Orioles Catcher Bryan Holaday Finishes Game as Pitcher as Orioles Blown Out by Nationals 15-3

After six straight wins led by their offense, the Orioles seemed due for an off night. And they finished it off with catcher Bryan Holaday on the mound.

Holaday was the 17th position player in Orioles history to pitch in a game, and the last since Stevie Wilkerson recorded a save last year against the Angels. But he only entered the game when the score was out of hand. 

The Orioles suffered a blowout loss in the first game of a three-game set against the Nationals on Friday at Camden Yards in a 15-3 loss, the first loss where the team was never in the game in a few weeks. 

Holaday's finish wasn't the only unique part of Friday's game, as Keegan Akin made his major league debut. Akin threw three innings, allowed two hits and three earned runs with one home run allowed. He was sent to the team's alternate training site at Double-A Bowie after the game.

"I thought he threw the ball really well," manager Brandon Hyde said of Akin's debut. "I was really encouraged by how he threw the ball. Really nice life to his fastball, good tempo, he flashed some decent breaking balls. He went out and attacked hitters and I was really impressed with him making his debut tonight and facing a lot of tough hitters for the Washington Nationals and he did a nice job."

As was a problem throughout the night, however, the Orioles didn't play good defense. They were credited with just one error, but the defense was more shoddy than that would suggest.

Starting pitcher Tommy Milone threw four innings, allowed nine hits and six runs - but three were unearned as the Orioles fell behind in the second inning and never came back. The Nationals scored in six of their nine offensive innings, including a six run outburst in the eighth inning.

The offense wasn't much help, as they recorded just six hits compared to the Nationals 19 in a disappointing performance across the board. Anthony Santander slugged a home run in the first inning off Stephen Strasburg, who left with an injury in the inning, but the Orioles were quiet the rest of the night in a dominating defeat.

"I just didn't think we played well defensively," Hyde said. "I think we've been pretty good for the most part, especially in the infield. Tonight just wasn't our best night defensively. We just didn't play very well. So we just chalk this up, try to put this one behind us."

Orioles catcher Bryan Holaday finishes game as pitcher as Orioles blown out by Nationals 15-3 originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

Copyright RSN
Contact Us