Was that the biggest win of the year for the Orioles?

One night after blowing the 8-0 lead, the O's beat the red-hot Rays

I think some, maybe many in the Orioles’ fanbase were expecting the worst.

The O’s had blown an eight-run lead and lost a game the night before. This has happened just three times in team history (blowing a lead of eight) that dates to 1954. And they lost to a red-hot team that had the best record in baseball at 20-7 since May 20. And now they were facing a pitcher who had an ERA of 2.55 for the year, eighth-best in the American League and an ERA of 1.59 his previous five starts.

And the Orioles fell behind 1-0 in the last of the third.

Would the Rays just roll them again doing what the Rays do?

Nope and in large part because of a 41-year-old right-hander who was so bad as the club fell 18 games under the .500 mark, but was so good again last night.

They both are digging out a hole – Charlie Morton and his team.

He provided one of the biggest starts of the year last night, allowing one run over six innings. One big start and then one big swing. Colton Cowser’s three-run homer in the top of the sixth gave the club a 4-1 lead. It was his second homer of this series on an 0-2 pitch.

The 4-1 victory was one big character win for the Orioles.

Thursday morning: They came to bury the Orioles feeling the winning was nice while it lasted.

This morning: They came to praise the Orioles, saying, hang on a minute, this is not over yet.

Morton’s performance was probably the biggest last night. Sure Cowser’s homer was huge and the bullpen came up big again, but Morton set the tone. For five of his six innings, he did not have the lead.

Consider that he beat a Rays team that had scored 44 runs the last six games in going 5-1. And had averaged 6.00 runs per game since May 20 while going an MLB-best 20-7.

In Morton’s first 12 appearances this season, the O’s were 0-12 and now they are 5-0 the last five games.

Morton has allowed one run his last two starts versus the Angels and Rays

The Rays scored 19 runs in their two wins this series and two runs in the losses, thanks to Morton, Dean Kremer and the bullpen.

Speaking of that bullpen, one night after allowing nine runs, the O’s ‘pen pitched three scoreless. In games one, two and four of the series, the O’s bullpen pitched 10 scoreless innings.

The Orioles did not win this series versus the hot Rays but after the disaster of Wednesday night, they didn’t lose it either.

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Now, the Yankees

Even during an April that ended with the Orioles at 12-18 overall, they won a series from the Yankees. April 28-30 at Camden Yards saw the O’s beat the Yankees 4-3, then lose 15-3 and they win the series-decider by 5-4.

In the last few years, the O’s certainly don’t own the Yankees, but they have more than held their own with the Bronx Bombers.

The O’s went 8-5 versus the Yankees last season and were 7-6 in 2023. It’s the first time they won two straight season series against the Yankees since taking three in a row from 2014-2016.

So the Orioles are 17-12 (.586) against New York since 2023.

The Orioles are 1-0 in series this season versus New York, 4-1 the last two years and they are 6-1-1 their past eight series against the Yankees.

While the Orioles are 74-50 (.597) in AL East games since the 2023 season, the Yankees are 56-67 (.455) in the AL East in that same time frame.

Did the O’s surprise some of their own fans last night?

Will they do more of that this weekend?

It’s a great listen: Yes it is! My new podcast out yesterday, featuring my interview with Forrest Herrmann, the club’s director of pitching development. Check it out right here.

Have I bragged lately how well this space covers both the O’s majors and minors!