BALTIMORE (AP) — Jordan Westburg’s first big league plate appearance came during a bit of a downpour.
The Baltimore rookie was able to stay focused.
“Pretty crazy, honestly,” Westburg said. “Felt like something out of like a movie, or something that you dream, honestly. Huge raindrops falling. Just trying to focus on picking up the baseball.”
Westburg drew a walk in that trip to the plate, the start of a productive night offensively, and he also made a slick defensive play to help the Orioles to a rain-soaked 10-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night. Westburg, one of the game’s top infield prospects, was called up earlier in the day and started at second base in his debut.
He had a hit, a walk, a run and an RBI, and in the fifth, he nearly started a double play by flipping the ball with his glove to shortstop Jorge Mateo on a grounder up the middle.
“I’m sure he’s done it quite a few times. He nailed it right there,” Orioles outfielder Austin Hays said. “Shows he’s comfortable and confident in himself.”
The game started 15 minutes late because of the weather, and there was another delay of 1 hour, 44 minutes in the third inning. Baltimore led 2-1 when play was halted, then quickly started adding runs after it resumed.
Bruce Zimmermann (1-0) pitched three innings after the long rain delay in relief of Cole Irvin.
Spencer Steer homered for the Reds, who have dropped three in a row following a 12-game winning streak.
Brandon Williamson (1-1) threw 64 pitches in the first two innings. The left-hander seemed to be having issues with the mound conditions, especially when the teams played through the rain in the second. He walked three straight hitters — including Westburg — to load the bases with two outs. Then Hays hit a two-run single that put Baltimore ahead 2-1.
“There wasn’t anything on the radar, but the storms kept popping up,” Reds manager David Bell said. “So it’s really tough to predict that. Once you get going, you’re trying to keep it going because you don’t want to lose the starting pitchers. So I think everyone did as good a job as they possibly could.”
After Williamson allowed a leadoff single in the third, the tarp came on the field and his night was done. When play began again, the Orioles loaded the bases with one out for Westburg, who hit a grounder to third baseman Elly De La Cruz. The Cincinnati rookie threw to second for a force, but Jonathan India’s relay to first got away for an error and Baltimore ended up with two runs on the play.
Ramón Urías hit an RBI double in the fifth, and Cedric Mullins followed with a sacrifice fly. With Westburg batting, Urías scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-1. Then Westburg blooped a single to left for his first hit.
Steer hit a two-run homer in the sixth.
Hays doubled home a run in the seventh, and Adley Rutschman followed with a two-run single.
ANOTHER DEBUT
Cincinnati reliever Jake Wong pitched three innings in his first major league appearance. He allowed Baltimore’s three runs in the seventh.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: Manager Brandon Hyde said RHPs Dillon Tate (right elbow) and Mychal Givens (right shoulder) would go through some further testing, and Givens is expected to play catch later this week or next week. LHP John Means (left elbow) and RHP Austin Voth (right elbow) were to play catch Monday, and C James McCann (left ankle) hit in the cage Sunday.
UP NEXT
The Orioles send Tyler Wells (6-3) to the mound Tuesday night against Cincinnati rookie Andrew Abbott (3-0). Abbott held the opposition scoreless in his first three big league starts, then struck out 10 in his fourth.
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