Corbin Burnes shines in debut, Orioles smack Angels

Field Level Media|published: Thu 28th March, 18:08 2024

Mar 28, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Corbin Burnes (39) is greeted by catcher Adley Rutschman (35) after the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. credits: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

Corbin Burnes pitched six innings of one-hit baseball in his Baltimore debut and the Orioles rolled past the visiting Los Angeles Angels 11-3 in their opener Thursday.

Cedric Mullins hit a three-run homer and Anthony Santander added a two-run shot while totaling four RBIs for the defending American League East champions.

Burnes (1-0), acquired in a February trade with the Brewers, struck out 11 batters without a walk. Mike Trout's first-inning homer was the only hit allowed by the 29-year-old right-hander.

Starter Patrick Sandoval (0-1) allowed five runs — three earned — in 1 2/3 innings for the Angels, who endured a long afternoon as they began the post-Shohei Ohtani era. Sandoval allowed six hits, walked two and struck out two.

Burnes struck out the first two batters he faced, but Trout homered to center on a 1-1 slider to give the Angels a short-lived lead.

The Orioles opened the bottom of the first with a walk, a single and another walk to load the bases with no outs against Sandoval. After Santander grounded into a force at second, Austin Hays struck out, but Jordan Westburg lined a single to center, scoring Adley Rutschman to make it 2-1.

Ramon Urias reached on third baseman Anthony Rendon's error to open the second and went to third on Jorge Mateo's double. With one out, Rutschman's single made it 4-1 and Rutschman later scored on Santander's sacrifice fly.

With two outs and a runner on in the bottom of the fourth, Santander homered to left-center on the first pitch from reliever Jose Suarez.

Mateo walked leading off the sixth, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Ryan Mountcastle's sacrifice fly.

Hays walked to open the seventh, Ryan O'Hearn doubled and Mullins followed with a homer to center.

The Angels loaded the bases on a double — their first hit since the first inning — and two walks in the eighth inning. Los Angeles scored two runs when the Orioles got a force at second on Zach Neto's grounder but Mateo threw wildly to first.

—Field Level Media

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