The Baltimore Orioles are built to win the AL East Division again and make a deep run in the postseason, and so far early in 2024 they are showing why.
On Thursday, newcomer Corbin Burnes stifled the Los Angeles Angels through six innings of 1-hit ball and striking out 11 batters, while the offensive exploded for 11 runs, that resulted in a 11-3 victory.
Saturday afternoon, Baltimore sent RHP Grayson Rodriguez to mound and he matched Burnes outing by tossing six of his own innings, allowing one run on four hits, one walk and struck out nine batters.
The Orioles offensive started off strong again scoring two in the bottom of the first on Gunner Henderson’s first hoem run of the season and Ryan Mountcastle‘s RBI double. In the bottom half of the third, Mountcastle added another RBI double increasing the lead to 3-0.
The Angels pulled within 3-1, after a solo home run off the bat of Taylor Ward (1).
Gunnar Henderson season is in full effect. pic.twitter.com/fVIpuM30FU
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) March 30, 2024
Los Angeles kept the Orioles offense at bay until the bottom of the sixth, when they exploded for nine runs, which blew the game open. The scoring was a result of an RBI single from Austin Hayes, RBI double from Cedric Mullins, 2-RBI single off the bat of Jordan Westburg, a 2-RBI triple from Henderson, and a three run shot from Anthony Santander to pull Baltimore ahead 12-1.
Baltimore added another run to their lead in the bottom of the eighth, on Mountcastle’s third RBI of the game, which came in the way of a sac fly.
The Angels attempted a comeback in the ninth, when they scored three runs, but it wasn’t enough to catch up to the Orioles.
Tyler Wells will take the mound on Easter Sunday, as the Orioles look for their first three-game sweep of 2024.
