BALTIMORE — A frequent problem during the Orioles’ freshly ended 19-game losing streak was the offense’s inability to get a big hit. But on Thursday afternoon against the Los Angeles Angels, that stretch looked like a thing of the past.
Catcher Pedro Severino’s first-pitch grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning broke open what became a 13-1 victory, giving the Orioles consecutive wins for the first time in close to a month and their first series victory of August. Of their 33 home runs this month, it was their first with a runner in scoring position.
Severino was also behind the plate for left-hander Keegan Akin’s best outing of his young career. A rookie who has struggled much of this season, Akin allowed a leadoff home run to Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani and dealt with traffic on the bases early, but cruised late as he pitched a career-high seven innings. The only hits he allowed beyond the home runs were a bunt single and a misplayed flyball.
Ohtani’s league-leading 41st home run put the Orioles (40-86) behind early, but Jahmai Jones, who was called up Monday ahead of this series against his former organization, doubled and scored in the third inning to tie the game. It seemed as if the Orioles would bring another run home in the fourth, but the inning’s first out came when a quick replay review showed Trey Mancini was out at home trying to score on Ramón Urías’ single.
Mancini made up for it in the fifth, bouncing a single up the middle after walks to Cedric Mullins and Ryan Mountcastle to give Baltimore the lead. After an RBI double from DJ Stewart, Urías’ walk to loaded the bases prompted a pitching change. Severino pounded Jake Petricka’s first offering, an elevated sinker, into the Orioles’ bullpen in left-center.
Urías, Severino and Mountcastle drove in a pair of runs each in Baltimore’s final two innings. The Orioles scored 31 runs in the three-game series, more than they had in the preceding 13 games combined.
Including Ohtani’s home run, the Angels got their leadoff batter on base in each of Akin’s first five innings. But he erased the last of those runners on a pickoff amid retiring the next eight batters he faced, needing only 20 pitches over his final three frames.
Akin became the first Oriole since John Means on May 24 to complete seven innings, striking out six while allowing three hits. Los Angeles got a runner on second base against him only once, when Akin hit Kurt Suzuki with a pitch to open the second and Stewart lost a flyball to left field in the afternoon sun for a single. Akin then struck out the side, all on fastballs.
Akin has lowered his ERA by nearly a full run over his past three starts, with Thursday’s performance dropping the figure to 7.26.
