The Baltimore Orioles actually pulled off a 3-1 win against the Los Angeles Angels last night, and honestly, you gotta give it up to them. After the trade deadline absolutely gutted that roster, leaving fans feeling “dark-hearted and depressing,” according to MASN analyst Kevin Brown, this win was a wild surprise, especially because it came from two pitchers who’ve had a rough go of it.
That Pitching Nobody Saw Coming
Man, talk about a tough week for Birdland faithful. Losing Adley Rutschman, Taylor Ward, Dean Kremer, and Tyler Wells? Brutal, just brutal. So to show up the next day, after all that emotional whiplash, and get a game like this? Wild. The pitching matchup was Povich against former Oriole Grayson Rodriguez. And get this: neither guy had been good all year. Povich has mostly been chilling in the minors, and G-Rod was rocking an ERA above seven going into this start. You’d expect a slugfest, right? But nope. Somehow, both pitchers threw their best games of the year! For Rodriguez, it was his first quality start since July 2024, back when he was *still an Oriole*. Remember 2024? Rodriguez was crushing it then, 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA in 20 starts before getting shelved. Povich, on the other hand, made his MLB debut that June and put up some rough numbers: 3-9, a 5.20 ERA, and nearly four walks per game. So to see these two former rotation mates both step up like that last night? Seriously, who saw that coming? Povich did allow five hits in three innings and stranded a couple of runners in the second and third, making it a bit dicey, but he held it together.
Clutch Hits and a Fresh Face Shine Through
The Orioles offense got just enough done. Pete Alonso got two runs off Rodriguez in the third with a single, which was huge. Then, in the eighth, Tyler O’Neill came off the bench and smacked a pinch-hit home run to make it 3-1. Talk about clutch! And can we talk about Christian Franklin for a second? The longtime Nationals farmhand made his MLB debut, got a warm welcome at Oriole Park, and walked in his very first MLB at-bat! Then he chugged impressively from first to third on a Colton Cowser single, setting up a run-scoring rally. That’s how you make an entrance, kid! Rodriguez, to his credit, looked strong early, striking out the first two O’s and sitting down Baltimore hitters in order in the second. But he had one hiccup inning, just one, and that’s all the Orioles needed to eke out the win.
This win, after what felt like a complete gut punch of a trade deadline, had to feel good for the fans who stuck it out. It wasn’t a blowout, but it was a gritty, unexpected W that just shows you never know what the game’s gonna throw at you.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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