Orioles Pound Angels Again, Beating Los Angeles 13–4 Thanks to a 9-run 6th Inning

Orioles Pound Angels Again, Beating Los Angeles 13–4 Thanks to a 9-run 6th Inning
Baltimore Orioles' Ryan Mountcastle hits a double against Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Griffin Canning which scored Anthony Santander during the third inning of a baseball game in Baltimore on March, 30, 2024. Terrance Williams/AP Photo
The Associated Press
Updated:

BALTIMORE—Gunnar Henderson homered leading off the bottom of the first inning, then added a two-run triple in Baltimore’s nine-run sixth as the Orioles pounded the Los Angeles Angels for a second straight game, 13–4 on Saturday, March 30.

After winning 11–3 on opening day, Baltimore jumped ahead quickly in this one when Henderson hit a drive to right-center. The reigning American League Rookie of the Year had three hits and ended up a double shy of the cycle.

“I felt like I stuck with my approach—didn’t try to get too big,” Henderson said. “Laid off some good pitches, and put a good swing on the good ones.”

Anthony Santander hit a three-run homer in the sixth for the Orioles. The first nine Baltimore batters that inning—an entire trip through the batting order—had come in to score by the time the Angels got an out.

Grayson Rodriguez (1–0) allowed a run and four hits in six innings and struck out nine.

Taylor Ward went deep for the Angels in the fourth and added an RBI single during the team’s three-run ninth. Griffin Canning (0–1) allowed five runs and seven hits in five-plus innings.

“All of us need to take a look at what we did tonight and learn from it,” Ward said .“And then turn the page quickly.”

The Orioles led 3–1 before breaking open the game in the sixth. Of the first nine hitters that inning, six had hits, two walked, and one reached on a fielder’s choice when shortstop Zach Neto made an error. After Santander’s three-run shot made it 12–1, the inning had included nine hitters, nine runs and no outs.

The previous team to have its first nine hitters in an inning all score was the Kansas City Royals in the first inning on Sept. 29, 2023, against the New York Yankees, according to Sportradar. Although in that game, the ninth run came home on a sacrifice fly that was the first out of the inning.

The previous time a team had its first nine batters cross the plate before the first out was Arizona’s fifth inning at Colorado on Sept. 9, 2022.

The triple was Henderson’s last plate appearance of the game. He was removed for a pinch-hitter in the eighth.

“It’s early in the year. I get it,” Henderson said. “I get the decision.”

After Henderson put Baltimore ahead 1–0, Mountcastle added a one-out RBI double that just missed clearing the big wall in left field at Camden Yards.

In the third, Santander and Mountcastle hit consecutive doubles to make it 3–0.

By Noah Trister