Giants add to slumping Orioles’ rough stretch

Sep 19, 2024, 7:20 AM | Updated: 7:25 am

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 18: (L-R) Heliot Ramos #17, Grant McCray #58 and Mike Yastrzemski #...

(Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Sactown Sports

Michael Conforto had three hits, including a homer, and the San Francisco Giants frustrated the host Baltimore Orioles again, winning 5-3 on Wednesday night.

Mike Yastrzemski hit a home run for the second consecutive night and Casey Schmitt drove in two runs for the Giants.

The Orioles (84-68) have lost eight of their past 10 games and are in danger of sliding out of the chase with the New York Yankees in the American League East. With the Yankees winning 2-1 in Seattle on Wednesday, Baltimore is five games back in the division race.

Michael Conforto walloped this ball 😳 pic.twitter.com/waYJrTHVvQ

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 19, 2024

Giants vs. Orioles recap

The Giants (74-78) won’t be in the postseason but they’re off to a nice start through two games of a nine-game road trip. San Francisco won the series opener 10-0 on Tuesday.

Hayden Birdsong (4-5) won for the first time in six decisions, ending a winless drought of more than 1 1/2 months. He gave up three runs on four hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings, striking out three.

Tyler Rogers and Ryan Walker each worked a perfect inning in relief, with Walker notching his eighth save.

Orioles starter Dean Kremer (7-10) gave up five runs (four earned) on seven hits without issuing a walk in six innings. He struck out seven.

Gunnar Henderson had two of Baltimore’s seven hits.

Yastrzemski hit a leadoff home run for the second night in a row, this time his 17th long ball of the season.

The Orioles scored for the first time in the series in the third. James McCann’s double drove in the first run and Cedric Mullins gave Baltimore a 2-1 lead after his RBI groundout.

The cushion didn’t last long. The Giants scored three runs in the fourth inning to take a 4-2 lead. An error accounted for the first run and Schmitt drove in two with a single.

San Francisco stretched the lead to 5-2 on Conforto’s 17th homer in the sixth.

Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI double in the sixth closed the gap to 5-3, but Giants reliever Erik Miller came on and stranded two runners on base. Baltimore loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh against Sean Hjelle, but didn’t convert.

–Field Level Media