Tonight's attendance: 14,077
Apologies for the technical difficulties, but I'm back.
The Orioles had gone 27 1/3 innings without scoring while Zach Britton was on the mound until Matt Wieters doubled off the out-of-town scoreboard in right field with one out in the bottom of the sixth. Nick Markakis raced home, and the Orioles cut the Royals' lead to 3-1.
Confetti didn't fall from the sky, but I watched for it.
The Orioles put the leadoff hitter on base in five of the first six innings. Royals rookie left-hander Danny Duffy was playing with fire. He figured to eventually get burned.
Markakis singled and stole second before Wieters' double, the catcher's 26th RBI of the season.
Pinch-hitter Luke Scott greeted reliever Louis Coleman with an infield hit that scored Wieters, who had moved up on a wild pitch.
Royals 3, Orioles 2.
Duffy walked the first two batters in the fifth, throwing seven consecutive balls in the process, but Robert Andino bunted the first pitch he saw into the air, and third baseman Wilson Betemit turned it into a 5-6 double play.
The bunt was a good idea with the Orioles trailing, 2-0, but why offer at the first pitch?
Britton was allowed to face Alex Gordon with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth, and his pitch count at 97. He induced a pop up.
Maybe we learned a little more about the young lefty.
Britton is done after 101 pitches, including 58 strikes. It's another quality start by definition - his eighth in 10 games - though he allowed a career-high nine hits to go with those three runs.
Jeremy Accardo is entering the game.
When do we see Alfredo Simon?
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