BALTIMORE — In spring training, Rougned Odor subtly bemoaned his time with the New York Yankees. He described their usage of him at third base as “uncomfortable.” The club’s facial hair policy caused him to shave his signature beard, making him unrecognizable to even his daughter.
Sunday at Camden Yards, he got his revenge, drilling a pinch-hit, two-run single up the middle to spark the Orioles to a 5-0 victory over his former club, giving Baltimore a series win to close its first homestand of 2022.
The hit seemed to shed the Orioles’ seasonlong struggles with runners in scoring position. They had been 0-for-6 in those situations on the day, pushing them to 7-for-83 this season. Robinson Chirinos worked a 10-pitch walk to load the bases with two outs when manager Brandon Hyde called on Odor, a veteran second baseman who signed with the Orioles this offseason after scuffling with New York in 2021. A 1-1 sinker from Jonathan Loásiga stayed up in the zone, and Odor smacked it up the middle.
