The Houston Astros handed the Baltimore Orioles a 7-6 loss at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on Tuesday in spring training play. Despite Coby Mayo's 4-for-4 with a home run and five RBI effort at the plate, the Orioles could not pull even when it mattered. On the mound, Levi Wells turned in a solid outing, working 3.2 innings of 2-run ball with one strikeout. The Orioles finished with 9 hits on the day while holding the Astros to 8. The loss is a minor bump as the Orioles continue fine-tuning ahead of Opening Day. The exhibition season is about preparation, and today provided the kind of reps the coaching staff needs to see.
Key Performers
Coby Mayo was the top performer at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a home run and five RBI. His power was on full display throughout the game. The Orioles will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
Brandon Butterworth provided support, going 1-for-2 with an RBI, Dylan Beavers also contributed, going 1-for-4 with a double, and Colton Cowser chipped in, going 1-for-4 with a double. The Orioles showed flashes of offense but could not piece together the big inning they needed.
On the other side of the diamond, Jack Winkler led the Astros offense with a 1-for-2 with a double and three RBI day. Cam Smith also contributed, going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Christian Walker added a 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI effort as well. The Astros offense proved to be too much for the Orioles pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Levi Wells got the start, battling through his outing, working 3.2 innings while allowing 2 earned runs on 3 hits with one strikeout. He threw 66 pitches in the outing. The coaching staff will review his performance as they continue mapping out the pitching plan for the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 3.6 innings of work, allowing 3 earned runs while striking out ten. The Orioles continue to sort through their relief options as they build their Opening Day bullpen. Every inning pitched in the spring is an opportunity for pitchers to make their case for a spot on the roster when the games start counting.
Among the relievers, Josh Walker stood out with 0.2 innings of scoreless work, striking out two. It was an impressive showing that could factor into roster decisions.
How It Happened
Astros got on the board first with two runs in the first inning. The Orioles countered with two runs in the second. The Orioles plated two runs in the fifth. Astros answered with four runs in the sixth. The Orioles responded with two runs in the seventh. Astros countered with a run in the ninth. The Astros were able to score in three separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. The Orioles out-hit Astros 9-8 on the day, with 3 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 3,186 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
Despite the result, the Orioles will take the lessons learned from this game and move forward. Spring training is about preparation and evaluation, not wins and losses, and the coaching staff gained valuable information about the roster today. There is still time to make adjustments before the regular season begins, and games like this one are part of that process.