The Orioles routed Tampa Bay on Wednesday night and finally looked like a team that can dictate how a game opens.
The first inning set everything up
Baltimore scored five times in the first inning of its 11-2 win over Tampa Bay, the kind of early offense the lineup has struggled to produce this year. Gunnar Henderson opened with a two-run homer off Steven Matz, and Blaze Alexander capped the inning with a two-run single. Ten batters came to the plate before the Rays got out of it.
The cushion let rookie starter Trey Gibson settle in. He went 5 2/3 innings, allowed one run and picked up his first major league win.
The lineup depth showed up everywhere
Henderson finished with two home runs, his 12th and 13th of the season. Alexander added a two-run shot off Jonathan Heasley in the seventh for his first homer of the year and a career-high six RBIs from the No. 8 spot. He became only the fifth player in Orioles history since 1954 to drive in six-plus runs from the eight hole, and the first since Chris Hoiles in 1998.
Baltimore’s 11 runs were a season high, with 16 hits spread across nine different players. Adley Rutschman had three of those. The damage came from spots in the order that had often gone quiet earlier in the year.
A sweep that reset the divisional picture
Baltimore swept the AL-leading Rays (34-19) at Camden Yards a week after Tampa Bay swept the Orioles at Tropicana Field from May 18 to May 20. The Orioles improved to 26-30, four games under .500 for the first time since May 13, and 5-1 on a 10-game homestand.
The Rays did not help themselves, going 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position in their fourth straight loss. Baltimore’s pitching held up too, with Gibson inducing three double plays and the relievers keeping the lead clean rather than dropping into another bullpen crisis.
The template Baltimore has been chasing
Manager Craig Albernaz pointed to the five-run first as the moment that opened up the night for his rookie starter. Putting the opponent behind early lets the rest of the lineup stick to its plan and keeps the bullpen out of high-leverage spots.
Baltimore has the talent to climb out of this start if the top of the order stops handing the rest of the lineup a deficit to solve. Wednesday looked like the version of that.
Read More: The Seattle Mariners found a smart rotation plan with one growing catch
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