vs
Once again a great game. Once again a surprising outcome.
In a game that was a feast for the neutral fan the Royals took a lead twice and as many times the Orioles came back to tie the game. The game had a lot of hitting, nice fielding and a couple of errors. The things that make baseball worth watching.
After a single by Nori Aoki and a double by Lorenzo Cain in the top of the first, Eric Hosmer singled on a “dying quail” double to right field. Aoki scored on the hit and Lorenzo Cain raced home from second to give the Royals a 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second inning, the Orioles cut Kansas City’s lead in half. With Hardy and Pearce at first and second, Ryan Flaherty drew a walk to load the bases. Caleb Joseph hit a sac fly to center field to drive in Steve Pearce for the first run of the O’s in this game.
In the top of the third, with runners on the corners, Billy Butler doubled down to right field to drive in Lorenzo Cain and to give Kansas City another two run lead. But in the bottom of the third, a double by Alejandro de Aza and a homer by Adam Jones, tied the score at three each.
The game went back and forth. In the fourth inning the Royals took another lead when Mike Moustakas hit a solo shot over the right field wall. But once again the O’s tied it when Nelson Cruz grounded into a force out, with runners on the corners. Adam Jones was put out at second but Alejandro de Asa scored the tying run in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Until the ninth the teams didn’t score a run.
The Royals eventually ended on the right side of the score. Omar Infante hit a dribbler just out of reach of Darren O’Day. Third baseman Ryan Flaherty fielded the ball but his throw was too late to throw out Infante. Infante was replaced by pinch runner Terrance Gore, who advanced to second base on a sac bunt by Mike Moustakas. A double by Alcides Escobar drove in Gore from second. A fielding error by Ryan Flaherty on a high bouncing ball hit by Jarod Dyson, put runners on the corners. Lorenzo Cain drove in the final run of the game when he hit a single to left field on which Alcides Escobar could score the sixth run for Kansas City.
Greg Holland retired the first two batters that he faced in the ninth before allowing a single to Nelson Cruz. But that was the last that the O’s were capable of. Holland then retired Steve Pearce on a strikeout.
Thanks to this win, the Royals take a 2-0 lead with them to Kansas City for game three, four and five.
Jonathan Schoop went 1 for 4 and left four runners on base. He was also part of a 6-4-3 double play.