The high-flying Baltimore Orioles took two of three in inter-league play from the Cincinnati Reds and went 6-3 on their first road trip of the season good enough for first place in the AL East.
Baltimore is now 8-3 against their division opponents. They went to Boston and split a short two game series with the Red Sox and then went north and took three of four from the Toronto Blue Jays.
At 10-4 they are in first place and have the best record in baseball but the New York Yankees and the Red Sox are right behind them at 10-6 and 10-7.
After splitting the first two games of the Red’s series, the O’s won the series-clinching game, 2-1. Shortstop J.J. Hardy was the hero as his single in the 10th inning brought in the winning run.
Second baseman Jonathan Schoop hit his third home run of the season to give the Birds and early 1-0 lead in the second inning.
Baltimore’s starter Wade Miley was outstanding. He had eleven strikeouts allowed two hits and one run in eight innings of work.
The bullpen was also impressive and threw a no hitter. Reliever Darren O’ Day kept the game even in the ninth and Brad Brach finished off the 10th inning because closer Zach Britton is on the DL with an arm injury.
In the middle game of the series, a 2-0 Baltimore victory, starter Ubaldo Jimenez (1-0) was on his game on the mound and at bat. He walked four struck out three and allowed two hits in 7.2 innings of work.
He even had a single at the plate and stood on first with a big smile on his face.
Again, Baltimore pitching limited Cincinnati to two hits. Reliever Donnie Hart finished off the eighth and Brach earned his first save of the season.
Schoop and Manny Machado each collected their eighth RBI of the season.
In the first game of the Cincinnati series, the Reds won 9-3 and roughed up Oriole’s starter Kevin Gausman. It was 7-1 after the second inning. Gausman (1-1) gave up eight hits, eight runs, had three walks and two strikeouts in 2.2 innings of work.
It was 9-1 after three and the bullpen shut out the Reds the rest of the way. Center fielder Adam Jones was 1-3 with two RBI including his third home run of the season.
