HOUSTON – Not a bad Orioles debut for Cam Sanders.
While Taylor Ward’s go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning propelled Baltimore to a 3-2 victory over the Astros at Daikin Park on Friday night, it was Sanders who set the stage by getting the Orioles out of a huge seventh-inning jam.
With the bases loaded and one out when he entered the game, Sanders struck out Isaac Paredes and retired Christian Walker on a popup to keep the Astros’ lead at 2-1.
Could Sanders, a right-hander acquired from Pittsburgh on July 13 and called up from Triple-A Norfolk on Friday, have envisioned coming into such a high-leverage situation after compiling an 8.68 ERA in nine appearances with the Pirates this year?
“Baseball’s a crazy world,” said the 29-year-old right-hander. “You’ve got to be able to survive and adapt to whatever situation comes. I’m just grateful to have another opportunity to show the world what I can do.”
Mixing his slider and four-seam fastball, Simmons saw Paredes foul off three consecutive 1-2 pitches before taking an 86 mph slider for a called third strike. Walker also fell behind 1-2 before working the count full. He then fouled off a fastball before popping up an 84 mph slider.
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz was impressed.
“That’s a really tough situation to come into, and Cam was great,” Albernaz said. “Slider had some really good shape and bite to it, and the fastball was real. And to come in and keep the game [2-1] there was huge.”
Said Sanders: “I knew that they were going to be looking for a good pitch to hit, so I knew I had to execute some pitches. Paredes really had a good fight and put together a good at-bat. He was kind of getting to some of my best sliders, so I just had to bear down and keep throwing it in the zone and hope it works out.”
Sanders, who lives in New Orleans, said he was on an Alabama beach during the All-Star break when he got the call that the Orioles would be calling him up. He had been designated for assignment by Pittsburgh last weekend before Baltimore acquired him for cash considerations.
“A really good call for me,” Sanders said. “I love this game and have been playing it my whole life. For anyone to see potential in me – anyone that wants to take a shot on me – that means a lot.”
Shortly after catching Walker’s foul out to end the seventh, Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman doubled leading off the eighth. Ward then sent an 82.2 mph sweeper, the first pitch he saw from Bryan King, 399 feet to left-center field.
Ward’s seventh home run of the season not only sent the Orioles to their season-best fifth consecutive victory but also gave Sanders his first Major League win.
“It feels awesome,” Sanders said. “I never would have imagined my first win coming like this, but I mean, shoutout to Ward for stepping up with the big swing. I was just glad I was able to go out there and get a couple big outs.”
Ward said he hopes the home run is a sign of more power from him in the second half.
“I haven’t had many moments this year like that, unfortunately,” said Ward, who is hitting .256 with a .367 slugging percentage and is tied for second in the Majors with 76 walks.
Tyler Wells preserved the win with a ninth-inning escape. After Jeremy Peña singled with one out, Triple Crown threat Yordan Alvarez was retired for the first time all night on a flyout to center. After walking Paredes, Wells notched his third save by fanning Walker.
“The thing with Wellsy, one, he has really good stuff,” Albernaz said. “And also, he’s such a competitor on the mound. He doesn’t get fazed. And when Peña got the infield single, obviously we had to pitch to Yordan, and Wells stepped up big time.”
For Ward, it was a pleasant reversal from his last appearance at Daikin Park. While with the Angels on Aug. 31 last year, he crashed horrifically into Daikin’s left-field scoreboard wall while pursuing a deep line drive.
“That was definitely crazy last year,” Ward said. “Still have two more games in the series, so hopefully I can get out of here alive.”