The Baltimore Orioles secured a 2-1 victory over the Washington Guardians on Thursday night, thanks to a stellar performance from starting pitcher Brad Means. Means threw seven innings of no-hit baseball, allowing just one walk and striking out five batters.
Means was in control from the start, retiring the first nine batters he faced. He continued to keep the Guardians off balance throughout the game, and his no-hit bid was only broken up in the seventh inning when he issued a walk to Guardians’ shortstop, Joe Smith.
The Orioles’ offense provided Means with just enough run support to get the win. In the bottom of the fourth inning, catcher Chris Davis drove in the first run of the game with an RBI single. The Orioles added an insurance run in the sixth inning when third baseman Manny Machado scored on a wild pitch.
The Guardians had their chances, but Means was able to keep them off the board. He was able to pitch out of a jam in the fifth inning when he got Guardians’ slugger Mike Trout to ground out with runners on first and second. The Guardians also had runners on first and second in the seventh inning, but Means was able to get out of it with a strikeout and a groundout.
The Orioles’ bullpen was able to preserve Means’ no-hit bid in the eighth and ninth innings, as relievers Mychal Givens and Richard Bleier combined to throw two scoreless innings.
The Orioles’ win was their fourth in a row and improved their record to 10-7 on the season. It was also Means’ first win of the year, as he improved to 1-2 on the season.
Overall, it was a great team effort for the Orioles, as Means’ seven-inning no-hit bid was backed up by solid defense and timely hitting. The Orioles will look to keep their winning streak alive as they take on the Guardians again on Friday night.
