Means shines on his birthday, Orioles win 4-3: Game recap 4/24/19
The Baltimore Orioles sent John Means to the mound for the start tonight, and he did not disappoint.
The now 26-year-old Means celebrated his birthday today, tossing a gorgeous five innings, striking out six and allowing only one run off four base hits. That is a nice birthday celebration if you ask me.
Renato Nunez kept his bat red-hot, doubling home Dwight Smith Jr. early in the first inning, giving the Orioles a quick 1-0 lead.
Rio Ruiz kept the Orioles half of the first inning going, scoring Nunez on a group ball single past the shortstop to extend the O’s lead to 2-0.
In the top of the fourth, Means allowed his only earned run when White Sox first baseman, Jose Abreu, doubled to cut the Orioles’ lead 2-1.
Hanser Alberto came through with a sacrifice fly in the third after a triple by Joey Rickard, extending the Orioles’ a 3-1 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, a pitch appeared to bounce off Stevie Wilkerson’s foot, but after further review the umpires decided it did not hit Stevie. The White Sox wish it did hit him. A couple pitches later, Wilkerson sent a shot over the wall in right-center, netting his first major league home run, making the lead now 4-1 for the Orioles.
After loading the bases in the sixth inning, Orioles reliever, Evan Phillips, hit Ryan Cordell of the White Sox, walking in a run and cutting the Oriole lead again to 4-2.
Paul Fry came in relief of Phillips, recording the final out of the sixth and pitching a clean seventh inning.
Mychal Givens was looking for a six-out save when he came back out in the ninth. Givens gave up consecutive doubles, allowing a run and cutting the Orioles’ lead to 4-3.
With two out in the bottom of the ninth and the tying run on third, Richie Martin makes a beautiful sliding play to record the final out. Givens completed the six-out save (1) and the Orioles are in the WIN COLUMN!
John Means records the win on his birthday (3-2) and Ervin Santana takes the loss for the White Sox.
The Orioles travel to Minnesota to take on the Twins Friday, April 26, at 8:10 pm.
