BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 21: General Manager Mike Elias of the Baltimore Orioles watches batting practice before the game against the Detroit Tigers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 21, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Gunnar Henderson, 9-run inning power Orioles to 13-4 win over Angels
BALTIMORE – The festivities have subsided and the fanfare of opening day has passed, but the Orioles aren’t going anywhere. Baltimore beat the Los Angeles Angels, 13-4, for its second straight win to open the 2024 season Saturday behind a nine-run sixth inning in which the Orioles sent nine batters to the plate before recording an out. Shortstop Gunnar Henderson led the way, finishing a double shy of the cycle with three 105-plus mph hits and a leadoff home run. After jumping out to a 3-1 lead through five innings against Angels starter Griffin Canning, the Orioles forced Los Angeles manager Ron
Washington to turn to his bullpen with a walk by Ryan Mountcastle and a single by Ryan O’Hearn to open the frame. Angels reliever Luis García then allowed four straight hits before ceding the ball to Guillo Zuñiga, who gave up three more before finally getting Los Angeles out of the frame.
By then, the damage was done. RBI hits by left fielder Austin Hays (one-run single), center fielder Cedric Mullins (one-run double), second baseman Jordan Westburg (two-run single), Henderson (two-run triple) and right fielder Anthony Santander (three-run home run) put the game well out of reach. Santander, who also homered opening day, put the exclamation point on the inning as the ninth consecutive batter to reach. On a day when
Henderson received his 2023 Silver Slugger Award along with Rutschman, the Orioles’ reigning American League Rookie of the Year showed why the honor was warranted. Henderson finished 3 for 4, tying Angels left fielder Taylor Ward for the longest fly ball of the day at 419 feet with his first-inning home run. He put the ball in play every at-bat. Mountcastle also had a big day for Baltimore, though it could have been bigger. He came a few feet away from two home runs, one to the deepest part of the extended left-field wall and another that landed in the glove of Angels center fielder Mickey Moniak on the warning track. Instead, the first baseman had to settle for two doubles and three RBIs.
