Mullins’ Go-Ahead Blast Ends Orioles’ Skid in Thrilling Finale Against Guardians
The Baltimore Orioles, who have the fourth-best record in the league at 49-30, are among MLB's top teams thus far in the 2024 season and are led by 22-year-old superstar Gunnar Henderson. However, going into tonight's series finale against the sweltering Cleveland Guardians, who had won seven in a row, the Orioles were experiencing their first prolonged losing streak since their return to relevance in three years. After dropping the first two games against the Guardians and being swept in Houston by the Astros over the weekend, the Orioles were looking to snap a five-game losing skid, which was a season-high. With a 4-2 triumph over the Guardians to secure their 50th win, the Orioles were able to salvage the series finale and end their current losing streak thanks to a game-winning home run by center fielder Cedric Mullins and a masterful pitching effort by Grayson Rodriguez.
The game started with Jhonkensy Noel, who was making his big league debut, hitting a solo home run to center field in the second inning off of Rodriguez in his first major league at-bat to give the Guardians an early 1-0 lead. After Jorge Mateo kept the inning alive with a double off of Carlos Carrasco, the starting pitcher for the Guardians, the Orioles would answer right away in the bottom half of the inning when Henderson drove home Mateo with a two-out single to level the game at one. The Guardians would reclaim the lead at 2-1 in the fifth inning thanks to a leadoff home run to left field by Gabriel Arias. However, the Orioles would answer in the bottom half once more, as Henderson drove in his 26th home run of the year to tie the game at two.
The game was knotted at two going into the seventh inning stretch, but Mullins hit his eighth home run of the season, smashing a pitch off Xzavion Curry and sending it to the flag court in right field, giving the Orioles their first lead of the game at 3-2. In the eighth inning, Ryan O'Hearn, became the seventh Orioles player this season to have 10 or more home runs, after knocking a solo shot to the bleachers in right-center field, providing the much-needed insurance run to increase the Orioles' lead to 4-2. In the ninth inning, veteran closer Craig Kimbrel recorded the Orioles' win with three strikeouts, marking his 17th save of the season. After the Orioles' starting pitchers had not had a quality start in eight straight games, Rodriguez's seven excellent innings in the victory halted that drought as he gave up just five hits, two earned runs, and struck out four hitters. In a repeat of the 2023 ALDS, the Orioles will now welcome the Texas Rangers to town on Thursday night to start a four-game series.
