Cole Irvin continued his impressive streak of not allowing any runs to reach 20 2/3 innings as the Baltimore Orioles secured a 3-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night.
Irvin, now 3-1 for the season, limited the Reds to just two hits, both by Elly De La Cruz, across 6 1/3 innings. He struck out four batters and issued no walks during his time on the mound.
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde praised Irvin’s confidence and pitch selection, noting his ability to keep hitters off balance with a varied pitch mix.
The left-hander hasn’t conceded a run since the fourth inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins on April 15. Reflecting on his recent performances, Irvin expressed gratitude for his consistency and emphasized his focus on executing pitches and keeping the ball low in the strike zone.
In the seventh inning, after allowing De La Cruz’s leadoff double, Irvin struck out Spencer Steer before being replaced by Yennier Cano. Cano managed to record two outs before handing over to Danny Coulombe for the eighth inning.
Closer Craig Kimbrel sealed the win with a dominant performance, striking out all three batters he faced to secure his 11th save of the season.
Ryan O’Hearn hit a home run for Baltimore, who won four out of their last five games. The game was delayed by rain for two hours and 41 minutes.
Reds pitcher Hunter Greene struggled after the rain delay. Jake Fraley threw out Gunnar Henderson when he tried to turn a single into a double, and despite two hits and a walk, the Orioles couldn’t score in the first inning.
Greene, who hasn’t given up a run in 14 innings, didn’t allow another hit until the fifth inning. He walked four batters and made a balk in 5 2/3 innings.
Irvin, in his sixth start of the season, retired 17 batters in a row after De La Cruz singled with one out in the first inning. Irvin got 11 groundball outs in six innings, which was important in the homer-friendly Great American Ball Park.
“I’d like to get more groundballs consistently,” Irvin said. “The only thing I can control is how I throw the ball. This ballpark is small. Pitchers need to think about it a bit. I’ve had some success here.”
