By Brandon Angus
BALTIMORE, MD — After a 67-minute weather delay pushed first pitch to 8:15 PM ET, the Angels and Orioles delivered a tight, rain-interrupted duel on a muggy 82-degree night in Baltimore. With 20,204 fans braving the elements, Baltimore leaned on veteran dominance and timely power to notch a 2–0 win.
The vibe around Camden Yards shifted multiple times Friday night—from storm delays and anxious dugouts to thunder off of the Orioles’ bats and thunderous cheers for Félix Bautista’s signature close. In a game that took over five hours including weather stops, Baltimore walked away with a focused, no-nonsense 2–0 win over the visiting Angels.
Veteran right-hander Charlie Morton, 41 years old and still dealing, set the tone early. He gave the O’s five innings of no-run ball with 10 strikeouts, mixing his fastball and a wicked slider that gave Angels hitters fits.
Ryan O’Hearn had one word to describe the team’s mindset after batting practice: “Win.”
The 31-year-old left-handed swinging 1B and RF followed through on that early. In the bottom of the 2nd, he launched a 405-foot solo homer to right field, putting Baltimore on top for good. Two innings later, Ramón Laureno added another solo shot to left on a 106 mph rocket, extending the lead to 2–0 just before a second rain delay halted the action for over an hour.
Despite multiple stoppages, both bullpens locked in. The Angels mixed in five relievers post-delay, including Hunter Strickland and Hector Neris, while the O’s pieced together a lights-out back end: Yennier Canó, Gregory Soto, Bryan Baker and Bautista—who entered the 9th to a hyped light show and “Feel It” by Brooke Evers.
He did just that: two strikeouts, a sky-high popup to Gunnar Henderson, and a big crowd reaction as he secured the save.
Félix Bautista was named the American League LatinoMVP Closer Award winner in 2023 – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Before the game during BP, I caught up with O’Hearn of the O’s and Angels infielder Luis Rengifo. O’Hearn didn’t hesitate when asked about the impact of Latino players in the game today:
“Salvi. Spent a lot of years with Salvador Pérez in Kansas City… ultimate clubhouse leader, guy I learned a lot from. I mean, there’s a ton of Latino players who are fun to watch—Tatis, Acuña, Mateo, Urias, Félix, Soto, Seranthony… I don’t want to leave anybody out.”
Venezuelan great on and off the field, Salvador Pérez, won the Roberto Clemente Award for the 2024 season – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Rengifo, who went 2 for 3 and a stolen base in the game, kept his message simple when asked about inspiring young Latino players:
“Stay focused. Let’s go. You can do it. Trust yourself.”
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