Orioles’ streak of regular-season non-sweeps survives
The Milwaukee Brewers entered today’s game in a position to do something that no team has done in nearly two years: sweep the Baltimore Orioles in a regular-season series. It doubled as their first chance to face their former ace, Corbin Burnes, after trading him in the offseason.
The Brewers got off to a hot start against their old friend today. William Contreras greeted Burnes by watching one cutter go by and then promptly depositing the second one into the seats in center field, his fourth homer of the season, which also extended his hitting streak to ten games. Rhys Hoskins followed with a 102 mph, 402 foot double to left that was only held because of the new wall arrangement in Baltimore. Burnes was able to strand Hoskins to keep the score at 1-0.
Making a statement and extending the hitting streak ‼️@Wcontreras42 https://t.co/6CBJn44dQh pic.twitter.com/nP417C9hPW
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) April 14, 2024
Baltimore had an immediate answer, as Colin Rea hit Gunnar Henderson with a pitch and Adley Rutschman singled. After Anthony Santander popped out, Ryan O’Hearn knocked a single through the right side that scored Henderson to make it 1-1. Rea got Ryan Mountcastle to fly out and struck out Colton Cowser to end the first inning on even footing.
Baltimore took a one-run lead in the second inning when Cedric Mullins got a hold of one for his third home run of the year. Milwaukee was able to answer again in the third, though, in a sort of peculiar fashion: Blake Perkins singled, advanced to second on Burnes’ third throw over (I’m not sure I’ve seen that rule enforced yet), and then got to third when Sal Frelick just beat out an infield hit; Perkins then scored when Frelick took off for second and engaged the Baltimore infield in a pickle. Frelick was retired to end the inning, but not before Perkins crossed home plate to make it 2-2.
It didn’t stay that way for long. When it looked like Rea might finally get through a quick inning, O’Hearn hit a two-out solo homer on a first-pitch cutter right down the middle. Through three innings, runs had scored in five of six frames.
The trend would continue in the fourth. Willy Adames beat out a single and Gary Sánchez came back from a 1-2 count and worked a walk. Brice Turang dropped down a perfect bunt, which would have been a hit, but Adames scored when Burnes’ wild throw escaped first baseman Mountcastle. The Brewers were well-positioned to add to their tally, but Joey Ortiz popped out, Joey Wiemer struck out looking, and Perkins struck out swinging, allowing Burnes to escape with the score knotted at three.
That’ll work!! #ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/GSyQs6kX9I
— Bally Sports Wisconsin (@BallySportWI) April 14, 2024
Rea finally worked through a clean inning in the fourth. The Brewers threatened in the top of the fifth, as Contreras walked, stole second, and advanced to third on a Hoskins flyout, but was thrown out at home for the second out after Frelick battled hard but hit a ground ball right at Henderson on the tenth pitch of the at bat. They kept the pressure on, as Frelick stole second and Adames worked a deep count, but Burnes struck him out to end the inning. The long at bats took their toll, though, as Burnes exited the game after the fifth with 98 pitches. He finished with six hits allowed, three runs (two earned), two walks, and five strikeouts in those five innings.
Rea was efficient today and nearly made it through six innings, but after he walked Cowser with two outs in the sixth, Pat Murphy opted for a change, and brought in Bryan Hudson to face Mullins, who Hudson struck out. The book was closed on Rea: he pitched 5 2⁄3 innings, allowed five hits and three runs (all earned), he walked one, and he struck out six, more than doubling his season total.
The Brewers retook the lead when Perkins led off the seventh with a home run off of Yennier Cano, who has been one of the best relievers in baseball since the beginning of last season. The lead would not last long. The Brewers turned to Abner Uribe in the bottom of the seventh, and the Orioles jumped all over him: Jordan Westburg led off with a single, Jackson Holliday followed with another (his first career hit), Gunnar Henderson hit another which scored Westburg, and Adley Rutschman grounded into a double play which scored Holliday. This all happened in just ten pitches, and the Orioles retook the lead, 5-4.
– !!#ThisIsMyCrew #Brewers pic.twitter.com/iBIpKyRT26
— Bally Sports Wisconsin (@BallySportWI) April 14, 2024
They extended that lead in the eighth, as Hoby Milner’s early season struggles continued. He erased a leadoff single to Ramón Urías by inducing a Ryan Mountcastle double play, but Colton Cowser followed with a home run (his second of the series and fourth in the last four days), and Milner was just able to escape despite a Mullins double and a Westburg walk.
The Brewers entered the ninth inning down 6-4 against Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel. With one out, Blake Perkins and William Contreras hit back-to-back singles, but Kimbrel was able to strike out Hoskins and Frelick to end the game.
Notable offensive performances for the Brewers include Blake Perkins, who was 3-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored, William Contreras, who went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk, and Willy Adames, who had a couple singles and a run scored. Perkins is now hitting .385 with an OPS over 1.000 on the season.
The Orioles remain unsweepable: they have not been swept in the regular season since May 2022, now 96 straight series. Still, taking two out of three on the road against a team that won 101 games in 2023 and was riding the vibes of promoting the game’s top prospect is no small feat. The Brewers’ record stands at 10-4 as they return to American Family Field tomorrow for a three-game series against the San Diego Padres.