Birdland Baseball Is Back!
The 2024 Spring Training Schedule began on a sun-filled Saturday at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida at 1:04pm when new Baltimore Oriole RHP Corbin Burnes threw a swinging strike to Boston CF Ceddanne Rafaela. While the game was not the first of the MLB Spring season (the season began on Thursday when the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers squared off in Arizona) it was the first and only one that mattered in the Baltimore region.
An all-time record crowd for Ed Smith Stadium (7,950) saw Burnes allow 1 hit and strikeout 2 on 22 pitches in the first inning. Thay also saw Adley Rutschman (1 for 2, 1 R, 1 RBI) hit his first homerun of the Spring to centerfield in the bottom of the first. In the end it was a Colton Cowser (1 for 1, 1 R, 2 RBI) walk-off, two-run homerun to left-center that put the Birds in the win column 4-3 over the Boston Red Sox.
A total of eight pitchers toed the rubber for the Orioles with Mike Baumann (1.0 IP, 1 K), Garrett Stallings (3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 BB) and Nick Vespi (1.0 IP, 1 K) presenting themselves well. Morgan McSweeney (1-0) pitched the ninth inning and earned the win despite walking 1 batter.
Austin Hays (1 for 2) and Coby Mayo (1 for 1, HBP) both hit doubles in the contest.
Fans got their first look at 2022 #1 overall draft pick Jackson Holliday who played five innings at second base and went 0 for 2 with a strikeout. On defense Holliday was involved in two put-outs and teamed with Rutschman get catch Bobby Dalbec attempting to steal second in the third inning.
The Orioles travel to Bradenton, FL. on Sunday to face the Pittsburgh Pirates.