Steve Davis: The Orioles Are The Comeback Kids
It's pretty amazing how the Orioles were able to dig themselves out of holes the last 5 games.
They won 4 of those 5 vs. the Red Sox and Yankees. In those game, they were outscored 18-14 in the first 5 innings, but then rallied to outscore their opponents 26-10 in innings 6-9. Just take a look at this weekend. Friday, they were down 5-2, then rallied for 3 in the 6th and another in the 7th to win 6-5. Then, Saturday, the O's fell behind 7-0. Somehow, in the 7th, they hit three home runs, first Trumbo, then Alvarez, then Jones with a 3 run shot to pull within one at 7-6. They didn't win, but that was an incredible comeback.
Finally, Sunday, down 1-0 in the 8th to a Yankees team that was 25-0 when they had a lead after 7, the Orioles got 2 runners on against Betances, who averages almost 2 strikeouts an inning, and then Matt Wieters stroked a single off the previously perfect Aroldis Chapman to win it. To put in perspective what Wieters did, Chapman, in his career, holds hitters to .077 when the is up 0-2 in the count. Not only that, but he has struck out 121 of the 168 hitters that he had 0-2. That's about 75% of the time he strikes the guy out. And Wieters hit a 2 run single (3 counting the throwing error), becoming just the third hitter to ever get an RBI off Chapman when down 0-2. Impressive!
Moral of the story, don't count the Orioles out. Not with this line-up and this bullpen.