The Atlanta Braves handed the Baltimore Orioles a 7-5 loss at Ed Smith Stadium on Saturday in spring training play. Despite Vance Honeycutt's 1-for-1 with a home run and two RBI effort at the plate, the Orioles could not pull even when it mattered. On the mound, Kyle Bradish turned in a solid outing, working 3.0 innings of 2-run ball with five strikeouts. The Braves out-hit the Orioles 12-5 on the day. 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
Vance Honeycutt was the offensive highlight at the plate, going 1-for-1 with a home run and two RBI. His power was on full display throughout the game. The Orioles will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
Adley Rutschman also contributed, going 2-for-2 with a home run, a double, and an RBI, Sam Huff chipped in, going 1-for-2 with a home run and an RBI, and Ryan Mountcastle added to the attack, going 1-for-3. The Orioles showed flashes of offense but could not piece together the big inning they needed.
On the other side of the diamond, Chadwick Tromp led the Braves offense with a 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI day. John Gil also contributed, going 1-for-1 with a home run and an RBI. Cal Conley added a 1-for-1 with a home run and an RBI effort as well. The Braves offense proved to be too much for the Orioles pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Kyle Bradish got the start, battling through his outing, working 3.0 innings while allowing 2 earned runs on 4 hits with five strikeouts. He threw 40 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 6.0 innings of work, allowing 4 earned runs while striking out eight. 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. Ryan Bourassa recorded the save to close out the game.
Among the relievers, Rico Garcia stood out with 1.0 innings of scoreless work, striking out three. It was an impressive showing that could factor into roster decisions.
How It Happened
Braves got on the board first with two runs in the second inning. The Orioles struck back with a run in the second. The Orioles added a run in the fourth. Braves responded with a run in the sixth. Braves pushed across three runs in the eighth. Braves plated a run in the ninth. The Orioles answered with three runs in the ninth. The Braves were able to score in four separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Braves out-hit the Orioles 12-5, with 1 error committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 7,728 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.