This weekend’s series with the Chicago Cubs (65-46) in the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field was an entertaining one. Friday and Saturday produced one run games with each team winning one. Sunday’s game was a close one as well, with the Cubs beating the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 after an exciting ninth inning for both teams.
Trailing 3-2 to begin the ninth Colton Cowser led off the inning with a double to right field.
With two outs Interim Manager Tony Mansolino called upon newly acquired Ryan Noda to pinch hit for Alex Jackson. Noda deposited the second pitch he saw into the right field corner for a RBI double; game knoted at three.
A Former Oriole Walks It Off
The home half of the inning began with Dansby Swanson reaching on a throwing error by Jordan Westburg; the throw pulled Coby Mayo off of first base. Cubs Manager Craig Counsell then inserted former Oriole (2009-2010) and formerly clean-shaven Justin Turner to pinch hit fot Michael Busch. Turner deposited the first pitch he saw from Keegan Akin (3-1) into the left-center field seats for the two-run walkoff homerun.
Chicago jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. A fielding error by Jeremiah Jackson in right field put Busch on second. On the broadcast Ben McDonald said, “he did everything right, what he did wrong was not catch the ball”. Advancing to third on a sac bunt, Busch scored on a Seiya Suzuki single. Suzuki scored on an Ian Happ double.
A Gunnar Henderson groundout in the third scored Alex Jackson and a Cowser single in the fourth scored Adley Rutschman.
Starter Brandon Young gave the Orioles a 4.2 inning effort, allowing 2 unearned runs on 5 hits with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts. Of his outing, Young said, “I think I got 0-2 on a few guys, and I just remember getting 1-2, 2-2, 3-2 like right away trying to make the perfect pitch instead of just going after them.”
Dietrich Enns made his Orioles debut and allowed a run on 5 hits over 1.2 innings while striking out 3.
Kade Strowd struck out 1 over 1.2 innings.
The stage was set for Akin but Turner was having none of that.
2025 Record: 51-61
Next Game: Mon. 8/4 @ 6:45 pm vs. Phillies in Philadelphia