Cole Irvin Extends Scoreless Streak, Orioles Blank Reds 3-0
Cole Irvin’s impressive scoreless streak continued on Friday night as the Baltimore Orioles shut out the Cincinnati Reds 3-0. Irvin extended his streak to 20 2/3 innings, allowing only two hits and striking out four batters in 6 1/3 innings.
The game, delayed by rain for over two hours, saw Irvin dominate the Reds’ lineup. After allowing a single to Elly De La Cruz in the first inning, Irvin retired 17 consecutive batters. He induced 11 groundball outs through six innings, showcasing his control and ability to keep the ball on the ground.
The Orioles’ offense struggled early against Reds starter Hunter Greene, who had thrown 14 scoreless innings coming into the game. However, Baltimore broke through in the seventh inning against reliever Emilio Pagán. Jorge Mateo led off with a single and stole second, setting the stage for Adley Rutschman’s double that drove in Mateo. Ryan O’Hearn followed with a two-run homer to give the Orioles a 3-0 lead.
Craig Kimbrel closed out the game for the Orioles, striking out the side in the ninth inning to earn his 11th save.
The win marked Baltimore’s fourth in five games, while the Reds dropped their third straight.