not End lingered still in Baltimore today; at game time at sun-drenched Camden Yards it was just 39 degrees. Miguel Gonzalez, Zach Britton and Tommy Hunter paid tribute to the notorious Baltimore weather by keeping the bats of the Tampa Bay Rays in the deep freeze. Limiting the Rays to just six hits, the three Baltimore hurlers helped the Orioles reach the .500 mark for the first time since the second game of the season as Baltimore beat the Rays, 3-0. Gonzalez, who picked up his first win of the campaign - he is now 1-1 - gave up only three of those hits over the five innings he pitched.
Three different Oriole hitters knocked in runs as Baltimore improved to 7-7 after starting the season 1-4. Although the Baltimore bats were not much better than Tampa Bay's - the Orioles also managed only six hits - the home team managed to bunch theirs in critical situations. As the two teams celebrated Jackie Robinson Day one day late due to yesterday's rainout, the Birds broke on top in the fourth inning when they struck for two runs. Nelson Cruz led off with a walk and moved to second when Chris Davis singled to right field. The Orioles then loaded the bases when Adam Jones nudged a bunt down the third base line that he was able to beat out. That brought the Orioles hottest hitter, catcher Matt Wieters, up to bat. Wieters smacked a fly ball that Ray centerfielder Desmond Jennings caught at the centerfield wall; it was plenty deep enough to not only score Cruz from third, but also allow Davis to take third base and the speedy Jones to scamper into second base. This alert base running paid almost instant dividends when shortstop J.J. Hardy hit a slow ground ball to the first base side of the pitcher's mound. Tampa pitcher Jake Odorizzi jumped on the ball and was able to retire Hardy at first, but Davis raced home on the play for the second Baltimore run. Hardy was credited with an RBI.
The Birds made it 3-0 in the fifth inning. Ryan Flaherty coaxed a walk from Odorizzi and moved to second when Nick Markakis hit an opposite field single to left. After Nelson Cruz popped out to Ray first baseman James Loney, who ranged into foul territory to make the catch, Davis worked Odorizzi for the second walk of the inning, this one loading the bases. That brought up Jones, and for the second time in as many at bats he sent a slow ground ball in the direction of third base. Longoria and Odorizzi decided to let the ball roll, hoping it would go across the foul line; instead the ball cozied up to the chalk on the fair side. Flaherty, of course had sped by the crowd to score the Orioles third run. Odorizzi was able to wiggle out of the jam by getting Wieters to again fly out to centerfield.
Gonzalez left after retiring the Rays in the fifth, and Oriole Manager Buck Showalter summonsed Zach Britton from the bullpen. Britton came in with an ERA of 0.00, and he also left with it three innings later. But not without some very uneasy moments in the seventh when the Rays loaded the bases with only one out. In previous years, Britton might lose his cool in such a situation, but it seems as if that might now be a thing of the past. The Tampa threat started when, with one out, Logan Forsythe, who was pinch hitting for left fielder David DeJesus, worked Britton for a walk. Yunei Escobar followed with a single to right, with Forsythe moving to second base. Jose Molina, the Rays' catcher, followed with a slow roller to the third base side of the pitcher's mound. Flaherty, playing third base, went to the bag believing Britton would field the ball and throw there to get the lead runner on a force out. But Britton couldn't get to the ball quick enough to make a play on it and now the bases were loaded with just one out. Britton did not seem alarmed. He quickly threw a fastball past Ben Zobrist to get ahead on the count, 0-1. Quickly enough Zobrist hit a routine ground ball to Flaherty, who gobbled it up and fired to Wieters at home to get the lead runner for the second out. Wil Myers was next and Britton didn't fool around. He struck Myers out on a swinging strike three.
The Orioles are off on Thursday, then fly to Boston to open a four-game weekend series on Friday. The series will include an 11 am game on Monday to commemorate Patriot's Day. Boston will be abuzz Monday, with the Red Sox playing at Fenway and the Boston Marathon being run downtown.
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