Baltimore goes 6-3 on their West Coast trip and are sizzling at a season-best (77-47) 30 games over .500
They have gone 79 consecutive series without being swept.
The high-flying Birds have the best record in the AL and the second-best record in all of baseball. They won the Seattle series, lost the San Diego series and annihilated the A’s who should be call the “Z’s” as they are the last team in all of baseball.
After winning the first two games against Oakland the Baltimore bats treated the A’s pitching harshly clobbering them 12-1 in the series finale.
A flock of Orioles soared during this 17-hit offensive attack, but one flew above the rest.
Infielder Gunnar Henderson nearly hit for the cycle with a triple, two doubles and his team tying 21st homerun. He is becoming a legitimate contender for AL Rookie of the Year. He has six triples tied for second in MLB. He is hitting .249 with 61 RBI.
He is also a spectacular infielder and seems to have a highlight each night with hie electric arm.
Ryan Mountcastle went 3-5 with three RBI including his 17th homer. He is hitting .275 with 60 RBI. He also has a career-high 26 game on base streak.
Speedster Jorge Mateo (.209) hit an inside-the-park home run. Left fielder Austin Hays (.281with 50 RBI) and infielder Ramon Urias (.257 with 37 RBI) both had two RBI.
Starter for the finale Kyle Bradish (8-6) struck out eight, surrendered two hits and walked one in six innings of work. His 3.03 ERA is tied for third best in MLB.
The second game of the Oakland series was a 7-2 10th-inning victory. Cole Irvin starting now after spending time in the Bullpen, went five innings allowing four hits, striking out three while walking one and giving up one run. The game was tied after nine 2-2 and then the O’s erupted for five runs in the 10th inning.
Catcher James McCann (.243 with 21 RBI) went 2-5 with a homer and three RBI and Hays went 1-4 with two RBI slugging his 12-home run.
The Bullpen was awesome giving up one run while striking out nine including trade deadline pickup Jacob Webb fanning the side in the 10th inning.
Oriole’s Kyle Gibson started the first game of the A’s series a 9-4 win. He struck out six, working five innings allowing nine hits and four runs. He improved to (12-7) with a 4.97 ERA. The reliable Bullpen pitched a shutout including six strikeouts. Henderson went 3-5 including his 20th homer and Jordan Westburg has two RBI.
The Mariner series featured two extra-inning victories at T-Mobile Park. Mountcastle singled in the 10th inning of game two giving the O’s a 1-0 win. Starter Irvin went five innings striking out six, allowing two hits and walking one. The Bullpen pitched a shutout and closer Felix Bautista who pitched two innings earned the win and improved to (7-2) with a 1.60 ERA.
Game three of the Seattle series became the late inning Cedric Mullins Show. In the ninth inning the center fielder leaped high over the wall to save a homerun and in the 10th inning hit a two-run homer giving the O’s a 5-3 win. Bradish was good in this one too striking out seven, and allowing five hits, two runs and walking one in six innings of work. The Bullpen gave up one run and Shintaro Fujinami earned his first save.
The highlight of the Padres series at Petco Park was a 4-1 Oriole’s win. Rookie starter Grayson Rodriguez (3-3) pitched probably his best game of the year. He struck out six, allowed three hits and walking one and surrendering one run in a career-high seven innings of work. He now has a 5.44 ERA. Henderson had a three-run double to pace the offense.
The Orioles return home in first place in the hotly contested AL East to face the Toronto Blue Jays, the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago White Sox.
Note: All Stats Based on finish of West Coast Trip
