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 Wieters led off the bottom of the 11th inning with a home run that
gave the Orioles a 2-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves in an
interleague matchup at Camden Yards.
The Orioles were going to play Wieters at first base Sunday in Tampa
Bay and then put him behind the plate Monday, but he thought that
might not be the best idea.
"I thought playing first yesterday might keep me from being able to
catch today, and it was something that you could have pushed through
it and played, but I wanted to be able to catch and be able to be
behind the plate today," Wieters said. "That was when we thought it
was best to just take yesterday off to where I was pretty confident
I was going to be ready to go today."
Wieters went 3-for-5 and ended the night in style, crushing a 1-0
pitch from left-hander Luis Avilan (2-4) to center to snap a 1-1 tie
and give the Orioles (49-49) their third consecutive victory.
Orioles manager Buck Showalter said that Wieters was just fine for
this game -- and the skipper felt good about not making another move
he had considered.
"I'm pretty glad I didn't pinch-run for him an inning or two
before," Showalter said. "We could have pushed the envelope
yesterday, but then he may not have been able to do what he did
tonight."
Right-hander Brad Brach (4-2) got the victory thanks to a scoreless
11th. The Braves missed on several scoring chances and ended up
stranding eight runners and going 0-for-9 with runners in scoring
position.
The Braves (46-53) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the ninth on third
baseman Adonis Garcia's solo homer off Orioles closer Zach Britton.
However, Baltimore quickly answered in the bottom half.
Center fielder Adam Jones started the tying rally against
right-hander Jim Johnson with a leadoff infield single. Wieters then
lined a single to center, putting runners at first and third with no
out before shortstop J.J. Hardy lined a game-tying sacrifice fly to
left.
Starters Alex Wood and Kevin Gausman shut down the opposing teams
for much of the game.
Atlanta left-hander Wood allowed just three hits in 7 1/3 shutout
innings. He retired 12 in a row at one point and struck out seven
with two walks but came away with a no-decision.
"That's baseball, you know?" Wood said. "The only thing that matters
to pretty much everybody in this clubhouse and to me is winning. So
no matter what I do or don't do, that's what it comes down to."
Gausman, a right-hander who pitched at LSU and faced Wood in college
(Georgia), matched him. He threw a career-best 7 2/3 scoreless
innings and gave up six hits, striking out five with one walk but
also getting a no-decision.
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"Today, I established my fastball in and also down and away,"
Gausman said. "Just one of those things. Kind of the flip of a coin.
Some days you are going to have rough days like that. That's one
thing veteran guys do really well. Even when they are struggling,
they could get you through five, six, seven innings sometimes."
The game also marked the return of Atlanta right fielder Nick
Markakis to Baltimore. He played nine years for the Orioles, who let
him walk away in free agency last winter for a four-year deal with
the Braves.
Markakis batted leadoff and drew a huge standing ovation when he
came to the plate to start the game. He saluted the fans and then
doubled to left. The Braves stranded him there, and he finished
2-for-5.
Still, the game belonged to the pitchers.
"It's a shame that today's game (ended) like the way it ended,"
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "It was ... well-played ... from
both sides."
NOTES: LF Nolan Reimold took over the leadoff spot as Orioles
manager Buck Showalter continues to rotate players there. 3B Manny
Machado batted there for 72 games, but Showalter used DH Jimmy
Paredes and LF David Lough up top over the weekend in Tampa Bay.
This was the first time Reimold batted leadoff this season, while
Machado stayed in the No. 3 spot for the fourth straight game. ...
The Orioles have committed the fewest errors in the major leagues
(39). They played an error-free game Monday. ...1B Freddie Freeman
made his second consecutive start for the Braves after coming off
the disabled list Saturday. He missed a month due to a right wrist
contusion. He entered Monday hitting .411 with runners in scoring
position -- the best in the majors -- but went 0-for-2 in those
situations in the loss.
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