Kelley L Cox- USA TODAY Sports
The Baltimore Orioles were in control of the game throughout last night against the San Francisco Giants until Orioles closer Jim Johnson blew another save late to tie the game at 2-2. Luckily for the Orioles, Chris Davis went into another gear at the right time, and delivered a double with two outs in the 10th inning, and the Orioles would go on to win 5-2.
It’s such a shame that Johnson got awarded with the win. It’s funny, and dumb at the same time. The real hero for the Orioles last night would be Chris Tillman who pitched a dominant game in eight innings with just four hits and one earned run.
The Orioles improve their record on the season to 64-51, and are only 1.5 games behind the second AL Wild Card spot. The good news for the Orioles in the AL Wild Card standings is the fact that they have the AL West leaders in the Oakland Athletics, and the Texas Rangers at their mercy. The Orioles hold a tiebreaker over both teams due to winning the head-to-head battles earlier in the season.
The bad news for the Orioles is the question mark surrounding the closer situation. Orioles manager Buck Showalter has been on record supporting Johnson time and time again, but something is going to have to be done about the closer role because if they get into the postseason with Johnson, they won’t last long. Johnson has seven blown saves on the season which is tied for the most in MLB.
“That’s why we trust him,” Showalter noted about Johnson’s composure versus the Giants via ESPN.com. “He kept competing and didn’t give in.”
That’s maybe why you trust him Showalter, but there are plenty of O’s fans who don’t.
Wola Odeniran is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter at WolaOdeniran52, or add him to your network on Google.
