DENVER — The Orioles needed that.
Zach Eflin returned from the injured list Sunday and carried a perfect game bid into the sixth inning to help Baltimore clinch a series victory over the Colorado Rockies, 6-1. The right-hander retired the first 15 batters he faced, striking out six of them, before right fielder Jake Cave spoiled his chance at history with a swinging bunt down the third base line.
He instead had to settle for the win in a dominant outing that showed no rust despite Eflin missing 15 days with right shoulder inflammation. The Orioles’ prized trade deadline acquisition allowed four hits over seven innings of one-run baseball. He’s posted a 1.95 ERA with 34 strikeouts in five starts since coming over from the American League East division rival Tampa Bay Rays. Baltimore is 5-0 when he’s taken the ball.
“I’m such a command guy and a field-based pitcher, I got to live on the corners,” Eflin said. “So, that’s what I’ve been focusing on the entire time I’ve been on the IL when I’ve been throwing and feeling better. So, it was just nice to go back and compete again and to be able to live on the corners and keep them guessing.”
The Orioles offense left a rough August in the past with a pesky performance complete with situational hitting, smart base running and a tape-measure home run by James McCann. Gunnar Henderson led the way with a pair of RBI singles, the first of which gave Baltimore an early lead it wouldn’t relinquish. Henderson, who entered the contest hitting .130 (6-for-46) over his last 12 games, had not had a multi-hit game since Aug. 17.
“A lot more comfortable out there,” Henderson said of the Orioles offense. “It looked like we were just playing ball. Not trying to do too much. Felt like it was a good all-around day today.”
Baltimore wore Rockies starter Ty Blach down to set up a four-run fourth inning, which was capped off by McCann’s two-run, 429-foot blast to left-center field. Eloy Jiménez got the rally started with a leadoff walk before scoring from first on a ground ball that Coby Mayo snuck through the right side and underneath the glove of Cave to roll all the way to the wall. Cedric Mullins dropped a flare into shallow right field to score Mayo, who was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk prior to the game, before coming around on McCann’s homer.
By jumping ahead 5-0, the Orioles (79-59) opened up their largest lead at any point of a game since building an initial 7-1 advantage over the New York Mets on Aug. 20. They tacked on another in the seventh when Jackson Holliday singled, stole second base and scored on Henderson’s second RBI knock. Holliday recorded a hit in all three games of the series in Denver, where his father, Matt Holliday, played six seasons during his storied MLB career.
The effort Sunday was a strong response from the Orioles following Saturday’s disaster in which both Dean Kremer and Ramón Urías left with injuries. Urías landed on the 10-day injured list with an ankle sprain Sunday morning and Hyde said he “would be surprised” if Kremer was able to make his next start, though he added that it was too soon to tell.
“It’s tough, if it’s not one thing it’s been another,” McCann said. “But this is what you train for all offseason, this is what you plan for all season long is this month, the last 30 days of the season, competition for a division title and competition for a playoff spot, and then obviously hopefully a long October run.”
The lone blemish against Eflin on the day was a two-out, seventh-inning rally by Colorado. Center fielder Brenton Doyle, first baseman Michael Toglia and designated hitter Nolan Jones strung together three straight singles off Eflin to score a run and prompt a mound visit from pitching coach Drew French. Eflin then struck out Cave to end his outing at 85 pitches, a conservative play by manager Brandon Hyde after his starter chose to forgo a rehabilitation start to return from the IL on time.
“He’s just been great for us,” Hyde said. “We’ve got to keep him healthy this last month. That’s going to be key. But he just pitches like a total pro and he’s such a competitor and he’s got such confidence in all his pitches.”
Matt Bowman took over for the eighth and worked around a walk to shortstop Ezequiel Tovar for a scoreless frame before Gregory Soto closed out the game in the ninth. With the win, the Orioles clinched their first series victory since taking two of three from the Rays on Aug. 9-11.
They finished 3-3 on their National League West road trip and now return home trailing the New York Yankees by half a game in the AL East. Baltimore is set to host the lowly Chicago White Sox for the three game with Corbin Burnes slated to start opposite Chris Flexen on Monday.
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