Baltimore Orioles rally against Chicago Cubs but lose 9 – 8 in ninth inning

O’s Mark Trumbo hits his 15th homer of the year (Image: Orioles / Facebook)

As MLB play resumed on the evening of July 15, 2017 following the All-Star break, the O’s and 2016 World-Series Champs Chicago Cubs took the field following a brief rain delay at Orioles Park at Camden Yards. Both teams entered the game with virtually the same win-loss records. Early this season after a strong start, the starting pitching staff for the Baltimore Orioles began to implode, with that phenomenon holding true again last night.

O’s starter Kevin Gausman, whose appearances regularly waft between brilliant and embarrassing, gave up four homers to the Cubs in the first inning. By the time he left the game, the right-hander “gave up eight runs — including four in the first inning — seven hits and four home runs in three innings,” according to The Washington Post.

After the game, Baltimore Orioles’ Manager Buck Showalter said that he kept waiting and hoping for Gausman to find his stride; but that stride never materialized. The 5.75 combined ERA for Orioles’ starters entering into last night’s game is the worst in the American League. Last night, Gausman’s ERA rocketed to 6.39, according to The Chicago Tribune.

Following Gausman being booed by the fans and getting yanked after the third inning, the O’s bullpen arrived and pitched five scoreless innings. And then, the Orioles rallied. The O’s got on the board in the third inning with a homer by catcher Welington Castillo. Mark Trumbo doubled and was brought home when Chris “Crush” Davis, recently returning from the disabled list, brought Trumbo home. “And in the fifth, Baltimore knocked out Cubs left-hander Mike Montgomery as part of a four-run inning, which left fielder Joey Rickard capped with a two-run, bases-loaded single that cut the deficit to 8-6,” according to the Post.

The Baltimore fans were going wild in the stands as the game progressed and the Orioles came back to erase Chicago’s eight-run lead and tied the game up in the eighth thanks to Mark Trumbo’s two-run, eighth-inning homer, according to Orioles.com.

“You gotta keep grinding, especially when you got talent like us,” Showalter said. “It puts you on your heels a little bit, I don’t care how good you are, especially at this level. It really tests you mentally. It really does.” ~ per The Washington Post

The Orioles’ rally proved to be was short-lived when Cubs’ Addison Russell homered against Baltimore closer Brad Brach in the ninth with the Cubs taking a 9 – 8 lead over Baltimore. Cubs’ closing pitcher Wade Davis held that lead for his team with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

The Orioles continue their 10-game home stand at Camden Yards today when they once again go up against the Cubs. The O’s are currently tied for last place in the AL East with the Toronto Blue Jays. In the National League’s Central Division, the Cubs are in second place and six games back from the Milwaukee Brewers.