Orioles pour it on, complete sweep
PHILADELPHIA » These aren’t the 100-loss Baltimore Orioles anymore. Pedro Severino and Rio Ruiz hit homers to back Thomas Eshelman and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Phillies 11-4 Thursday to complete a three-game sweep.
Eshelman (1-0) allowed two runs and four hits in five innings to earn his second career win.
The Orioles, who lost 108 games last season and 115 in 2018, are off to a 10-7 start.
“I’ve seen it from the get-go,” Jose Iglesias said. “Regardless of whether we’re winning or losing, I see potential. I see very hungry players with a lot of talent. They want to be better. I see chemistry. I’ve been around and I see a good group that wants to compete and they get along. And for me that has a lot of value.”
Eshelman was Philadelphia’s minor league pitcher of the year in 2017 but the right-hander was traded to Baltimore last year for international slot money.
“I’m just trying to do my role, just trying to give the team a chance to win no matter what role,” he said. “I’ve been trying to pitch for the team, not for myself. That’s my motto. It’s a great team to pitch for.”
Phillies starter Jake Arrieta (1-2) gave up four runs and seven hits in 4.2 innings. “No reason I shouldn’t have been able to go at least seven innings,” Arrieta said.
J.T. Realmuto hit a pair of two-run homers for the Phillies, who fell to 5-9 under first-year manager Joe Girardi. Realmuto has seven homers and 17 RBIs.
Arrieta cruised into the fifth before things unraveled. The Orioles loaded the bases on three singles. Pat Valaika grounded
into a fielder’s choice as second baseman Jean Segura made a diving stop to prevent a hit and record the second out. Then Anthony Santander lined a three-run double to right.
Iglesias drove a tworun double to left-center to make it 6-2 in the seventh.
Severino hit Connor Brogdon’s first major league pitch into the seats in left for a 9-2 lead in the eighth. Ruiz connected off Brogdon in the ninth.
“You look at the box score here, our pitching, no walks,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “That was just something that we didn’t do well last year. Way too many free passes, pitched behind in the count. Quite a few games now where we haven’t walked many people . ... ”
And that is super key against good offensive clubs.”
The start of the game was delayed 99 minutes because of rain.
Realmuto followed Bryce Harper’s double with an opposite-field shot to rightcenter in the fourth, giving the Phillies a 2-0 lead. The “Sign J.T.” chants from the group of fans who gather outside the ballpark grow louder each game. Realmuto can become a free agent after the season.
Realmuto followed Harper’s triple with his seventh homer in the eighth.
Infielder Neil Walker got the final two outs for the Phillies and instantly became Philadelphia’s most successful reliever. The bullpen has a 10.12 ERA.
“It happens, it’s frustrating,” Girardi said. “You gotta fight. It’s not gonna get any easier.” WELCOME TO THE BIGS » Third baseman Alec Bohm, the top hitting prospect for the Phillies, made his major league debut. He was greeted by air horns, vuvuzelas and cheers from the Phandemic Krew watching from the sidewalk on 10th street and Phillies Way. Bohm promptly ripped a double down the line his first time up.
SPECIAL HONOR » The Phillies will retire Dick Allen’s No. 15 on Sept. 3. Allen spent nine of his 15 major league seasons with the Phillies and was National League Rookie of the Year in 1964. He batted .290 with 204 home runs, 655 RBIs and had a .371 on-base percentage and .530 slugging percentage for Philadelphia. Allen will join Hall of Famers Richie Ashburn (1), Jim Bunning (14), Mike Schmidt (20), Steve Carlton (32), Roy Halladay (34) and Robin Roberts (36) as the only Phillies in team history to have their numbers retired.
TRAINER’S ROOM » Phillies: OF Adam Haseley was placed on the 10-day injury list with a left wrist sprain.