BALTIMORE — By the end of the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader, there were hardly any fans remaining at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. But for those who had sat through 18 innings of baseball, they had seen a smattering of all the club has to offer.
A strong pitching display, with the occasional mistake pitch mixed in. An offense that only operates in short-lived spurts. And a sprinkle of defensive letdowns — with costly results.
In the second game Sunday, however, those mistake pitches were few and far enough between, the offense’s short-lived spurt lived just long enough and the defensive letdown only led to one run. In all, it gave the Orioles a 4-2 win against the Kansas City Royals, setting up a rubber match Monday at 12:05 p.m.
The outing from left-hander Bruce Zimmermann laid the groundwork, following a solid start from right-hander Jordan Lyles in the first game. Zimmermann continued his dominance at Camden Yards, allowing two runs on five hits in six innings Sunday — and bringing his season total at the ballpark to four earned runs in 20 innings.
He received immediate offensive support, with the Orioles (11-17) plating three runs in the first inning. Singles from center fielder Cedric Mullins and designated hitter Trey Mancini set the stage before left fielder Austin Hays walked. The three of them scored, with a passed ball, Ryan Mountcastle single and Ramón Urías sacrifice fly doing the damage.
Earlier in the day, facing a similar situation, the Orioles fell flat. But in the nightcap of Sunday’s doubleheader, that first-inning breakthrough was enough to get Baltimore through to a twin-bill split. Zimmermann allowed one run in the second on a sacrifice fly, saddled with a leadoff triple from Hunter Dozier because right fielder Tyler Nevin misjudged his route and came up empty on a leap at the wall.
And besides Dozier’s RBI single in the sixth, Zimmermann mainly cruised. His four-seam fastball resulted in 13 called strikes or whiffs, joining his changeup to create an imposing one-two punch.
While Nevin’s misplay in the second helped the Royals get on the board, his RBI single in the fifth made up for it, plating Urías and creating enough of a cushion for the bullpen to close out.
Have a week, Hays
The line drive right at the left fielder in the fifth inning of Sunday’s second game was just a momentary interruption in what was otherwise an on-base clinic from Hays. Even the dribbler he hit back to right-hander Dylan Coleman turned out in Hays’ favor, with an off-line throw helping Hays reach base for the eighth time in nine attempts Sunday.
Across his week, Hays finished 10-for-21, including a home run that mounted the left field wall and a throw from left that nabbed the Minnesota Twins’ Max Kepler at the plate on Thursday.
Hays has been Baltimore’s most consistent batter, and he hit a hot streak in New York against the Yankees on April 28, slugging three doubles. Since then, he’s recorded 17 hits in 39 at-bats. If there’s a sign the Orioles’ offense is finding any rhythm, it comes when studying Hays.
ROYALS@ORIOLES
Monday, 12:05 p.m.
