And on the fourth day, the Orioles played. And won.
After a scheduled day off Monday followed by consecutive rainouts Tuesday and Wednesday — the first time they’ve been postponed consecutively since 2004, and the first time it has happened at Camden Yards since 2000 — the Baltimore Orioles and the Pittsburgh Pirates finally played baseball Thursday.
It wasn’t without a 21-minute rain delay in between the fourth and fifth innings. But, ultimately, the Orioles played a full nine innings, beating the Pirates, 5-1, in the first game of a straight doubleheader.
Baltimore was paced by the club’s poster boy for waiting things out: first baseman Steve Pearce, who hadn’t played a major league game since April 13. The 17-day layoff didn’t seem to bother him.
After going 1-for-7 before being released and re-signed this week, Pearce singled in his first three at-bats against the Pirates, the club that originally drafted him. It was Pearce’s first three-hit game since June 9, and the first time he had multiple RBI since Sept. 28.
The Orioles (13-12) couldn’t do anything in the first four innings against Pittsburgh right-hander Charlie Morton (0-4), but they sent nine batters to the plate in the inning after the rain delay.
Delmon Young, starting for the first time since April 22, singled to start the fifth. Steve Clevenger walked and J.J. Hardy attempted a sacrifice bunt that Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez fielded before bouncing his throw. It brought Pearce to the plate with the bases loaded and no outs.
It was a moment Pearce had been waiting for patiently — for more than a week, if not all season. He was taken off the roster April 22 and was in limbo until re-signing with Baltimore on Tuesday to, essentially, play first base until Chris Davis comes off the 15-day disabled list.
Pearce had singled in his first at-bat in the third inning, but there was more at stake this time. And he came up big, knocking a 92-mph sinker from Morton into left field to tie the score. Ryan Flaherty followed with a two-run single, also to left, for a three-run fifth.
Pearce added an RBI single in the sixth to chase Morton, who allowed four runs (two earned) in 51/ 3 innings. He has picked up the loss in each of his past four outings, while the Pirates (10-17) have dropped 14 of their past 18 games.
Nick Markakis homered for the first time this season, taking Jeanmar Gomez deep to right-center field for a solo shot in the seventh.
The Pirates scored first when Jose Tabata tripled against starter Bud Norris to lead off the third. Norris retired the next two batters before Alvarez singled to make it 1-0.
The Orioles right-hander didn’t give up a run throughout the rest of the outing, scattering seven hits and one walk while hitting two batters and striking out three in 51/ 3 innings. He threw 105 pitches — 72 for strikes — but he made the big pitches when necessary.
Norris (2-2) stranded six Pirates on the bases and, as a team, Pittsburgh left 13 on base while going 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position.
Five Orioles relievers combined for 32/ 3 scoreless innings to guarantee a win in the first game of the two-game, one-day series. Tommy Hunter was needed to get one out — a strikeout — with runners on the corners in the ninth for his seventh save of the season.
The afternoon game also included Baltimore’s first replay challenge at Camden Yards. For the second time this season, Showalter officially challenged an umpire’s ruling — and won.
With a runner on second and one out in the top of the second, Norris appeared to hit Pittsburgh’s Tony Sanchez with a pitch. But replays showed the ball actually struck the knob of Sanchez’s bat before ricocheting to his leg.
Showalter challenged, and after a delay of 3 minutes and 29 seconds, the call was overturned and Sanchez had to return to the plate. He then lined out.
The Orioles’ only other replay challenge this year came April 19 in Boston, when Nelson Cruz was ruled out at first before the call was overturned on review.
— Baltimore Sun