CINCINNATI — The splitter has been nearly untouchable this season for right-hander Félix Bautista, but at a certain point, even the best pitches can be clobbered. The Orioles reliever had thrown three straight elevated fastballs to Cincinnati Reds first baseman Brandon Drury, so ahead in the count, Bautista tried to change eye levels.
The splitter — which should’ve dipped beneath the zone — instead hung up for Drury. And with that one mistake in a 2-2 game, one of Baltimore’s best relievers was forced to turn and watch Cincinnati’s game-winning home run fly over the left field fence at Great American Ball Park.
Before that long ball, Bautista had allowed one homer in his previous 27 innings. The next was bound to come, but as he covered for an Orioles offense incapable of producing much, the margins left no room for error. Drury rounded the bases, Baltimore went down in the ninth and the Reds took a series victory with a 3-2 win Sunday.
