After my first Orioles game, I figured a second one was in order. My second game was August 1st and even better than the first, especially my seats (Thanks, Mom, and Dad!) and I came with a better attitude than last time too.
Photo Credit: Mitch Stringer/PressBox
To start off, it was new Oriole outfielder, Gerardo Parra’s first game and Parra has the special honor of being the 1,000th Baltimore Oriole. Before Parra could even make it to the mound, everyone wa out of their chairs, giving him a much deserved standing ovation. The standing ovation must have stirred something in Parra who then went on to hit a double. That was just the start of the Orioles complete and utter domination of the Detroit Tigers for the second night in a row that ended up in a series tie with 2 losses for the Tigers and 2 for the Orioles.
Before I even made it to Baltimore, I had told everyone that I wanted to see a home run which is a pretty ambitious goal. Fortunately for me, my goal was reached more than once. The first home-run came from catcher Cable Joseph and then a second from the third baseman, Manny Machado. It was Joseph’s 8th home run of the season and Machado’s 23rd. Their 6-2 victory wouldn’t have been the same without the pitcher, Kevin Gausman though who racked up 6 strikeouts, 4 hits in 7 innings and no walks. Runs by JJ Hardy and Jimmy Paredes also helped seal Baltimore’s fate.
Currently, the Baltimore Orioles are in 3rd place in the AL Eastern Division which was coincidentally where they were at when I saw them last. The Orioles trail by 5 wins for second place and 6 wins for first place. However, it’s not too late for the Orioles to make a comeback and maybe clinch the division. Crazier things have happened before and I think Orioles manager Buck Showalter put it best after the game saying, “You can’t let your guard down at any time.”
While the game was phenomenal, the experience of actually being at the ballpark is unreal. If you haven’t had the chance to go, I highly recommend going to Camden Yards. Even if the Orioles lose, it’s all about the fun of the game, right?
